Kemp Mill Community News December 2008 | Kemp Mill Civic Association Volume VIII, Issue 4 December 2008 Kemp Mill Community News QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER Visit www.kempmill.org for the latest information on the Kemp Mill community. MAILING FOR THE KMCA COMMUNITY NEWS SPONSORED BY SHONNY KUGLER OF LONG & FOSTER Y Y Wheaton redevelopment to be discussed at next KMCA meeting by Ariel Winter continued on page 7 The Montgomery County Planning Board is develop- ing a long-term plan for the future of downtown Whea- ton, where many of us shop, eat, and take the metro. Rob Klein, the director of the Wheaton redevelopment pro- gram, will discuss this initiative at the KMCA’s next meeting on December 8 at 7:30 p.m. According to the Planning Board’s website, the plan for Wheaton will aim to: Focus new development and revitalization efforts near Metro’s Red Line, Reinvigorate Wheaton’s downtown by creating a walk- able community with a distinct identity, Create a vibrant mix of jobs and housing, Preserve Wheaton’s ethnic diversity, Build quality public spaces inviting to pedestrians, and • • • • • Foster an environmentally sustainable community. In March, an independent advisory panel spent several days assessing public facilities and economic conditions in Wheaton. One of their recommendations was for the County to move the Wheaton Library from the corner of Ar- cola and Georgia to downtown Wheaton, near the Metro sta- tion. According to the panel, a new building with a library and arts and cultural center would create a central focus for future development. It is important to note that the idea of moving the li- brary would need to be approved by the Planning Board, County Council, and County Executive before it could be implemented. This process would likely involve an analysis of funding sources, parking, the impact of a new • December 8, 2008 7:30 pm Meeting Agenda Kemp Mill Elementary School 411 Sisson Street 7:15 Membership renewal 7:30 Meeting starts; committee reports 7:35 Guest speakers from Montgomery County Police Department Lt. Jacques Croom Officer Sharif Hidayat, Community Services Officer 8:15 Guest speaker: Rob Klein, Director Wheaton Redevelopment Program Montgomery County 8:45 Election for vacant director position 8:50 New business 9:00 Adjourn • • 8 de Diciembre del 2008 7:30 pm El Programa de la junta Escuela Primaria de Kemp Mill Calle Sisson # 411 7:15 Momento para asociarse o reanudar su membresía 7:30 Comienzo de la asamblea y los informes de los comités 7:35 Los representatantes invitados del Departamento de la Policía del Contado de Montgomery Jacques Croom, Teniente de Policía Sharif Hidayat, Oficial de Policía de Servicios al la Comunidad 8:15 El director del Programa del Desarollo de Wheaton, Contado de Montgomery, el Sr. Robert Klein 8:45 Elección de un puesto vacante de director 8:50 Asuntos nuevos 9:00 La clausura • • Moving the library would require approval by the Planning Board, County Council, and County Executive.
Transcript
Kemp Mill Community News December 2008 | �Kemp Mill Civic Association Volume VIII, Issue 4 December 2008
Kemp Mill Community NewsQ U A R T E R L Y N E W S L E T T E R
Visit www.kempmill.org for the latest information on the Kemp Mill community.
Mailing for the KMCa CoMMunity news sponsored by shonny Kugler of long & foster
Y
Y
Wheaton redevelopment to be discussed at next KMCA meetingby Ariel Winter
continued on page 7
The Montgomery County Planning Board is develop-ing a long-term plan for the future of downtown Whea-ton, where many of us shop, eat, and take the metro. Rob Klein, the director of the Wheaton redevelopment pro-gram, will discuss this initiative at the KMCA’s next meeting on December 8 at 7:30 p.m.
According to the Planning Board’s website, the plan for Wheaton will aim to:
Focus new development and revitalization efforts near Metro’s Red Line,Reinvigorate Wheaton’s downtown by creating a walk-able community with a distinct identity,Create a vibrant mix of jobs and housing,Preserve Wheaton’s ethnic diversity,Build quality public spaces inviting to pedestrians, and
•
•
•••
Foster an environmentally sustainable community.In March, an independent advisory panel spent several
days assessing public facilities and economic conditions in Wheaton. One of their recommendations was for the
County to move the Wheaton Library from the corner of Ar-cola and Georgia to downtown Wheaton, near the Metro sta-tion. According to the panel, a new building with a library and arts and cultural center would
create a central focus for future development. It is important to note that the idea of moving the li-
brary would need to be approved by the Planning Board, County Council, and County Executive before it could be implemented. This process would likely involve an analysis of funding sources, parking, the impact of a new
Many residents have expressed concern about the many recent home, auto, and personal robberies in our neighborhood. For example, The Washington Post recent-ly reported that several male pedestrians were robbed at gunpoint by three males with hoods covering their faces on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10:15 am, at Lamberton Drive and Arcola Ave. Public safety officials spoke at our May membership meeting to address concerns and make rec-ommendations to enhance our safety (see the article at www.kempmill.org and in the September newsletter).
