Comments on: Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Parking In Town Square

By: Brad Rourke

Brad Rourke — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:11:43 +0000

Okay everybody, this thread has a lot of useful remarks but it’s become a fight now, so I am closing comments on this article. Commenting remains open for other articles.

By: Theresa Defino

Theresa Defino — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:18:51 +0000

Der Defino???I know who Mencken was. I will give one of his quotes back to you as you keep repeating yourself:”Firmness in decision is often merely a form of stupidity. It indicates an inability to think the same thing out twice.”

By: Saul Parker

Saul Parker — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:42:38 +0000

As H.L. Mencken said, we’ll get the government we deserve. Wonder how many of y’all wonks, especially Anonymous, Deb and Der Defino even know who Mencken was? And as Hans the Flying Ace said, I’d rather go down in flames……to wit I’d rather vote the bums out.

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:52:18 +0000

@Theresa: I’ve come to the conclusion that only time and maturity can overcome the impulse to engage more in talking/writing about oneself (including standard repeated reminders about one’s age and one’s use of another’s computer and even the age of said computer) than the issue at hand, and that until substantive dialogue does occur, it just isn’t likely to be constructive to respond to anything less. *wink*(said with tongue firmly in cheek )Back on topic, I’m very much appreciating the different viewpoints and contributions from different Council members and candidates.

By: Rockville Central » Merchants Offer Proposals On Parking

Rockville Central » Merchants Offer Proposals On Parking — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:36:56 +0000

[...] recent opinion piece on the sticky question the Mayor and Council are facing when it comes to parking in Town Square has generated more [...]

By: anonymous

anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:42:47 +0000

I seem to recall Mayor Giammo’s concerns over FiOS was that Verizon was only going to install it in the more affluent neighborhoods. Which is unfair. And there was concern as to the digging up the right of ways, accidentally cutting gas lines, etc. FiOS is here so quit your yapping. Plus, regarding the state of the art parking system, I quite like it. I think it’s super convenient to know which spaces are open and which ones aren’t. And I bet you that very soon, in a few years or so, this state of the art system won’t be so state of the art. I found Mayor Giammo to be quite reasonable and wish he were still mayor. Though Susan has my vote.

By: Theresa Defino

Theresa Defino — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:01:26 +0000

“In my not so humble opinion, Mr P. should instead devote more attention to his job.”wow, this is such a rude comment and a personal attack. he has the right to run for office. how do you know he’s not doing his “job?”for shame.

By: Mark Pierzchala

Mark Pierzchala — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:09:48 +0000

To add to Mr. Cooper-Martin’s summary of my position on Town Square parking: In my press release on Town Square parking, in addition to supporting a freeze of the parking rates as they existed before October 5, I also called upon Federal Realty to modify the mix of retail in Town Square. In other words, in this public/private venture the public sector should do something and so should the private sector. The retail in Town Square is not diverse enough and that is a major impediment to its success.To reply to Saul’s comments about Verizon FIOS and my support of then Mayor Giammo’s position: If you wish to remember that far back for your current voting position, that is your business. But Mayor and Council had every right, and the duty, to make sure Verizon acted in a responsible way and without undue cost to the City. What it took to get the current agreement was the City Manager’s direct involvement to move the negotiations along and that was done. And that was done to the City taxpayers’ benefit.I did not support the ‘state-of-the-art’ parking system that was too expensive and that has proved to be inflexible.By the way, thanks for noting my near-perfect attendance at Mayor and Council over the past 3 years and the fact that I’m constantly on my bike.Mark Pierzchala

By: Saul Parker

Saul Parker — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:52:56 +0000

The following account of a tete a tete I had with Mark Mierzchala two yrs ago may be interesting to some of you wonks. It was at one of the debates, and I asked him what he thought about then Mayor Giammo’s successful campaign (over several years) to keep Verizon fios out of Rockville. Those of y’all, like m’self who are fed up with the “quality” of Comcast service, and who have been waiting for such a long time for fios in Rockville…….should know that Mr Pierzchala told me that he “agreed with the Mayor’s position on Verizon fios.” For me that is enough reason to vote for other Council candidates and not for him.I also wonder if he supported former Mayor G’s successful campaign to build our infamous state-of-the-art garages? Do you think Mr. Pierzchala can remember that far back……..don’t know why not, I can. I can’t resist reminding him that riding his bicycle throughout Rockville and perfect attendance at M/C meetings is not reason enough for him to be elected, even though he thinks so.. In my not so humble opinion, Mr P. should instead devote more attention to his job.

