Summary Notes - Neighborhoods and Transportation/Pedestrian Safety Committees - September 15, 2008

Summary Notes
Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board
Neighborhoods Committee and
Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee
September 15, 2008 7:00 pm
Silver Spring Regional Services Center

Visit the Neighborhoods Committee Blog at www.SilverSpringNeighborhoods.blogspot.com

Attending: Alan Bowser, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board; Darian Unger; Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board; Megan Moriarty, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board; Victor Weissberg, Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board; Barbara Ditzler, Woodside Park Civic Association; Benjamin Stutz, Office of Councilmember Valerie Ervin; Brett Rouillier, Sligo Branview; Charlotte Coffield, Lyttonsville Civic Association; Chris Richardson, Park Hills Civic Association; Cindy Rucker; Colleen Mitchell, Woodside; Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Services Center; Elmoria Stewart, Lyttonsville Civic Association; Lt. Eric Burnett, Montgomery County Police Department; George French, Silver Spring Historical Society; Harry Saunders, Woodside Park; Jeffrey Dunckel, Pedestrian Safety Coordinator, Montgomery County; Jennifer Chambers, President’s Council of Downtown Silver Spring Civic Associations; Jennifer Nettles, Downtown Silver Spring; Lisa Dubay, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health; Luther Hinsley, Avery Park Community Association; Lynn Hughes; Marilyn Piety, Sligo-Branview Civic Association; Martha Waddy, New Hampshire Estates Civic Association; Cpt. Nancy Demme, Montgomery County Police Department; Mel Tull, Silver Spring Regional Services Center; Michelle Desiderio, Woodside Park Civic Association; Reginald Jetter, Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services; Rose Crenca, Sligo-Branview Civic Association; Rukiyat Gilbert, Southern Management; Sgt. Tom Harmon, Montgomery County Police Department; Tom Street, Office of the Montgomery County Executive; and Willie Smith, Lyttonsville Civic Association

Report on September Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board Meeting and July Neighborhoods Committee Meeting. Alan Bowser reviewed the Neighborhoods Committee’s July meeting and the full Board’s September meeting.

September Public Safety Update. Lt. Eric Burnett, 3rd District, MCPD, briefed the Committees on recent public safety developments in Silver Spring. Sgt. Tom Harmon, MCPD, briefed the Committees on recent traffic and pedestrian safety developments. He described several recent incidents, including the details of two recent pedestrian fatalities. Investigations are still ongoing. He also shared provided updates on the locations of recent traffic citations and auto accidents, again noting their prevalence on major state roads in Silver Spring. Finally, he discussed the steps being taken to make the interim transit center safer for pedestrians and traffic, including the posting of crossing guards during rush hours.

The Committee asked questions about pubic safety issues in Downtown Silver Spring, East Silver Spring, South Silver Spring and in the Northwest Oakview Weed & Seed area.

Report on the Weed & Seed Program. Martha Waddy presented a report on recent developments related to the Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed program. Her summary of Weed & Seed area developments is attached to these minutes.

Report of the Code Enforcement Task Force. Tom Street, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, Montgomery County, briefed the Committees on the Report of the Code Enforcement Task Force, recently presented to County Executive Isiah Leggett. In September 2007, the County Executive directed the formation of a Code Enforcement Work Group, a group comprised largely of Executive Branch staff whose responsibilities include enforcing various chapters of the County Code. The County Executive wanted a comprehensive review of enforcement activities because of concerns raised by a number of individuals and civic groups, and his belief in the importance that these issues dramatically impact on the quality of life in the County and the residential character of neighborhoods. The concerns raised include:

Portions of the Code were outdated;
Code enforcement is uneven;
Too much time passes between the issuance of a citation and correction of a Code violation; and
There is poor coordination among the various departments responsible for issuing citations.

