Contributor Opinion by Frank Anastasi: Let’s Face Reality

The following contributor opinion is by Rockville Central team member Frank Anastasi:

Certain people say that “Rockville made a deal with Montgomery County and the State” to build the courthouse at the former Library site, and we should stick to it. No one currently in City Hall, however, can produce any proof of that “deal.”And it certainly isn’t in the public record, and it was not considered by the Mayor and Council in any public meeting back then. So let’s all face reality. The only “deal” was between Montgomery County, at that time led by Rose Krasnow’s mentor Doug Duncan, and the State. It was Ms. Krasnow’s role to try to look out for Rockville’s interests and work to minimize adverse impacts of that deal on Rockville, and it appears that she was trying to do that. For example, in a June 20, 2001 Gazette article, Ms. Krasnow stated, “Given the limited size of Town Center, it’s unfair of the county and state to provide less than their fair share of parking.” True then; even more so today.

As Mayor, certainly Ms. Krasnow wasn’t giving the State a pass on complying with zoning code requirements, or letting them slide on adequate safeguards for pedestrian safety and traffic impacts, when they would later design and build a courthouse on the former Library site. Just as Mayor Susan Hoffmann and the City Council today do not want to let the State build a courthouse that far exceeds the zoning code restrictions for that site. For example, a height limit of 75 feet, compared to the maximum height of about 130 feet of the courthouse building as planned now.

And certainly Councilwoman Phyllis Marcuccio doesn’t want to see the state build such a “grotesque” courthouse there - a word used by her predecessor Glennon Harrison in that June 20, 2001 news article - even though she told citizens at the March 13 Town Hall meeting that the city’s Master Plan does indeed show the site’s future use as courthouse. That master plan does not say, however, that the State is free to flaunt zoning code requirements. It doesn’t give them a green light to ignore important siting and design criteria, and the City’s and residents’ requests to address legitimate concerns about safety, parking, and traffic impacts. Any developer has to do those things. Just because the State didn’t have to, didn’t we deserve that it negotiate in good faith with the community, instead of against it at every turn, as they have in this case since 2001?

As of this morning, more than 215 citizens have signed a petition supporting the Mayor and Council’s resolution opposing construction of the courthouse as proposed, and asking the State to hold up on this ill-conceived $71 million dollar expenditure. These are not “a few influential neighbors” as some would have you believe, and they are not NIMBYs as some have labeled us. They are people from all over Rockville - from Twinbrook, Hungerford, Woodley Gardens, New Mark Commons, and yes, the West End - who have learned the facts behind the rhetoric, just as the Mayor and Council did before they passed their resolution.

We have sent the petition to the Senate and House subcommittees in Annapolis who are considering the courthouse’s place in the budget, along with important information that they may not be aware of. Like the initial building plans that show a 40-foot tall building adjacent to the neighborhood, and the current plans with heights up to 130 feet. We have invited them to come to Rockville to see for themselves what “the fuss” is all about. We sent them bunch of photographs, too, just in case they can’t make it out here. Many people who think they support the courthouse at the Library site change their mind when they learn more about the project, especially how the State mistreated Rockville, and what the State is actually proposing to build. We hope that some of those Senators and Delegates will too.

You hear from the other side of this issue that “now is not the time to oppose this project, why did you wait until it’s too late?” To them I offer the headline of that June 20, 2001 Gazette article: “Debate goes on.” Yes, it does!

And to those who say our actions could keep Rockville from getting this courthouse, again I say let’s face reality. It’s the legislators who hold the courthouse’s destiny in their hands, not the citizens of Rockville, or its Mayor and Council. Isn’t that what they have been telling us all along. Isn’t that what they told Governor Martin O’Malley when he asked them to work out a compromise?

Frank Anastasi
Move the Courthouse Steering Committee

Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

Contributor Opinion by Frank Anastasi: The Real Time Line

The following contributor opinion is by Rockville Central team member Frank Anastasi:

To set the record straight and in the interest of full disclosure, people should know that the “chronology” Piotr Gajewski recited to us was prepared by Delegate Lou Simmons following a meeting called by the City and citizens in January 2007. This was when the entire District 17 delegation - that’s Rockville’s elected state representatives - was still deep in their “It’s too late to do anything, too bad you waited so long to oppose this” denial phase.

