The Mapleleaf Online

Site Admin September 1st, 2011

Maplewood Citizens Association General Meeting

February 23, 2011 MEETING MINUTES

Attendees:  Allen Myers, President; Ralph Schofer, Vice President; Barbara Harrison, Secretary; plus at least 28 additional members

Secretary’s Report – Minutes were handed out before the meeting for the November 17, 2010 general membership meetings:  Art Rawson moved approval.   Minutes were unanimously approved with one spelling correction.

Treasurer’s Report – In the absence of Hugh Barteman, Allen presented the Treasurer’s report for the period from Nov. 18, 2010 through February 23, 2011. The report showed income of $1415 from membership dues.  Expenses for the period were $1430.24 (P.O. box yearly rental,  domain registry renewal,  Verizon telephone, tax exempt status fee, meeting refreshments, and Mapleleaf printing).    The current account balance is $6793.47, which includes $515 remaining in the FAES legal fund.

Eugene Roseboom moved acceptance of the report, which was unanimously accepted.

Other Business

Meeting signs

The price of new metal signs to announce MCA general meetings is $83.   The Executive Committee proposes to buy 4 new ones to replace old ones that cannot be restored.  The new signs would be purchased from the same company used before rather than a slightly cheaper website option.  Eugene Roseboom moved that we buy 4 signs, Art Rawson seconded, and the membership approved the purchase.   Allen said that we will wait to order the signs until we know where we will meet next year.

Nominating Committee

Our bylaws require that a committee be constituted each year to come up with slate of officers by the May meeting.   Allen asked for 3 volunteers.    Neil Greene agreed to lead the committee if others with help.   Jeanne Levin will serve on it, and also Heather Sullivan.

Spring Social Chair

Allen asked for volunteers.   We have many people willing to help, but need a leader to put it together.   No one present at the meeting volunteered to chair this committee.

Streetscape Partners Presentation of Heart House Development Plans

Kathy Gates of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has informed MCA that they have a contract with Streetscape Partners to build single-family detached houses on their vacant campus in Maplewood.  The plans are similar to ones we have seen in the past, but the deal is contingent on getting necessary county approvals (for stormwater management and the like).

Kathy Gates mentioned that ACC has explored a variety options for developing the property since their move in September 2006.  ACC did come up with a development plan several years ago, but it has been on hold due to economic conditions.  The ACC has tried to be sensitive to MCA concerns throughout the process and believes that Streetscape’s approach is consistent with this philosophy.   ACC still owns the property; the contract will not be finalized until the process of county approvals for development has been successfully completed.

Streetscape Partners spokesperson Ron Kaplan introduced the presentation and provided a telephone number to contact him: 703-848-1600.    Ron reiterated that Streetscape is working with the same engineers and the same law firm who helped ACC with development plans in the past.  Streetscape is a privately owned development and land company, whose projects have been focused in Montgomery County.  Other recent Streetscape projects include Symphony Park – 112 luxury townhomes under development adjacent to Strathmore Hall, and Chestnut Lodge – 31 single family detached homes in the Rockville Historic District.   The Streetscape team includes:

Ron Kaplan, Co-managing principal; Harris L. Schwalb, Co-Managing Principal; Michael A. Schwalb, Principal; and Howard B. Katz, Acquisition and Development Director.

Michael and Harris Schwalb are builders from the local privately owned company Michael Harris Homes that has built over 1000 homes in the area, including in King Farm, Lakelands, Germantown Town Center, Tower Oaks Townhomes and Clarksburg Village.  They aim to build homes that are historically accurate and fit with neighborhoods.

Streetscape Planning Process
Former associates of ACC involved with the project also include:  Todd Brown with Linowes and Blocker and Stephen Crum, P.E., Engineer.  Others are Vic Bryant, ASLA Landscape Architect and Keith Pitchford, Consulting Arborist.

Todd Brown indicated that the preliminary plan still on file with Park and Planning proposed 37 lots.  The Streetscape plan proposes the same.   If the preliminary plan is approved, there will be a certified site plan drawing with more details, and then a process to record the subdivision plat.   This will take about 10-12 months..   The site plan may be available for presentation to MCA at the September meeting.

