COLLEGE GARDENS CIVIC ASSOCIATION SPRING MEETING MINUTES May 14, 2025
A hybrid meeting with 22 people attending in-person and two participating virtually.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by the College Gardens Civic Association (CGCA) President Jennifer Weiland (JW). Other CGCA Executive Committee Officers in attendance included Vice-President Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry (GE), Treasurer Efi Atkinson (EA), and Secretary John Mosely Hayes (JMH).
Introduction and Proposed Meeting Agenda (JW): JW introduced the proposed agenda: Treasurer Report – JW Police Report – Rockville Police Major Bill Nieberding City Updates (City Budget, College Gardens Park Mural, 270 Expansion, Home Town Holidays, Street Light Maintenance, West Gude Entrance to Rockville Senior Center, other) – Mayor Monique Ashton, Council Member Marissa Valeri and Council Member Barry Jackson College Gardens Garden Club – JW CGCA Directory and Dues Collection – JW Fordham and Pitt Place Rockville Connects – Diane Fuchs National Night Out Picnic, August 5th – JW CGCA Executive Committee Election – JW New Business
Treasurer Report, JW: The most recent bank account statement balance is $5,778.64.
Police Report, City of Rockville, Police Major Bill Nieberding (BN): Following BN’s recent promotion to Major with broader responsibilities, he had requested and would remain the City police department’s CGCA liaison. BN explained that though crime statistics remain very low in the neighborhood, there had been a few anomalies – gunshots of unknown origin had been reported; heard; there was a stolen car in the apartment complex, the car was “borrowed” and returned with damage; and in front of the apartment complex an unattended TV was stolen. BN emphasized the importance of citizens calling the police with any safety concerns; to call 240-314-8900 for non-emergencies and 911 for emergencies. By next year, the city expects the police department to be fully staffed with the currently approved staffing level of 73 police officers. BN explained that in addition to these 73 permanent officers the police department is also approved to do overhires to help overcome the staff shortages caused by the six months of training when a new officer is recruited, the impact of officers serving in the military reserves, and long recovery times for officers hurt on the job. BN explained that the police department has four police response teams of nine members each, with each team consisting of a police sergeant and eight more officers. In addition, the department has investigative and community service units. BN emphasized that partnerships with other police departments are the way to go. City police have a very good and well-integrated relationship with the Montgomery County and Gaithersburg police. When either city or county police departments do not have sufficient capacity to respond, they can call on the other for additional officers and resources. In addition, a critical help that the county police provides the city police is it (not the city police) responds to requests for assistance from the Mental Health Crisis Center located on Picard Drive. BN was asked what the Rockville police department’s policy was when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) decides it needs to take action in Rockville? BN responded that ICE or other Federal enforcement entities do not ask the Rockville police to help them. In addition, deconfliction is done when an outside enforcement group needs/wants to come into another jurisdiction to do something. However, ICE is not required or expected to give a heads-up when it comes into the Rockville area to do ICE work. BN also emphasized that the officer firearms training, use of force training, and training in general that the Rockville police officers are receiving have really changed for the better… officers are now taught how to think through situations, not told what to do. BN was asked and responded that the Interim Chief of Police of the Rockville City Police Department was Major Jason West. BN further explained that there were currently four candidates to become the new Chief of Police, with West being one of the candidates. A meeting attendee commended the police for capturing the juveniles that had broken into her car. Other meeting attendees asked what could be done about vehicles that are parked in the neighborhood that don’t have tags or seem abandoned. BN said to submit a form on the Rockville police department website at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/FormCenter/Police-Forms-3/Abandoned-Vehicle-Report-34 The website form instructions state: Use this form to report an abandoned vehicle that is located within the corporate limits of the City of Rockville. A vehicle may only be reported as abandoned if it meets at least one of the following criteria. (1) The vehicle is both inoperable and left unattended on public property for more than 48 consecutive hours. (2) The vehicle has remained illegally parked for more than 48 consecutive hours and has been left unattended on or along a public highway or roadway. (3) The vehicle is not displaying a valid registration plate or is displaying an expired registration plate. (4) The vehicle has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for more than 48 consecutive hours.
City of Rockville Update, Mayor Monique Ashton, Council member Marissa Valeri, and Council member Barry Jackson: The City budget was approved – see https://www.rockvillemd.gov/951/Budget for more details. Even so, the city is preparing for federal budget changes that may impact Rockville. Six million in Federal grants are still expected to come through, and to date, there is no indication that the grants will be reduced. It was noted that Montgomery County, not the city, is proposing to raise the tax rate. What the city budget prioritizes reflects its concerns, including housing shortage and cost issues. As new federal grants are released with conditions, the City will need to decide before applying whether the new requirements are in keeping with the Council’s values. The City is still working on its Zoning Ordinance Rewrite to correspond to the 2040 Comprehensive Master Plan that was enacted in 2021. See https://www.rockvillemd.gov/2521/Zoning-Ordinance-Rewrite for more details. The City Council adopted the Town Center Master Plan revision. See https://www.rockvillemd.gov/2309/Rockville-Town-Center-Master-Plan-Update for more details. The latest project updates will continue to be posted on Engage Rockville at https://engagerockville.com/towncenter . City officials emphasized when questioned that a paved path will not be put through the Upper Watts Branch forest. It was also noted that while it is in the master plan to put provide an opening at the end of Princeton Place into Montgomery Community College, nothing has been done so far. City officials, when prompted, also reiterated that while no road opening will be put in from West Gude to Yale Place that the bicycle path opening will be regraded. It was also noted that the budget includes a noise for the north side of West Gude Drive. The Rockville bond rating remains very strong at AAA; however, the MD state bond rating was recently degraded by Moody’s by one level from AAA to AA. Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) – in the City budget, there will be an opening made from West Gude into Sr. Center but with no cut through into Woodley Gardens. The design will be completed in about 6 months, then a construction contract will be made and work will start soon after. The Woodley Gardens pool and day care center is having some additional financing that is needed; bathroom and changing areas need to be added. Construction has started. Another community meeting will be (was) held on May 18th at the Senior Center. Attendees also raised concerns about how Federal layoffs may impact the City’s revenue. The City officials stated that 17% of the City’s income comes from property taxes and that there will be an impact with some lag if there is an economic downturn. It was also reported that the Senior Citizen Commission name will be changed to the Commission on Aging. Home Town Holidays will be held at Town Center for two days (Sat/May 24, and Sun/May 25), and the Memorial Day Parade on Monday (May 26). Kings Farm Farmstead – The Kings Farm Farmstead, including a large parcel of land, was given to the City by the developer with certain specifications on how it could be used. Infrastructure was brought to the facilities on the land (e.g. water). Now decisions are needed on what to do with the land and buildings. A number of suggestions were obtained, and now filtering of ideas will after in-person meetings on May 28th at Kings Farm and May 29th at Glenfield Mansion, and virtually on June 21st. Redgate Park – An attendee asked about the current plans for developing Red Gate park. The park will largely become an arboretum. A dog park has already been created. The park’s vision plan is available on the city website at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/2311/RedGate-Park-Arboretum-Master-Plan . 270 update – Nothing will be explored again until 2045 as far as expansion. The Rockville City’s position is to focus on the Legion Bridge and 270 section north of Rockville, where the choke points are. The expansion does remain a possibility despite the unanimous opposition by the City Council. To this end, the Mayor had sent a letter expressing strong opposition to this project to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (CoG). The exact position of Governor Wes Moore’s Administration is not clear since CoG formally approved the plan to go ahead with the widening/toll project, but also said it would not implement the plan for now. This project appears to have been pushed from 2040 to 2045, but it could be reactivated earlier if the political majorities change. We all need to be vigilant. Unlike the Rockville City Council, city governments north of Rockville are not opposed to the project. Street lights – The City, through grants, has replaced bulbs with LED lights. Attendees noted that the lighting seems less because the reflective shields were removed to decrease light pollution impacts on birds and other animals… so lighting is directly below the street lamps now. The City is in discussion with Pepco to improve service and response, and in general, to improve the City’s energy grid. The City appreciates the community bringing to their attention those poles that need repair, and it will continue to work with PEPCO and others to address them. An Explore Rockville website has been established – see https://explorerockville.org/ Trader Joes – will be opened in the Towncenter in the previous Dawsons space in June. Also later this summer, a Wegmans will be opened on 355 close to the Twinbrook metro station. A bike to work day is to be held on May 16, from 6-9 am. Questions were asked by meeting attendees about support services for the 1000+ Federal employees living in the Rockville area who lost their jobs – Mobilize-Montgomery and Work-Source Montgomery and the State have websites. City Housing and Community Support Services are an additional resource to help; for example such individuals can receive a reduced recreation fee rate. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a support phone helpline for people experiencing mental health or substance use emergencies. A Non-profit organizations in Rockville Summit is to be held on May 22nd. These nonprofits have a big need for donations. A new global pass is being rolled out for Senior Center members, so their membership also includes access to other Rockville Community Centers for a reduced price. The Rockville Main Street Housing facility, which is for persons with special needs, celebrated its fifth year. It was noticed and appreciated that Rockville Police Department representatives attended the celebration. Update on College Gardens Park Pavilion Mural – In April 2025 the City Mayor and Council approved artist Andy Dahl’s mural plan which now is to include all five walls of the pavilion. Meeting attendees suggested that lighting be installed that would illuminate the mural for a few hours each night. The mural painting is expected to start in June.
College Gardens Garden Club, JW: The College Gardens Garden Club (CGGC) plant sale was a success. The CGGC appreciates those who participated and purchased plants. The CGGC is working on plans to improve the landscaping at the intersection of College Parkway and Nelson St. with more native species.
CGCA Directory and Dues Collection, JW: JW explained that additional volunteers are needed for collecting the directory information and dues on Fordham St. and Pitt Place. Mark Pierzchala volunteered to cover Fordham, and Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry Pitt Place. Karen Carp explained that she had created a mock-up of what a printed directory would look like and needed an updated directory. A lengthy discussion ensued about how to determine how many CGCA members wanted a printed directory, and if the CGCA would subsidize any of the cost of printing a directory. JMH clarified that the CGCA Bylaws did not prohibit the CGCA from subsidizing directory printing costs, but that it was not required. JW explained that the Bylaws made it clear that to be a CGCA member in good standing, a household was to give the required bi-annual dues (currently $10), but that the dues was not intended to pay for a printed directory nor was and the CGCA Executive Committee required to create a printed directory. As had been agreed at the previous CGCA meeting, it was agreed that during the upcoming directory information and membership dues collection process (time to commence still to be determined), to ask if a household wanted to pay for a printed directory in addition to the collected membership dues (note the actual cost of a printed directory is unknown until it is clear how many households would want a printed directory). Further once the demand for printed directories was known the CGCA Executive Committee could then decide if it would subsidize some of the printing costs with the membership’s money.
West Rockville Connects, Diane Fuchs: Rockville currently has eight Villages and WRC is part of one of these Villages and represents several neighborhoods, including CG. WRC has been recognized as a not-for-profit organization by the State of MD. WRC gives a welcoming package to persons who have recently purchased a home in the WRC neighborhoods, and it includes welcoming CGCA and CGGC letters for the CG homes. WRC recently brought together the Boy Scouts with the Sr. Center woodworking center to create the boxes for two new Little Free Libraries. Diane volunteered to be the contact for those who have books they would like to donate to the Little Libraries.
National Night Out Picnic, JW: The CGCA National Night Out event will be held on Tuesday, August 5th (always the first Tuesday of August), at the CG Park Pavilion.
CGCA Executive Committee Election, JW: New CGCA officers (President, Vice-President, and Secretary) need to be elected. Attendees suggested that an information campaign be conducted to create interest in running. Tom Miner suggested that an officer request flyer be placed on Tulane Lane where parents take their children to school. Others suggested that requests for volunteers be placed in the CG Elementary School newsletter. JMH suggested that an officer request flyer be handed out when the directory information and dues are collected and that persons be asked to consider serving. Mark Pierzchala suggested that the CGCA consider holding a special meeting in September to elect new officers.
COLLEGE GARDENS CIVIC ASSOCIATION FALL MEETING MINUTES November 13, 2024
This was a hybrid meeting with 17 people attending in-person and seven participating via phone or video link.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by the President of the College Gardens Civic Association (CGCA) Jennifer Weiland (JW). Other CGCA Executive Committee Officers in attendance, Vice-President Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry (GE) and Secretary John Mosely Hayes (JMH). The CGCA Treasurer position was vacant at the meeting’s start.
