Neighborhood Committee - Annual Report 2006-2007

Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board
Neighborhoods Committee 2006-2007

Advisory Board Committee Chair – Alan Bowser
Community Committee Chair – Anita Morrison

In the period 2006-2007, the Neighborhoods Committee of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory discussed a range of issues of importance to the Silver Spring community, including public safety, environmental protection, historic preservation, affordable housing, education, health care, senior and aging issues, homelessness, immigration, and County budget priorities. The Committee also gave special consideration to the Northwest Park/Oakview, Long Branch, South Silver Spring, and Takoma Park/Langley Park neighborhoods.

The Neighborhoods Committee wants to extend its appreciation to the many individuals who have supported its work over the past year, including Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board members Alan Bowser, Board Chair; Charlotte Coffield, Darian Unger, Debbie Spielberg, Eric Hensal, Jerry Yokoyama, John Evanoff, Kathy Stevens, Mark Woodard, Mary Pat Spon, Mitch Warren, and Victor Salazar and its non-Board Committee members Anita Morrison, Community Chair, Neighborhoods Committee, Long Branch Advisory Committee; Caren Madsen, Montgomery County Civic Federation; Chris Richardson, Park Hills Civic Association; Elnora Harvey; Evan Glass, South Silver Spring Neighborhood Association; Lisa Dubay, The Johns Hopkins University; Marcie Stickle, Silver Spring Historical Society; Martha Waddy, New Hampshire Estates Civic Association; Mary Reardon, Silver Spring Historical Society; Sally Gagne, Friends of Sligo Creek; and Wayne Goldstein, Montgomery County Civic Federation.

The Committee is pleased to recognize the contributions and participation of the following individuals over the last year: Tom Perez, Montgomery County Council; Carl Blake, Chair, Silver Spring Recreation Advisory Board; Cdr. Mitch Cunningham, 3rd District, Montgomery County Police Dept.; Cdr. Betsy Davis, 3rd District, Montgomery County Police Dept.; Lt. Steve Auger, Montgomery County Police Dept.; Sgt. Tom Harmon, Montgomery County Police Dept.; Ofc. Kevin Sullivan, Montgomery County Police Dept.; Alex Wertheim, Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services; David Chikvashvili, Montgomery County Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs; David Lake, Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection; John Kenney, Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services; Luann Korona, Montgomery County Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs; Roylene Roberts, Montgomery County Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs; Ruth Martin, Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services, Montgomery Cares; Wajeda Rab, Montgomery County Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs; Marion Clark, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission; Scott Gutschick, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service; Bruce Lohr, MD Dept. of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Calvin Farr, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission; Jim Neustadt, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission; and Rudy Chow, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

The Committee also recognizes the participation of Cynthia Rubenstein, co-Chair, Long Branch Advisory Committee; Henry Oderian, South Silver Spring Community Neighborhood Association; Bronson Lee, Silverton Community; Jeff Trask, North Woodside Montgomery Hills Civic Association; Lou Welanetz, North Hills of Sligo Civic Association; Roxanne Mirabal Beltran, Northwood Four Corners Civic Association; Tony Hauser, Presidents’ Council of Downtown Silver Spring Civic Associations; Anne Vorce, Friends of Sligo Creek; Kathleen Samiy, Friends of Sligo Creek; Mike Smith, Friends of Sligo Creek; Elizabeth Merritt, National Trust for Historic Preservation; John Parrish, Maryland Native Plant Society; Erwin Mack, Takoma Langley Crossroads Development Authority; Gretchen Hilburger, C-SAFE; Mary Kendall, C-SAFE; Diana Bernhardt, Community Vision/Community Ministries; Doyle Currey, Community Vision/Community Ministries; Pablo Rubio, Community Vision/Community Ministries; Aurelia Martin, IMPACT Silver Spring; Chan Park, IMPACT Silver Spring; Becky Reeve, Friends of the Library; Hermoine Freeman, Friends of the Library; Jim Polk, Friends of the Library; Harry Sanders, Action Committee for Transit; Webb Smedley, Coalition to Build the Inner Purple Line; Gustavo Torres, Casa de Maryland; Tom Kenny, Silver Spring Moose Lodge; Jennifer Deseo, Silver Spring Penguin; Christine Ulbricht; Clarence Steinberg; David Belluch; David Paris; Don Tatum; Ed Gabay; Felicia Eberling; Julia Madsen; Lindley Vann; Lolly Vann; Margaret Daniels; Melissa Avery; Pamela Parker; Rukiyat Gilbert, Southern Management; Sharon Zalewski; and Susan Zusy.

Special thanks to the Silver Spring Regional Services Center staff: Vicki Lockerman, Muriel Bowser and Gary Stith, SSRSC Director. The Committee wishes to especially acknowledge the dedicated and professional work of its SSRSC staff liaison Mel Tull.