Ron indicated that the objectives of the Streetscape Plan are to:

• Integrate the new neighborhood into the existing Maplewood community, retain overall land plan design with minor adjustments
• Maintain detached single family residential character
• Preserve forested areas in conservation easement
• Implement compatible design and landscape
• Implement bikeway and pedestrian trails.

Steve Crum discussed the conceptual plan.  The preliminary plan shared with MCA members at the meeting showed Camberly Street cutting through the proposed neighborhood, with a cross-cutting alley to service houses fronting on Old Georgetown Road and Alta Vista Rd.   There is a large forested area preserved at the corner of Locust and Alta Vista.  The Alta Vista Road entrance would move closer to Old Georgetown Road than the current entrance to the property (the distance back is about 240  feet),   Camberly will connect through the development to Alta Vista.  There will be a sidewalk along Alta Vista and the new part of Camberly for pedestrians.  Lot size will be about 6000 sq. ft.

Questions:

• Were other options considered for the entrance/exit?

Response:  Todd indicated that initial plans developed by ACC in the past had a cul de sac, and Camberly was closed, but that the County DOT required the connections.

• Why close the Old Georgetown Road entrance?

Response:  Allen indicated that the state won’t allow it, and Ralph stated that it makes sense from the traffic engineering viewpoint not to have too many curb cuts close together on Old Georgetown.

• What are the small lots?
  Response:  These are 5 moderately priced dwelling units required by the county.   One is a duplex and one is a triplex.  They will be designed to look like single family homes.
• How will drainage on Alta Vista be handled?   There have been big problems with this, and changing the topography could create more.
  Response:  The storm water management plan will retain more water than comes out of the property now.  Each lot will have storm water management, and there will be pervious pavers on driveways and alleyways.
• Why not have the lots along Old Georgetown Road face the alley rather than the main road?
  Response:  The planning commission wanted to have a streetscape that appears residential on Old Georgetown Road.  Also, people generally prefer to have the private space face away from the main road.
• How will they prevent cut-through traffic if Camberly is opened?
  Response:  The developers also want to minimize cut through traffic.  There will be on-street parking, and the road is designed to be quite curved as a traffic calming measure.  However, DOT refused to allow an earlier proposal for a circle.
• Will the additional traffic on Alta Vista make it impossible to pull out onto Old Georgetown Road from Charles Street?

Response:  Ralph Schofer pointed out that, with only 37 houses, the traffic should not be any worse than it was when employees of ACC all arrived and departed at rush hour.

• What is the small brown area on the preliminary plan?

Response:  This is a tot lot, required by the County.

• What about construction roads and dirt; where will trucks go and come?
  Response:  There will be a soil erosion sediment plan.  Likely the extension of Camberly will be constructed first to serve as a staging area for construction.   Camberly would be barricaded and not used as a construction entrance.
• Would all the houses be built at once?
  Response:  All houses will be built one by one as they are sold.
• What happens if they are undercapitalized?
  Response:  This is a privately owned development, and the company is fully funded. This is a small project for them.
• How big will the house footprints be?
  Response:  The designs are not yet final, but the houses are not mega-mansions.   Most will likely have 4 bedrooms and at least 2.5 baths, and be about 2800-3800 square feet.   Several design concepts were shown.  Houses on Old Georgetown will be colonial in appearance, while houses on the new Camberly will be multigable designs.  The houses will be about 40 feet wide, and must be under 40 feet tall to the mean of the roof pitch.
• What is the projected price range?
  Response:  They will be about $1 to 1.2 million.   The target market is families.
• If all goes according to plan, when might they break ground?
  Response:  Maybe 2 years from now.

Allen pointed out that many of the questions relate to things the County imposes.  He suggested interested members should attend the Park and Planning hearings on this plan.

Todd mentioned that the development being proposed is only 3.8 units per acre, less dense than surrounding lots.  The zoning would allow 6.1 units per acre, but ACC and Streetscape are trying to provide open space and tree retention

Several members commended Streetscape for their efforts to blend with the neighborhood, save trees, keep density down, and respond to concerns of the neighborhood.

Prepared by Barbara Harrison, Secretary

Minutes Approved on 5/18/2011

• General Meeting minutes
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