Introduction and Proposed Meeting Agenda (JW): JW introduced the proposed agenda: Treasurer Report – CGCA Treasurer Vacant Police Report – Rockville Police Lieutenant Bill Nieberding City Updates – Barry Jackson, Rockville City Council Member and introduction of Jeff Mihelich, Rockville City Manager Printed Directory Update – Karen Carp Electronic College Gardens Directory Update and Bi-annual CGCA Membership Dues – JW Street Light Discussion – Andrew Luetkemeier, Principal Transportation Engineer, City of Rockville College Gardens Garden Club update 270 update – Janet Gallant Rockville Connects – Diane Fuchs Gude Entrance to Rockville Senior Center – Leland Deck, Rockville Citizens Advisory Group CGCA Treasurer – vacancy New Business
Treasurer Report, JW: The most recent bank account statement balance is $5,778.64.
Police Report, LT. Bill Nieberding (City of Rockville Police): LT. Nieberding explained that crime statistics are very low in the CG neighborhood. One issue in general for Rockville, is that there were occasional car thefts that occurred in Rockville. One to three officers are constantly patrolling the Rockville neighborhoods. Car thefts have been down for the past six months. A meeting attendee identified that drivers were running the stop signs along College Parkway, especially the Nelson St and College Parkway intersection. LT. Nieberding thanked them for the information and said that informing the police of especially bad traffic violation spots was very helpful and helped lead to special police focus being placed at such intersections. A meeting attendee asked if the new noise ordinances would bring a reduction in the high noise volume from reengineered car and motorcycle exhaust noise. LT. Nieberding said that the new ordinances allowed the police to issue tickets for work orders to repair faulty/loud exhaust systems and this should have a positive impact. A meeting attendee brought up the shooting that occurred in Welsh Park. LT. Nieberding said that the Rockville and Montgomery County Police had responded quite well and had apprehended the shooter within 48 hours and that the offender was in custody awaiting trial. LT. Nieberding explained that the police were working with the Scarborough Square management closely to help address concerns as they arise. A meeting attendee asked if a better communication system to inform impacted neighborhoods when an emergency situation was occurring could be established similar to Montgomery College’s emergency notification system? The LT. responded that he appreciated the input. A meeting attendee asked if the police could increase fining of persons who leave their cars unattended while idling. LT. Nieberding said that the technology that allows persons to start their cars remotely to “heat them up” has made the problem harder to solve. An attendee asked what to do about the occasional sound of gunshots in the woods? LT. Nieberding said the most important thing to do was to call the police department at 240-314-8900, and that the more calls the better for helping the police triangulate to the location where the shooting may have occurred to search for evidence. He also explained that the Rockville Police receive more than 17,000 calls per year and that the top reason for calls was Suspicious Situation.
City of Rockville Update, Councilmember Barry Jackson (BJ) with Mayor Monique Ashton (MA) and introduction of the new City Manager Jeff Mihelich: Widening I-270 and toll lanes: This remains a possibility despite the unanimous opposition by the City Council. To this end, the Mayor had sent a letter expressing strong opposition to this project to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (CoG). The exact position of Governor Wes Moore’s Administration is not clear since CoG formally approved the plan to go ahead with the widening/toll project, but also said it would not implement the plan for now. This project appears to have been pushed from 2040 to 2045, but it could be reactivated earlier if the political majorities change. We all need to be vigilant. Unlike the Rockville City Council, city governments north of Rockville are not opposed to the project. Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop update: The City Council approved new zoning ordinances that require minimum distances of vape shops from places where young children gather and play (parks, schools, playgrounds, etc.). The new ordinance prohibits a vape shop from opening in the Woodley Gardens Shopping Center. Access to the Senior Center from Gude Drive: Plans by City Planners are going ahead to allow access to the Senior Center’s north parking lot from Gude Drive, while barring through-traffic into the Woodley Gardens neighborhood. (See Gude Entrance to Rockville Senior Center – Leland Deck, Rockville Citizens Advisory Group below for more information.) Zoning: The City Council might approve changes to the zoning ordinance that would allow homeowners to add small separate construction units on their land, such as for use by elderly parents, guest quarters, etc. However such exceptions would only be allowed on large properties and with sufficient distance from neighbors; conditions that most, if not all properties in the College Gardens neighborhood do not meet, such as the lot size requirement. Where is Rockville on its zoning ordinance revision following the adoption of the City’s Master Plan a few years ago? (Provided by BJ for the minutes) The Zoning Ordinance Rewrite (ZOR) & Comprehensive Map Amendment (CMA) is currently ongoing. The city contracted with ZoneCo, a firm specializing in zoning, in 2023, and the project kicked off internally that fall. The project is divided into four phases (Diagnose – opportunity identification; Calibrate – solution identification; Codify – drafting the new ordinance; and Adoption – public process before Planning Commission and Mayor & Council). The first phase, Diagnose, concluded in January 2024. The resultant Zoning Diagnostic Report is available at EngageRockville.com/ZoningRewrite. The project is currently in the Calibrate phase, during which city staff and consultants are proposing updates to the zones and zone standards and community engagement is occurring. Public workshops were held on October 17 and 22, 2024, and focus groups are planned for November 2024 through January 2025. Before the new Zoning Ordinance and zoning map are adopted, city staff will host workshops for the public and present recommendations to the Planning Commission and Mayor and Council. There will be a public hearing with associated comment period that will provide a platform for community members to voice their opinions and ask questions. The public hearing will occur during the “Adoption” portion of the process, which is planned to occur beginning in 2025. Additional details can be found at EngageRockville.com/ZoningRewrite. What will be the neighborhoods’ opportunities to comment on any zoning ordinance proposals? The Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan included extensive public engagement, and one of the primary goals of the ZOR is to implement the land use and zoning goals and recommendations of the Rockville 2040 Plan. Because of this, city staff are focusing on targeted engagement to build off the input received during that planning effort. Neighborhoods and individuals can engage through the public meetings and public process outlined above, including commenting on the public hearing draft of the new Zoning Ordinance. Additionally, a key component of the ZOR & CMA is to comprehensively amend the zoning map to be in alignment with the recommendations of the Rockville 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Staff has reached out to neighborhood associations where the Comprehensive Plan recommends changes in zoning and has sent letters to all owners of property recommended for rezoning, along with those within 100 feet. Some of these properties recommended for rezoning are zoned single family and proposed for “missing middle” housing (generally, duplex through six plex and townhouse