Save Rock Creek Hills Park? Well, we sure tried!: "... we respectfully request that you clarify any restrictions that apply to the conversion of the RCHLP to non-park use ..."

Friday, September 16, 2011

"... we respectfully request that you clarify any restrictions that apply to the conversion of the RCHLP to non-park use ..."

The loss of Rock Creek Hills Park could violate federal law. Two weeks ago, John Robinson, President of the Rock Creek Hills Citizens' Association, wrote to John Griffin, Maryland's Secretary of Natural Resources (a scan of the letter including all attachments is available):

Please contact Secretary Griffin & Governor O'Malley, and courteously request that Secretary Griffin respond to Mr. Robinson's August 31st letter regarding the use of federal Land and Water Conservation Funds to develop Rock Creek Hills Park:

Department of Natural Resources
Mr. John R. Griffin, Secretary
Tawes State Office Building
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401-2397
e-mail: jgriffin@dnr.state.md.us
phone: 410-260-8101
fax: 410-260-8111

Governor Martin O'Malley
100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925
e-mail: governor [this link opens an online form]
phone: 410-974-3901, 1-800-811-8336 (toll free, Maryland)
fax: 410-974-3275
tdd: 410-333-3098

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Who Said That?

"When the [Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission] developed [Rock Creek Hills Park] in the early 1990s they accepted funds from the Program Open Space. This is a program managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to distribute funds from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to preserve open space. The use of Program Open Space funds was inconsistent with the reclamation terms of the transfer agreement under which the M-NCPPC took title to the property. This was the case since use of these funds places restrictions on future public use of parks, in contradiction with the terms of the original transfer agreement..."
– Dr. Joshua Starr, Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools.

From the MCPS Site Selection Advisory Committee Minority Reports:

The B-CC High School NAACP Parents' Council wrote that they "... cannot support the recommendation to build the new middle school in a potentially racially divisive and socially isolating location. ... We, therefore, ask the Superintendent and the Board of Education to decline to adopt Rock Creek Hills Local Park as the site for the new middle school."

The Lyttonsville Civic Association wrote that "...MCPS staff set inappropriate boundaries for discussion... ...MCPS staff cut off discussion to insist that a vote be taken before the committee had finished considering all their options. Staff ... made procedural rulings that affected the ability of some representatives to speak freely. Some representatives voiced concerns that they were being led to a predetermined conclusion."

Ms. Brooke Farquhar (Parks Department) wrote: "Costs were not thoroughly evaluated in the process and misinformation may have prejudiced the votes of committee members.... The process lacked a robust analysis. The potential sites should have been analyzed more thoroughly, based on detailed information that would allow consistent comparison across the sites."

Mr. Frederick V. Boyd (Planning Board) wrote: "[T]he rating process used for selecting sites did not provide a real opportunity to consider the community character and quality of life consequences of choosing a candidate site. ... [D]escriptions appear to have been written to enable easier consideration of some public sites..."