The Work Group’s mission has been to study and make recommendations regarding a wide variety of County Code issues including:

Unkempt properties;
Residential code violations enforced by multiple County agencies;
Overcrowded homes;
Vehicles parked on front lawns;
Unsafe passage on residential streets resulting from large parked commercial and recreational vehicles;
Inoperable or unregistered vehicles;
Coordination of solid waste enforcement;
Definition and enforcement of Home Occupations;
Repeat violation offenders;
Houses occupied, or accessory structures used without an approved final inspection; and
Failure to complete construction of residential building projects subject to building permits.

Over the past year the Work Group, with the assistance of Council staff has reviewed a number of case studies, identified a number of general issues common to many of the case studies, and is in the process of developing a set of recommendations that will address many of the issues that concern communities throughout the county. Proposed solutions to some of the concerns raised fall into three broad categories:

Legislative changes to various chapters of the County Code;
Internal work process (sometimes referred to as business processes) changes and cross training for DPS, DHCA, MCFRS, MCPD and DEP staff; and
Education programs for residents and community associations that inform property owners of their rights and responsibilities.

Committee members asked questions about the draft report. A summary of the Task Force’s work is included as an appendix to these minutes.

Report on the County Executive’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative. Jeff Dunckel, Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Coordinator, briefed the Committees on the County Executive’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative.

Highlights included:

* A review of the plan and the high-incident areas in Silver Spring
* After a half-year hiatus, the initiative will hopefully go forward with about $4.8 million in funding derived from speed cameras.
* Council must still approve the funding, which is earmarked for public safety in general.
* Discussion of the proposed rode code revisions
* Some pedestrian studies are being postponed due to transit center construction.

When Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett was elected in December 2006, he pledged to make improving pedestrian and traffic safety a priority of his administration. This County Executive Pedestrian Safety Initiative outlines a comprehensive approach to meet that pledge. This initiative is a cooperative effort between the County Executive, Councilmember Valerie Ervin as the County Council representative on the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, and the Montgomery County Planning Board. This plan provides Montgomery County, for the first time, with a blueprint for action based on measurable strategies.

In January 2002, a Blue Ribbon Panel for Pedestrian and Traffic Safety issued its report identifying 54 recommendations to reduce pedestrian collisions and fatalities. For the past six years, these recommendations have guided County efforts to improve safety for pedestrians and make Montgomery County a more walkable community. Progress has been made – regional surveys have shown that awareness of pedestrian safety issues has increased both among the driving and walking public. But, with an average of 14 pedestrian fatalities and 430 collisions involving pedestrians each year in Montgomery County between 2003 and 2006, it is clear that more needs to be done.

To fulfill Mr. Leggett’s vision for increased pedestrian mobility and safety, this plan establishes goals to:
-- Reduce pedestrian-related crashes, injuries, fatalities, and their associated social and economic costs; and
--Ensure that all areas of the County provide safe and convenient travel options for pedestrians.

By making pedestrian travel safer, easier and more convenient, other important objectives are also achieved, including improving health and fitness, decreasing local vehicular congestion and pollution and making the community more appealing to businesses, residents and tourists. The initiative sets out timeframes and budgets for new and enhanced efforts to achieve each strategy, starting with fiscal year 2009. The strategic approach to achieve the goals and objectives of this initiative are as follows:

Strategy 1: Target pedestrian safety improvements in High Incidence Areas
Strategy 2: Assess and improve pedestrian network and connectivity needs
Strategy 3: Increase emphasis on pedestrians and bicyclists in the planning process
Strategy 4: Identify and implement corridor and intersection modifications and traffic calming treatments
Strategy 5: Upgrade pedestrian signals
Strategy 6: Assess and enhance street lighting
Strategy 7: Modify pedestrian and driver behavior through enhanced enforcement and educational efforts

This initiative significantly enhances the County’s investment in educating motorists and pedestrians, keeping enforcement efforts visible and intensive, and aggressively applying the most innovative and pedestrian-friendly road engineering design to prevent pedestrian injury and make Montgomery County a safe, livable, and accessible community. This initiative proposes new spending of about $4.8 million per year and $32.4 million over six years on pedestrian safety activities. The County currently spends approximately $30 million annually in programs related to pedestrians.