development). These selected properties are located near transit stations and along proposed Bus Rapid Transit Lines (Viers Mills). Workshops tailored to those property owners will be held on November 12, 13, and 14. City staff is also happy to present on the ZOR & CMA to any neighborhood association within the city. Sign up for email updates, residents can visit engagerockville.com/ZoningRewrite and click the ‘Subscribe’ button near the upper right corner. Do you think Rockville will do away with its single-family zoning? What are the chances of this? The adopted Comprehensive Plan does not propose to eliminate single-family zoning city-wide. As mentioned above, some areas of single-family zoning are proposed for different housing types near transit and the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines. Would such a change impact neighborhoods with Homeowner Associations? Staff has or is meeting with the impacted neighborhood associations to inform them of the rezoning process and the properties involved. How would this impact neighborhoods with design guidelines? East Rockville has these, and Lincoln Park and the West End are working towards these. Staff does not believe existing or proposed design guidelines will be impacted. What is Rockville doing in general to promote housing, the large number of units needed, and pace needed to create enough housing supply for future needs? Rockville’s share of the region’s housing production goal requires 8,600 new housing units by 2040. To address this need, the city is working to reduce regulatory barriers and increase density in key areas of the city. The city’s ongoing FAST initiative aims to make the development review and permitting process Faster, Accountable, Smarter, and Transparent. Through this initiative, several changes are proposed to make the development review process more efficient, more predictable, and lower risk for housing developers. These changes are intended to be implemented through the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. The ZOR will also implement Comprehensive Plan recommendations that will allow for more missing middle housing (generally, duplex through six plex and townhouse development) in key areas of the city by rezoning those properties. Finally, the Town Center Master Plan recommends increased height limits in Town Center, in proximity to the Rockville Metro station which will also potentially increase the number of housing units allowed. What is the status of Rockville’s Town Center Master Plan? The schedule shows a hearing on October 28, a work session in December, and adoption in January 2025. Have the Mayor and Council already made decisions with respect to zoning in Town Center? The first draft of the master plan was published on EngageRockville.com/towncenter in April. Over the summer, the Planning Commission dedicated five meetings to reviewing the draft and making modifications. The Planning Commission’s approved copy of the master plan was published on EngageRockville in September. The Town Center Master Plan is currently being reviewed by the Mayor and Council, and no decisions have been finalized now. A public hearing held on October 28 allowed members of the community to provide feedback on the Planning Commission’s draft. The Mayor and Council have held the record open, so additional feedback on the plan will be accepted via email or orally through comment during the “public forum” of all Mayor and Council meetings until the plan is adopted. The tentative schedule is to hold a work session on December 9 and adopt the plan early 2025. Any modifications to this schedule will be published on EngageRockville. Mayor Ashton reported: A Trader Joe’s grocery store will open where the Town Center’s previous Dawson’s store was. Dawson’s will shift to providing catering services at the Universities at Shady Grove campus. It was important for those who have received the mailed city survey to complete and return the survey as well as to give feedback on various city initiatives at the EngageRockville.com site. Rockville was recently identified as the Top Small City in MD. More than 12,000 people attended the Bubble Tea Festival. Hometown Holidays will move back to taking place in the Town Center instead of Red Gate Park. The current Rockville Police Chief is leaving on Nov 21. Montgomery County planning department policies do not override Rockville planning policies. The Scotts Fitzgerald Theater is undergoing renovation from December 2024 through April 2025. The Montgomery County Historic Association is turning the historic Farmers Banking and Trust Building at 4 Courthouse Square into a museum.
City Manager Jeff Mihelich explained: City planning department is analyzing if it is feasible to regrade the bike path from West Gude to Yale Place. The Mayor and City Council will prioritize which projects will be done first, should it be determined that the bike path can be regraded and upgraded so it is a safer turn. JMH asked all City Officials in attendance if they would go on the record as promising that they would be vigilant to not let a West Gude to Yale Place road connection ever be put in place. The general response from the City officials was that they would do this. Deer Management in the Upper Watts Branch Nature Preserve – An attendee asked and commented to the the city officials that the forest was on its way to dying if sustained action was not taken to: Stop the invasive plants – it was commented that the Weed Warrior Group of Montgomery County, which JW was a member of, had and would continue to work to reduce the invasive species in the forest. Manage the deer so they do not continue to eat the forest new sapling growth – MA commented that the archery pilot project that had been done previously at Hayes Forest Preserve had been unsuccessful; that alternate methods (such as pregnancy prevention or sterilization, etc.) were being considered; and that possibly sapling protectors could be used to better protect the forest saplings instead of culling which wasn’t feasible because the houses were too close to the forest to allow archery or hunting.
Update on College Gardens Park Mural, City of Rockville Update, Councilmember Barry Jackson (BJ) with Mayor Monique Ashton (MA) (continued) : Anne O’Dell was hired as the new City Arts and Culture Program Manager two weeks ago. Anne O’Dell will meet with the community in February to finalize the community-based participatory process of artist Andy Dahl’s mural plan that was previously approved by the City’s Cultural Arts Commission. In April 2025 the City Mayor and Council are expected to give the project final approval.
CGCA Printed Directory Update, Karen Carp (KC), (CGCA Printed Directory Project Lead): KC had been working with Scott Butterworth, to put the electronic directory into a format that can easily be printed in the form of a booklet. Scott is no longer assisting Karen on the project, but she is pushing forward on her own, and showed the current design of the booklet to the meeting participants. KC is deciding whether or not to wait for another major electronic directory update; the version of the electronic directory that she has been using is that of May 2024. GE pointed out that it might be a long time before the CGCA block captains and officers have completed collecting the household information. KC and CGCA Executive Committee officers agreed that when the block captains, officers and other volunteers collect the e-directory update information each household can be asked whether they want a printed directory. It’s estimated that directories could cost approximately $4 each to print, and possibly less if more than 200 households buy a printed directory. It was agreed to ask those households that may choose not to have their information included in the printed directory if it was OK to indicate in the printed directory (and the e-directory) that the house was at least occupied. KC can also use the CGCA Google Group to canvas the membership to find out how many and which households want a printed directory.
