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| What's left of the tennis courts at Battery Lane Park |
I then contacted the department as any citizen would be able to, using the address given (info@MontgomeryParks.org) on their "Customer Service Center". The page promised a response "within two business days." A week later, I have heard nothing back. So much for "open data" and moving the county government into the 21st century. It's also another excellent test of the County's "customer service" - they had no idea this was a media request, so we can tell how responsive they will be to citizen inquiries.
Not responsive at all, so far.
This isn't a County Government-wide problem. For example, I have received prompt and helpful responses from Steve Martin of the County Department of Environmental Protection, regarding noise complaints in downtown Bethesda.
It's not even a department-wide problem. Greg Hwang of the Department of Transportation has quickly answered emails I have sent regarding the Midcounty Highway Corridor Study. In stark contrast to Mr. Hwang's responsiveness, other DOT officials to this day have never provided me any information regarding the hushed-up seizure of the Glen Echo Park trolley trestle for a bike facility, a project that is now complete. Multiple inquiries were ignored, or the can was kicked down the road as to when I could expect to receive an answer.
Let me tell you, when I'm paying your salary, today is the day I expect to receive an answer regarding public projects funded by taxpayer funds.
No answer yet from Parks on Battery Lane Park, though. One resident said on Friday that she had tried calling the department, and could not get any answers either.
The fences are gone from the courts. Is this a project to upgrade the park? Are the courts being removed?
Perhaps the Parks Department will share this information with us at some point in the future.
22 comments:
I believe they are building a super-secret underground bus rapid transit laboratory portal.
I think the Bethesda BBQ company is moving to the space formerly occupied by the tennis courts. They needed more room for their Holy Smokers.
"It's him again. Let it keep ringing."
Thank God for Caller ID.
I'm still waiting for the source of the mythical job creation rate statistics.
I believe they are building a Museum of NIMBYism. Dyer you will probably be getting a call soon. They want to put your keyboard and other blogging equipment on display in the main exhibition hall.
"...the hushed-up seizure of the Glen Echo Park trolley trestle for a bike facility..."
I had to look that one up as it was before my time here. Another delightful rant:
http://robertdyer.blogspot.com/2013/01/nps-attempts-to-seize-part-of-glen-echo.html
If Dyer had bothered to actually look at the pavement of the tennis court, he would have noticed that the holes where the fence post used to be have been filled with gravel, and the rest of the court prepared for repaving.
The blacktop will remain, the fence is gone for good. Hardly anyone used it to play tennis anymore, so it will be a general-purpose blacktop, to increase the play area available to all.
Has it ever been discerned what Dyer does for a living that pays taxes to qualify his insistence that he's paying government salaries?
Samuel:
Robert is a food and drink critic.
6:05am So, you're saying there will just be a strip of concrete in the middle of the park? Why not turn it back to grass or plants if it's not used?
@ 8:51 AM - It gets plenty of use. Just not for tennis. So no more need for the enclosure.
And it's asphalt, not concrete.
6:05 -- where did you get your information from? I haven't been able to get anything useful from local PTB. I spend many lunch hours eating and reading in the park.
@ 10:48 AM - Just from personal observation, no inside information on my part. They have filled in the holes where the fence used to be, so it's clear that the fence isn't coming back. And they topped the fill with gravel, so it's clear that they are going to be paved over.
Why no outreach to the neighborhood around the park to give a heads up?
There were public meetings regarding Battery Lane Park years ago along with a study to update the park. There was a report published in July 2009 that can be found on the Montgomery Planning Board web site. At the time, the estimated $1.6 million cost to renovate the park was to be paid for as an off site public amenity for a development. The plan included changes to the tennis and basketball courts. Could this be the beginning of those plans taking effect?
The former tennis court was repaved this morning. Nice shiny new blacktop.
Thank you, MoCo Machine, you're the greatest!
@ 9:24 PM - the 2009 proposal was tied to a proposed project along Rugby Avenue that has since been withdrawn. That proposal is dead.
There is a very different proposal now, but it is not anywhere near being approved, so this construction is separate.
Folks, for those of you who thought that the tennis court went unused, you clearly weren't out there when it was used...and, often -- by tennis players, local daycare for toddlers, and others. So, "MoCo" has decided -- it must be a conscious decision -- to keep us Battery Lane residents entirely in the dark about this unexpected and major change to our immediate neighborhood park. And, without a fence -- assuming that's the long-range plan based on seeing the fence post holes having been filled -- now we can enjoy the potential of balls, small children, etc., running into the busy street (aside from all the other types of traffic, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad Ambulances speed down Battery Lane at all hours since Battery Lane is a main thoroughfare for the Rescue Squad), the street which is only a few yards away from that now-open, paved area. Moco, thanks so much for the heads-up.
This is illustrative of the problems those of us living in the downtown have. We don't have any elected representatives on the Council that live in Bethesda.
Can we get answers on the park issue?
It seems totally inappropriate for the County to remove the tennis court without consulting nearby residents. This is removing a significant amenity from the park. Was it a royal decision behind closed doors, no need to consult us government subjects?
Why does the MoCo machine hate tennis?
So they decided to repave. So inappropriate.
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