Town Council News
Next meeting: Monday, August 11, 7:00 p.m., in the Council Room.
The meeting will begin with a public hearing.
July Council actions included:
Introduction of Ordinance No. 2003-03 reducing the Town speed limit to 15 mph.
Election of Peggy Odick as Mayor Pro- Tem.
Notice of Public Hearing
Text Amendment to the Code of Ordinances Article III, Section 7, Part b. The proposed ordinance would lower the Town speed limit from 25 to 15 mph.
Date: Monday, August 11, 2003
Place: McCathran Hall Council Room
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Casey Field:
The latest plan for the Casey Field will not go before the Montgomery County Planning Board until September at the earliest. Residents may soon be asked to write letters expressing their continued concerns about this high density development. Stay tuned!
Shady Grove Master Plan:
Because of the number of Master Plans being reviewed, the County Council has requested that the schedule be extended.
Planning Commission News
Next meeting: August 5, 7:30 p.m. Council Room.
The public is invited to attend.
Permits were approved for the following:
409 Brown St. Garage/Entrance
Building Permits:
If you are going to erect a building or structure (including fences), make structural alterations to, or move any existing building or other structure, you must first obtain a building permit from the Washington Grove Planning Commission. The Town zoning ordinance governs setbacks, lot coverage and height. Applications are available at the Town Office at 301-926-2256. The permit fee is $10.00, payable to the Town of Washington Grove. Interior renovations, which involve electrical, plumbing, or load-bearing changes, generally require a County permit. A shed requires a County permit as well. The Town must first sign off all applications for County-required building permits. The Historic Preservation Commission will review most permits as well.
Council Areas of Responsibility
Darrell Anderson: Planning Commission, Forestry & Beautification
301-977-3517
[email protected]
Betsy Klinger:Safety, Recreation, Town Hall
301-977-3517
[email protected]
Tom Land: Contracts & Maple Lake
301-869-4334
[email protected]
Peggy Odick: Mayor Pro-Tem, Website, Historic Preservation, Memorials, Heritage
301-990-9886
[email protected]
David Stopak: Maintenance & Playgrounds
301-330-6446
[email protected]
John Tomlin: Roads & Walkways, Intergovernmental
301-869-5854
[email protected]
Historic Preservation News
Next meeting: August 19, 7:00 p.m. Council Room.
These meetings are open to the public. Reviews were written for the following:
409 Brown St.
The HPC has determined that they will not review; fences, walls, trellises, screens, tree houses, oil tanks, AC equipment, shutters, temporary structures intended for a life span less than 2 years and all items qualifying under Section 5, “Special Structures”, of the Building Permit Regulations.
Recreation Committee News
Next meeting: September 10, 2003, 7:30 p.m. Council Room.
The public is invited to attend.
We love a parade!
Thanks to those who participated in the Fourth of July Parade. Also, thank you to Christine Dibble, Tom Land, Missy Yachup, the judges and all those who helped with our July 4th celebration!
Yes Virginia, there was a Hot Dog Picnic!
A great big thank you to Betsy Klinger, John Klinger and Ralph Hurst for taking over the annual July 4th Hot Dog Picnic this year. The tradition lives on thanks to volunteers!
Three Cheers for the Muskrat Band!
Thanks to Eric & Lawren Selby for organizing, to the Briggs’ for their patio and music storage and to the musicians for their enthusiasm.
Labor Day is Coming
Volunteers are needed for set-up and clean-up at the Potluck Supper. Call Kathi Carey-Fletcher at 301-330-9485.
Looking for Reinforcements
The current leadership of the Recreation Committee will retire this year. Volunteers are needed to head this valuable committee. The Recreation Committee is responsible for many of the activities and programs that we have all come to know and love in our Town. Meetings are every other month and new members are always welcome. Don’t let this well-oiled machine stop running.volunteer today!
Maple Lake News
Ann Philips is now in charge of arranging lake party permits. For information and permits call Ann at 301-963-5781.
The combination for the lake gate has changed. Call the Town office for that information.
Please remember that children under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult over 18 when going to the lake. Also, parking inside the lower gate is reserved for lifeguards and handicapped vehicles only. The gate at Washington Grove Lane is locked every evening. Please do not leave your car in the parking lot after dusk. Last but not least, the padlock combination is for Town residents only! Passing it on to friends or acquaintances causes problems.