Updating Electronic CGCA Membership Directory and Collecting Membership Dues, JW: JW explained that she had been canvassing the CGCA block captains to confirm who was willing to help collect the e-directory information and the bi-annual membership dues, and that collecting the additional information that KC was requesting could be part of the process. JW explained that about 5 new block captains were needed, and that a volunteer is needed to help lead the dues collection and directory update effort. JW and JMH explained that IAW the CGCA bylaws, the biannual membership dues (currently $10 per household every two years), is not intended to pay for a printed directory, but that the CGCA Executive Committee will continue to help maintain and periodically provide the Membership the Electronic CGCA Membership Directory. [this is repeated from above]
Street Light Discussion – Andrew Luetkemeier (AL), Principal Transportation Engineer, City of Rockville and CGCA Member Robert Wise (RW) RW introduced AL who he has been working with the City to address the streetlight maintenance challenge of missing and damaged access panel covers, to help identify how we might potentially assist with management oversight and resolution of this stubborn problem. AL then provided information regarding the following questions – 1. Apart from the shabby appearance, do you agree that these panel covers ensure safety by preventing curious children and pets from contacting live wires? 2. Please review roles of city staff and contractors, particularly Pepco, for servicing metal pole street lights within Rockville. 3. Do we understand correctly that Pepco handles outages due to no voltage and that most or all of the missing and damaged cover plates follow Pepco service visits? 4. Please review efforts thus far to achieve proper completion of service visits with replacement of cover plates. 5. Could Rockville potentially move these repairs to an alternative contractor? 6. If not, has the City explored communications higher up in the Exelon system? 7. Do City contracts with Pepco and other activities routinely include conventional “workman like” language about the quality of work? 8. Has your office conferred with Rockville’s legal department to explore compliance options? 9. Do you have suggestions for ways in which the College Gardens Civic Association could potentially assist? AL answered all of the questions, and the summary was that the City appreciates the community’s bringing to their attention those poles that need repair; that the City was aware of this challenge; and that it would continue to work with PEPCO and others to address it.
College Gardens Garden Club – Due to the CGCA meeting going over, JW included the following submission from the College Gardens Garden Club: If anyone is a Landscape Designer, the Garden Club is looking for assistance in revising its plan for the Hill, at the corner of Nelson and College Parkway, which the Club has maintained for 50 years. We are looking to make this area more natural, using native plants and installing irrigation. If you can help, please contact the Club President, Nancy Brooks, at (301) 717-9382. SAVE the DATE of our annual Plant Sale: April 26, 2025 at 6 Duke Court. Neighbors are invited to meetings held at the Senior Center on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Highlights of our programs are: November: Peerless Rockville January: Chelsea Flower Show slideshow February: Invasive vines March: Importance of maintaining dark skies April: top 10 Hidden Treasures in Montgomery County May: Lichens in our area For more Garden Club information, call Nancy Brooks (301) 717-9382 or Jan Groft (301) 424-1273
270 update – Due to the CGCA meeting going over, JW included the following submission from Janet Gallant, Co-Coordinator, DontWiden270.org: Well before the presidential election, the Wes Moore Administration had stopped publicly talking about adding toll lanes to I-270 and I-495. But that didn’t mean they’d stopped working behind the scenes to keep the toll lane project alive. Earlier this year, the Maryland Department of Transportation (called “MDOT”) applied again for federal grants to build Phase 1 of the project. Phase 1 includes toll lanes across the American Legion Bridge and along I-495, ending at Old Georgetown Road on the East spur, and past Westlake Terrace on the West spur. Phase 1 would basically move Virginia’s northern bottlenecks into Montgomery County, MD. The Moore Administration is also allowing Virginia to design and construct overhead electronic toll lane signs right here in Montgomery County, starting this year – without giving the Maryland public a heads up or opportunity to comment. And earlier this year, MDOT signed an agreement to negotiate a new bi-state toll lane accord with Virginia, again without notifying the public. MDOT does say that building toll lanes through Rockville is a lower priority and that no action will be taken anytime soon. But the state has refused to take Rockville toll lanes off the table. That’s why we can’t let up. Thank goodness for Mayor Ashton and the current City Council, as well as the Mayor and Council before them, including College Garden’s Mark Pierzchala. They continue to do what they can to protect Rockville from what would be a financial, environmental, public health, and equity disaster. All that said, Governor Moore’s toll lane plan clearly faces major challenges now. The biggest, of course, is the lack of transportation funding. The state has no money for multi-billion dollar toll lanes. Just recently, the Biden Administration said ‘no’ to the state’s latest request for Phase 1 toll lane grants. MDOT said at the time that it planned to reapply in 2026. Meanwhile, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have launched a powerful appeal of an earlier court ruling on the toll lane project. The appeal makes the case that, among other things: “MDOT…ignored, denied, and downplayed evidence of serious health and environmental harms…” “Adding lanes to the Beltway and I-270…would expose residents, school children, and workers to higher levels of fine particulate matter pollution…” “The [toll lane] project would worsen traffic on I-270’s general purpose lanes during afternoon rush hour.” A decision on the appeal is expected next year. Although the future of the toll lane plan seems increasingly uncertain, there is a well-financed highway lobby pushing for the project. Our wide coalition of advocacy groups and our elected allies will continue to actively oppose it while urging the Moore Administration to pivot from toll lanes to the many smart, effective alternatives already on the table, including those focused on relieving congestion on upper I-270. Keep an eye on the funding and the legal action. Any opportunity you have, urge our county and state officials to reject the toll lanes. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the DontWiden270 newsletter, at DontWiden270.org.
West Rockville Connects – Diane Fuchs: Rockville currently has eight Villages and WRC is part of one of these Villages and represents several neighborhoods, including CG. WRC will be recognized as a Not For Profit organization by the State of MD. WRC gives a welcoming package to persons that have recently purchased a home in the WRC neighborhoods, and it includes welcoming CGCA and CGGC letters for the CG homes.
