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Rock Creek Hills is Organizing Neighborhood Watch Groups
On May 5, the County Police Officer Denise Gill spoke at a Rock Creek Hills Citizens Association
meeting, explaining how to prevent home and car break-ins and other crimes via Neighborhood
Watch (NW) programs. After a number of recent incidents, residents concerned about the
likely increase during the warm weather seasons are beginning to organize NW groups. Some
NW groups have been active years ago in Rock Creek Hills, but need to be re-started. Aware
and alert neighbors provide the best line of defense against these crimes of opportunity. This
won’t happen without volunteers. For residents interested in learning more, and possibly
willing to become NW block captains, please call Jacquie Borda at 301-587-0235.
Special Meeting Regarding Proposed
Middle School Location in Rock Creek Hills
• Tuesday, May 17, 7:30pm-9:30pm • North Chevy Chase Elementary School • 3700 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase
There will be a special meeting of the Rock Creek Hills Citizens Association to address the Board of Education’s April 28, 2011 decision to conduct a feasibility study of whether to build a new middle school in Rock Creek Hills at the site of our local park, Rock Creek Hills
Local Park. A vote will be taken on this important matter and the result will be forwarded, with Board comment, to the appropriate County officials. The board staff will attend.
There is substantial disagreement on this matter. Those opposing the proposed school emphasize what will likely be the loss of virtually all recreational facilities, the probable limitations to buffering, and the possible problems with traffic circulation and staff parking. Those supporting the construction point to the benefits for neighborhood children from walking to their school or from having a much shorter bus ride compared to the alternative of a new school in the Rosemary Hills area in east Silver Spring.
In accordance with the covenants, only RCHCA residents, with current, paid dues may vote at this meeting. The Board has no position in this matter and will abide the decision of our members.
Mother’s Day
Concert in the
Park
Sunday, May 8, 2011 from 4-6
Just a reminder to folks who will be able to join us tomorrow. The picnic is from 4-6. We will be entertained by the band Sugar Daddies. The association will be providing Mediterranean food. (Don't worry we will have maccaroni and cheese and hot dogs for the kids) We will also have drinks such as water and juice.
Please bring desert to share and if you have any special beverage you would like.
Email
RCHevents@gmail.com
A Message from Our Treasurer (March 2011)
185 of the 600 or so households in Rock Creek Hills have paid 2011
dues. Total collected so far: $6,475
Dues are voluntary, but if you want to contribute please send a $35
check payable to RCHCA. Address the envelope:
RCHCA
3103 Kent Street
Kensington, MD 20895
Residents often send an extra $10-$20, which is used to maintain the
few common areas in the neighborhood.
Thank you,
David Hall
RCHCA Treasurer
Please consider VOLUNTEERING to Coordinate Mother's Day Center in the Park
As most of you may know, RCHCA runs three seasonal events open to all
residents:
. Mother's Day Concert in the Park
. Halloween Parade and Potluck
. Winterfest Party/Dance
In past years, RCHCA's Special Events Committee Chair organized the first
two events, while other volunteers have organized Winterfest. Currently,
the position of Special Events Committee Chair is vacant. We urgently need
a volunteer at least to organize Mother's Day Concert in the Park (to be
held on May 8), if not to volunteer to be our next Special Events Committee
Chair.
Please consider volunteering in either capacity to ensure continuation of
these special events that help bring our community together. If interested,
please contact John Robinson, RCHCA President, or me, the immediate Past
President (see Board page for contact info).
Planning Board CR Zones
Many of you attended the RCHCA meeting in Jauuary where David Smith from
Chevy Chase Lake Company gave a presentation on the Chevy Chase Lake area.
RCHCA is hoping to get someone to come and talk about the Town of Kensington
Revitalization at a future meeting.
The Planning Board will hear public comment on
the new CR (commercial/Residental) zones at 2PM (subject to change) this
Thursday, Feb. 17th in the Board Auditorium (8787 Georgia Ave.). The Board
will discuss the zones on March 3, take a final vote on March 10 and
transmit their recommendations to the Council on March 11th. The CR zones
are the commercial/residential zoning that is used throughout the county
when plannning zoning and density. They will have an impact on the sector
plans any new development within the county including the Chevy Chase Lake
area and the Town of Kensington.