Swimming lessons are underway with an experimental schedule of reduced numbers of lessons this summer, which also meant smaller classes. The number of lessons for each child has gone from 20 to 10. The Lake Committee will be doing a survey at the end of the session on August 1st to get parent feedback concerning the experimental schedule. We are also getting input from the instructor.
Trash Day Changes, Change Is Difficult!
On Wednesday, June 4, 2003 we began our new trash schedule. All trash and recyclables are being picked up on Wednesdays. We are still having a rough time with consistency and misses in both trash and recycling. The Mayor and Council are taking all measures necessary to ensure that service improves. If you are missed by trash or recycling please contact Tom Land at 301-869-4664 or via e-mail at [email protected] . You may also call the Town office at 301-926-2256.
Brush Pickup Reminder
The 21st Century definition of brush is recyclable yard waste. The Town pays Waste Management for this service. Waste Management will pick up recyclable yard waste under the following conditions:
The waste is in a big brown paper yard waste bag or a trash can marked “YARD WASTE”.
Brush trimmings do not exceed 4 inches in diameter by 4 feet in length and are tied securely in bundles that do not exceed 30 inches in diameter.
As a courtesy to Town residents, Town maintenance has always picked up brush piles when placed “curbside”. Recently, the piles being left for Town maintenance have exceeded what one would consider reasonable. Our wet spring has produced lots of yard waste. When using a lawn service or landscape contractor, please be sure they understand that removal of excessive amounts of yard waste is their responsibility. Giant, unreasonable piles of yard waste will not be picked up by Town maintenance.
Special Trash Pickup
There will be a special trash pickup by Waste Management on Saturday, August 23, 2003.
Lost and Found
Call the Town Office 301-926-2256. The lost and found is getting full again. There are jackets and sweatshirts (adults & kids), an umbrella (black), a scarf, a baseball hat and kids’ watch waiting to be claimed.
Safety Report – More crimes of opportunity.
During the past month two residents found their cars had been entered during the night and items were taken from the trunk. Both incidents were in the new part of Brown Street but occurred a week apart. One loss included a cell phone. Also in Brown Street Station a truck was stolen last week. The owner had inadvertently left the keys in the ignition. These are crimes of opportunity. We can all make the Grove a less appealing target by keeping cars and houses locked. Think of it as a favor for your neighbors rather than an act of paranoia! David Stopak has passed the town council responsibility for “Safety” to Betsy Klinger for this next year. David and Betsy ask that residents report all crimes or suspicious incidents to the police first and then and to Betsy or Town Office. Consistent reporting of even minor incidents will help us notice any trends. Reporting incidents on the Yahoo listserve alerts only a minority of households in the Grove.
Neighborhood Watch Volunteers Needed
Report Crimes & Suspicious Activity!
Mont. Co. Police non-emergency: 301-279-8000
Town Office: 301-926-2256
Betsy Klinger: 301-977-3517
Many neighbors have expressed interest in establishing a neighborhood watch program in the Grove, but only seven people responded to our call for volunteers. We need more volunteers so we can launch this program. If you can help or if you would consider coming to an organizational meeting, please contact Betsy Klinger with your name, phone number and/or e-mail address. If you have already volunteered and are impatient to see something happen, please urge others to volunteer as well. Betsy is willing to serve as the neighborhood coordinator for the Neighborhood Watch but would prefer to have a volunteer take it on instead. The neighborhood coordinator would help organize the program and communicate with the police, the block captains and Betsy. Block captains take responsibility for a certain number of houses, preferably 10 or 15 homes, if enough block captains volunteer. They work with the neighborhood coordinator, see that crime prevention materials are distributed to those houses, help circulate an engraver to mark valuable items, and update the coordinator on incidents that occur in their area. In addition, some communities choose to have block captains do some neighborhood walking as well. This could be just walking one’s dog around the area in the evening or it could be walking around once or twice a week and just keeping in touch and aware of what the neighbors are seeing.
Volunteering to be a block captain shouldn’t require a large commitment of time and effort, just enough concern to take a small share of responsibility. If you can volunteer or can come to an initial meeting contact Betsy Klinger 301-977-3517.
Town Office Closed
The office will be closed beginning Wednesday, July 23 through Friday, August 1. For urgent matters, call Mayor Pro-Tem Peggy Odick at 301-990-9886 or the appropriate Councilor (see page one of this Bulletin).
Clerks Corner
Summer in the Parks is happening all over Town. Please be aware of stray children!