Gude Entrance to Rockville Senior Center – Leland Deck (LD), Rockville Citizens Advisory Group LD attended the meeting via the internet. LD explained that an entry with traffic lights to allow access to the Senior Center’s north parking lot from Gude Drive was in the works. The entry would only provide for two lanes sufficient for two cars in opposing direction, but only one emergency vehicle in one direction, while barring through-traffic into the Woodley Gardens neighborhood. LD provided the following additional information: The link to the project info on the City website is: https://www.rockvillemd.gov/2540/Rockville-Senior-Center-Entrance-Project A nice blurb on the project, a link to info on the Public Meeting on 11/19, and some downloadable info. At the bottom of the project page and at: https://www.rockvillemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/56922/Senior-Center-Entrance-Project-Advisory-Group-Meeting-Presentation-11-7-24
CGCA Treasurer – JW: College Gardens resident Efi Atkinson volunteered and was unanimously elected by the meeting participants to become the next CGCA Treasurer Officer. JW will get EA set up on the CGCA bank account and provide guidance to EA on the Treasurer duties.
COLLEGE GARDENS CIVIC ASSOCIATION SPRING MEETING MINUTES May 22, 2024
This was a hybrid meeting with [16] people attending in-person; and three members participating via phone or video link.
The meeting was called to order at 7:15 p.m. by the Vice-President of the College Gardens Civic Association (CGCA) Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry (GE).
Introduction and Proposed Meeting Agenda (GE): GE explained that the Association President Jennifer Weiland (JW) had hoped to chair the meeting, but her flight back to DC had been delayed and she was unable to join online.GE introduced the Association Secretary John Mosely Hayes (JMH). The Treasurer position was currently vacant, and volunteers were welcomed to serve as Treasurer and complete the Executive Committee. The meeting followed the proposed agenda: Police Report – Rockville Police Lieutenant Bill Nieberding Treasurer Report – GE City Updates – Barry Jackson, Rockville City Councilmember Update on College Gardens Park Picnic Shelter Mural by Karyn Miller, Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager Printed Directory Update by Karen Carp; and College Gardens Directory Update and Bi-annual CGCA Membership Dues Updating Electronic CGCA Membership Directory and Collecting Membership Dues By-law Amendment – Vote to complete process to amend bylaws to allow electronic voting on CGCA issues Geothermal Installations in College Gardens – GE and CG resident Robert Wise New Business
Police Report, LT. Bill Nieberding (City of Rockville Police):. LT. Nieberding explained that there were no major safety issues that had occurred in the CG community to report on. One issue in general for Rockville, is that there were occasional car thefts that occurred in Rockville, or stolen cars from elsewhere that found their way to Rockville. The City Police as a rule does not engage in hot pursuits of such stolen cars because the car chase usually ends up causing more harm to persons and property than the loss or limited damage of an insured vehicle. Regarding the occasional large presence of City Police vehicles in the neighborhood, as had recently been seen, this usually is the result of a suspicious person being reported to the Police. If capacity allows, the Police usually respond with overwhelming presence (which may make such an incident seem more dangerous that it really is) so as to minimize the probability of any one police officer needing to or the suspect using force.
Treasurer Report, GE: The bank account balance since the last meeting has grown from just under $5,750 to a balance of $5,778.86 as of end-April 2024, thanks to some new membership dues and interest income. No major expenses were incurred since the Fall Meeting. Looking ahead, there may be some expenses in the coming few months in connection with the August 6th National Night Out (always the first Tuesday in August).
City of Rockville Update, Councilmember Barry Jackson (BJ): Budget: The City Council recently approved its annual budget. There will be no increases in city taxes. The City succeeded in increasing staffing in some critical areas, including: a new staff member responsible for making City Parks more accessible to physically challenged people; and six more police officers (the latter to offset in part some cutbacks in coverage of Rockville by the Montgomery County Police; county police will continue to assist with violent crime incidences, but no longer help as much as they had in the past on non-violent situations). Widening I-270 and toll lanes: This remains a possibility despite the unanimous opposition by the City Council. To this end, the Mayor had sent a letter expressing strong opposition to this project to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The exact position of Governor Wes Moore’s Administration is not clear since it formally approved the plan to go ahead with the widening/toll project, but also said it would not implement the plan for now. This project appears to have been pushed from 2040 to 2045, but it could be reactivated earlier if the political majorities change. We all need to be vigilant. Unlike the Rockville City Council, city governments north of Rockville are not opposed to the project Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop update: The City Council will be considering changes to the zoning ordinance that will require minimum distances of vape shops from places where young children gather and play (parks, schools, playgrounds, etc.). If approved, this could bar a vape shop from opening in the Woodley Gardens Shopping Center. In the end, a reasonable compromise will have to be worked out because it will not be possible for the City to prohibit outright such activities, given that the shop owners are engaging in a legal business. Access to the Senior Center from Gude Drive: Plans by City Planners are going ahead to allow access to the Senior Center’s north parking lot from Gude Drive, while barring through-traffic into the Woodley Gardens neighborhood. There will likely be some removable obstacle installed that would allow police or emergency (fire/ambulance) vehicles to drive through. Zoning: The City Council might approve changes to the zoning ordinance that would allow homeowners to add small separate construction units on their land, such as for use by elderly parents, guest quarters, etc. However such exceptions would only be allowed on large properties and with sufficient distance from neighbors; conditions that most, if not all properties in the College Gardens neighborhood do not meet the size lot size requirement (comment from Mark Perzchela, former City Councilmember).
Update on College Gardens Park Mural, Ms. Karyn Miller (Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager, City Manager’s Office, City of Rockville): Following the recommendation of the Artist Nomination Committee (which GE served on) to select Artist Andy Dahl and his proposed artwork, the proposal went to the City’s Cultural Arts Commission where it received unanimous support. The project will next go to the City Mayor and Council for consideration at their July 29 meeting. Once formally approved by the Council, the City will be ready to start the contracting process with the selected artist. Mr. Dahl was invited to attend this meeting, but had a scheduling conflict. He looks forward to engaging with the community in an active and inclusive way. There are a few more steps to go, but the City hopes to start implementing the project in the fall. Handout provided (attached herewith).
CGCA Printed Directory Update, Karen Carp (KC), (CGCA Printed Directory Special Committee Chair, Scott Butterworth Co-Chair): KC has been working with others (Scott Butterworth, CG resident), to put the electronic directory into a format that can easily be printed in the form of a booklet. There are a few more steps to go. She hopes to have this process completed by September 2024. It would be good if she could have a better idea of how many households would be interested in having printed booklets. She was of the impression that they could be as high as 50% of the membership. KC can use the CGCA Google Group to canvas the membership and verify this number.
