East Rockville Residents Ask for Change in EZ Storage Decision

Submitted by Peter Witzler:

Several residents of East Rockville have filed a formal request urging the Rockville Planning Commission to reconsider its 4 to 3 vote approving a large self-storage facility near Maryvale Elementary School and across the street from David Scull Park, according to a news release.

The commission meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the Mayor and Council Chambers at Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue.

Says resident Peter Witzler, “Our community will not give up the fight to protect our sense of security and identity as quiet, safe, secure residential neighborhood.”

The request says that residents of David Scull Courts, owned by Rockville Housing Enterprises, never received notice of the project as required by the zoning ordinance. In addition, the request notes a number of procedural irregularities that occurred during the Planning Commission meeting when the project was approved. These include untimely amendments to the site application and numerous errors in the staff report presented to the Commission that violate both the zoning ordinance and the Planning Commission’s own Rules of Procedure.

“I was surprised that I never saw any David Scull Courts residents at meetings on the proposed development or heard of them protesting it. But that makes sense if they were not notified and therefore unaware,” said Diane Ferguson, resident of East Rockville.

The self-storage proposal has generated opposition, including from local residents, the Maryvale Elementary School PTA, and online activists who signed a MoveOn.org petition. In addition, the Rockville mayor and several council members attended the Planning Commission meeting where the proposal was approved.

Rather than a rebuke to the Planning Commission, the concerned residents who submitted the request for reconsideration see this as an opportunity to encourage more citizen participation in Rockville’s development. Citizens and residents must be given their due notice if they are to be full participants in local government decisions. “An engaged citizenry makes for a stronger community,” says East Rockville resident Kashi Way.

A copy of the request may be found on the City of Rockville website at http://www.rockvillemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9515.