Although we live in a wonderful neighborhood, we all need to be mindful that we are certainly not free of crime. It bears repeating that people should be vigilant about
Kemp Mill Civic Association
their surroundings and lock their vehicles and homes at all times. Do not leave valuables displayed in your car (e.g., portable music devices, GPS). Women should be wary of leaving their purses on their shopping carts while they shop as there was a recent theft in this manner at a neighborhood grocery store. It is important to report all criminal activity, including vandalism, to the authorities as this generates a paper trail and helps to justify added patrols and coverage. The non-emergency police num-ber is 301-�79-8000. Moreover, individuals may call our local district station (the 4th District, Wheaton-Glen-mont) at �40-773-5500 to request increased patrols on their block.
Kemp Mill Community News December 2008 | �
Top 1% Nationwide
Home Office: 301-649-3649 Office: 301-907-7600E-mail: [email protected]
Shonny KuglerYour Community Realtor
For Outstanding Service Call:
Contact me for all your Real Estate Needs!
R Complimentary Market Analysis
R Valuable Home Warranty
4 | Kemp Mill Community News December 2008
How to report Housing Code violationsby Jonathan Fink
’
They always leave a little taller.
The lessons your child learns at The Little Gymwill fill you both with pride: How to reach higher. How to listen better. How to tackle challengeswith confi dence and a smile.
Call to schedule a free introductory class.Learn more at TheLittleGym.com.
parent/childclasses
gradeschool
gymnastics
karate
dance
cheerleading
camp
birthdayparties
preschool/kindergartengymnastics
parents’survival night
sportsskills
development
The Little Gym of Silver SpringIn The Kemp Mill Center · 301-681-7005
Come Join The Fun!www.tlgofsilverspringmd.com
In previous KMCA meetings, many residents have complained about housing code violations such as grass that is too high and unauthorized home construction. The KMCA’s newly-formed housing committee has been researching these problems. The good news is that there is a way for residents to report these violations to the County.
Residents have expressed concern about the following problems:
Cars or bushes that obstruct sidewalksParking a car on the grass between the street and the sidewalk (on the County right of way)Unauthorized home improvementsFailure to cut grassFailure to abate pestsJunk cars in drivewaysVacant/abandoned homesIf you are aware of a potential code violation, please call
the County’s Department of Housing and Community Af-fairs (DHCA) at �40-777-3785. You may also file a com-plaint online at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/DHCA (click on code enforcement, then click on on-line complaint submission). Upon receiving a complaint,
••
•••••
the DHCA should quickly inspect the property to verify a violation, notify the homeowner, and set a deadline for the problem to be corrected. A number of residents have found the DHCA to be very responsive when notified of a prob-lem through this system.
Residents can also track the progress and resolution of a complaint online at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/DHCA/pdm_online/pdmfull.asp. The website allows users to search for cases related to a specific address or a street. For example, the website shows that the Coun-ty resolved several complaints related to vacant houses in Kemp Mill �008.
The County has answers to frequently asked questions about code enforcement at: http://www.montgomerycoun-tymd.gov/apps/DHCA (click on code enforcement, then click on housing code enforcement handbook).
The County also offers tips on its website for people fac-ing foreclosure and seminars on how to prevent foreclosure. Go to http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dhctmpl.asp?url=/content/DHCA/housing/Foreclosure/index.asp.
Residents are encouraged to email the KMCA’s housing committee chair at [email protected] when they submit a complaint to the County so that the committee can keep track of the number and type of issues that are arising in the community. We are planning to invite a speaker from the DHCA to a future KMCA meeting to answer questions.
