NAC 6 Minutes 2-6-06

 

Present: Paul Dienes, Katherine Jones, Sara McGill, Dan Beines, Trish Cunningham, Robert and Bonnie Duggan, Lisa Grove, Debra DePaul, Officer Corbett, total 39 people

 

Officer Corbett, Patrol squad D: took initial report from claimant regarding incident, investigated completely, no connection with gang activity has been found in this incident, see press release.  Copies were made available.  See attached.

 

There have been some indications that Fort Detrick officers responding to the woman said they have been seeing many of these issues, but that is not true.

 

Chris Devine, public affairs officer: same incident.  Confirmed woman did seek assistance.  Escorted her to her residence.  No member of the FD police made any reference to gang activity or to any investigation of related gang activities.

 

Hospital Park, Lynn Madso: Interested in developing the park.  Megan is making that presentation.  Want to create a “Friends of Hospital Park” organization to provide for park improvements.  Want to call it “Trail Avenue Park.”  Make a master plan for improvement and develop plan for soliciting donations to fund the improvements.  Want to coordinate with Salvation Army, Montessori School (227 students, no playground, it is a Frederick Co. public school), the Hospital, the Lab School preschool at Hood College.  Short term plans: fenced in playground, lighting in the park.  Long term: Gateway facing 7th St., restrooms, benches and pavilions, brick paving of street segment bisecting the park. 

 

No crosswalks available.  Hope Six facility will also need a park space for 95 units.  The playground they were supposed to have no longer exists.  NAC 7 and 11 are also interested.  The hospital has written a letter of support for the improvement of the park, though they indicate they are seeking to expand sometime in the future into the north end of the park.  Contact mdeocampo@verizon.net. 

 

Katherine proposed that the NAC 6 issue a letter of support for the improvements requested.  Trish seconded it.  We approved the motion and will issue a letter of support for the plan.  Katherine will prepare a draft to email it to everyone for review before the next meeting. 

 

Fort Detrick 7th Street Gate traffic concerns: Trish complains she could cross 7th Street at the end of Biggs Avenue, now has to go to the light at the shopping center.  Dept. of the Army issue re: public meeting 2/22/06 at 7:00 p.m. at TJ HS tearing down a building to put up USAMRID buildings, same containment level, Level 4, to discuss the environmental analysis of that new building that will also cover noise and transportation.  NIH has recommended that Level 4 containment centers not be placed in residential areas.  This Wednesday night the Fort is having a meeting on Ft. Detrick at Strough Auditorium about the development of the Fort generally.  

 

Bonnie mentions changes since the 7th Street gate was improved.  Need to fix the road to paint a line for the traffic turning left from 7th Street onto Military.  Sara will be checking with DPW to get a line installed.  Continue to have trouble with volume of cars, and speed.  Good neighbor signage was recommended. 

 

Not making Old Farm gate the 24 hour gate, because emergency vehicles need to be able to get in and out of 7th Street gate for Hazmat and other fire emergencies.

 

Sara explains the new plan for traffic calming: Military Road is included in the traffic calming, though may not be speed humps. 

 

Maybe paint the speed limits on the roads themselves.

 

Mark, Stacy Miller.  Installation of a fence on Dill Avenue at Monocacy Valley Montessori Public Charter School.  See letter attached.   Wrought iron, like the one that’s there.  It does not appear to block traffic.  If you would like to have an impact on the issue, there will be a public hearing on 3/13/06 at 6:00 p.m. at the Planning Commission.

 

 

 

NAC 6 Minutes 11-7-05

 

Present: Paul Dienes, Katherine Jones, Gerald H. Smith, Sara McGill, Dan Beines, Robert and Bonnie Duggan, Lisa Grove, Debra DePaul, Anis Tannir, Chief Handley, Jay Holly

 

1.   Officer’s update: some break-ins throughout the city, rather seasonal, including Heather Ridge School.  Some issues re: stealing pickup trucks of a certain size, go to a certain type of ATM, then saw off the top and steal the money out of the ATM, abandon the stolen truck.  Beat 3 is pretty quiet.  The police are maintaining speed enforcement for Beat 3.  Anything we want added to the daily bulletin, call the on duty shift bulletin supervisor.

 

2.   Tree Planting, Kidwell Park: We did it.  Need to check on the two trees that have been lost to damage.

 

3.   Review of Previous Meeting Minutes: approved minutes with changes.

 

4.   Villa Estates Traffic Calming Study: Conducted traffic counts on Military since the last meeting.  Sent a copy to Ms. Duggan, delivered copies at the meeting, Sara will put it on the website.  85% of traffic is traveling at or below 39.9 mph.  A significant # of drivers are driving above that speed.

 

What do we have to do to get the traffic calming we need? 

 

We need a petition to start the process.  This has been done for our neighborhood.  Second petition is a consensus petition.  Present the plan to the community.  Need 65% of residents to agree, we have 402 households in our neighborhood, that would be .  We need a copy of the procedure. 

 

We did not get 30% agreement. 

 

Wilson and Military: need to check out how to meet the needs of emergency response.

 

5.   Web Site maintenance: Sara has made changes to the website, so Dave Lufkin, Claudette, Patrick Maguire are no longer listed. 

 

  1. Friends of Kidwell Park Update.  The NAC will not be developing such an organization.  But if someone has a particular idea for a park improvement, we might need to pursue it. 

 

  1. Suggestions for New Business: None.

 

8.   Vinnie Hughes is leaving 11/30/05.  Sara will not always be able to attend, or to stay for the entire meeting.