Historic Preservation Update. Alan Bowser reported that the Montgomery County Planning Board voted to recommend that the County Council designate two-thirds of the Falkland-Chase Apartment complex in downtown Silver Spring as protected historic structures, while the remaining third be made eligible for redevelopment. The entire complex is currently listed on the Locational Atlas and Index of Historic Sites, which lists all of the county's structures that are up for protection under the Master Plan for Historic Designation. If the council follows the board’s recommendation, then only the southern two parcels of the complex will receive protection, and the north parcel will likely be redeveloped, according to planning spokeswoman Valerie Berton. The Silver Spring Historical Society website is located at http://www.silverspringhistory.homestead.com

Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm.

Next Meeting. Monday, October 20, 2008.

Visit the Neighborhoods Committee Blog at www.SilverSpringNeighborhoods.blogspot.com

Subscribe to the blog at http://silverspringneighborhoods.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

_______________________________________________________________

The Northwest Park Oakview Weed and Seed (NPOWS)
Program Update to the
Silver Spring Citizen’s Advisory Board
Neighborhood Committee
September 15, 2007

Summary provided by:
Ms. Martha Waddy
Member, Weed & Seed Steering Committee

Program Highlights:

Valerie Ervin, Councilmember, Montgomery County Council provided introductory and welcoming comments and presided over a Neighborhood Watch Graduation Ceremony.

Over 25 members of the community participated in Neighborhood Watch training over a three week period in July.

Staff members from Councilmembers Valerie Ervin, George Leventhal and Marc Elrich attended a community association meeting in July.

Celebrated “National Night Out” at Avery Park Apartments (See attached Letters and Photos).

On July 23rd and August 29th Weed & Seed Police Details made arrests related to Drugs, Weapons, and Robberies (See Attached Press Releases).

Neighborworks America, a national provider of training programs to Asset Managers and Community Workers, selected Northwest Park Apartments as a location to hold a panel discussion on what works in revitalizing a community. Members of the Weed & Seed Weed Committee, apartment managers and members of the community participated in the 4 hour discussion.

The Department of Justice conducted a program site-visit and determined our implementation of the Weed & Seed Strategy met Department of Justice program requirements. Additionally, the NPOWS is qualified for an additional year of federal funding to 2010.

Weed & Seed partners developed an Outreach Strategy for Broad Acres Elementary School Administrators (See Attached Gazette Article).

For additional information about the contents above contact:
Victor Salazar, Site Coordinator, Weed & Seed, (301) 565-5847

_________________________________________________________________________-
The Northwest Park Oakview Weed and Seed (NPOWS)
Activities Update to the Silver Spring Citizen’s Advisory Board
Neighborhood Committee
September 15, 2008
Covers the Period July 1, 2008 through August 31, 2008
Submitted by: Martha Waddy, Steering Committee Member

A. WEEDING ACTIVITES

Law Enforcement

Montgomery County Police: There have been a total of 348 incidents of crime reported on the Montgomery County side of the Weed & Seed Area from January 5, 2008 through August 31, 2008 Summarized by crimereports.com as follows:

8 Theft 30 Vehicle Thefts 50 Assaults (3 w/deadly weapons)
6 Quality of Life/Liquor 24 Burglaries 43 Vehicle Burglaries
70 Quality of Life/Disorderly 79 Traffic 12 Robberies 2 Sex Offense – Rape 10 Quality of Life/Narcotics 9 Other – Alarm 1 Arson
3 Deaths 1 Weapon

Assault, Disorderly Conduct and Vehicle Burglaries continue to top the three most reported crimes in this area of Montgomery County.

The communities on the Western Side of New Hampshire Avenue; Northwest Park Apartments, Hampshire West and Oakview have been the hardest hit with crime during the months of July and August.

Though crime has spiked in the Oakview Community, overall, the incidents of crime in the Weed & Seed area has dropped by about a 3rd during the months of July and August, as compared with the previous two months, May and June.

During the months of July and August a large portion of Weed & Seed funding has been used to support Police Overtime Details in Weed & Seed Communities.

