tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post7490610982376567971..comments2024-03-29T04:57:59.779-07:00Comments on Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row: MoCo Planning Board ignores cemetery, stormwater concerns in approving Westbard Self Storage (Video+Photos)Robert Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01975969463714952623noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-32913330656399459842017-12-18T15:36:19.042-08:002017-12-18T15:36:19.042-08:00@12:39: Yes, it is puzzling that there was no prot...@12:39: Yes, it is puzzling that there was no protest about the cemetery back in the 1950s, when the land was sold, and when the headstones were plowed under. But times were very different back then, and the surrounding black community was losing its land and being forced out of the area at the same time. The situation was no doubt worsened because Montgomery County was heavily segregated and black communities had little influence.<br /><br />With the passage of time, it is understandable that very few knew about the cemetery. Evidence of the cemetery was first reported in early 2015, when the Planning Department's historian uncovered records of the cemetery while researching Westbard's history in the context of rewriting the Westbard sector plan. This information was not made available to the general public until the online posting of the Appendix to the Westbard sector plan in the summer of 2016, several months after the sector plan had been approved. , Around the same time, County planners revealed the history of the cemetery site during public discussions of the developer's sketch plan and the creation of an adjoining greenway. The cemetery is thought to lie on the proposed greenway site.<br /><br />A couple of key points:<br /><br />1. The existence of the cemetery on the Westbard site was not known to the Planning Department until early 2015. How were the public and the church supposed to know about it, if County planners did not? It is clear that the existence of the cemetery had been forgotten between 1958 (the year of sale) and 2015 (roughly 57 years). <br /><br />2. The Planning Department chose to keep the information about the cemetery "closely held" until the summer of 2016 (a few months after the Westbard plan was approved.) Shortly after this information became public, the church began asking the County and the developer for a satisfactory archaeological study of the site and the creation of a fitting memorial. This tracks with the public release of information about the cemetery. The logical inference is that the church learned about the cemetery at about the same time that the general public did, and acted on that information fairly promptly, If anyone was sitting on information about the cemetery, it seems to be the Planning Department (from early 2015 until the summer of 2016), not the church.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-17382104525143910472017-12-18T14:44:40.305-08:002017-12-18T14:44:40.305-08:00@3:46 AM: Of course no contract will use terms li...@3:46 AM: Of course no contract will use terms like "control the message" or "quash the opposition," and Dyer knows that. As you are likely aware, Dyer was exaggerating for effect. And if you did not understand that exaggeration was being used to underscore a point, you are far too literal when you read.<br /><br />As to your contention that the church's non-ownership of the cemetery site invalidates its standing to protest development plans, I respectfully disagree. The church is the only remnant of the African-American community that once existed along River Road. Thus, the church is the obvious organization to protest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-30867723801005488292017-12-18T14:20:35.258-08:002017-12-18T14:20:35.258-08:00@5:56 AM: According to Harvey Matthews, who grew ...@5:56 AM: According to Harvey Matthews, who grew up in the community, some of the African-Americans who owned land along River Road were taken out drinking by the developers' reps and signed unfavorable contracts during the drinking sessions. Others had limited literacy, and signed contracts on the basis of verbal promises that were never kept. Yes, the land was sold, but under dubious circumstances. Unfortunately, many the African-American landowners who were turned out often did not have the money for legal representation. <br /><br />Remember, too, that the land was sold to developers in the 1950s, prior to the Civil Rights Act. Montgomery County was hardly well-integrated in the 1950s and the rights of the black community were given short shrift. Example: Harvey Matthews attended a segregated public school in Bethesda before implementation of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-29967810044206972232017-12-18T05:56:41.879-08:002017-12-18T05:56:41.879-08:00Robert Dyer, I am curious as to how this family wa...Robert Dyer, I am curious as to how this family was forced off the land by developers. Did the developers take the land with no compensation or did they buy the land? I am genuinely wondering how these things occur because it is not unique to Westbard. How can they just forcibly steal land from people rather than buy land from people? Presumably the land was sold and bought, otherwise a crime of theft would have occurred and even in the 1950s should have triggered outrage and legal repercussions.