The MCAD building has been vacant for over 3 years now and the target of vandalism. There was a recent police altercation with a minor on the MCAD property. We hope our elected officials can save MCAD as a much needed neighborhood park soon. So far, all efforts have been stalled, and we have heard nothing recently from Montgomery College. It is our hope to work with the County and the College to come to a solution sooner rather than later. We hope that the College will publicly support turning MCAD into parkland and help us in finding funding to buy the land back from them.

Montgomery County police officer indicted on second-degree assault charge
http://gazette.net/stories/08252010/silvnew200229_32544.php

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010
Montgomery County police officer indicted on second-degree assault charge

Second investigation to be made into same officer for unrelated incidents

by Jeremy Arias | Staff Writer
A Montgomery County police officer was indicted by the county State's Attorney's Office on Friday for allegedly assaulting a 16-year-old Silver Spring boy with his baton after a brief foot chase in March.

At approximately 4:50 p.m. March 3, Officer George Saoutis and several other Fourth District officers responded to a building at Evans Drive and Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring for reports of a graffiti-related vandalism in progress, according to county police spokeswoman Lucille Baur. The officers arrived to find seven to 10 suspects fleeing the scene, and Saoutis was one of at least two officers who gave chase, Baur said.

After repeated calls to stop were ignored by the youth, Saoutis apprehended the youth and charged him with vandalism, Baur said, adding that the boy — who is not being identified because he is a juvenile — was transported to a local hospital for a one-inch laceration to the top-back of his head.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/05122010/wheanew191826_32549.php

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wheaton residents face roadblock in plan for new park
County budget deals another blow to potential recreational area
by Amber Parcher | Staff Writer

The residents of three Wheaton neighborhoods who are fervently trying to find money to turn a vacant public art school into a park seem to have run into a dead end.

That's the dire news Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring passed onto residents of Carroll Knolls, Plyers Mill and McKenney Hills in a meeting about the property last week.

"We've been down every road we can take, and we have been stopped at every single corner," she said. "We have about run out of options here."

The Maryland College of Art and Design building, which is owned by the nonprofit Montgomery College Foundation, has sat vacant for almost three years while a proposal for a townhouse development idled in the courts. The school has become an eyesore and encourages illicit late-night activity, say neighbors, who fought the townhouse project and who want the county to purchase the land for a soccer field or park.

Ervin said last week it's a race against time to find a solution that leads to a park before the foundation, which supports taxpayer-funded Montgomery College, strikes a more lucrative deal that involves much more concrete.

After being shot down several times by the county's parks department for funds, Ervin said that their best hope is to organize a united front with Wheaton's state delegation to request funds from a similar parks fund run by the state. But that, too, is a long shot — if the area didn't meet the county's requirements for an open space fund, it's likely it won't meet the state's either. And that's assuming there's even money left in that pot, she said.

But Ervin also said: "I think it's the strongest option we might have."

Contact: Elizabeth Chaisson FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 301-962-9558
Email: eliz.chaisson@gmail.com

GREENWHEATON INSTALLS A DEMONSTRATION GARDEN IN DOWNTOWN WHEATON

On Sunday, May 2, 2010, From 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Volunteers Will Install a Conservation Landscape on the Wheaton Green Triangle Across From 2424 Reedie Drive

Wheaton, MD April 27, 2010 – On Sunday, May 2, 2010, GreenWheaton, an affiliate of the Mid-County Regional Services Center, will be installing a conservation landscape opposite the Center’s offices at 2424 Reedie Drive. The conservation landscape will be installed in a 500 square foot section located in the southwest corner of the Wheaton Green Triangle. Interested Montgomery County residents are welcome to attend and learn about the benefits of removing turf and creating conservation landscapes in our environment, which soak up more rain water than typical lawns or gardens.

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection RainScapes Program will provide the soil amendments and plants native to the Maryland area for this project. These native plants will help absorb rainfall that would otherwise be diverted to nearby storm drains. Capturing rainfall that would otherwise become polluted runoff has a number of long-term environmental benefits; principally, replenishing groundwater and recharging streams and preventing stormwater pollution from entering our waterways. To learn more about how to install a conservation landscape or a rain garden in your yard or neighborhood, please visit Montgomery County’s RainScapes Program on-line at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dectmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/water/rai...

Upcoming Wheaton Events that will provide the public an opportunity to view the installed conservation landscape include:

- 15th Annual Taste of Wheaton on Sunday May 16th from 11am-5pm
- Wheaton Flea Market every Sunday from 9am-3pm all year

My name is Beverly Sobel, president of GreenSpaceOnGeorgia.org. GreenSpaceOnGeorgia.org is a
civic group representing over several hundred Wheaton, MD residents that live near the former School of
Art and Design at Montgomery College (MCAD) property. The MCAD property is located at 10500
Georgia Ave., Wheaton, MD. These residents overwhelming support the creation of much needed
parkland at MCAD.