Community Policing

Three Weed & Seed Communities celebrated the 25th Anniversary of National Night Out. Specifically, Northwest Park Apartments, Avery Park Apartments, and the Hamptons Homeowners Association.
SAO, MCPD and Weed & Seed have fulfilled community requests to attend meetings at Avery Park.
Resident Tips have reported drugs, prostitution and unsupervised youth that could be gang related in the area.

B. SEEDING ACTIVITIES

Prevention/Intervention/Treatment

CSAFE will continue to lead the Truancy Prevention Program until October 2008.
Luis Martinez of HHS has agreed to support Weed & Seed in holding a workshop with residents on how to access HHS services during the month of October or November.
The YMCA held a celebration for Program Participants on Saturday, September 13. Weed & Seed was thanked for providing funding for programming.
The Long Branch Athletic Association has signed an MOU to provide youth in W&S opportunities to play soccer.
The Seed Committee has spent the last two meetings identifying resource gaps in preparation of submitting testimony to County Council and County Executive in support of funding requests in Weed & Seed Communities.

Neighborhood Restoration

The Nuisance Abatement Task Force continues to receive complaints from Oakview Residents. The Task Force will complete its first year of operations in November.
The Broad Acres Park Renovation has finally broken ground with an expected completion date of Spring.
Weed & Seed met today with DHCA to assist the Dept. of Community Revitalization with its Neighborhood Revitalization Indicator Project.
The Weed & Seed Program along with its Program Partners supported the St. Camillus Community Carnival on September 5th and 7th (Press release attached).
The Weed & Seed Program along with its Program Partners supported Broad Acres Elementary School’s celebration of the new school year (Press release attached).

C. ADMINISTRATION

Funding – The Weed & Seed Program received notice from the Department of Justice that it was approved for another year of funding. The total amount granted is $150,000. This is an amount $50,000 less than last year’s budget and $25,000 less than the previous year.

Steering Committee Appointments:

Officer Kirk Considine has been approved by the Weed Committee to replace Sgt. Michael Ruane as Weed Committee Chair.
Michael Avant, YMCA, and Maura Lynch, SAO, have been approved by the Seed Committee to replace Hanna Davis and Jeanna Cullinan of the Girl Scouts to Co-Chair the Seed Committee.
______________________________________________________

Code Enforcement Work Group Presentation
to
Silver Spring Neighborhood Advisory Board
September 15, 2008

In September 2007, the County Executive directed the formation of a Code Enforcement Work Group, a group comprised largely of Executive Branch staff whose responsibilities include enforcing various chapters of the County Code. The County Executive wanted a comprehensive review of enforcement activities because of concerns raised by a number of individuals and civic groups, and his belief in the importance that these issues dramatically impact on the quality of life in the County and the residential character of neighborhoods. The concerns raised include:
Portions of the Code were outdated;
Code enforcement is uneven;
Too much time passes between the issuance of a citation and correction of a Code violation; and
There is poor coordination among the various departments responsible for issuing citations.

The Work Group’s mission has been to study and make recommendations regarding a wide variety of County Code issues including:
Unkempt properties;
Residential code violations enforced by multiple County agencies;
Overcrowded homes;
Vehicles parked on front lawns;
Unsafe passage on residential streets resulting from large parked commercial and recreational vehicles;
Inoperable or unregistered vehicles;
Coordination of solid waste enforcement;
Definition and enforcement of Home Occupations;
Repeat violation offenders;
Houses occupied, or accessory structures used without an approved final inspection; and
Failure to complete construction of residential building projects subject to building permits.

Over the past year the Work Group, with the assistance of Council staff has reviewed a number of case studies, identified a number of general issues common to many of the case studies, and is in the process of developing a set of recommendations that will address many of the issues that concern communities throughout the county. Proposed solutions to some of the concerns raised fall into three broad categories:

Legislative changes to various chapters of the County Code;
Internal work process (sometimes referred to as business processes) changes and cross training for DPS, DHCA, MCFRS, MCPD and DEP staff; and
Education programs for residents and community associations that inform property owners of their rights and responsibilities.