Updating Electronic CGCA Membership Directory and Collecting Membership Dues, GE and JMH: JMH explained that IAW the CGCA bylaws, the biannual membership dues (currently $10 per household every two years), is not intended to pay for a printed directory, but that the CGCA Executive Committee will continue to help maintain and periodically provide the Membership the Electronic CGCA Membership Directory to its members and the Special Committee Printed Directory. Later this year will be time to collect another round of dues (every two years). It was agreed that this would best be done with the help of block captains, who could also help prompt and supplement collecting directory information from the homes in the neighborhood. A volunteer is needed to help lead the dues collection and directory update effort.
Proposed amendment to by-laws to allow electronic voting on CGCA issues, GE: GE explained that the proposed amendment would allow the Executive Committee to solicit members’ views on an important matter of interest to the Association by electronic means between the General Meetings. The draft was recommended for a vote at the last Association meeting in November 2023. If approved at this meeting, it would go into effect immediately. The proposed amendment would be added to Article VIII, and would read as follows: “Article VIII, Section 5- Between General Meetings, the Executive Committee is authorized to hold electronic votes on matters it deems to be important or of significant interest to the Association. The same quorum requirement will apply to the electronic vote as spelled out in Article XI, Section1. The outcome of the electronic vote will be determined by the majority of the votes cast. The Executive Committee may then communicate, or otherwise act upon, the outcome of the electronic vote, as if such decision were taken by the membership in a General Meeting.” The proposed amendment was approved by a unanimous YES vote. A suggestion was made, and generally agreed upon by those in attendance, that, particularly for those members who do not follow their email inboxes on a daily basis, the Executive Committee can post signs around the neighborhood when such electronic voting takes place. This would help alert members to check their inboxes for important electronic information and/or action that was required. These alerts could be similar to the signs posted around the neighborhood that invited members to attend today’s meeting.
Geothermal installations in College Gardens, GE and CG resident Robert Wise (RW) made a joint presentation of their experience with installing a geothermal (GT) heating and cooling system in their homes: A slide show was provided with pictures of the work that was done, along with explanations (attached herewith). RW had his system installed in 2014, GE just a few months ago. The costs for such a system are quite high, having risen from about $37,000 in 2014 to about $42,500 in 2024. However, there are considerable financial incentive programs that reduce the net out-of-pocket costs, including a 30% federal tax credit on the total amount; $3,000 in grants from the State of Maryland; and another $1,500 from PEPCO. The installation can take about 4-6 weeks, depending on the availability of drillers and the permitting process. It also involves major digging and trenching in the yard. Once installed, the outside air conditioning (AC) unit becomes obsolete and is removed, and the previous gas heating furnace is replaced with a much quieter electric pump and compressor. The overall carbon footprint is reduced substantially, especially if combined with solar panels that generate free electricity. In addition to significant savings from lower utility bills (about $100-$150 per month) , the system also generates so-called renewable energy credits (RECs) which can be sold through brokers for around $70-$90 per month.
New Business, JMH: JMH asked that a Special Committee/Task Force be formed and in partnership with the Woodley Gardens Civic Association (WGCA) to continue to try and address the growing deer menace in the neighborhood and ecological injury to the Upper Watts Branch Nature Preserve to which the two neighborhoods are adjacent. JMH explained that he had met with a similarly concerned WG resident (Michele Berlove introduced to him by the WGCA) and a person with a lot of deer management experience who has been in touch with county and city officials gathering useful information. Members agreed to authorize the CGCA to support the formation of a Special Committee on Deer Management (to give the proposed committee flexibility, the proposed committee can be outside of CGCA and CGCA still support the committee, have them speak at meetings, use the CGCA email group, adopt their findings in letters to the city or county, etc.). Ideally the proposed committee would be one that the WGCA would support in a similar fashion as well. The special committee’s proposed initial goals would include: To gather/summarize the city council information and actions that have already been done (8 city council meeting discussions as reported by Mark Perzchela) Plan and mobilize CGCA and WGCA community members to conduct a deer survey at the end of the summer. Formulate, propose and help implement (if there is support) a deer management plan.
The meeting ended at 9:15 pm.
Attachments (included with email distribution): Mural Presentation Handout Geothermal system slides
COLLEGE GARDENS CIVIC ASSOCIATION FALL MEETING MINUTES November 8, 2023
This was a hybrid meeting with 21 people attending in-person; and 8 members participating via phone or video link.
The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by the President of the College Gardens (CG) Civic Association (CGCA) Jennifer Weiland (JW).
Introduction and Proposed Meeting Agenda (JW): JW introduced the other CGCA officers: Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry (Vice President; GE); John Mosely Hayes (Secretary; JMH); [Treasurer currently vacant]
JW introduced the meetings speakers – LT. Bill Nieberding – City of Rockville Police Report point person Mark Pierzchala – City Council Representative, CG resident and former CGCA President – City update Diane Fuchs – West Rockville Connects Village Organization Volunteer Jennifer DeMatteo – Garden Club of College Gardens (GCCG) President Karyn Miller – Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager, City of Rockville
JW described the proposed agenda: – Treasurer Report – Police Report – City Updates – Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop update – West Rockville Connects village organization update – CGCA voting on 3 issues that CGCA maybe asked to weigh-in on before the next CGCA meeting – Proposed amendment to by-laws to allow electronic voting on CGCA issues – Mural on CG Park Shelter – CGCA Treasurer? – New Business
Treasurer’s Report (JW): JW reported that as of November 8, 2023, the CGCA bank account had a positive balance of $5,749.42; expenditures since the Spring meeting were for the National Night Out event including $18.59 for potluck supplies and $302.80 for Carmen’s Italian Ice. The next CGCA membership dues collection cycle is targeted for 2024.
Police Report (Lieutenant Bill Nieberding, Lt. (BN)): Nothing alarming to report. The College Gardens and Woodley Gardens communities continue to have a very low number of calls for police service. A meeting participant who has a home on Yale Place next to the CG elementary school shared that a car parked at her home had the wheels stolen. BN responded that this was an outlier event and that normally such theft occurs in apartment complexes and parking garages by car theft gangs. He explained that in many cases they target specific car models and steal the whole wheels which in some cases can be quite expensive.
