College Gardens Civic Association
Spring Meeting Minutes
May 28, 2014

Download a copy of the minutes

Treasurer’s Report: Don Mann reported that CGCA has a current balance of $10,428.68 with the following recent income and expense items:

• $878 – Directory costs
• $50 – Boy Scout post-cleanup pizza party
• $54 – Room reservation for meeting at CGES
• $49.61 – Printing of meeting notices
• $2,736 – Directory profit (revenue?)

College Plaza Update: Tom Miner reported that New York Mart, an Asian market, is scheduled to open in the former Magruder’s space in the third quarter of 2014, before the holidays. In addition, the former Shell station site in front of the plaza, along 355, is slated to become a small PNC drive-through bank branch.
Rockville City Council Member Julie Palakovich Carr: The newly-elected city council member is attending civic association meetings around the city and said the mayor and council plan to focus on the Rockville Pike Plan, development review and better outreach with residents. To address the latter, the mayor and council’s neighborhood walking meetings will resume in June.

She reported that the mayor and council adopted a new budget with no new property taxes—for the seventh year in a row. The budget includes money for bridge repairs, projects to improve bike and pedestrian safety, and more frequent tree trimming. It contains two fee increases that affect College Gardens residents: a $7/year increase in the refuse fee and a $12.50/year increase in the storm water management fee.
CG residents asked Council Member Carr to check on the traffic backup that occurs, especially on weekends, going into and out of the market at the old Jeepers site; and the “deplorable” appearance of the Columbia Gas property across College Parkway from College Plaza (which sits outside the city limits).

Upper Watts Branch Stream Restoration: City Public Works Department engineer John Hollida reported on the work of the task force that is planning repairs to three storm drain channels and three in-stream channels in the Watts Branch Forest Preserve between College Gardens and Woodley Gardens. The work is necessary to prevent further erosion during heavy rains. The construction cost is estimated at $2 million and the city is seeking $1.1 million in grants from the state to help pay for the work. The goal is to begin construction in the fall of 2015 and the work will take about a year. Efforts will be made to remove as few trees as possible and then to plant new trees to replace those that are removed. More information is available at the city’s Upper Watts Branch Forest Preserve website.

Election of New CGCA Officers: Tom Miner moved and Paul O’Brien seconded the nomination of the following:

• President: Jerry Callistein
• Vice President: Karen Carp
• Secretary: Susan Donohue
• Treasurer: Naomi Miner

All were elected unanimously to a two-year term.

On behalf of the outgoing officers, Kathy Goldgeier thanked Tom Miner for his dedicated leadership of the College Gardens Civic Association and his eight years of service as an officer, the last four as president.

Other business:
The Garden Club is pulling weeds at the Tulane circle on Saturday, May 31 from 8-9 a.m. and invites neighbors to come help keep this neighborhood focal point tidy.

Mark Pierzchala asked that the city be encouraged to install a plaque in the CG park, as planned, to recognize the many design awards the park has received.

Tom Miner said the planned garage at Montgomery College will be where the current Lot 4 is now – set away from our neighborhood – and won’t be much taller than the existing campus buildings.

Tom also noted that his band, The Digits, is playing at Hard Times/Carmen’s on Saturday, June 14 from 7-11 p.m. for the annual neighborhood concert.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Goldgeier