Meeting Roundup: Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board

Last night at its October meeting, the Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board listened to a complaint about a firehouse redesign, argued over the Montgomery County Council’s curfew bill and received reports from three committees. Councilmember Phil Andrews (D-Dist. 3) was in attendance.

Here’s what was discussed:

• Gregory Eisenstadt, who is not on the board, brought forth a complaint about plans for the relocation of Fire Station 18. He said the the fire station’s new design will lower the value an apartment building he manages on Glenallen Avenue due to the lights and sirens from exiting fire engines. The original design for the new location did not have this problem, he said. He asked the MCCAB to send a letter to the Montgomery County Council and the planning board before a December 8 public meeting, requesting that the county’s Fire and Rescue Service return to the original design or mitigate the impact on his property.
• Councilmember Phil Andrews (D-Dist. 3) gave a brief presentation about the proposed legislation for a curfew for teenagers in Montgomery County. Read more about
• Steve Morrison pointed out that there have been no Hispanic board members for “at least a couple of years.” Ana Lopez van Balen, the director of the Mid-County Regional Services Center responded that she has been making an effort to get to know Wheaton’s Hispanic community and promote civic engagement.
• Tiffany Ward presented notes from the county council, reporting that the CR Zone passed the council. On November 1 the county will hold a public hearing on redistricting for representation in the county council. If the new maps are approved, all of Wheaton will belong in District 4, which is currently represented by Councilmember Nancy Navarro.
• Kieran McHargue, who has been on the board since February, reported that the MCCAB’s Budget and Capital Improvement committee has developed a process for looking at the county budget. He called for heavier scrutiny on the recommendations that the MCCAB gives to the county council and proposed having defined guiding principles to make sure that the community can get real returns on its investments. McHargue advocated taking a more proactive approach to the county budget.
• The Land Use, Zoning and Transportation committee plans to take up the recent Wal-Mart proposal in Aspen Hill and decide if the MCCAB should issue a position.