<br /><br />Do you have any more details?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-36331416214088264202017-12-17T12:09:56.207-08:002017-12-17T12:09:56.207-08:00"Citizens once again ignored by the Planning ..."Citizens once again ignored by the Planning Board were then asked to vacate the premises by the four Park Police officers, who said, 'We have to lock up the building.' They walked out the door to find the four police cruisers parked in front of the entrance."<br /><br />I'm trying to figure out what exactly Robert Dyer is insinuating here. Should the building remain open indefinitely after the business of the Commission is finished? What would be the point of allowing the protesters to remain in the empty building, in the absence of anyone who would "hear" them?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-88441993381802351202017-12-17T10:22:01.642-08:002017-12-17T10:22:01.642-08:00"Coleman-Adebayo said[,] 'So, you may hav..."Coleman-Adebayo said[,] 'So, you may have won here, but you need Bethesda residents to put their things in your storage company, and we're not going to do it, so good luck.'"<br /><br />8 protesters, about half of whom do not actually live in the customer-shed of the facility. That's really gonna put a dent in their market. LOL<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-19759326991660119942017-12-17T03:46:38.694-08:002017-12-17T03:46:38.694-08:007:38PM - Like I said, it does to me.
It sounds lik...7:38PM - Like I said, it does to me.<br />It sounds like:<br /><br />1) The church never owned the property<br />2) The church was not involved in the cemetery, the maintenance of, the sale or even knowing the reasons for the sale.<br />3) One of the next landowners is responsible for the desecration<br /><br />"According to their contract with Regency, part of their mission is to control the message and quash the opposition. "<br />I call BS. Convenient to post a claim like that under an alias.<br />Let's see the contract.<br /><br />Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863519287702677992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-29358110746323040622017-12-16T19:38:50.016-08:002017-12-16T19:38:50.016-08:0010:14: No, it doesn't. Past church members are...10:14: No, it doesn't. Past church members are buried there, but the church didn't own the cemetery. They are still a party to it by virtue of the former.<br /><br />11:02: Corroborated by the architect's son. Bulldozing is obvious: the headstones were there in the 1950s; sometime after that, they were plowed under. The question is, whodunnit?<br /><br />Robert Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01975969463714952623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-90346647855004668762017-12-16T14:25:31.528-08:002017-12-16T14:25:31.528-08:00The developer's PR firm always moves swiftly i...The developer's PR firm always moves swiftly in posting comments here attacking Dyer & the church. According to their contract with Regency, part of their mission is to control the message and quash the opposition. <br /><br />I hope the church and Bethesda residents stand strong.<br /><br />Whose side do you want to be on- the church, the souls of freed slaves and Bethesda residents or a tone deaf out of town developer? History will judge us.Boyce Bowlesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-68358351677717302502017-12-16T11:02:08.773-08:002017-12-16T11:02:08.773-08:00There is a hearsay statement about someone who say...There is a hearsay statement about someone who says that he heard someone say that he saw construction workers moving the bodies. Is there any testimony about "bulldozing the headstones"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-33741266896789044452017-12-16T10:14:33.373-08:002017-12-16T10:14:33.373-08:00Robert @4:24AM said
"Another reality check: ...Robert @4:24AM said <br />"Another reality check: The church never owned the cemetery, and most certainly never "sold" it. No one knows what happened when the cemetery was sold by the fraternal organization that founded it, or why they even sold it. One of the next landholders was responsible for bulldozing the headstones to hide the graves."<br /><br />Is it just me or does that sound more like support for the other side?Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863519287702677992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-60720522078072418552017-12-16T10:04:54.382-08:002017-12-16T10:04:54.382-08:0010:01 here - Second sentence should have been, &qu...10:01 here - Second sentence should have been, "Given that 2 of the 4 African-Americans are..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-43721155079374854192017-12-16T10:01:48.060-08:002017-12-16T10:01:48.060-08:00So it looks like there are a total of 9 protesters...So it looks like there are a total of 9 protesters, 5 of whom are white. Given that 2 of the 5 are the Adebayos, who have no personal connection to the cemetery, a turnout of at most 3 among the "descendant community" is not impressive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-15699250950110501662017-12-16T09:48:35.231-08:002017-12-16T09:48:35.231-08:00So what are they going to "boycott"? A s...So what are they going to "boycott"? A self-storage facility that they didn't plan to use in the first place?