Is it any wonder the chronology omits many significant, documented, even publicized instances of city officials and citizens beseeching the delegates and state proponents of the courthouse for relief? Of course not.

That is why we have been doing everything we can to get those facts out there. That is why we interjected several important items into the “chronology” last night. Such as:

• The June 20, 2001 Gazette article spotlighting then-Councilman Glennon Harrison’s outrage when he learned the state had doubled the size of the court house after the deal was made to put it on the library site, and still not pay for parking attributable to it. He said the “citizens won’t stand for it.” He was right. [UPDATE: "Court house" in 1st sentence incorrectly read "library" in original.]

• That same article documents the June 11, 2001 West End Citizens’ Association meeting with District 17 delegates when they “poured out their frustrations to the District 17 legislators” about their serious concerns being ignored. That would be the same meeting documented by then District 17 delegate Cheryl Kagan’s notes in her PDA that even include putting forth the Giant Site as an appropriate location — also not in the “chronology”.
• And then we have the item in the “chronology” of the May 2005 meeting that alleges then-Mayor Larry Giammo merely “did not like the building and had concerns about parking.” I bet my next paycheck that Mr. Giammo - and the meeting’s transcript and video recording - will say there was more to it than that. It was most unfortunate for Mr. Gajewski to characterize the Mayor at that meeting as “not saying he thought the library site was a bad place for the courthouse.” Especially when you can find Mr. Giammo’s position on the issue in his 2001 campaign literature.

There are a number of citizens and civic leaders - Sally Stinner, Susan Hoffmann, and Larry Giammo come to mind - who have the most longevity on this issue. They know how this deal went down and all the steps along the way. These people who have been in the trenches fighting this battle from Day 1 have the historical knowledge that one needs to fully understand what happened, when and why. People in this debate — including me — need to be quiet and listen carefully when they speak.

Move the Courthouse is going to Annapolis on Monday to speak with any legislator who will listen in an attempt to get the facts on the record, and to solicit their advice and help to solve this problem. Those signs don’t say Stop the Courthouse for a very good reason - we want a great courthouse to be built in Rockville as soon as possible on an appropriate site. If we — including our Mayor and at least some of our Council members - did not think that is possible, we would not be spending so much time, effort and money trying to accomplish that goal. I would guess, however, that bumper-stickers with STOP printed on them could be acquired quickly and plastered on our signs if we come back from Annapolis having been told that Move is not an option.

Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

Contributor Opinion by Frank Anastasi: Not Over Yet

The following contributor opinion is by Rockville Central team member Frank Anastasi:

That letter from the MC Bar President Mary Ellen Flynn to Mr. Leggett inflamed me so that I wrote to her and copied Mr. Leggett. My letter follows.

This isn’t over yet. The community is rallying — look for “Move the Courthouse” signs coming to lawns near you soon. Also, I hear that the State’s submittal of the current plan to the City in 2005 may not have met the requirement to submit a plan “to the City Planning Commission”. If you wish, register your feelings on the matter with Mr. Leggett or Ms. Flynn. Feel free to use anything in my letter.

January 18, 2008

Mary Ellen Flynn, President
Montgomery County Bar Association

Dear Ms. Flynn:

In response to your recent statements in the paper and your January 17 letter to Mr. Leggett, I wish to point out a few things.

1) You say our opposition to building a courthouse on the former library site is “classic NIMBY”. What an insult to Rockville residents and elected officials alike - this just shows how disconnected you are from the community. But the NIMBY card is always raised when one side can’t be bothered by the basic facts, which in this case are clear. A courthouse, without parking, is a totally inappropriate use of the former library site. Especially when a far superior site exists a couple of blocks away where adequate facilities, and parking, could be built.