The State bond funding requested today will be used for the demolition and removal of the roughly 14,000
sq. ft. MCAD building which has been vacant for over 2.5 years in our communities. Tearing down the
building is the first step to parkland creation. The building has been heavily vandalized and encourages
criminal behavior. Over the past 2.5 years, the windows of the back side of the building were broken to
the point that they were recently replaced in their entirety with plywood. Now, this recently painted
plywood has become a canvass for graffiti. Please see the attached photos. Prior to the new plywood,
broken windows were replaced with pieces of plywood. For example, please look at Photo 5, the front
entrance of the building. All of these photos were taken a week ago. The community is concerned about
the apparent tagging of the MCAD building by possibly gangs as well as the amount of alcohol consumed
on the property as evidenced by the broken beer bottles on the pavement and the growing number of
bottles collecting on the top of the MCAD building’s roof.

We are grateful for the opportunity today to request state funding to help demolish and remove this
heavily vandalized, long vacant building in our communities. Future parkland at MCAD will provide safe,
nearby access to public recreational space for three Wheaton communities (Carroll Knolls, McKenney
Hills, and Plyers Mill Crossing). The M-NCPPC Parks Department as well as scores of residents, civic

Montgomery County Council
Rockville, Maryland
Valerie Ervin
Councilmember
District 5

March 12, 2010
The Honorable Senator Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.

James Senate Office Building

Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Rich,

I am writing to support the bond bill funding for design, construction, repair, and renovation of the Montgomery College Art and Design site (House Bill 651).

I have been working with representatives from the McKenney Hills, Carroll Knolls, and Plyers Mill communities regarding the future use of the Maryland College of Art and Design (MCAD) property. Representatives from these communities have stated that they would like this site turned into a park for recreational use. As you may know, the MCAD site is one of the few remaining green spaces in the Sligo Creek watershed. In addition, the concept plan for the Georgia Avenue corridor promotes increased recreational and local park opportunities as well as the development of a green boulevard along Georgia Avenue.

I wrote a letter to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Director of Parks supporting a plan to turn the MCAD property into a park using Legacy Open Space (LOS) funding in August 2008. The Montgomery County Planning Board did not designate the site as part of the County’s LOS program, citing limited funding for the program and the site’s failure to meet LOS criteria. In October 2009, I asked the Planning Board to reconsider its decision on the LOS designation, but it has declined to do so.

I know that developing the MCAD property into a park could provide valuable recreation and open space for the community. While I support this proposal, without an additional funding source, the current budget crisis has depleted the necessary resources to make any changes to the site a reality in the near-term.

January 21, 2010

To whom it may concern,

I respectfully and formally request that you investigate who owns the
rights-of-way at the former School of Art and Design at Montgomery
College (MCAD) at 10500 Georgia Ave, Wheaton, MD. Please see the
emails below for links to Council approved resolutions as well as
additional information about the MCAD property.

Please let me know if you need any more information from me at this time.

Thank you kindly,
Beverly Sobel
President, GreenSpaceOnGeorgia.org

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Romer, Richard
Date: Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 4:03 PM
Subject: RE: MCAD Question
To: "Beverly G. Sobel"
Cc: "Healy, Sonya"

Beverly,

I spoke with a representative from Montgomery College last week. We
have sent over some dates to meet with officials from the College that
work for us and are awaiting reply. I will keep you in the loop
concerning any additional information.

If you would like to send a formal inquiry into the matter to County
Council Attorneys regarding abandonments, you may do so by email
(county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov) or by mail (Legislative
Information Services, 5th Floor, 100 Maryland Avenue • Rockville, MD
20850).

Thanks,

Rich

Richard Romer

Policy Analyst

Councilmember Valerie Ervin

Montgomery County Council - District 5

100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850

(240) 777-7957 (phone)

(240) 777-7989 (fax)

For more information about our office visit:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/mem/Ervin/index.asp

-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly G. Sobel [mailto:weberlyg@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 1:59 PM
To: Romer, Richard
Cc: Healy, Sonya
Subject: Re: MCAD Question

Hi Rich,

I hope all is well.

March 26, 2010

Dear Ms. Sobel:
Council President Floreen directed me to respond to your message regarding the rights-of-way at the former School of Art and Design at Montgomery College. Your message was made available to all Councilmembers when we received it. I apologize for the delay in responding, but as you probably know, this has been a busy time here.