Rules for renting single-family homesSeveral questions have been raised at KMCA meetings
about the rental of single-family homes. According to in-formation from the County, property owners must obtain a rental license in order to rent their homes (unless the owner also occupies the house). A house may be rented to up to five unrelated people living as a group. In addition:
Owners may establish an “accessory apartment,” which is a second dwelling unit that is part of a single-family home occupied by the owner. Owners must obtain a spe-cial exception to the zoning ordinance to do this.Owners may establish a “registered living unit,” which is the same as an accessory apartment, except that the unit is occupied rent-free by family members or house-hold employees of the owner. This type of unit does not need a special exception but must be registered with the County. Rental homes that are overcrowded or are not properly
maintained may be reported to DHCA at �40-777-3785.
•
•
Kemp Mill Community News December 2008 | �
Barbara Ciment Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc $250 Million in Career Sales
Call Me For All Your Real Estate Needs: Free and Confidential Market Consultation Purchases, Sales, Condos, Relocation, Rentals, Retirement Communities and Refinancing
I Sell More Kemp Mill Area Homes than
Any Other 8 Agents Combined!
With $18Million in
Sales since 01/01/08, I have Settled or Placed
Under Contract Over 40 Homes and Additionally
Rented 10 Homes.
In Tough Times, You Need the Best to Deal with the Many
Obstacles to Closing Your Home Transaction
I Sell More Because
I Do More
My Internet Marketing Strategies
Feature Your Home on the Premier Real
Estate sites: Realtor.com,
Homes.Com and Trulia.com
Greater Kemp Mill, Springbrook Forest & University Towers Settled Transactions January 1– November 4, 2008
Area Style #Homes
AveragePrice
Avg.DOM
Kemp Mill Estates1,700 homes on both sides ofLamberton Drive, bounded byArcola Ave & Kemp Mill Rd
Bedford Colonial 4 $443,625 200
Colonial 2 $424,150 56
Contemporary 1 $357,000 160
Rambler 2 $441,500 133
Split Foyer 2 $400,000 187
Split Level 14 $381,284 84
Total 25 $400,031 115
Kemp Mill Farms110 homes: North and West ofKemp Mill Rd
Colonial 1 $635,000 0
Kemp Mill Forest100 Stanley Martin homes
Colonial 2 $487,500 30
KM Forest/Townhouse Townhouse 2 $323,500 60
KM/Hermleigh AreaHomes on Hermleigh & accessstreets: Auth Lane & Saddlerock
Rambler 1 $570,000 26
Springbrook Forest116 homes: Access thru
Stonington Rd
Arts & Crafts 1 $825,000 42
Rambler 1 $927,500 9
Total 2 $876,250 25
Tallwood Glen68 Stanley Halle homes in theYeatman Farm Area
Colonial 1 $652,000 0
University Towers Condo 1BR 5 $157,410 114
Condo 2BR 5 $187,238 92
Penthouse 1 $415,000 69
Total 11 $194,385 100
� | Kemp Mill Community News December 2008
Rely on B.F. Saul Mortgage for your home financing needsAfter all, we’ve been making homeownership a reality for more than 115 years!
4 Fast, hassle-free decisions in minutes
4 Personalized service every step of the way
4 Local lender with a vested interest in the community
4 Wide variety of loan programs to meet your needs including Conventional, FHA, CDA and HOC loans
Chevy Chase Bank, F.S.B. and B.F. Saul Mortgage is pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the United States. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and lending program in which there are no barriers to obtaining home financing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status (e.g., having children), age or national origin.
Gabriel Bensimon | 240-888-8088
Residential Mortgage ConsultantSpecializing in FHA, CDA & HOC loans
Call me today to find out how much you could save with an FHA, CDA or HOC loan!
[This article was originally published in the July 2006 Kemp Mill Community News and is reprinted here with the au-thor’s permission.]
Traffic and pedestrian safety are frequent topics of concern at KMCA meetings. Drivers and pedestrians must both obey traffic laws so they can co-exist safely. Homeowners are responsible for keeping sidewalks clear of obstructions so pedestrians can safely use them. Be-low is a summary of some of the laws related to pedes-trian and traffic safety.Rules for Drivers
Drivers must stop for pedestrians crossing in a cross-walk. Every intersection where there are sidewalks is considered a crosswalk—even if there are no lines painted on the street. The ‘unmarked crosswalk’ ex-tends from sidewalk to sidewalk. If a pedestrian has stepped off the curb and has begun to cross an un-marked residential street from one sidewalk to anoth-er you must come to a complete stop and allow them to cross. Failure to stop is punishable by a fine and, if an accident occurs, up to two months in jail.