Topics of Discussion

June 19, 2006
MCPD Third District Commander Mitch Cunningham – crime trends, public safety and MCPD police procedures
Caren Madsen – key Silver Spring and Montgomery County environmental issues
Marion Clark, M-NCPPC – green urbanism
Muriel Bowser – Northwest Park/Oakview Weed & Seed Program.

July 17, 2006
MCPD Third District Commander Mitch Cunningham – crime trends, public safety and MCPD police procedures
Muriel Bowser – Northwest Park/Oakview Weed & Seed Program.
Caren Madsen – Montgomery County Forest Conservation Law and an urban forest policy.
Bruce Lohr, Maryland Community Crime Prevention Institute, MD Dept. of Public Safety and Correctional Services – personal safety
Aurelia Martin and Chan Park, Board members of IMPACT Silver Spring—Impact Silver Spring

September 18, 2006
MCPD Lt. Steve Auger – recent crime trends and public safety issues in the Silver Spring area.
Gustavo Torres, Executive Director, CASA – the origins, objectives, and programs of Casa de Maryland.
John Evanoff – proposal to rename the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board as the Silver Spring Community Advisory Board.

October 16, 2006
MCPD Ofc. Kevin Sullivan – recent crime trends and public safety issues in the Silver Spring area.
Martha Waddy – Northwest Park-Oakview Weed & Seed Program
Montgomery County Councilmember (District 5) Tom Perez – issues related to Silver Spring’s progress and challenges for the future

November 20, 2006
MCPD Ofc. Kevin Sullivan – recent crime trends and public safety issues in the Silver Spring area.
Luann Korona and Wajeda Rab, Montgomery County Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs – County's plans for a pedestrian bridge that would connect the Long Branch Community Center with the Long Branch Public Library
Sally Gagne, Friends of Sligo Creek – invasive plant removal program
Alex Wertheim, Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services; Doyle Currey, Diana Bernhardt, and Pablo Rubio of Community Vision/Community Ministries – homelessness in Montgomery County

December 18, 2006
Martha Waddy – Northwest Park/Oakview Weed & Seed Program
Alan Bowser – draft amendment of the Board's bylaws regarding consideration of local development projects proposed by public and private sector developers.
Dr. John "Jay" Kenny, Chief, Aging and Disability Services, of the MCC Dept. of Health and Human Services – the "Silver Tsunami" and a wide range of issues concerning the senior and disability population in Montgomery County.
Scott Gutshick, Senior Planning Specialist, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue – the update of the County Fire, Rescue, Emergency Medical Services and Community Risk Reduction Master Plan.

January 29, 2007
Martha Waddy – Northwest Park/Oakview Weed & Seed Program
Jerry Yokoyama – police procedure best practices from several U.S. jurisdictions
Ruth Martin, Montgomery Cares Administrator – the County's health care assistance to the uninsured.
Woodside Forest residents – Paper Roads
Alan Bowser – Sligo Creek Pollution
Committee discussion – Montgomery County FY07 Operating Budget Priorities

February 26, 2007 (Joint Meeting with Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee)
Martha Waddy – Northwest Park/Oakview Weed & Seed Program
Mitch Warren – WMATA fare increases.
Debbie Spielberg – ICC construction and public transit
Alan Bowser – Board bylaws amendment regarding consideration of development proposals.
Erwin Mack, Executive Director, Takoma Langley Crossroads Development Authority (CDA) – the history, objectives, and accomplishments of the CDA.
Gretchen Hilburger, CSAFE Community Organizer – the International Corridor CSAFE (Collaborative Supervision and Focused Enforcement) Program--a unique multi-jurisdictional collaborative initiative between the City of Takoma Park, Prince George's County and Montgomery County.

March 19, 2007
Victor Salazar, Site Coordinator, Northwest Park/Oakview Weed & Seed Program – recent program developments.
MCPD 3rd District Commander Betsy Davis – recent trends and issues affecting public safety in Silver Spring.
Elizabeth Merritt, Deputy General Counsel, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Marcie Stickle and Mary Reardon, Silver Spring Historical Society; Wayne Goldstein, Montgomery Preservation, Inc. and John Parrish, Maryland Native Plant Society – Silver Spring historic preservation issues.

April 16, 2007
MCPD Lt. Steve Auger – recent crime incidents in the Silver Spring area
Cynthia Rubenstein, co-Chair, Long Branch Advisory Committee; Anita Morrison, Long Branch Advisory Committee and co-Chair, SSCAB Neighborhoods Committee; and Roylene Roberts, Montgomery County Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs – developments in Long Branch

May 21, 2007
MCPD Lt. Steve Auger – recent crime incidents in the Silver Spring area
Martha Waddy – Northwest Park Oakview Weed and Seed program.
Marcie Stickle and Mary Reardon, Silver Spring Historical Society – key historic preservation issues in Silver Spring.
Tom Kenny, Governor, Silver Spring Moose Lodge – recent development regarding the Moose Lodge, located on Wayne Avenue.
Alan Bowser – renovation of Nolte Park athletic fields by the Montgomery County Parks Dept.