By: John Cooper-Martin

John Cooper-Martin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:30:38 +0000

In Reply #30, I wrote that I had e-mailed candidate for City Council, Mark Pierzchala about his position on parking fees and hours charged for parking in The Town Square garages. I e-mailed candidate for City Council, Mark Pieizchala, and his position on parking fees and hours for the Town Square parking garages, then I noticed, on his website, that he answers e-mail questions on his website. The closest answer I could find to my question was this:“Q: What should the parking fees be in Town Square?A: They should stay right where they are until the recession is over and the Super Fresh grocery store is in place. Then the parking fee hours should be expanded as has been long planned.”I wrote, “So, it seems like Mr. Pierzchala is in favor of expanding the parking hours, as soon as the recession is over, but I could be interpreting his answer incorrectly, since he did not answer my question specifically.”I have since then received an e-mail from Mr. Pierzchala in which he directly states his position on these issues. It is quoted below, with the exception of his e-mail address, which I thought he might not want to be made public, as I have also done with the other candidates.”Re: A question about your position regarding parking fees and parking hours …6:16 AM (5 hours ago)October 5, 2009Dear Mr. Cooper,Once every 2 or 3 years, I have to drop nearly every non-essential item (including campaigning) from my schedule, in order to attend extra time to my job. The past week has been one of those rare occassions. I’m sorry it has taken so long to get back to you.For the rest of FY 2010 (that is until end of June 2010) I favor keeping the fees as they were before October 5. This is to give the Town Square time to recover from the recession. In the space of that 9-month reprieve, I would like to revisit the whole issue of parking fees. I’m not sure what can be done in FY 2011, which looks like an extremely difficult budget year. But I’ve taken the stance that the Town Square has a very high priority for me. I see it as more of a way of spending a relative low amount now to stabilize the situation, or perhaps pay much more later to try to recover from a very bad mess.Yours,Mark Pierzchala”So, it seems, to me, from Mr. Pierzchala’s e-mail, if I am interpreting it correctly, that he did not want to change the parking fees and parking hours, which were in effect before October 5, in order to give The Town Square businesses time to recover from the recession. He would like to give the businesses a reprieve from having parking fees and hours increased until at least June 2010. Then, he’s not sure what can be done in 2011, as 2011 looks like a very tight budget year, but he does not want The City to get a little bit from parking fees. from The Town Square garages, and have the businesses suffer, then for the City to pay for it by having what he terms “a big mess later.”

By: John Cooper-Martin

John Cooper-Martin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:17:11 +0000

I received an e-mail from City Council candidate, Bridget Newton about 3:04 p.m. today, October 5. It is quoted below:”Dear Mr. Cooper-Martin: Thank you for your question and I apologize for not getting back to you earlier – we were in Ohio visiting our youngest for Parent’s Weekend. The issue of parking fees in the Town Center has taken center-stage over what should have been a discussion by the Mayor and Council on the best way to go forward in this economy. I have been very frustrated by their lack of discourse and problem solving – most of us have known for quite some time that there was a strong chance that the State would be making cuts in funding and that property-taxes could be hit as housing values dropped – all leading to a reduction in the General Fund and potentially impacting the surplus that the city is required to maintain. I have been impressed with the amount of effort the Town Square business owners have made to try and work with the city and the suggestions they have put forth on ways to bring in income for the garages without discouraging customers. I am disappointed that this item was kept off the agenda and therefore not discussed before the council took a 3 week break. I am not sure why Rockville’s Restaurant Week was scheduled to begin on the very day the additional parking fees were set to take effect – seems counter-productive to me – but it also seems as tho there is a huge disconnect. If businesses in Town Square are not successful – we all lose – including the taxpayers who are responsible for paying off the garages. We do not need another Rockville Mall. A better plan in my opinion would have been to have worked with Metro and other garages and instituted an all-day rate commensurate with theirs to encourage commuter parking, reduce the time periods that you can park to 20 or 30 minute increments, and increase advertising and signage so that people know the Town Square is here. I would hope that Rockville is working with FRIT as well as REDI and the Buy Rockville campaign to support the remaining businesses and to ensure that those taking over empty storefronts are compatible with their neighbors. Customers like to do several errands at once so we need to make it easy for them to come and take care of several things in one visit. Furthermore, we need to get a grocery open. It does Rockville no good that Super Fresh continues to pay rent to FRIT – we need foot-traffic in our stores and restaurants and people parking in the garages. Again, thank you for allowing me to share my opinion and I hope to meet you at one of the debates.Sincerely-Bridget Newton”From her e-mail, it seems to me, as though Ms. Newton is troubled by both the parking hours in the garage not being on the Council’s agenda of its last meeting and by Restaurant Week being scheduled when the parking hour increase was scheduled to go into effect. It seems, to me, as though Ms. Newton would like for a broad base of stakeholders to work together to solve the problems of parking fees, parking hours, and types of businesses in the Town Square garages so that another “Rockville Mall” is not repeated.

