If you are a developer, or part of that powerful group that decides the future of the Washington D.C. area (wealthy Democratic politicians, developers, trade groups, chambers of commerce, assorted industrial interests, large power companies, and various other shadowy entities, etc.) Royce Hanson is the man you have on speed dial in Montgomery County. Or as I like to call him, "Dr. Yes."
Dr. Yes, because Chairman Hanson apparently cannot say "no" to a developer. The man has never met an insane, mixed use development project he didn't like. But the county not only approves these projects - it also fails to create the infrastructure necessary to support them.
Recently, Dr. Yes said "Yes!" to the following catastrophes-in-the-making:
- Several low density, high-luxury condo buildings in downtown Bethesda, which will likely stand empty for years, have a handful of MPDUs, and fail to utilize this space near Metro for tall buildings which could have housed many affordable units and lowered rents and prices by increasing volume.
- An old-fashioned, smoke-filled back room deal that gave developers everything they wanted on Hampden Lane, while again abandoning affordable housing goals.
- A new office building that will destroy the Bethesda Metro Center, while increasing traffic gridlock in every direction from downtown Bethesda.
- Postponing the Westbard Sector plan revision, to the benefit of developer Richard Cohen of New York, aka Capital Properties (more on that later).
- New mixed use developments near White Flint and in downtown Silver Spring, which are uncalled for, including an outlandish new Planning Board headquarters that has turned the Planning Board into a developer itself, at taxpayer expense!!!
- A nutty hotel/apartment/mixed use development near the Bethesda Row Theater that will destroy green space, close an intersection of Woodmont at Bethesda Avenue for 2 years(!!!), and be one more nearly vacant building without affordable units
- Charging tolls on every major road in Montgomery County, forcing taxpayers to pay again for the roads they already paid for years ago.
It's outrageous.
But Dr. Yes also said, "No!" to some critical needs in Montgomery County:
Hanson stated bluntly that he is going to abandon road improvements or any other efforts to reduce gridlock in the downcounty area. While you are still processing that, get a load of this: Dr. Yes then went on to say that he has no intention of providing new public transit to the Upcounty area.
That's right: Those of you who live in Poolesville, Damascus, Clarksburg, Germantown, Burtonsville, etc. are going to continue to pay taxes, Hanson says, but get no new public transit service in return for your tax dollars.
It's outrageous.
This is a time when every other area in the country is expanding public transportation, especially rail transit. As I emphasized during the 2006 election, the Corridor Cities Transitway is an absurd design for a transit line that will never be built anyway.
What I proposed was a Corridor Cities Railway that would link the Shady Grove Metro station with all of the major towns in the upcounty area. Not just a fake talking point that leaves out over 50% ot the upcounty residents, but a viable project that not only would be built but must be built.
The bottom line is that residents of the upcounty who pay full taxes should get the full range of county services, including transportation.
Unfortunately, to that, Dr. Yes says, "no!"
It's outrageous.
WESTBARD SECTOR PLAN DELAYED...
AGAIN!!
Councilmembers Take Action in the
Best Interest of Richard Cohen and
Capital Properties of New York
Once again, the Montgomery County Council has delayed the revision of the Westbard Sector Plan. Don't listen to the baloney about this being a budget issue. That's complete hogwash.
What's really going on here, is that Richard Cohen's Capital Properties of New York, which now owns most of Westbard, has retained the services of paid attorneys in Bethesda who are paid to lobby the county council. If you don't believe me, just check the county ethics filings where I obtained this information.
These lobbyists wine and dine the members of the council. Now, understand that it is to the benefit of the developer that this plan revision be postponed. That will allow Mr. Cohen to submit each Westbard property individually for rezoning before Dr. Yes and his rubber stamp Planning Board. That rezoning will be easily approved, and not be restricted by new, overall provisions that might be added to a new Sector Plan.
I say "might," because, after all, do you really think the developer-beholden Planning Board and County Council are going to make things too tough in the new Plan? The main concern the developers have, I think, is that there will be a lot of angry citizens who will speak out in the revision process, if they are allowed to speak at all.
So don't believe the government and Post/Gazette doublespeak: the council's postponement of the Westbard Sector Plan is a victory for Richard Cohen and Capital Properties at the neighborhood's expense.
No comments:
Post a Comment