Contrary to what you may have been told, the Council legal staff cannot “investigate” in any definitive way who owns the right-of-way at the former MCAD. More particularly, we are not able to do the kind of analysis of the relevant abandonments, including if necessary a title search, that may be necessary to resolve an issue of this nature. Both the County Attorney and the attorneys for Montgomery College may have views on this issue. If their views or any other interested party’s views differ, only a court can give a binding answer. Finally, we are not authorized to offer private legal advice to County residents about this or any other legal issue.

Michael Faden

Senior Legislative Attorney
c: Rich Romer, Office of Councilmember Ervin

F:\LAW\Correspondence\2010\053652 Sobel.Doc

http://www.gazette.net/stories/07012009/wheanew192206_32521.shtml
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Money is next hurdle for park supporters
Appeals court blocks townhouses at former art college, but property cost could put plans for open space out of reach
by Amber Parcher | Staff Writer

With a lawsuit preventing the construction of townhouses in their neighborhood and the support of two County Council members, the residents of three Silver Spring neighborhoods hope they can turn the vacant Maryland College of Art and Design property on Georgia Avenue into a park.

There's just one problem — the foundation that owns the land is asking for about $4.5 million for the property and the county doesn't have the money, said County Councilman Marc Elrich (D-At Large) of Takoma Park in a community meeting last week.

The MCAD building, under the ownership of the nonprofit Montgomery College Foundation, has been vacant for almost two years while a proposed townhouse development idled in the courts. The school has become an eyesore and encourages illicit late-night activity, say residents of Carroll Knolls, Plyers Mill and McKenney Hills, who want the county to purchase the land to create a park and resist development.

In an interview Friday, Elrich echoed many residents' frustration about the cost of the land, especially because the county handed over the land to the foundation for free several years ago.

"Why should we pay for something we gave them?" he said.

But it was county officials who in 2005 asked Montgomery College to take over the failing MCAD, which was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, said Donna Pina, the director of finance for the Montgomery College Foundation, in an e-mail.

The college merged into what is now the School of Art and Design at Montgomery College, and the county agreed to give the foundation ownership of the MCAD property to recuperate operating and merger costs, Pina said.

Hello all,

Thank you to all of you who were able to attend Tuesday's night MCAD meeting with our Councilmember, Councilmember Valerie Ervin. Valerie is committed to saving MCAD as green space and is actively looking for a financial solution on our behalf. Here are two possible solutions:

1) Reconsideration of Legacy Open Space Designation. This August, Valerie plans to send a letter to the Planning Board requesting reconsideration of MCAD as part of the LOS program. MCAD follows primarily under Criterion 8, urban open space (http://www.mc-mncppc.org/parks/ppsd/legacy_open_space/summary.shtm).

"The Resource provides a significant opportunity to:

a. increase access to public open space in communities with high population densities,
b. to protect scarce open space in an urbanized community, or
c. to improve the character of an existing urban boulevard of countywide or regional significance."

Valerie would like her letter to be signed by a total of 5 Councilmembers. Please write other Councilmembers and ask for their support on LOS designation of MCAD.

2) County-sponsored Land Swap. Valerie stated that her office is presently discussing with Montgomery College a possible land swap. In this way, MCAD will be given back to the County and preserved as parkland.

The meeting was highly informative and encouraging. We learned that Valerie is deeply concerned about this property as well as the College's behavior. She stated a number of times her great disappointment that the College representatives were a no show.

Prior to her arrival, a police officer in charge of K-9 training informed us that MCAD has only been used once by his staff and dogs and will not be used again. This officer told us that the MCAD building itself is in such a sad state with broken glass inside that using it as a K-9 training facility is not worth the risk to the dogs.

Hello all,

Next Tuesday, June 23rd at 8PM, Councilmember Valerie Ervin will be meeting with our communities to discuss the future of the former School of Art and Design at Montgomery College (MCAD). This meeting is exceptionally important. Montgomery College, Montgomery College Foundation, Park & Planning (M-NCPPC), and police representatives will also be attending.

Please come to this meeting and please ask your neighbors to come too! We need as many people as possible to attend.

This meeting is our communities' opportunity to discuss with our Councilmember and other County officials the current sad state of MCAD (heavily vandalized and vacant for 22 months) and what can be done to save MCAD as green space for the public. The suggestion has been made that instead of a soccer field where the MCAD building is that a community garden be created instead. Officials need to know the communities' thoughts. The police will be present to discuss their use of MCAD for late night K-9 training. The College representatives will be present to hear first hand why the public needs the land saved as green space. Currently, we are working with the Council and the College to try to figure out a financial solution.

The meeting will occur at 8PM on Tuesday, June 23rd at:

The Capital View - Homewood Park Recreation Center
2929 Edgewood Road

Questions are being collected before this meeting to make the best use of our limited time with our Councilmember. If you have a specific question, please send it to me at Beverly@greenspaceongeorgia.org.