By: John Cooper-Martin

John Cooper-Martin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:06:08 +0000

I received an e-mail from City Council candidate, John Britton. It is quoted below, except for his phone number, fax number and e-mail address, which I thought he might not want to have made public.”date Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 2:36 PMsubject RE: A question on your position about parking fees and hours in The Town Square garages hide details 2:36 PM (2 hours ago)”Mr. Cooper-Martin:I do apologize for not responding earlier. I have been reviewing information and meeting with interested parties on this. I would be more than willing to discuss this with you. If you like, you may call me at my office at (phone number deleted by John Cooper-Martin) or, if you prefer, send me a contact # for you and a convenient time and I will call you.Thanks for your interest in this and other issues of importance to our community. I notice that you are a regular contributor to the Rockville Central blog.Regards,John Britton”I e-mailed Mr. Britton back the following:”Dear Mr. Britton:Although we could talk, later, I really am interested in having your position, in writing, for the record. I do not want to distort your position.Yes, I am a frequent contributor to Rockville Central. There, I have quoted the other candidates positions, who have responded, to my question, in full, as you can see, if you read the Editorial Opinion posted by Brad Rourke: “Between a Rock and a Hard Place – Parking in Town Square” (except for the candidates’ e-mail addresses and phone numbers, which I thought the candidates might want to keep private) and I would do the same for yours.Also, on Rockville Central, I have also given some comments to almost all, if not all, of the candidates’ positions, on these issues, which readers can take for what they believe they are worth. While I believe in freedom of speech and the press, I certainly am in no position to pontificate; today’s readers are far too sophisticated and independent to just accept what I write without thinking through these issues themselves.Sincerely,John Cooper-Martin”

By: John Cooper-Martin

John Cooper-Martin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:54:59 +0000

Ms. Virginia Onley answered my e-mail, about 1:04 p.m. today, in which I previously had asked her position on parking fees and hours charged in The Town Square garages. I have quoted it here, except for her e-mail address and the other recipients, of the e-mail.”Mr. Cooper-Martin,Thank you for your interest in the parking fee/hours in the Town Square garages. I apologize in taking so long in getting back to you, but I wanted to review the final decision one more time to make sure it is indeed a final decision for the time being. Unfortunately this situation has caught the entire City between a rock and a hard place with no resolution currently in sight.It was always the agreement/understanding that patrons of Town Center would pay for their parking. The economy was booming and it was a viable, accepted plan. Since the economy is not doing well, I believe the only solution is for the business owners in Town Center and the City to get together and strategize about how to balance the City’s need for parking revenue with business’ interest in attracting clientele and with patrons’ interest in keeping fees to a minimum. Ultimately, of course, all interests will need to be met in order to make Town Center successful over the long haul. Perhaps a compromise solution could involve “staggering” the fees so that the first hour or two are free or reduced. Much work lies ahead in determining the range of possible approaches and implementing a mutually acceptable solution. I am committed to the work at hand.I welcome the opportunity to sit down with you to hear your ideas and concerns regarding this parking dilemma. Please let me know what day/time is convenient with you. There are rooms in the Town Center Library that will work as an ideal meeting location for the two of us. Thank you for reaching out to me.Respectfully,Virginia OnleyCandidate for Rockville City Councilwww.VoteVirginiaOnley.org”Ms. Onley’s e-mail seems to me that she would like the business owners and the City Council to work together to reach a solution, while keeping parking fees to the minimum, which is acceptable to both parties.

By: Deb

Deb — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:30:28 +0000

Oh, goodness, I never said I WASN’T being heard. I’m interested in reading how candidates respond to concerns, whether they’re hearing what the voters have to say and even acknowledging their thoughts and suggestions. If they still disagree, I’m fine with that, but to be dismissed out of hand would not sit well with me if it were to happen. There’s nothing like contacting an elected official and receiving a form letter not only to your original contact, but receiving the SAME form letter to your follow-up letters too. (That wasn’t an M&C issue, but the experience did not inspire confidence.)At the moment, it seems that some are listening, some are not. Regardless of whether anyone on the Council agrees with my opinions or not, I’ll vote for those who value someone’s input as a citizen as much as they value our votes.BTW, I know there are short-term metered spaces by the CVS; I don’t always happen to have quarters in my pocket. A short drive down the Pike and it’s a non-issue. (Plus I don’t have to go past the “fragrant” dumpster in the garage with two kids, but that’s just a bonus. LOL)

By: Theresa Defino

Theresa Defino — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:09:35 +0000

what makes you say YOU personally are not “being heard?” if someone disagrees with you that’s not the same thing as not being heard.keep in mind this thread reflects the views of less than half the candidates running in this election.there are three hourly metered spaces inside the garage right near CVS.