2) If it is so impossible to build a courthouse in Rockville unless it is on the old library site, as you say, then why has the Governor bent over backwards to get you to agree to building it at the Giant site? Why does he think the Giant site is a superior site? Why has he said he thinks putting it on the library site would be the worst case of urban design malfeasance ever? Why has he put extra money into the budget to enable redesign of it? Why has he pledged to do whatever it takes if you and the opposition would just agree to work together and build it at the Giant site?

3) Do you just not care that a courthouse at the library site does not meet our city zoning code? Do you not care that the vast majority of people who will have business at the courthouse will have to find a way to get there without any nearby parking, and cross four lanes of very heavy traffic to get to it? Do you really not care that the surrounding residential neighborhood streets will be gridlocked all day long with people driving round and round and round looking for courthouse parking that doesn’t exist? How can you think that these issues are not valid and relevant?

Why do you think a government of the people for the people should be able to just trash a community against its wishes? I thought the court system was supposed to be about justice.

Opposition to building a courthouse at the library site runs very deep, is genuine, and I assure you is not a classic case of NIMBY. Any unbiased person would realize this when acquainted with the facts — if this dispute were to go to an arbitrator, who do you think would win? Your reasons for wanting it there essentially boil down to convenience for lawyers and judges. Should this take precedent over the common good of the community?

Frank S. Anastasi
Rockville

Rockville Central runs occasional, edited opinion pieces by contributors. Their views are not necessarily those of Rockville Central. To submit your opinion for consideration, contact us.

Transition Group Established

Fulfilling a vow made in her inauguration speech, newly-elected Rockville Mayor Susan Hoffmann has created the Rockville Citizens Mayoral Transition Advisory Group, according to the City:

“The overall purpose of the advisory group will be to identify and prioritize the important issues and problems facing the City over the next two years and to recommend solutions and lay out implementation timelines. Another goal of the group will be to look at the ramifications of possible solutions to the City’s annual budget as well as investigate potential revenue sources.”

Lincoln Park resident Wilma Bell will chair the group, while King Farm resident Lou D’Ovidio (who also works on the staff of Rep. Albert Wynn) will co-chair.

In all, the group has 26 members, including names submitted by members of the City Council. The body’s first meeting is scheduled for January 8, and it expects to complete its work and make recommendations to the Mayor and Council in late March or early April.

List of members (affiliations for identification purposes only):

• Dr. Judy Ackerman: Vice Pres. and Provost-Montgomery College
• Frank Anastasi: Citizen
• John Antonishak: Facilitator
• Andrea Bernardo: Citizen
• Moreno Carrasco: Principal-Richard Montgomery H.S.
• Carmen D’Agostino: Facilitator
• Linda Ekizian: Pres.-East Rockville Civic Assoc.
• Joyce Fuhrmann: Aide to Mont. County Councilmember Mike Knapp
• Del. Jim Gilchrist: Maryland State Delegate (Dist. 17)
• Margaret Griffin: Citizen
• Glennon Harrison: Former City Councilmember
• Jennifer Hughes: Special Asst.-Mont. County Executive
• Joe Jordan: Pres., New Mark Civic Association
• Joan Kleinman: District Dir.- U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen
• Paul Love: Board member-Rockville Econ. Dev., Inc.
• George Margolies: Former MCPS Board of Ed. Staff Dir.
• Kate Ostell: Rockville Planning Commission
• Ken Reichard: Asst. to U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin
• Jim Reschovsky: Citizen
• Agnes Saenz: Community Ministries of Rockville
• John Sparks: President-Mont. Co. Career Firefighters (Local 1664)
• Art Stigile: Citizen
• Susan Tabach: Outreach Coord.- U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski
• Sid Tishler: Citizen
• Eric Wang: Citizen
• Patricia Woodward: Pres., West End Civic Association

(Links go to Rockville Central items that feature these people.)

“This is an exceptional group of professionals who are passionate about Rockville and committed to helping our City continue its tradition of excellence,’’ Hoffmann said. “I know the Council and I are looking forward to receiving their reports over the next few months on City priorities and outcomes that will help all of our residents and Rockville as a whole.”

Special congratulations to Rockville Central team member Frank Anastasi (a Hoffmann supporter who made no bones about it). And congratulations to Rockville Central frequent contributor and friend Joe Jordan.