The Work Group has made the following recommendations to the County Executive and he has approved the following proposals:
Legislation
Parking limits on oversize, commercial, and recreational vehicles (off-property);
Parking limits-on-property: Limit the amount of impervious surface on residential lots and number of commercial and recreational vehicles in certain zones;
Make definition for “heavy-commercial, light-commercial, and recreational vehicle” the same in all sections of the Code (specifically in sections 31 and 59);
Make Code chapters 48 and 26 consistent by requiring untagged vehicles to be removed within the same number of days of being cited. Currently, one Chapter specifies 90 days and the other one 30 days. Consideration is also being given to reducing the number of days to less than 30 days;
Clarifications and limits for Home Occupations;
Require final inspections for building permits;
Require approved occupancy and use permits prior to occupation of residential properties or change in use of residential properties;
Require permit expiration dates and require more than one inspection in a 18 month period; and
Increased fines for various violations.

Business Process Changes and Training:
Expanded use of the eReferral system. Over the last 8 months DPS, DHCA, DEP and MCP have worked cooperatively to develop an internal, online “eReferral” system which is used by code enforcement workers and police officers to refer potential violations that are reported to them, or that are observed when they visit a property, to the agency that is responsible for enforcement of the suspected code violation. This enables efficient and timely reporting by the first responding agency to other agencies that need to respond and eliminates the need for residents to report violations to multiple agencies. All referrals are recorded in the County’s eProperty Data Mining application and can be viewed by residents when searching an address using eProperty. Also using eProperty, residents can see agency-by-agency cases opened in response to the referral. Currently, eProperty displays and links to case data from Housing Code Enforcement, Permitting, Zoning. Police information is being developed and will be added in the near future. Additional data sources that are planned to be added are Solid Waste, DEP, and FRS. This is a work in progress and will be improved over the next few months by expanding County employee awareness of and training for the eReferral system, adding data sources to the eProperty system, and perhaps integrating these systems with the planned “311” system.

Implementing a revised abatement program that impacts repeat Code offenders and others. Under the approach, if a property owner fails to make required corrections within the time specified in a Court-issued abatement order, the County would utilize its contractors to correct a violation and the expenses would be charged to the property owner. Should the property owner fail to compensate the county for incurred expenses, a lien would be put on the property and collected through the property tax bill or tax sales. Once funded these activities could be further directly supported by revenue from fines imposed by the Court.

Overcrowded residences:
Cross train MCP, DPS, DEP, and MCFRS inspectors to observe and report situations of overcrowding to DHCA
DHCA to ask for number of bedrooms and number of renters when property owner applies for license.

QA process for all departments;

Licensing of providers of fire safety systems and equipment – MCFRS;

Narrow period completing residential permits and set final inspection dates for residential building permits:
Use the Hansen permitting information system to monitor expiration dates and to trigger more frequent inspections.
DPS needs to proactively inspect residential building projects and not have all inspections be driven by requests.

Solid Waste – revised jurisdiction for solid waste violations between DEP and DHCA.

Non-English speaking inspection procedures (all departments); and

Proposal to change DPS permit review process to require that permit requests that are accompanied by drawings that indicate that materials for the addition for which the permit is being applied will match the existing structure do, in fact, match the existing materials (DPS).

Community Outreach
Develop an outreach program to share information on DPS and DHCA code requirements – what is and isn’t covered, how the requirements are enforced, when permits are required, and how and to whom complaints can be made.
Work with realtors to encourage them to monitor, and correct as appropriate, the number of bedrooms advertised in listed single-family properties.
Provide information to new renters so that they better understand the landlord’s responsibilities for property maintenance and know how to file a complaint.

In addition to the recommendations mentioned above:
There has been increased inspection activity in the Aspen Hill community resulting in increased numbers of owners taking corrective action to eliminate overcrowding, and Realtors have been engaged in monitoring more closely and correcting, as appropriate, the number of bedrooms advertised in listed properties.