Understanding Chevy Chase's Proposed FAR Ordinance

Much of this summary is based on the Town of Chevy Chase’s Land Use Committee’s report. The clarity of the report greatly assisted my efforts.

This post explains the concept of FAR and how it is measured in the Town of Chevy Chase's proposed ordinance.

The Basic Idea

The Town of Chevy Chase’s Land Use Committee has proposed a building ordinance which would limit the maximum size of homes based on Floor Area Ratio (FAR), the gross floor area of a building divided by lot size. FAR limits the bulk or volume of a building but allows for more flexibility in building design than limits based primarily on lot coverage or height which tend to result in box-like structures.

The base FAR proposed for Chevy Chase is .30 which would permit a 3,000 square foot home on a 10,000 square foot lot. The Land Use Committee has proposed giving bonus FAR for homes that adhere to certain performance standards or incentives. New construction (i.e. teardowns) could have an FAR as high as .45 which would allow for a 4,500 square foot home on the same 10,000 square foot lot.

The Committee has proposed a maximum FAR of .50 for houses with additions. At this FAR, one could construct a 5,000 square foot home on a 10,000 square foot lot. The purpose of a higher FAR for homes with additions is to provide an incentive to retain existing homes and preserve the Town’s character.

Why FAR Tends to Underestimate What You Can Really Build

The figures cited above tend to underestimate greatly the permitted floor space within any building except on really large lots. Here is why:

Minimum of 2,500 Square Feet Allowed
No matter how small your lot, you can still construct a house of 2,500 square feet. Small lots are thus protected and given a bonus over large lots in terms of permitted floor space.

Below-Ground Floors Usually Don’t Count Toward Allowed Floor Space
Many below-ground areas thought of as basements by most people are legally classed as cellars. In general, if over one-half of the below-ground level is below the average elevation of the finished grade, this area is classed as a cellar as does not count toward your allowed floor space.

For example, my home contains a finished basement. Since it is clearly well more than 50% below grade, it is legally classed as a cellar and doesn’t count toward my total permitted floor space.

Unenclosed One-Story Porches Don’t Count Toward Allowed Floor Space
Porches are part of many existing homes in the Town. In order to help protect them and encourage their inclusion in new construction, the Committee recommended that unenclosed one-story porches not count toward your allowed floor space.

First 240 Feet of Detached Accessory Structures Don’t Count
This exemption is designed to encourage the preservation of detached rear garages which are characteristic in many parts of the Town. Caution: If you build an addition which attaches them to your home, then the first 240 feet will count as they are no longer an accessory structure.

Attics Count Only If They Have Structural Headroom of 6 Feet, 6 Inches
In other words, more traditional short attics don’t count toward the floor space limit.

Many Projections from the Home Don’t Count
For example, bay windows don’t count toward the allowed floor space unless they run from the bottom to the top floor of the house.

A Couple of Important Caveats Which Limit Home Size

Maximum of 5,000 Square Feet Is Allowed
Even if your FAR theoretically allows you to build more, you can only build up to a maximum of 5,000 square feet. However, remember that this limit excludes all of exceptions mentioned above which do not count toward the limit. A below-grade basement, for example, could greatly expand the useable space in such a home.

Two-Story Rooms Are Counted Twice
Even if a floor isn’t laid, two-story areas (defined as 14 feet or higher) are counted twice under the recommendation, so you don’t get a break for cathedral ceilings. This makes sense since the goal of the Committee’s recommendation is to limit the bulk of homes. You can’t double your home size by having extra-high ceilings in every room.

My second post on the proposed ordinance discusses incentives which permit a homeowner to receive a higher FAR.

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Mike Miller Meets the Bloggers: Part One

It had to happen. Superman met Muhammad Ali. The King met Nixon. Alien met Predator. And last night, Maryland Senate President Mike Miller met the Bloggers.

How on Earth did this epochal event occur? Senator Rich Madaleno, political patron of the left-wing blogosphere, summoned us to Annapolis for an audience with the most powerful man in Maryland history to never serve as Governor. And so nine of us came from every corner of the state, some emerging from filthy basements, some crawling from cigarette-strewn alleys and others reluctantly shuffling out of comic book shops. None of us knew how the greatest culture clash since cream cheese Sushi was going to turn out.

A note on the bloggers. This may shock you, but they tend to be on the dorky side. Really. A white kid from Baltimore walked in with bright green earrings and a furry Afro. Following him was a middle-aged MoCo liberal with gray hair screaming down his back to be let loose from its unkempt pony tail. One blogger ranted about Massachusetts transportation policy to a glassy-eyed Senate President. Another earnestly pressed his essay on “Green Rail” into the hand of every legislator who would take it. The middle school teacher seemed fairly normal until he began reciting long-lost Industrial Workers of the World leaders unknown to even this former labor history instructor. Look, I’m not naming you guys, but I know you’re reading this and you know who you are.

Golly Wally, we’re a bunch of cross-eyed geeks! So why would Mike Miller and fellow attendees Madaleno, Senator Jamie Raskin and House Majority Leader Kumar Barve want to talk to a raggedy crew like us?

The answer lies with Senator Madaleno. As an occasional blogger himself, Madaleno understands that blog readers are becoming a critical niche in the state’s political scene. Blog readership may never exceed the levels achieved by MSM outlets. But Madaleno knows that blog readers tend to be better-informed, more inclined to civic activism, and more likely to volunteer and contribute to political campaigns than the average MSM readers. That makes you, dear readers, a valuable political constituency. And the Maryland Democrats are starting to realize this.

So by talking to us, Senators Miller, Madaleno, and Raskin and Delegate Barve are really talking to you. What is it that they want to tell you? You’ll just have to keep chewing on that towel and wait until Part Two to find out.

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“Oh NOOOO! It’s a BAIT CAR!!!”

Have you ever had someone ransack your car? If so, did you say something like, “If I could ever get my hands on that punk, I’d…” Well, how about watching a video of that punk getting busted by the police? That’s exactly what the citizens of British Columbia can do and MoCo citizens should be entitled to the same pleasure.

Thefts from vehicles are a huge problem in MoCo. According to the Washington Post, between 1/1/07 and 10/15/07, there were 5,092 break-ins in MoCo, up 19% from the levels of the year before. In Police District 2, which includes Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Kensington, break-ins jumped from 577 to 1,062 over the same period. In my own neighborhood, car break-ins rose by 60% and car thefts rose by 56% over last year. And when my neighbor’s car, parked right across the street from mine, was stolen – that was the final straw for me.

Rising outrage over repeated crimes led us to identify a solution: bait cars. Used in dozens of jurisdictions across North America, bait cars are rigged with cameras, GPS devices and sensors linked to police headquarters. When a thief breaks in, the devices are triggered, the police are alerted and the cameras begin recording. If the thief tries to escape, police can remotely shut off the bait car engine and lock the doors. The trapped crook then bounces around the car like a panicked ping-pong ball as the long arm of the law reaches down to drag him off to jail.