There are a variety of websites where you can get some more information on
the CR zones and changes. Planning Board
http://mcparkandplanning.org/planning/index.shtm A district 1 citizens's
group http://www.d1cc.org, and the Montgomery County Government website.
www.montgomerycountymd.gov.
[From the TOK Announcements] The Planning Board is reviewing the County wide CR Zones and will continue their work sessions this Thursday, February 17. Public comments will be taken. The agenda may be viewed: http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2011/agenda20110217e.html and a copy of the proposed zoning changes redlined:
http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2011/documents/20110113_CRZone_Redlined_000.pdf. The works sessions will pick back up on Thursday, March 3rd.
Questions and commentary may be sent to MCP-Chair@mncppc-mc.org.
Congratulations to our Newly Elected 2011 Board...
- President - John Robinson
- Vice President - Sam Statland
- Treasurer - David Hall
- Secretary - Ken Sanford
For a more comprehensive list of board member contacts, committees, etc. visit our Officers and Committee page...
A Message from RCHCA President re Chevy Chase Sector Plan
I have been approached by Pat Baptiste of Chevy Chase Village about RCHCA
getting involved in taking a position on the Chevy Chase Sector Plan (see
her email, below). One issue that will affect Rock Creek Hills involves
traffic. I explained to her that in order for RCHCA to take an official
position on this matter, we need to have our membership get informed and
take a vote in the usual procedure. I said that she is welcome to submit
an article in the next RCHCA newsletter to explain the issue, and even come
to speak at our next meeting which is our annual meeting scheduled for
Sunday evening January 30, 2011. Pat also asked me if I could appoint a
representative to work on this issue with other associations, and if not an
official representative , at least if we could send someone as an observer.
If anyone is interested in doing so, or even to ask any questions, please
contact Pat Baptiste directly via her email or phone number shown at the
bottom of her email message. If someone wishes to become either an observer
or an official RCHCA representative, please let me know.
Thanks,
Joe Rosenberg
Email from Pat Baptiste, below:
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This is a follow up to our conversation about the County Planning Board's
review of the Chevy Chase Lake Sector Plan. Because of the planned Purple
Line with a station at Chevy Chase Lake (on the east side of Conn Ave, just
south of TW Perry), the County Council initiated an early review of the
zoning of Chevy Chase Lake. The area the Planners are examining includes the
land on both sides of Conn Ave south of Jones Bridge Road and north of East
West Hwy. The expectation is that there will be pressure by commercial
landowners (Chevy Chase Land company principally) to significantly upzone
the area relying on the arrival of the Purple Line to justify the density
increase.
Many of the communities bordering Conn Ave are concerned about the
increased traffic on an already completely congested road. All of the roads
in this area will be much worse as the BRAC (Navy Medical/Walter Reed
merger) implementation occurs in Sept of 2011.
Many of us who have followed events in our community believe that future
events at Chevy Chase Lake could made the situation even more intolerable.
To make sure that the impacts all along Conn Ave are considered, we are
putting together a group, the Connecticut Ave Corridor Committee, the
purpose of which is to share data, find common concerns, insure that our
common concerns are taken into account, and to insist that the planners
understand impacts beyond the several blocks of the Avenue being reviewed.
To date we have enlisted the participation of the eight municipalities
most directly affected (Chevy Chase Village, The Town of Chevy Chase, Chevy
Chase Section Three, Chevy Chase Section Five, The Town of Martin's
Additions, North Chevy Chase, and Chevy Chase Viewand the Town of
Kensington) as well as the communities of Rollingwood, The Hamlet, Hamlet
Place, Chevy Chase Park, and Chevy Chase Hills, Chevy Chase Valley, and 8100
and 8101 Connecticut Ave.
