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.

I would like to thank the Montgomery County District 18 State delegation for putting this bond bill forward. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Valerie Ervin

Montgomery County Councilmember – District 5