Many of these bait car videos wind up on the Internet. You can find a lot of them on British Columbia’s marvelous baitcar.com website and on YouTube. Go ahead and watch these hilarious videos! You will quickly learn who these thieves really are. They are hardly hulking mastodons of the underworld. Rather, they are sniveling, larcenous weasels, so craven that they would likely flee in terror from the raised cane of an old woman. They scurry in packs like twitching, squeaking rats through parking lots, garages and neighborhoods looking for tasty morsels to grab. While certainly greedy, many are barely intelligent enough to figure out how to pick their noses with one finger.

Here’s a video from British Columbia. Note the teeth-chattering paranoia of the car thieves as they whine, “I hope this isn’t another f***’in bait car, man!”



And here’s another sorry miscreant on his way to jail. As the cops approach with police dogs, watch the crying wretch beg, “Please don’t let the dog chew on me!”



So do these programs really work? Absolutely, but only if done in tandem with aggressive marketing campaigns that inform criminals, “Steal a bait car and go to jail!” Minneapolis started the first comprehensive bait car program in the U.S. in 1997 and has seen a 30% drop in car thefts. Stanislaus County, California saw a 40% drop in two years. British Columbia has seen 10% annual drops since implementing their program in 2004. And in Arlington County, Virginia, their bait car program has helped cut auto thefts to their lowest level since 1965. Best of all, insurance companies often donate the cars and finance the marketing programs because reduced crime cuts down on claims. Upon learning these facts, nine civic associations in Forest Glen, Silver Spring and Kensington promptly asked that the MoCo police implement a comparable program.

So how could MoCo refuse a program that can draw on private funding to cut down on auto crime by double digits? Given its current budget problems, isn’t it time for the county to get creative? One thing is for sure: the car thieves aren’t going to take next summer off just because the county is cutting funding for police. So when they steal that next car, why not make these gibbering curs scream, “Oh NOOOO! It’s a BAIT CAR!!!”

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Does Montgomery County Need An Arena?

From Marc Korman:

A recent Gazette article offered an update on the proposed Montgomery County arena. Back in June, the Maryland Stadium Authority released a feasibility study on the proposed arena. The basic concept is to build an arena with a total capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 people, which is considered mid-sized. The arena has many proposed uses including traveling shows like circuses, minor league sports, and concerts. Does Montgomery County really need an arena?

The report anticipates growth of 764 new jobs, $6.6 million in annual wage income, $19 million in annual business sales, and $2.4 million in annual tax revenue. While the Gazette article says the arena is projected to generate $7.5 million a year for the county, this number is actually the expected revenue of the arena itself from ticket sales, concessions, naming rights, and so on. There is no guarantee the County itself will get any of this. If a new arena were to be built, it is projected to be somewhere in the Germantown area.

After reading the feasibility study back in June, I noticed two problems immediately. First, the study does not accurately survey competing venues because it does not include outdoor arenas and stadiums in its comparison study. While some events are either indoor or outdoor affairs, many could occur in either type of venue, such as concerts. This increases the competing venues to at least include Nissan Pavilion, Wolf Trap, and the Frederick Keys stadium. Second, the study does not include the projected cost of constructing a stadium and the cost of infrastructure improvements to support it.

Beyond these two specific faults in the study, there is the broader issue of whether a new arena is really the right course for the county at this time. Montgomery County has many needs. In the short term, there is a $400 million deficit to balance and the County is already working on a deal for a new performance venue in Silver Spring. In the longer term, many of us want to see some type of Purple Line constructed, infrastructure improvements made to accommodate the consolidated military hospital in Bethesda, and development of the Corridor Cities Transitway. The last of these, the Corridor Cities Transitway, should be a prerequisite for any major new arena in Germantown since any large County facility should have regular transit access.

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Hold That Mfume Endorsement of Donna

Seems the story of former Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume endorsing Donna Edwards was just a bit too premature. Look at this story from the DC Examiner.

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District 47 Vacancy

Maryland Moment on the appointment to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of Sen. Gwendolyn Britt.

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A Former Nevada Resident Reflects on the Democratic Caucuses

I'll bet you guys didn't know that I once lived in Nevada. Yes, it's true and I have the cheesy Las Vegas souvenirs to prove it. And as a former resident, I have a few things to say about Hillary Clinton's victory there.

Nearly a decade before I became acquainted with the joys of crossing the Intersection of Death, I was assigned to work a building trades organizing campaign in Las Vegas. Once I had unpacked my Van Halen CDs in my apartment, I went to see the Kings of Sinville - Culinary Workers Local Union 226. What I found was quite simply one of the most remarkable labor organizations that North America had ever seen. They had a savvy, battle-hardened leadership. They had the best research operation of any local union anywhere. They had an excellent organizing program. They had a hard-hitting political program. And best of all, they had a strong relationship with their members. Culinary was known for launching strikes against law-breaking casinos that went on for decades. That's right - their members walked on picket lines old enough to be mentioned in the Bible. As a young labor union researcher, I was in awe of them.

Culinary's political power in Las Vegas compares to MCEA's power in Montgomery County. But unlike MCEA, Culinary faces a state right-to-work law, a vigorous state Republican Party and giant, politically-connected gambling megacorporations that employ its members and occasionally run afoul of its contracts. Few unions can succeed in such a climate. Culinary does so through a ruthless blend of brains and brawn, mating its sophisticated staff with its militant, picket-sign-carrying membership.

That's why I'm as surprised as anyone that Culinary did not deliver the Democratic caucuses to its endorsed candidate, Senator Barack Obama. The Washington Post would have us believe that Culinary's power in Nevada is overrated. But I don't think that's a fair assessment for two reasons:

1. Culinary only announced its endorsement of Obama eight days before the primary. This did not give the union much time to educate its membership about its choice. All good unions know that members need to be persuaded, not instructed, to support their endorsed candidates at election time, and Culinary is no exception. Culinary's late endorsement was a miscalculation by its normally astute leadership, but it is not a sign of weakness.

2. Senator Hillary Clinton clearly has more name recognition and popular support than the Clark County Commissioners that Culinary usually beats up on.

So I'm not completely sure what this result says about Culinary, Nevada politics or Senator Clinton's campaign. But I'm pretty sure what it says about Senator Obama. The fact that one of North America's greatest local unions could not bring home a win for him in its stronghold is not a good sign for the junior Senator from Illinois.

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A Million Dollar $mile

"Is there someone named Kevin here?" bellows the well dressed man. The candidate, a political novice, then does a veteran political move and works the room as he walks over. George Mitchell's web site says he has a million dollar smile. He did not disappoint. It can light up any room; even the cramped White Oak Starbucks where we met. In a six person race where everyone else has run for office before he is working to gaining ground on the leaders in the 4th Congressional District -- Donna Edwards and the incumbent Al Wynn. Behind in money and endorsements, the man who "has never had a bad day in his life" sat down for a wide ranging interview on the issues facing this bi-county district.

"We are where we thought we would be. People want to hear our positive message," says the former captain of the Morgan State Wrestling team, class of 1976. I have learned to respect wrestlers. A good wrestler can be flat on their back ready to be pinned and still have two or three moves to pin you. So when he tells me that he is going to win this race I take notice. But as a long time activist and a pretty good vote counter I have my doubts.