City of Rockville Update (Mark Pierzchala, Rockville City Council Representative): City Election, Rockville voters elected Monique Ashton as Mayor; and Kate Fulton, Adam Van Grack, Izola (Zola) Shaw, incumbent David Myles, Marissa Valeri and Barry Jackson as Council Members to form the new enlarged 7-member council. Many of the council members are there for the first time, and there will be many issues which they will be confronted with right away. Widening I-270 and toll lanes is still a strong possibility despite the strong opposition coalition. Proposed development will first start from I-370 north and once this is done work will move farther south to connect the I-270 Spur to Rockville and further north to the section that would have been completed in the first phase. Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop update. The City Council has put a moratorium on more vape shops within the city, as it continues to review and revise the ordinance and permit process regarding this type of business. In the end, this might prove to be a difficult matter for the City to prohibit, and a reasonable compromise might need to be worked out because it will not be possible for the City to outright prohibit such businesses in our neighborhood. Possible exclusion zones that might hold legal muster might include proximity to schools and playing fields where very young children congregate. There is also the hope that moral suasion by the community could dissuade the potential vape shop operators from going ahead with the project.
West Rockville Connects village organization(Diane Fuchs, WRC Volunteer): Diane explained that Villages are local, volunteer-led, grassroots organizations, which foster social connections through activities and events, and coordinate volunteer help at home using a neighbor-helping-neighbor model. She explained that there were six other “Villages” that are being developed in Rockville and that Trish Evans (tevans@rockvillemd.gov; Tel: 240-314-8807) works on coordinating the development of Villages for the City of Rockville. The email to connect with persons working on the WRC which includes the CG neighborhood is wrcvillage@gmail.com. To learn more about WRC, go to westrockvilleconnects.org. She also showed the contents of the WRC welcome package for new arrivals to the neighborhood..
Garden Club of College Gardens (Jennifer DeMatteo, immediate past GCCG President): Jennifer described the activities of our neighborhood garden club and invited residents to join the GCCG meetings held on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 pm, usually at the Rockville Senior Center. Further, the GCCG welcomes new residents to College Gardens with a red geranium plant, the club flower. In addition to maintaining the landscaping of the Hill, at the corner of Nelson St. and College Pkwy, the club holds an annual Plant Sale in April and bulb sale in the Fall. Geraniums were delivered to new residents of College Gardens following our spring plant sale. Neighbors were invited to join the GCCG on November 9, for a lecture and discussion on cultivating edible mushrooms.
CGCA voting on three issues (JW, CGCA President): JW explained that the CGCA Executive Committee wanted to determine how the CGCA members felt about three issues that the CGCA might be asked to weigh-in on prior to the next CGCA meeting. JW then led a vote of the meeting participants to determine the CGCA position on the issues Widening I-270 and toll lanes – The overwhelming majority of participants voted that they were against the expansion of I-270 and creation of toll-lanes Woodley Gardens Shopping Center Vape Shop – The overwhelming majority of participants voted that they were in favor of zoning restrictions that would prohibit a vaping shop in residential and so close to playing grounds and public parks, such as the Woodley Gardens shopping center. Gude Access to Senior Center – All participants voted that they were in favor of allowing a northern access to the Senior Center, provided that there is a barrier between the north and south parking lots that would not allow for non-emergency vehicle traffic from a possible north entrance to pass through into the Woodley Gardens neighborhood.
Proposed amendment to bylaws to allow electronic voting on CGCA issues (JW, CGCA President): JW explained that the purpose of the proposed amendment is to allow the Executive Committee to solicit members’ views on important matters of interest to the Association by electronic means between the General Meetings. While the bylaws allow for special meetings, the low attendance at spring and fall meetings did not bode well for attendance at special meetings and therefore only reflect the position of a small number of residents. Allowing residents to weigh in electronically on issues allows for the possibility of more robust participation from our community. The CGCA bylaws required that at least 10 CGCA members sign a petition for such an amendment to be placed on the next CGCA General Meeting. Only then would a majority vote allow for the proposed amendment to the bylaws to become effective. An in-depth discussion amongst the participants followed, ending with 10 CGCA members petitioning that the amendment be made. The point was made that in-person meetings provide a more personal venue in which to exchange viewpoints and thereby get to know our neighbors and that the bylaws allow for special meetings at any time to gather community input. A participant pointed out how a question is phrased and described before a vote is critical, and that electronic polling might not afford the opportunity for the CGCA to hear feedback and clarify issues for voters. At the next CGCA meeting, tentatively scheduled around April/May 2024, a vote will be taken to complete the amendment process. If approved, it will be added as Section 5 to Article VIII (Committees) and is proposed to be worded as follows – “Article VIII, Section 5- Between General Meetings, the Executive Committee is authorized to hold electronic votes on matters it deems to be important or of significant interest to the Association. The same quorum requirement will apply to the electronic vote as spelled out in Article XI, Section1. <See attached Bylaws> The outcome of the electronic vote will be determined by the majority of the votes cast. The Executive Committee may then communicate, or otherwise act upon, the outcome of the electronic vote, as if such a decision were taken by the membership in a General Meeting.“
Mural on CG Park Shelter (Karyn Miller – Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager, City of Rockville): The City of Rockville will work with the community and an artist to transform the College Gardens Park Picnic Shelter with a vibrant mural. Community input is essential for Rockville’s public art planning, as it enables us to align our efforts with the needs and desires of those we serve. By participating in this project, community members can actively contribute to the development of the public art landscape in their community. This mural project is an excellent opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity of artists while fostering community engagement and pride in the neighborhood. A survey on the project is accessible here: https://www.rockvillemd.gov/348/Arts-Culture Residents are invited to attend an upcoming Cultural Arts Commission meeting. To attend the meeting or find out more about this project, please contact Karyn Miller, Arts, Culture, and History Program Manager for the City of Rockville. Karyn can be reached at kmiller@rockvillemd.gov. The Artist Nomination Committee will meet twice. They will be asked to review artist submissions in advance of the meetings. Meetings will last approximately 1.5-2 hours each. Exact dates and times are still to be determined, but the approximate timing and time commitment is outlined below. Gamal (Jimmy) El-Masry will represent the CGCA on this Committee. Meeting 1: early Jan 2024, likely the week of Jan 8-12. This meeting is for preliminary review and scoring of all artist applications. The Committee will be asked to recommend a short list of artists who will then develop more detailed and site-specific proposals. Meeting 2: late Feb 2024, likely the week of Feb 19-23. This meeting is to review detailed proposals from a short list of artists, score proposals, and make recommendations for an artist to the Rockville City Council for final approval.