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-72959621915040606382017-12-16T09:03:12.814-08:002017-12-16T09:03:12.814-08:00"Church officials say he had initially agreed..."Church officials say he had initially agreed to allow them to conduct an archaeological study, but withdrew the offer <b>under (surprise!) pressure from the Montgomery County Planning Department.</b>"<br /><br />Bullshit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-19178111776321516122017-12-16T06:27:45.557-08:002017-12-16T06:27:45.557-08:00"Matthews condemned...Planning Director Gwen ..."Matthews condemned...Planning Director Gwen Wright, whom he advised should change her name to 'Gwen Wrong'."<br /><br />This is just childish. What did Matthews hope to accomplish by saying this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-35373316528262241602017-12-16T04:24:34.193-08:002017-12-16T04:24:34.193-08:0011:52/1:05: Protesters have not parked in that lot...11:52/1:05: Protesters have not parked in that lot to protest - it's private property, for the use of Westwood Tower residents. We walked over to the site from Macedonia Baptist Church.<br /><br />6:15: That was Harvey Matthews who said that. You may not have been following this story from the beginning, but the church and descendant community have been treated with disrespect by all related government departments. It has been a display of institutional racism from the beginning by Montgomery County.<br /><br />12:51: Schools, FBI headquarters, etc. are locked down from the general public for specific reasons. But wherever a member of the public has access, they also have 1st Amendment rights. So a student in a public school has a right to carry a protest sign. Likewise, when attending a Council or Planning Board meeting, the public has the right to protest or hold a sign.<br /><br />12:53: So if white people are standing in solidarity with the church simply to serve their own selfish ends, I assume you also believe that the County Council is only standing with immigrants because of the political power they can extract from that? Think about it.<br /><br />Reality: I've been fighting for various causes for years, and I've yet to get any personal or political benefit out of it.<br /><br />Another reality check: The church never owned the cemetery, and most certainly never "sold" it. No one knows what happened when the cemetery was sold by the fraternal organization that founded it, or why they even sold it. One of the next landholders was responsible for bulldozing the headstones to hide the graves.Robert Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01975969463714952623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-63692244909563578762017-12-15T21:52:50.008-08:002017-12-15T21:52:50.008-08:00There is s great deal of animus and misinformation...There is s great deal of animus and misinformation in these comment.<br /><br />1. Macedonia Baptist Church never owned the cemetery or the underlying land. The land was initially owned by an unrelated fraternal organization, which did indeed sell it. The circumstances of the sale are unclear. It is unfair to blame Macedonia Baptist Church for the actions of the fraternal organization.<br /><br />2. Macedonia Baptist Church is pursuing this matter because it is the only remaining institution of the former African community at Westbard. The church also represents the former members of that community and descendants of those buried there. (Living descendants have been identified.) It is reasonable for the church to participate in establishing the parameters of the archaeological study and in approving the archaeological team. What is not understandable is why the Planning Board and the Planning Department have been blocking the church, rather than welcoming its participation in the study process.<br /><br />3. It should be noted that Montgomery County officials kept the existence of the cemetery under wraps while the Westbard sector plan was being considered. The sole public event at which the cemetery was discussed was a December 3, 2015 Planning Board work session dealing with park-related matters at Westbard. Although Planning Director Gwen Wright was briefed on the existence of the cemetery in February 2015, this matter was not discussed at public briefings about Westbard's history, at Planning Department hearings open to public testimony, at Planning Board hearings at which public testimony was taken, or at County Council hearings on Westbard.. Drafts and the final version of the main body of the Westbard plan had only 2 sentences on the cemetery, stating that land along the Willett Branch stream had been purchased for use as a cemetery in the early years of the 20th century and that the cemetery was no longer extant, the land having been sold in 1958. That the cemetery was believed to lie on the Westbard development site was never discussed in the drafts and final version of the main text of the Westbard sector plan. While additional detail appeared in the Appendix to the sector plan, this material was not made publicly available until *after* the sector plan had been approved by the County Council. Why was information pinpointing the location of the cemetery never widely revealed to the public until after the sector plan was adopted? This contravenes best practices on cemetery sites slated for development, which recommend that archaeological investigation occur as early as possible in the planning process. Does Montgomery County want a Planning Department that hides material information on a sector plan from the public, and which does not follow best practices related to cemetery investigation on development sites?