Born in Florence, South Carolina. Raised by a single mother first in the projects in Baltimore and later in the northwest side of Charm City. He was a junior high class mate of current Mayor Shelia Dixon at Pimilco JHS and a graduate of Mergenthaler High School. Four years at Morgan State, where as a promoter of bands including "Grand Jury", he crossed paths with the DJs at the campus radio station, including one Kweisi Mfume. A four year tour in the Army and it was time for this Business graduate to make some money. "My mom wanted me to get involved in politics immediately after school but my first loves were restaurants and entertainment." Starting out with his own restaurants in Petersburg, VA called "Farmer's Market" and later "Mitchell's", where then Baltimorean TV personality Oprah Winfrey was a regular customer, to a stint with a large food service company to being a franchisee in Golden Corral and then back to opening his own restaurant in Waldorf called "Prime Buffett" in the late 1980 and early 1990s. He moved to Prince Georges County and turned to real estate working as an agent in Temple Hills since the mid 1990's.

Why take on Wynn?
"Al Wynn has not done anything in the last 15 1/2 years. We have a school system (in Prince Georges) that has a 44% drop out rate. In Fort Washington, we have a 70% foreclosure rate in the past three years. We have the highest teen theft in Prince Georges and a lack of minority black businesses in the county. We need after school activities for the kids. The kids are our future," Mitchell says.

That leads to the obvious question why not run for School Board or County Council? "That's what (Al) Wynn says that 'these are County Executive issues'," he dismisses.

So why run now?
"What would Wynn's legacy if he was gone? He gave us a crab feast and a jobs fair in which less than 10% got jobs. Wynn has done a very poor job of overseeing local issues. I can do a better job of bringing people together. I am in a place in my life (his youngest son is a student at Boston College) where I can give back," says the father of three, stepfather of two, and grandfather to six. His late mother, Earles Rose Mitchell, was a both a labor leader in AFSCME and was active in her Baltimore neighborhood. I get the impression that this race is as much to fulfill her vision for her only son as it is his. George Earl Mitchell embraces that mantle now. And it willing to forgo long odds to make this their dream.

But when I point out there are other ways to contribute rather than take on an incumbent Congressman, probably the safest office in the US, like a 'restler he has been ready for my move. "It starts at the top. I can bring people together." He tells me that he looked at this race in 2006 but decided to not run. At this point almost on que -- but it wasn't -- a patron, Kevin Johnson, comes up seeking out the candidate and asking for more information. The picture is to the right.

"That happens all the time," he observes. But as a long time activist I know getting 'the feel' for how the campaign is going by the candidate themselves is a poor indicator -- few say "no" to a candidate directly. But for an eternal optimist that's par for the course. I could never pin him by pointing out that the race is a hopeless cause for a newcomer without a political base, a cadre of activists, and loads of money. "We are the Seabiscuit in this race," he responds. (Didn't he know that Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic Presidential candidate, used that line in Iowa a few weeks ago? She wasn't even the first. Maybe he does; maybe not. But he is willing to charge ahead as any good wrestler would.)

A Look At The Issues
Blogger's Note: At this point my notes are not as clear -- so much for being a journalist. But here are some of the key points without direct quotes. It makes his positions look thin but he said more than this but this is what I have.

On Mitchell's website he cites four issues: Education, More Quality Jobs, Better Healthcare and Affordable Housing. His outline is very general. Who would disagree with any of those. So without specifics one is left wondering how does he accomplish those goals. It was something I failed to ask during our conversation.

I asked some questions that are not on his website. How do you balance the budget? He answer was to getting out of Iraq and making the tax system more fair. When I pressed him on the latter he came back with a flat tax. Since he is a real estate agent I asked about the home mortgage deduction, the largest single tax break on the books. He was willing to consider including that provision in a flat tax but he was willing to work on a consensus with others in Congress to make up the details.

On abortion he is pro-life with the exception of death, incest and rape.

Equal Rights for Gay Marriage he is not in favor but "the world is changing," he mentions. Mitchell would be willing to have a referendum on the issue to let the people decide.

How Are You Going to Get the Votes to Win?
"Three hundred and fifty thousand people did not vote (in the last primary who could)", he says. Mitchell sees himself getting 56,000 votes as part of a larger anti-Wynn vote. (Blogger note: He did have this up on his web site how he calculated the 56,000 votes and gave figures for Wynn and Edwards but now that information is down.)

Again it is back to his key point: Wynn "is the highest ranking black politician in the (Congressional) District. And only one other district has a worst record than Prince Georges is Baltimore," he charges.

So why not support Edwards?
"Who died and made her Queen?," he states. When I pointed out that is exactly what Rosalind Rose wrote on the Maryland Moment blog posted earlier this year (look at the second comment) I had to ask was that his wife, Rosalind Mitchell, masquerading as a neutral supporter? (Rose is his mother's maiden name.) He claims no.

Again the wrestler in him makes his move (in this case pitch). "She (Edwards) is a lot like Wynn... her base is not as big (as she thinks it is)," he claims.

Where is your money coming from?
I reviewed his two 2007 FEC filings. He has just over $55,000 cash on hand. Most of his money are from family members. His family names are Rose, English and Mitchell. His wife's maiden name was St. Amont. So I have him with 78% of his money coming from family (see graph below). Not exactly a groundswell of grassroots support for man proclaiming to be the "People's Congressman". He tells me that he has now raised over $100,000 an increase of 33% from his last filing. And earlier this week he was reported to say he has people pledged to raise $200,000 for his race.

I think it is easy for activists to say someone does not have a chance to win and therefore should get out of the race. I disagree. But it is also hard as an activist and vote counter to see where he is going to get his magical 56,000 votes with only $55,000 in the bank even if Mitchell get his $200k. Seems a bit too much like the $300,000 that Herman Taylor claimed he could get back in November. If it was as easy as one dollar for every vote than the political landscape would be completely different.

So what is George Mitchell like?
He would not be a detailed legislator such as Ben Cardin or Paul Sarbanes. He does not have the depth of working in a legislature as they have done. I like candidates for legislatures who know their way around a legislature. Seems basic.

While Mitchell would not be the guy going over a bill line-by-line, there is still a place for someone like him. It would be in the networking and working with others who do the detail work. He is a hard guy not to like. He really does like to bring people together.

He believes he is the true alternative to Wynn, not Edwards. I hear it in his voice. A Doubting Thomas does not make a long shot race against a well funded challenger AND an incumbent Congressman. George Mitchell believes he will win and I have learned to respect wrestlers.




Blogger note: Next up Jason Jennings.

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Even More Wynn and Edwards News

It is a six person race but tonight's PBS broadcast of NOW will highlight the race between Al Wynn and Donna Edwards. The program is called Divided Democrats. It will air at 10:00 PM tonight and after the program go to the link above and watch it online.

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Having Ike's Ear

As a political observer, who wouldn't want to be a consigliere to a powerful elected official. See back in June 2007, I wrote one of my first pieces for Maryland Politics Watch (MPW) and I advocated that the Rockville Library not be named for the longest serving County Executive (CoEx) in our history. Well yesterday our current CoEx, Ike Leggett agreed with me using much of the same reasoning.

