Navarro, Riemer Introduce Wheaton Working Group

Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Hans Riemer introduced a resolution to the Montgomery County Council Tuesday morning calling for a Wheaton Revitalization Implementation Working Group, whose members would be appointed by the Council.

Action on the resolution tentatively is scheduled for July 17.

Here are some key aspects proposed for the Wheaton Revitalization Implementation Working Group, according to the resolution:

• "The Working Group has 10 to 15 members. Members include community residents, business owners, other stakeholders in the Wheaton community, and a designee of the County Executive.  The Council must also invite representatives from the Maryland-­National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to be members of the Group."
• The group would "meet quarterly to review reports and studies from the Executive Branch, Council Staff, outside consultants, or any other entity determined relevant or necessary by the Working Group.  The Working Group may make recommendations to the Council and Executive."

The Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee, which met Tuesday evening, expressed some concern about how the working group would be formed.

WUDAC member Devala Janardan said that he saw the plans for the working group as “a tad bit hostile," since two groups already exist for discussing Wheaton redevelopment and revitalization--WUDAC and the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee.

“I think the existing groups should have enough notice and enough time to respond," Westfield representative and WUDAC member Matt Barry said.

Janardan added that the resolution was unclear on the definition of "stakeholders" and did not specify how the council would select working group members from the community.

WUDAC voted to send a letter to the council asking for more details about the selection process--and for more time to engage in dialogue with the council about the working group.

The Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee is not scheduled to meet until July 18, the day after the council is tentatively scheduled to take action on the resolution.

Read the full resolution on the county council website.