<br /><br />4. The charge that Macedonia Baptist Church is being co-opted and manipulated by "white NIMBYs" is offensive and unsubstantiated. The Church's pastor is a professor of aeronautical engineering with a PhD from MIT. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, the church's social justice chair, has a PhD in political science, also from MIT. It is unfair and inaccurate to suggest that the Church's leadership can't think for itself.<br /><br />5. No matter whom you support on the matter of Westbard, it seems apparent that the Planning Board pays minimal attention to public testimony-- in this case, the Planning Board gave little weight to the views of the Little Falls Watershed Alliance and the church. In addition, Planning Board Chair Anderson was openly sarcastic to Marsha Coleman-Adebayo. Does Montgomery County really want a Planning Board that routinely dismisses the views of the public and which condones the sarcastic treatment of some who testify before the Board? Remember that Montgomery County tax dollars pay for the Planning Board, the Planning Department and their activities. They work for the public and should treat all members of the public with respect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-79097887124668137222017-12-15T18:15:18.875-08:002017-12-15T18:15:18.875-08:00"Shame on you. Shame on your entire criminal ..."Shame on you. Shame on your entire criminal enterprise"<br /><br />You'd think that someone who works for a church, would understand how to persuade and to reach common ground, rather than to alienate everyone who is in a position to help. She and Robert Dyer are two peas in a pod.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-73328932435048604102017-12-15T13:05:00.222-08:002017-12-15T13:05:00.222-08:00Do the protesters see the irony in 11:52's sta...Do the protesters see the irony in 11:52's statement? They are parking on the land they are protesting for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-27359489148393448352017-12-15T12:53:59.257-08:002017-12-15T12:53:59.257-08:00@12:39 You're being too logical. It's not ...@12:39 You're being too logical. It's not about the cemetery. It's white anti-Westbard NIMBYs who have created and co-opted the church's cemetery "cause" for their own benefit.<br /><br />Notice the protesters never claim the land was stolen or the result of a fraudulent deed, because it wasn't. The land was sold fair and square, by the church's own members. They should be blaming them for selling it, but that doesn't fit their narrative.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-66951286877995513522017-12-15T12:51:02.648-08:002017-12-15T12:51:02.648-08:0010:55 - Wrong! You don't have on-demand access...10:55 - Wrong! You don't have on-demand access to public buildings. That's not how it works. What? You think we all should have keys?<br /><br />Nutcases can't be successful? Pshaw! Of course they can...and are. <br />(General comment-- I know nothing about Ms Coleman-Adebayo)Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863519287702677992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-58340600566988421412017-12-15T12:43:35.887-08:002017-12-15T12:43:35.887-08:00Dyer, you are absolutely wrong about this: "W...Dyer, you are absolutely wrong about this: "Wrong. The entire building is as public as the sidewalk. It's our building. It belongs to us, and we're the bosses of the people who work inside of it. "<br /><br />Just because a building is pubicly-owned doens't mean people have a first amendment right to enter it and protest at any time. Do you think you can just walk into an elementary school and interrupt a teacher's class? How about the Glen Echo Fire Department at 2am while they are sleeping? How about a courtroom while court is in session? Can you walk into the Seven Locks jail and demand they open the doors and let you protest in there? All are publicly-owned property, and I guarantee you'll end up arrested if you try it.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-32254516419982838772017-12-15T12:39:11.826-08:002017-12-15T12:39:11.826-08:00Nobody answers the question---Why isn't there ... Nobody answers the question---Why isn't there a title company on the hook for this?<br /><br /> It's pretty kooky how nobody was protesting or marching or insisting on a museum or name-calling the owners, or paying any attention to this until the land was sold and a new development plan was unveiled. If the land hadn't been sold and re-envisioned, would there still be protests? It's not like this information is new.<br /><br /> Why hasn't this been a big deal for the past 50 years? Why suddenly is it unconscionable to leave the site alone and do nothing?<br /><br /> I have lots of questions.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863519287702677992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28521945.post-65456630158787379762017-12-15T11:52:10.400-08:002017-12-15T11:52:10.400-08:00It isn't racist to build a parking garage onto...It isn't racist to build a parking garage ontop of a parking lot. The same parking lot you park on to protest...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com