I don't have Ike's ear. We came to the same conclusion. It is not that Doug Duncan does not deserve something to be named after him but if the regulation is to wait for five years then let's wait the five years.

The naming rights issue had an impact in the recently completed Rockville Mayoral Race. Long time Duncan supporter and mayoral candidate, Susan Hoffmann, was widely expected to get his endorsement but Hoffmann was one of the two Rockville officials that sided with the library advocates against naming the jewel of the library system after him. Hoffmann snub of Duncan cost her his endorsement. He endorsed a full slate (and then some) of candidates for City Council but left blank an endorsement for Mayor. Duncan clearly wants the library to be named after him contrary to his public stance. What else would explain not endorsing the one person in the race who helped him in several campaigns and who he appointed to her current full-time job.

Because Ike left the Library unnamed we could revisit this once the five years are up. Come 2011 if Doug Duncan still wants the library and Ike wins reelection in 2010 then the Rockville Library will be renamed.

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A Note on Labor Endorsements in CD4

Here's a quick observation from a labor guy on union endorsements in the Wynn-Edwards race.

The labor movement has been unusually divided between the top two contenders in CD 4: Al Wynn, the incumbent and Donna Edwards, the returning challenger. Wynn's biggest labor endorsers are the MSTA/NEA funds (the state teachers), the Washington Metro AFL-CIO, the Maryland-DC AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 400 (Prince George's local schools employees), AFSCME Local 2250 (Prince George's government employees) and the Washington DC Building Trades. Edwards' endorsers include the national SEIU, the national UNITE-HERE, UFCW Local 400 (grocery workers) and Progressive Maryland. She has also earned important non-labor endorsements from NOW, the Sierra Club and Emily's List.

When labor unions endorse, they bring either money, people power or both. In the Wynn-Edwards race, both of the leading candidates have enough money to compete. And both of them already have lots of name recognition in the district. So the labor endorsements that will matter the most will come from unions that 1. have lots of members in the district, 2. can get their members to turn out, and 3. have volunteers that can handle other tasks on behalf of the campaigns, including communication with non-members.

On the Wynn side, the most meaningful endorsements come from the Teachers. Both MCEA and PGCEA use Apple Ballots in their campaigns. But there are real questions as to whether either Apple Ballot will be used for a federal race and whether either affiliate will truly work hard for Wynn. On the Edwards side, the most meaningful endorsements come from UFCW Local 400 (grocery workers), the national SEIU and especially Progressive Maryland. PM has a large email list and engages in plenty of door-to-door work. But it will have to be just as active in Prince George's as it usually is in Montgomery to maximize its impact for Edwards.

So my best guess is that if the Teachers go all-out for Wynn, he'll have the edge. If they don't, PM will give the edge to Donna Edwards. But labor support is only one small dimension in this race. The overriding factors will be the level of satisfaction with Wynn inside the district and the relative skill each side shows in getting turnout. And the minor candidates could drain a few votes from Edwards, though none has yet demonstrated real strength in the district.

Two other interesting facts stand out. First, the 7000-member UFCW Local 1994 (the MoCo government employees) has not endorsed either candidate. Second, it is extremely unusual for a local union (SEIU Local 400) to take an opposite position from its parent. I cannot recall this happening inside my union, where the international and the regional councils closely align. It is probably a sign of the unusual volatility and strong feelings in this particular race.

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Planned Parenthood endorses Rep. Wynn

Planned Parenthood Federal PAC endorsed Congressman Al Wynn yesterday.

"Al Wynn has a long history of advocating for women's health and is a strong supporter of a woman's right to choose. He is a solid pro-choice vote in the US Congress and I am thrilled that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed him." Patricia Shields, Board Member, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund

To see the full campaign announcement click.

This does two things: it undercuts into Donna Edwards' mantle as the progressive candidate, especially among those who are advocates of reproductive rights, and it is also a signal that the incumbent has voted "correctly" on all of the issues of Planned Parenthood. National organizations are highly unlikely to back a challenger if the incumbent has voted with them most of the time.

We are starting to see the faults lines based on endorsements. Wynn gets Planned Parenthood and NARAL; Donna Edwards gets EMILY's List. Wynn gets the SEIU Local 400 endorsement but Edwards gets SEIU's national endorsement.

I fully expect to see more endorsements that seem to cut both ways.

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House of Delegates Remembers Jane Lawton

The Washington Post carried a short story on the Maryland House of Delegates' memorial for Delegate Jane Lawton. As usual, the best memories of Jane are the funny ones. The Governor had this to say:

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) told an anecdote from last fall's frantic special legislative session, when he called Lawton at her desk on the House floor to discuss the votes they needed to pass a particular bill.

"I said, 'Delegate Lawton, this is your governor,' and she said, 'Oh, no!'," O'Malley said, adding that Lawton was a strong backer of his policies.

"I said, 'Jane, how does that make me feel?'

"She said, 'I know if you're calling me, we're in trouble.' "

Can't you just hear her saying that?

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Mfume Endorses Edwards

According to the DailyKos, former Rep. Kweisi Mfume has endorsed Donna Edwards over incumbent Al Wynn in the primary District 4. This is huge for Edwards. Mfume may have lost his primary narrowly to Sen. Ben Cardin but retains influence, especially among African Americans. In 2006, Edwards won Montgomery big but lost Prince George's.

Mfume's support could help her gain the crucial votes from African Americans in Prince George's needed to put her over the top. It helps put the imprimatur of "serious candidate" on someone trying to unseat a key figure in the Prince George's political establishment. Will Wynn try to cast Mfume as an interfering Baltimore politician even though Wynn endorsed Mfume for Senate? And if he does, will it work?

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Woodmont East II Meeting Hits the Papers

The Gazette and the Washington Post (with a broken link) both printed articles on public forum on Woodmont East II hosted by Councilman Roger Berliner. See the bottom of the post for the news on the latest action by the developer which didn't make either paper.

Bradford Pearson of the Gazette quoted Roger Berliner as stating the project is improved but may need a little more work:

Berliner, who has been campaigning for a public park on part of the site, said progress has been made, but more can be done.

‘‘The developers did hear our concerns, and have substantially revised their proposal,” he said. ‘‘But this will represent the heart and soul of Bethesda, and we need to make sure it’s done properly.”

Pearson further quoted residents who agreed with this assessment:

‘‘I think this plan is better, but I would suggest you go further,” said Bob Smythe, president of the Sacks Neighborhood Association, the closest neighborhood to Woodmont East. ‘‘We don’t want this to be D.C., with all its hardscapes. I live here because I like it better.”

Other residents agreed.

‘‘I would like to see more green space, maybe with a butterfly garden or a place where children can explore,” said Susan Milner, of Chevy Chase.

In the Washington Post, Miranda Spivack caught the one major reduction in the public space in the new plan:

While many in the audience at last week's meeting praised the proposal as a big improvement over previous plans, there were still many skeptics.

Some voiced concerns about a proposal to combine the hiker-biker trail with a 50-foot wide mews, reduced from 75 feet in the previous plan, where pedestrians and shoppers would mingle with hikers and bikers."