It would be very important for the effort to have Rock Creek Hills
participate as well. This group is intended to be an umbrella organization
representing the entire stretch of Conn. Ave. While at this time we do not
know what increased density will be requested, nor do we know what the plans
recommendations will be, it is most likely that we will see a recommendation
for the CR zone with mixed use and lip service to community retail. We are
still at the early stages of the conversation, and that is why we believe
that a community wide organization expressing common concerns can be most
effective.
Please consider appointing a representative from Rock Creek Hills to
join with the others in the community to work on these issues.
Thank you for your attention to this effort.
Patricia Baptiste
Boardmember, Chevy Chase Village
7 Grafton Street
Chevy Chase MD 20815
301-654-7825
2nd ANNUAL RCH WINTERFEST
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Same time: 8:00 – 11:00 pm
Same place: Gwendolyn Coffield Recreation Center
So what’s new? This year RCHCA will foot the bill for all paid up
members*** of Rock Creek Hills Citizens’ Association!
You will only need to bring your own beverage (beer and wine permitted)
This is an ADULTS ONLY party, so line up your babysitters. This
promises to be an evening of great food, great music, and great company!
Please RSVP by e-mail to rchevents@gmail.com. We will need a head count to plan for food.
***To join RCHCA, send a check for $35 payable to RCHCA to our treasurer, David Hall, at 3103 Kent Street, Kensington, MD 20895
A Message from our Treasurer
The 2010 dues total so far is $12,460 ... which represents 356 paid
households ... which is a little over half the households in Rock Creek
Hills. If you aren't part of the 356, but would like to join, please
send a check payable to RCHCA in the amount of $35 to:
David Hall
RCHCA Treasurer
3103 Kent Street
Kensington, MD 20895
PS. Many neighbors donate an additional $15-$30, which goes towards
roadway triangle maintenance.
9/24/10 Message from Joe Rosenberg (President, RCHCA)
Joe Rosenberg (President) and Mike Baker (Secretary) stepping down as of January 30, 2011
Cathy Ball takes lead on Nominating Committee
Every volunteer organization is only as viable as its members wish, and new
blood is needed on a regular basis. If members value the activities and
services that RCHCA provides, including having a louder voice than
individuals can muster on their own for matters of local impact on the
community, then it's important to step up to the plate and volunteer. After
six years as President, I am stepping down as of January 30, 2011. Also
stepping down is Mike Baker, our longstanding Secretary (with longer overall
service than mine, albeit with a short break in tenure). We know from
remarks that people have made how much they appreciate our efforts over the
years. Nonetheless, it's time to move on and for new volunteers step
forward. I will remain on the Executive Committee of the Board during 2011
as Immediate Past President, and will help ensure a smooth transition.
Cathy Ball (catbuzz@netzero.net) has been appointed as Chair of a Nominating Committee, along with
Hill Carter as the other presidential appointee. Other volunteers are sought
to assist them in this work. The Nominating Committee is tasked with
identifying RCHCA members who are willing to serve in the four officer
positions specified in our Constitution and Bylaws: President, Vice
President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Ken Sanford and Dave Hall have agreed
to remain in the other two officer positions, but all officer positions
require being nominated and voted upon, and competitive elections are
welcome, even if such elections are no more common here than in the former
Soviet Union. Even if you do not wish to volunteer for one the open
positions, please consider getting in touch with Cathy, Hill, or myself
(Joe) regarding being on the Nominating Committee to seek out good
candidates.
It has been a pleasure serving Rock Creek Hills residents.
Joe
How to Obtain Covenants Information
Although we don’t have covenants available to be posted online, we do have a covenants map that shows which block and lot # has which type of covenants, and a detailed mapping of the liber and folio number for each block and lot so that anyone interested can look up their covenants with the county records office.
RCHCANET - Neighborhood Listserve
Everyone is urged to sign up with our neighborhood listserve! Enter your email address below and click on the "Join Now" button. For more information on RCHCANet visit our RCHCANet page.
To join rchcanet or to ask a question about it, contact Mike Baker via email at baker.m@verizon.net. Be sure to include your name and address if you would like to join so that we may verify your connection to the neighborhood. Thanks! Only Rock Creek Hills residents are elgible to join.
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