By Woody Brosnan
Many Montgomery civic activists are focusing on the June 24 Primary election for County Council and Executive but an earlier date also is important for the future of our neighborhoods and commercial areas.
April 7 -- next Monday -- is the deadline the Council has set for persons to apply to replace Francoise Carrier as chair of the county’s Planning Board. Because one of the other two Democrats on the panel could be selected as the new chair, the Council also will consider applicants for one of those positions.
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As coordinator of the Presidents’ Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations I will distribute any information from applicants to our civic presidents.
But I would like to set out some of the qualities I believe the chair should and should not possess.
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Practicality over Ideology
I’ve about decided an urbanist is someone who believes that everyone should reside within a mile of a transit station or bus stop but that no one should have to live more than a block away from a good cup of cappuccino. Sometimes they forget that growth must be balanced against the strain on schools and infrastructure.
On the other hand I don’t want so committed to a suburban life style that they would block all change, especially in our urban areas. High density makes sense in the blocks around some Metro stations and relieves some of the market pressure on single-family neighborhoods.
We’re a big county, bigger than the state of Rhode Island, with more than 1 million residents. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for neighborhoods or commercial areas, which is why so many civic leaders are opposed to weakening a master plan process that mandates public input on local zoning changes.
The Public Comes First
During last year’s discussion of loosening the rules regarding accessory apartments, civics were told that accessory apartment appeals took up too much time. During this year’s discussion of a Zoning Rewrite civics were told that all the commercial areas of the county should be rezoned -- most to commercial-residential -- regardless of local master plans because it would be too difficult for the planning staff to administer multiple zoning rules.
That’s their job!
While no one wants to waste time or taxpayer’s money, it is the job of public officials to make life easier for the citizens, not the other way around.
Courtesy, Respect and a Little Humility
My first brush with the Planning Board came in 2009 when it delegated the decision to close Sligo Creek Golf Course to the Montgomery County Revenue Authority -- unlawfully as a state attorney general’s opinion subsequently stated. More than 100 golf course supporters turned out for a meeting to protest any plans to change the use of the golf course but they were kept waiting for more than 15 minutes past the scheduled start time because Chairman Royce Hanson and another member were out to dinner. And during the meeting Hanson made clear he did not care what the neighborhood or the golfers wanted.
Too often with the Planning Board residents are met with a “we-know-it-all” look. And our former planning director referred his critics as a “coven.”
According to the U. S. Census more than half of the county’s citizens over age 25 have a college degree; 30 per cent have a graduate degree or higher. The Planning Board staff is highly respected but they are not the only ones in the county who know something about land-use planning.
When it comes to the impact of a change on a neighborhood I might take the opinion of a life-long community resident with limited education over a junior planner.
If you possess the qualities I’ve outlined, I urge you to apply to the Council for the Planning Board.
Silver Spring Neighborhoods” welcomes articles of interest from all members of the Silver Spring community.
For more information about PREZCO or "Silver Spring Neighborhoods," contact Woody Brosnan woodybrosnan@verizon.net or Alan Bowser alan.bowser@gmail.com
Disclaimer. The purpose of this blog is to inform Silver Spring residents about important events and issues affecting them. Any views expressed represent those of the author(s) and not necessarily all representatives of the Presidents’ Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations.