It's even more problematic. The schematic presented by the developers includes cafe tables on both side of the mews/alley as one can see in the blurry photos from my original take here on the meeting. This shrinking of the width of the alley remains my major objection to the plan.

The developer never released copies of the plan to the public and Pat Harris, the attorney for the developer, didn't respond positively to my offer to post a copy here. It still is not posted to the Planning Board website even though the developers hope to have a hearing in February, so it is all we've got. Perhaps there ought to be a requirement that plans be posted on the Planning Board website at least six weeks before the hearing date for approval.

Interestingly, the Planning Board website now contains written testimony from people who spoke the public hearing but does not include submitted written testimony, thus one again showing the importance of being present at the Planning Board meetings even though they occur during the workday.

One final bit of news: Apparently, the developer intends to ask the Planning Board to rule favorably on the abandonment of Reed Street even as it approves the basic outline of the plan--a fact not mentioned at the public forum. One assumes that they didn't bother to inform Councilman Berliner either. The letter making the request is also not yet posted to the Planning Board website.

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Special Report: Why Are We Talking About Rent Control in MoCo?

Last month, the Gazette reported that County Executive Ike Leggett told a meeting of 50 tenants in Silver Spring that he would sign a rent control bill if the County Council passed it. This no doubt pleased fellow attendee and County Council Member Marc Elrich, who was one of the prime supporters of rent control in Takoma Park when he served on its City Council. But other county council members may not be so happy with this hot-potato Christmas present from their executive.

So why are we talking about rent control?

Rent control is one approach to the issue of affordable housing, long one of the most intractable problems in Montgomery County (and the entire Washington region). No one from any side of the debate believes that Montgomery County has enough affordable housing. There is plenty of evidence for that view, including:

1. The Census Bureau reports that 46% of the county’s rental units required rents of 30% or more of the occupants’ income in 2006.

2. In that same report, the Census Bureau finds that 36% of the county’s owner-occupied units with a mortgage required payments of 30% or more of the occupants’ income.

3. Impact Silver Spring found that 47% of renters in Silver Spring were paying rents of 30% or more of their income in 2005. Silver Spring has long been thought to be one of the more affordable areas in Montgomery County.

4. The Montgomery County Planning Department reports that the median price of a new detached single-family home reached $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2007. That means half the new homes were sold above that price.

While the county has acknowledged affordable housing problems since at least the 1970’s, its recent difficulties occur in the context of two market realities: rising prices and slow population growth.

Rising Prices
The Montgomery County Planning Department reported that between 2002 and 2007’s first quarter, prices for new single family homes rose by 138%. Huge price hikes also occurred for new townhouses (91%), existing townhouses (105%) and existing single family homes (69%). These hikes may be tapering off, but no one believes that all the price gains of recent years will disappear.

Slow Growth
Since 1990, the county’s population has grown by a meager annual average 11,873 people, or 1.4% per year. In 2006, the county added only 5,000 people – its slowest population growth since 1983. These numbers mockingly lash the back of every wild-eyed MoCo activist who has ever used the term “hyper-growth.”

In fact, rising prices and slow growth may be related. Montgomery County has long been praised for its excellent schools, attractive parks, nice downtowns and quality government services. It is one of the most desirable places to live in the nation. So why does its population grow so slowly? The county simply does not have enough housing to accommodate everyone who wants to move in. Picture a giant bucket pouring endless numbers of people into a shiny, but small bottle. Not everyone will get in. Increasingly, it seems that those who do get in fall into two groups: those who are wealthy enough to afford high-price housing on their own, and those who are willing to tolerate overcrowded, substandard conditions. (The social tensions between these two groups, who sometimes live on the same block, are rising.)

And so when limited supply meets insatiable demand, home prices and rents rise. This is the experience of Montgomery County, most jurisdictions in the Washington area, and many parts of the country.

The county’s primary tool for encouraging the construction of affordable housing is its Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program. Created in 1973, the MPDU program is based on a simple trade: developers are ordered to construct below-market-rate units in return for permission to increase housing density. Currently, the law applies to developments of 20 or more units. It mandates that 12.5-15% of the new units be affordable for families earning up to 70% of the area’s median income. In return, the developer may build up to 22% more units than called for in a parcel’s zoning. A new workforce housing program based on similar principles was approved in 2006 but has not yet begun operation.

There are three problems with the MPDU program. First, developers are allowed to “buy out” from the MPDU requirements by paying into the county’s Housing Initiative Fund. Second, the program depends on new construction. When the economy slows down and residential development declines, so does MPDU construction. Finally, the program has actually created very little affordable housing. Since the first MPDU’s were constructed in 1976, only 8,527 owner-occupied units and 3,520 rented units have been built. The county’s total stock of housing units in 2006 consisted of 241,108 owner-occupied units and 100,330 rented units. So after 30 years of the MPDU program, only 3.5% of the county’s owner-occupied and rented units are MPDU’s – a depressingly low total.

In a recent Gazette column, four County Council members claimed that 31,616 housing units were currently approved for development with a projected buildout of 6 years. But how many of those units are MPDU’s? If we were charitable and assumed that 10% were to be MPDU’s and that all of them would be built, the MPDU percentage of the county’s housing stock would rise to a grand total of 4.1%. Even if every single one of these units was an MPDU, the MPDU percentage would only rise to 11.7%. Of course, this would never happen, but it would be a nice start.

There are other tools the county has to affect residential development, including master plans, Planning Board and planning staff reviews, rezoning decisions on individual parcels and zoning text amendments. But the provision of housing is only one factor affecting these decisions. Other factors including resident sentiment, environmental considerations, traffic tests, school capacity and compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods are also weighed. Inevitably, the number of units ultimately approved is less than would be built in a pure free market. And while the county offers rental and homeowner assistance through its Housing Opportunities Commission, these programs have not solved the affordable housing problem.

Deep in the long-lost regions of my mind that remember my college microeconomics coursework, a neoclassical voice cries out, “The government restricts supply, then micromanages construction and now is talking about fixing prices. Of course the housing market is broken!” But that view is too simple. Residential construction creates significant external costs that are not adequately priced in private buyer-seller transactions, such as pollution, school crowding and traffic. And these costs are not fully recovered by the county’s impact tax system. Some development limits are necessary to protect the county’s Agricultural Reserve, preserve the character of existing neighborhoods and prevent the county from resembling overdeveloped Rings of Hell like Phoenix and Las Vegas. But the cost of pursuing these worthwhile objectives may be to limit the provision of affordable housing, both owner-occupied and rental.

The two paradigms of development politics in this county do not have the answers for this problem. The affordable housing issue nicely demonstrates the critical flaws of each side of the ever-lasting development debate. Anti-growth people will not admit that limits on development tend to put upwards pressure on prices and rents over the long term. Pro-growth people will not admit that a true market solution to housing – allowing supply to meet demand – could necessitate massive new residential construction. No one knows the number of new units required to meet the true demand for Montgomery County housing – 50,000 or 100,000 or even more? – but that number is likely to be much greater than a strained county capital budget and a traffic-choked citizenry can accept.

And so we have market failure for affordable housing. And that’s why we are talking about rent control.

