Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board: April 17 Meeting Round-Up

The Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board meets the third Tuesday of every month at the from 7-9 p.m. Meetings are open to the public.

Here are some of the highlights from the April 17 meeting:

Wheaton Redevelopment

At its first meeting since the , MCCAB expressed its frustration and disappointment, but adopted a more muted tone than With no councilmember attending -- Hans Riemer showed up to WUDAC’s meeting last week -- board members directed their questions to Tiffany Ward, staff member for Councilmember Marc Elrich. MCCAB members seemed to feel snubbed that they had not been invited to the in the week before the council vote to discuss the council staff redevelopment proposal.

When one MCCAB member raised the suspicion that “the money that won’t get spent here will get spent in Bethesda,” Ward let out an exasperated sigh.

“No, this was not about ,” she said.

Zoning Text Amendment for Gas Stations

Tiffany Ward also updated MCCAB on the -- addressing “mega gas stations,” she said. MCCAB reacted with chuckles.

“Could this be directed at a particular gas station?” came the tongue-in-cheek question, recognizing that the ZTA would block the proposed Costco 16-pump gas station at .

Ward explained that the ZTA would apply to gas stations that dispense more than 3.6 million gallons per year to fit with Environmental Protection Agency standards. “This is really a health regulation,” she said.

Costco anticipates that its gas station would dispense 12 million gallons per year.

Fire and Rescue Services

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Richard Bowers took some time at the MCCAB meeting to explain certain county budget items and advocate for a new bill being proposed by the county executive.

• If the council reduces the overtime budget for career firefighters, MCFRS must ask volunteer firefighters to put in more hours, Bowers said. But if the volunteers cannot fill the staffing holes, Bowers warned that the community could see a reduction in service.

• The new Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement bill would direct insurance companies to reimburse the county for emergency services performed for county residents. Bowers emphasized that this is not a bill or fee for residents -- “It’s revenue.” But some MCCAB members seemed wary that insurance companies would redirect the costs onto insurance policyholders, in the long-term if not in the short-term. Bowers responded by saying that Montgomery County is one of the few places in Maryland and the D.C. Metropolitan area that does not have this program already in place -- and that there have not been any significant complaints in those areas. MCCAB decided to discuss the issue in committee before reaching a position.

Trespassing at Glen Waye Gardens Condominiums

Vicki Vergagni, who manages , brought a community concern to the board. She said that problems with local youth trespassing on the property and harassing the residents have recently escalated. Vergagni, who volunteers with the debate squad at , said she recognizes some of the youth as Kennedy students. MCCAB members suggested she speak with the principal, and Mid-County Regional Services Center Director Ana Lopez van Balen said that she would speak with Montgomery County Police on Vergagni’s behalf.