•
Do not park a car within 35 feet of an intersection. Parking closer than this often blocks the view of traf-fic approaching on the side street and makes it hard to see pedestrians about to step into the road.
Rules for PedestriansWait for a break in traffic. Don’t just step out in front of a moving car that is too close to stop. However, once a pedestrian has safely begun to cross, all approaching traffic must come to a complete stop until the pedes-trian is safely across the road.Yield to vehicles when crossing anywhere other than a crosswalk. When crossing in the middle of the block pedestrians have to yield to all vehicular traffic.Use the sidewalk where there is a sidewalk. It is illegal to walk in the street if there is a sidewalk.Walk on the left side of the street (facing traffic) where there are no sidewalks.Violations are punishable by a traffic ticket and a fine. Also, walking in violation of the traffic laws makes it more likely that the pedestrian will be at fault in any collision with a vehicle.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Traffic and pedestrian safetyby Alan Felsen
Kemp Mill Community News December 2008 | �Redevelopment, continued from page 1
Bags
location on residents who use the library, and plans for the current location if the library were to move. There would be many opportunities for public input.
Planning Board staff expect to submit their draft plan on downtown Wheaton to the Board next spring for its approval. If approved, the plan would also have to be re-viewed by the County Executive and County Council.
There are several opportunities for Kemp Mill resi-dents to get involved in this process. Planning Board staff will be seeking public input on preliminary rec-ommendations in December and February. In addition, an advisory committee called the Wheaton Sector Plan Joint Advisory Ad Hoc Work Group holds public meet-ings on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at �4�4 Reedie Drive. For more information, please call �40-777-81�1. You may also visit this website for docu-ments, meeting dates, and contact information: http://www.mcparkandplanning.org/planning/community/wheaton/wheaton_cbd.shtm.
Election for vacant director position will be held at next membership meeting on December 8
Due to the resignation of a director, we will be holding an election for the vacant director position at the next KMCA meeting on December 8 at 7:30 pm, at the Kemp Mill Elementary School. The new director’s term will expire in 2010. All candidates must be active members of the KMCA. Nominations must be made from the floor at that meeting and must be accompanied by a second.
Rules for Homeowners:Do not park a vehicle obstructing a sidewalk. This is a common problem in the neighborhood. If one of your neighbors has been doing it, please talk to them about it. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to them directly, you may contact the KMCA board with the address and a board member will contact them. You can email the KMCA president at [email protected] or the Transportation Committee chair at [email protected]. As a last resort, the County Po-lice will be asked to cite vehicles that are continually parked blocking sidewalks.Do not allow shrubs or trees to obstruct vision of vehicles traveling on the street or to interfere with pedestrian use of the sidewalk. This is a widespread problem in Kemp Mill.Many sidewalks are obstructed by low hanging branches and overgrown shrubs. If there is a sidewalk in front of your home, please check it today to make sure no shrubs or trees are obstructing it. If shrubs from someone’s property are obstructing a sidewalk, you may report it to the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Code Enforcement section, at �40-777-3785. If the County is notified of a problem, they will instruct the property owner to correct it. Montgomery County’s web site has a section devoted
to pedestrian safety including tips for drivers, pedestri-ans, and cyclists. The web site is at http://www.mont-gomerycountymd.gov/dirtmpl.asp?url=/Content/dot/dir/pedsafety/index.asp. You’ll also find a link to it on the KMCA home page at www.kempmill.org. Take a few minutes to check it out.
•
•
•
8 | Kemp Mill Community News December 2008
Kemp Mill Community NewsQUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Subscribe tothe KMCA e-mail list
Join the KMCA e-mail group to get important information about meetings and other neighborhood events. Send an e-mail to [email protected]. Or go to www.kempmill.org and click
on “E-mail list.”
Renew your KMCA membership
Annual dues are $10 per household.Make check out to “Kemp Mill Civic Association” and send it to:
Marilyn Lawlor614 Hillsboro Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20902or renew online at
http://www.kempmill.org/dues/index.phpAdvertise in the Kemp Mill Community News
Your ad in the Kemp Mill Community News will reach 3,000 homes in the Kemp Mill area. For advertis-ing rates, e-mail [email protected] or go to http://www.kempmill.org/TechRequirements.html.