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Chevy Chase Moratorium Hits the Papers

Read Audrey Dutton's take on last week's Council meeting in the Gazette. According to Dutton: "The council is expected to vote on the new building laws by the end of April." The Washington Post printed a separate article by Dutton on this topic but the online link doesn't work.

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Much Ado About Purple

There has been much talk about new Purple Line funding in press releases from pro-Purple Line groups. However, these claims rest on promises which may prove ephemeral to say the least. Specifically, don't get too excited about the much touted $100 million announced for the Purple Line.

If one examines the new proposed state transportation budget, one does not find new funding in either budget years 2008 and 2009. The new funding for the Purple Line, promised to (or demanded by) legislators in exchanged for support for slots or taxes during the special session, all occurs in budget years 2011, 2012, and 2013.

One might notice that these budget cycles will not commence during the current governor's (hopefully) first term. One might further notice that these budget years are all labeled (as is 2010): "PROJECTED CASH REQUIREMENTS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY". In other words, these figures don't mean a heck of a lot.

One might finally notice that the numbers are very round: $18 million in 2011, $30 million in 2012, and $28 million in 2013, and total to an even rounder $100 million. Again, smacks of repaying a debt rather than a firm figure on the actual cost of this project. Even if the feds decide to fund it--still an open question--the State still hasn't made a serious commitment despite the recent frenzy of press releases.

Oddly, the Washington Post appeared to have missed this key point. Its budget article conflates its discussion of the $100 million into next year's budget. They shouldn't feel bad though. Legislators and the Transportation Secretary didn't highlight it either:

Lawmakers -- chanting "P-U-R-P-L-E! O'Malley!" -- applauded the allocation, saying that the eventual construction of the line will help cut traffic congestion in Washington's suburbs.

"We know that the Purple Line would be good for our environment, our economy and our quality of life," said Del. William A. Bronrott (D-Montgomery).

Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari called the Purple Line the "transit beltway," connecting Montgomery and Prince George's. The $100 million to fund the next phase of the project will help Maryland procure federal dollars for it in the future, Porcari said.

Purple Line supporters still have to overcome several major hurdles: (1) convincing the State that this project deserves priority, (2) proving that the light-rail is more cost effective than other options, (3) convincing the feds to fund it, and (4) convincing Maryland to find the money to fund it. Despite the hoopla, I don't think that they are any closer than before the $100 million was announced.

It looks as if gaining federal funding may also be trickier than expected. The Silver Line to Dulles is facing unexpected difficulties according to the Washington Post despite the strong efforts by Virginia to accommodate federal requirements:

Officials on Capitol Hill, in Richmond and at the airports authority's headquarters have speculated in recent days about what the problem might be. Some say the FTA has long been skeptical of expensive rail projects; in recent years, it has more often championed bus rapid transit projects.

Still, Purple Line supporters are clearly fighting hard for the project and able to muster a fair amount of legislative clout even if they can't yet get the money. It also remains a crucial time for the proposed link as the numbers from the ridership study (though not the actual study) have been released and the environmental impact study is coming up soon.

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Former District 39 Delegate Slams Tax Hikes

Joan F. Stern of North Potomac, a Democrat who served in the House of Delegates from 1999 to 2007, attacked the state's recently-passed tax package in a letter to the Gazette.

In the letter, Stern rages against her former Democratic colleagues, thundering, "County and state officials need to rethink their philosophy and understand that most people are no longer willing to put up with elected officials who keep increasing their taxes, especially when services are being cut. I have seen the light. How about the rest of you?"

After complaining about "expensive new mandates in a declining economy," Stern concludes, "No wonder Maryland had a net loss of 35,000 people to other states. It is time for a reality check."

Stern was not included on District 39's incumbent slate in the 2006 election. Nor did she make the Montgomery County Education Association's Apple Ballot. As a result, newcomer and MCEA-backed Saqib Ali defeated her by 1,238 votes. Are Stern's complaints about taxes a prelude to an attempted comeback?

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EM Statement on Passing of Sen. Britt

Equality Maryland issued the following statement over the weekend and has temporarily replaced the front page of its website with a tribute to Sen. Gwendolyn Britt:

Dear Friends,

We are saddened to report that our dear friend and hero, State Senator Gwendolyn Britt, has passed away from a heart attack. We struggle to find the words to convey the depth of our feelings at this loss, and we offer our condolences to her husband, Travis, her children, grandchildren, and entire family. Sen. Britt's loss will be felt deeply by her colleagues in the Maryland State Senate, by her constituents in Prince George's County's District 47, and by virtually everyone who knew her.

Thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Marylanders and their families only knew Sen. Britt by name, and yet this name truly meant everything to them. At a time in our nation's history where LGBT people seek champions for the equal protection of our families, Sen. Britt rose up and declared our cause her own. In a feature article on "players to watch" in the General Assembly printed just last week by the Washington Post, Sen. Britt was described as a "civil rights activist." Sen. Britt fought Jim Crow laws down south and here at home in Maryland. She spent her life seeking to correct injustices.

When Equality Maryland approached Sen. Britt about being a lead sponsor on The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, she did not hesitate or ask to think it over first. Her answer was definite, her pride apparent, her convictions solid. In the past few days, as Sen. Britt prepared to file marriage equality legislation and advocated with her senate colleagues on the issue, she made us at Equality Maryland feel that with her by our side, anything is possible. She taught us to keep the faith, never to waver from our commitment to a cause, and to speak truth to power no matter what obstacles stand in our way.

Senator Britt, we will miss your grace, your dignity, your warmth, your intelligence, your smile, your solemnity, your beauty, your hugs, and most of all, your friendship and support.

You will always be with us.

The Staff, Boards and Lobbyists for Equality Maryland

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Charlie Cook in Chevy Chase

Councilman Mier Wolf introduces Larry O'Rourke and Charlie Cook

Charlie Cook has one of my dream jobs: he's a political prognosticator for a living. Although he normally gives his opinions for a living, he kindly shared his views of the political landscape at a community event at the Leland Center tonight. I always knew he had a lot of knowledge about politics on the ground. I hadn't known he was so entertaining--a political Garrison Keillor.

He has a real flair for explaining complex political events with easily understandable analogies and good stories, skills this classroom teacher could only envy. I won't report too much of what he said. It hardly seems fair to steal the political thoughts of someone who sells them as his livelihood. But I thought he shared some interesting views on why Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary and on the upcoming general election.

First, like me and many others, he believes that race does not explain why Obama lost to Clinton in New Hampshire. He argues that the last minute shift among college-educated women in New Hampshire is not plausibly explained by a racial voting. He also thinks that Clinton's moment of choking up in public helped her look more human to the electorate.

He also mentioned something which reflects less well on Sen. Clinton. Apparently, the Clinton campaign sent out a flyer to independent undecided women the weekend before the primary claiming that Obama had failed to stand up for choice in contrast to Clinton. Cook brought and read from a copy of the mailer. Someone also called in on WAMU who was in New Hampshire mentioning this today but I hadn't wanted to give it credence based on one phone call to the radio.

It certainly shows that the Clintons can fight hard and rough--some will undoubtedly also say dirty. I'm not sure how well this will play with Democrats since Obama is clearly pro-choice and the flyer does more than suggest otherwise. On the other hand, the campaign has moved on to the other states so it remains to be seen if this issue will get more press coverage or anyone will care.

On a different note, Charlie Cook explained that he thought it would be a close election even though the fundamentals support the Democrats. He indicated that he thought McCain would be the toughest Republican to beat for either Clinton or Obama, an assessment I share, though Cook noted that McCain is vulnerable on the question of his age.

Of course, the question remains whether the GOP will be savvy enough to nominate him in the first place. Romney just won the Michigan primary.

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Glover Fits, Acquits; Mine Don't

In a whirlwind of activity that lasted no more than thirty minutes, actor Danny Glover came out to support Donna Edwards the principal challenger in a six person race with Rep. Albert Wynn at the New Carrolton Metro stop.

Congress "needs passionate people who are engaged in the body politic," stated Glover in his endorsement of Edwards. For a man used to the bright lights of Hollywood, Glover felt at home mingling with well wishers, campaign staff, assembled media, a beaming candidate and yes even the occasional voter in the dimly lit entrance to the Orange Line station.


Amateur photographers such as this fair blogger need not worry about lighting as a steady steam of flash cameras going off and TV lights covering every step made each shot a cinch. If there was to have been a fire drill no one could have passed such was the crowd that gathered to listen Glover, a one-time student of American University and a former city government worker. In fact that is the reason I switched from reporter to cameraman as the crowd made it difficult to hear all comments from both headliners. I have also not mastered the act of shorthand while wearing thick winter gloves on top of fighting a runny nose.

As a veteran of the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary where candidates and celebrities mix calmly among the voters and reporters last night's event was the Congressional equivalent.

These photo ops are usually not about targeting likely voters. You have no idea if the audience are: in your district, registered and then willing to come out for you. But you still do it because they create news, it is easy to find volunteers to staff it and you have a built-in buzz for those around the campaign.

Still her message of change to this Metro throng matched the national candidates as well on the same day that 8 term incumbent endorsed the leading change candidate.

Maryland may not be a player on the national stage come primary but this race might well be our personal Super Tuesday.

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The Governor Pays the Price for Miller's Advice

According to the Baltimore Sun, Governor O’Malley now suffers a 35% approval rating, the lowest since the end of the Glendening administration. Why? Two words: tax hikes. And another two words: Mike Miller.

Reacting to the state’s $1.7 billion general fund deficit, the Governor proposed a tax hike and spending cut plan prior to last fall’s special session. While, as David Lublin points out, no one enjoys either tax hikes or spending cuts, some parts of the plan were more unpopular than others. The features enjoying the most voter support were tobacco tax hikes (69% in a 9/28/07 Washington Post poll), slots (68%), corporate income tax hikes (66%) and income tax increases on the rich (62%). The feature with the least support was the sales tax hike (29%). The Governor tried to soften the tax hikes with a property tax cut.

But Senate President Mike Miller had other ideas. The Senate junked combined reporting, a corporate tax reform that would have made it more difficult for corporations to reduce Maryland taxable income by assigning it to other states. The Senate reduced the top rates in the Governor’s income tax proposal, thereby making it less progressive. And the Senate eliminated the Governor’s property tax cut. So three of the Governor’s most popular reforms were reduced or taken off the table. While the final package was a compromise with the House that restored some of the top income tax rate increases, the contribution of the Senate ensured that the outcome was less progressive than it otherwise could have been.

The result? The hugely unpopular sales tax increase accounted for more than $700 million of the final $1.3 billion tax package, the primary reason cited by the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute in labeling it regressive. And Baltimore Sun poll respondents labeled the tax package “unfair” by a margin of 51-33%.

Now I was not a big fan of the Governor’s original proposal but in retrospect, it was far superior to the Senate's proposal. Unfortunately for the well-meaning but embattled Governor, the price of following Mr. Miller’s advice is the good will of the Maryland voter.

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Tough Choices and Predictable Poll Drops

When the economy booms and revenue coffers bulge, state elected officials can hand out tax cuts and still increase spending, making voters happy and looking brilliant as they do it.

It is a lot harder when the economy contracts and revenues fall short. Requirements in most states to balance the state budget every year impose much greater fiscal discipline and make governing much more difficult.

Unlike at the federal level, elected officials have to make choices and can't simply rack up new debt on the federal credit card. States have to raise taxes and cut spending.

Unsurprisingly, voters don't tend to like either of these options. Support for the Governor has dropped according to the Baltimore Sun:

Just over a year after O'Malley won 53 percent of the vote, only 35 percent of voters approve of the way he's handled his job.

Forty-five percent disapprove of O'Malley's job performance and twenty percent don't know. Voters aren't thrilled with the new taxes imposed by the State during the special session:

In a state where education is perennially named by residents as the most important issue, high taxes have skyrocketed to the top of voter concerns, with 28 percent identifying it as the most pressing problem. . . .

The poll found that opposition to the tax package is intense, with 39 percent of voters saying they disapproved strongly. Of the 32 percent who approved of the outcome, 20 percent did so "not so strongly." . . .

Asked to set aside their own personal feelings about the outcome and comment on the general fairness of the tax increases, 51 percent said they were unfair, compared with 33 percent who said the package was fair.

Blair Lee of the Gazette cites a similar Gonzales Research Poll in his recent column. Lee doesn't bother to suggest how else the State might have coped with the budget crisis. Or if voters might have liked it better.

One doubts that major budget cuts proposed by the Republicans would have been better received than the tax increases. Many appeared unhappy with the budget cuts that occurred despite increases in the sales and income tax as well as the prospect of slots.

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Tuition Battle Looms

The Baltimore Sun reports:

Gov. Martin O'Malley vowed Monday to freeze tuition at most of Maryland's public colleges for a third consecutive year, but he acknowledged a likely fight over the issue with legislative leaders who have said tuition should be increased.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has said tuition should be increased to offset necessary budget cuts, and House Speaker Michael E. Busch Monday said he supports a tuition increase of no more than 3 percent.

"Senate President Miller and I have a disagreement," O'Malley, a Democrat, said Monday at a news conference at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

He said Busch's 3 percent limit "articulates a pretty good goal for the future, but for the present, I'm going to do everything I can to fight for at least another year of zero percent increases in college tuitions." The governor proposes to pay for the in-state tuition freeze with about $16 million in revenue expected to be generated by the in crease from 7 percent to 8 percent in the corporate income tax passed during November's special legislative session.

After the tuition hikes of the Ehrlich era, keeping tuition down is a worthy goal. Of course, I imagine finding the $55 million needed to freeze tuition isn't easy in the current budget climate.

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Political Flowers Are Blooming Early

The recent arctic blast leaves many a resident longing for warmer days. For some it is a chance to day dream of upcoming Nats spring training baseball games and for others they feel the pull to begin work in the garden. But political junkies know that in a Presidential election season this winter blast has us thinking of planting another type of flower. One that sprouts very quickly. It is called the campaign yard sign.

I saw my first ones this weekend. The first picture came from the Hillandale area that are part of Congressional District 4. Don't know much about Robert Broadus but since his signs were next to some Ron Paul signs it leads me to believe that the same person is putting them up. The Ron Paul yard signs are immediately outside Democratic newcomer's Jason Jennings residence -- the Enclave. Interesting that Broadus chose Albert Wynn's colors.

A google search of Robert Broadus found him to have a meetup location in Bethesda, which is outside of CD4. Yes, he is a disciple of Ron Paul. He is also a Naval Academy grad. Here is more about him.

This Donna Edwards yard sign came from my travels through Olney, in the heart of MoCo CD4.Not to be outdone here is one of two Jason's yard signs I saw at the Colesville Giant (aka Northern Huckerville). Unfortunately, Jason's yard signs are near my home and I do not live in CD4. The entire intersection is in Chris Van Hollen's district. But upper New Hampshire Avenue cuts back and forth between the two congressional districts so he will be reaching CD4 voters.

Keep in mind that Ben Kramer had a huge yard sign there in the 2006 primary and it is well outside of the boundaries District 19. For Kramer the giant yard sign made sense since this shopping center is the world wide HQs of Kramer Enterprises, the family business.

Finally, after my interviewing George Mitchell yesterday I saw the handiwork of his campaign staff on my way to New Carrollton.

Keep your camera handy and send them along. We will see which campaign has the most creative ways of "beautifying" the neighborhood. Leave me a message. For a hint look at my profile. Let's have some fun with this!

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Montgomery County's Forests

From Marc Korman:

Despite the recent passage of a new county growth policy, growth issues remain at the forefront of Montgomery County’s attention. One aspect of this is trees, which was the topic of discussion at last Thursday’s League of Women Voters Forest Conservation Law Forum. The Forum featured Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson, discussing the Board’s proposed changes to the law, and Councilman Marc Elrich, discussing his own efforts to build upon the Planning Board’s recommendations. Representatives of the environmental community and building industry also spoke. According to the Planning Board, the County had 93,000 acres of forest in 1951, 100,000 acres in 1973, and 92,000 acres in 2002. How much forest cover Montgomery County maintains in the years ahead may very well depend on reform of the Forest Conservation law.

It was apparent from all of the presenters that the current forest conservation law is extremely complicated. The law applies only to forests, defined as 10,00 square feet with 100 trees per acre (43,650 square feet). Essentially, when any type of development is occurring on a lot size that is at least 40,000 square feet (just under an acre), the forest conservation law is triggered. Depending on the type of land use the parcel falls under, a certain amount of the forest on that land is supposed to be maintained (the conservation threshold) and a certain amount of new forest is supposed to be planted (the afforestation threshold). Currently, the forest conservation law is not designed to be neutral in the amount of forest in the County and in most cases only a quarter of acre of trees needs to be replaced for every acre removed (above a certain level of removal, acreage must be replaced by two to one). The law aims to keep forests on site or in the area, but developers can also purchase offsets in other areas. This can be both good and bad. The good is that offsets can be strategically purchased in areas like stream buffers, which can provide maximum benefit for the environment by reducing runoff. The bad is that offsets can also be purchased from existing forests that are not in danger. Replanting can also be problematic, as replacing a large diameter mature tree with a small seedling is a huge, short term loss to the environment.

According to Royce Hanson, the Planning Board’s reform has a few major purposes including clarifying the existing law, eliminating some of the exemptions to the law, a slight increase of 5% in the amount of trees that would be retained, and an extension of the amount of time developers must maintain any new trees from two years to five years, which would increase the cost of development.

Councilman Elrich wants to amend the Planning Board’s changes and increase further the amount of trees retained, apply the law to lots as small as 10,000 square feet, and try to reach a goal of no net loss of trees by increasing the amount of acreage replanted or retained.

Many of us are supportive of both a new tree ordinance (which would apply to individual and small groups of trees) and improving the forest conservation law. The problem is that the county is growing, almost regardless of what policies the government puts in place and there needs to be a balance between some needed development and important conservation efforts. In order to accommodate that growth and maintain our trees and open space, we need to build up in dense areas, preferably those around Metro stations. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that many people who support preserving the Agriculture Reserve, limiting sprawl, and saving trees also oppose much of this vertical growth. Sometimes, there are legitimate reasons for this like traffic concerns. Other times it seems to be a reflexively anti-growth view. The growth debate in Montgomery County continues to rage. . .

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That Other Congressional District

Most MoCo residents live in Congressional District 8 (I do) and therefore are represented by Chris Van Hollen. But almost a third of the county residents are located in Congressional District 4 (CD4) and therefore are represented by Al Wynn (official site). Ok and those people of Damascus are in yet a third district. But with 29 days to the primary I thought it would educational to meet and interview all of the six candidates running in the Democratic primary in CD4, where we will the potential to have the closest primary contest in the state.

Last election cycle, a mere 17 months ago, there were two challengers to Rep. Wynn (campaign site): Donna Edwards and George McDermott, between the two challengers they had a plurality of the votes. Not a good sign for an incumbent. The closeness of that race has spawned three additional candidates: George Mitchell, Jason Jennings and Michael Babula making for a crowded six person race. To help sort through things I thought it would be helpful to set down with each of them and get their opinions on the key issues.

So beginning this week I will be interviewing the candidates and posting here. Let me know if there are any questions that I should pose to the candidates. No below the belt comments, please there are other blogs for that.

First up will be the only newcomer in the race: Upper Marlboro Businessman George Mitchell.

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Stop Slots Maryland Promises Aggressive Campaign

Aaron Meisner, Chairman of Stop Slots Maryland, promised a group of MoCo activists today that his organization would wage an aggressive campaign to defeat the slots referendum. What is his plan and will it work?

Meisner made his remarks at a public meeting of Progressive Neighbors, a liberal group based in Silver Spring and Takoma Park. He started by noting that most recent slots referenda have failed, a point previously demonstrated by Free State Politics blogger Eric Luedtke. So while slots have a 60%+ favorability in Maryland polls, victory is possible.

"We can win, but it won't be easy," Meisner said. "It's not easy to transform a grass-roots lobbying organizations into a statewide campaign. It's taking time to shift gears." Meisner indicated that the organization is recruiting political operators with statewide campaign experience in Maryland and is in heavy talks with several religious groups. He described the evolving coalition as a group of "strange bedfellows" including secular progressives, rural values voters and religious organizations. "It's a big challenge to get organized," he admitted.

Meisner did not get into specifics, but upon reading a hard copy of this blog post, he indicated that the new plan would resemble what we have outlined. Overall it seems that Stop Slots Maryland is just getting moving. As he says, they have a real challenge: radically changing the organization in the midst of waging its most critical and difficult campaign yet. It is very, very tough for any organization to change so much while on the move, but that is what has to happen for them to win.

Right now, the big questions on this issue are:

1. Will the Governor campaign in favor of the referendum?

2. How will Stop Slots Maryland raise the money needed to win?

3. How will the organization liaison with the street-level activists who will be critical to victory?

Elbridge James, President of Progressive Maryland, hinted at the answer to a fourth big question at the same meeting. When asked whether Progressive Maryland would "help lead the fight against slots," James said that the issue would be decided at a board meeting of the group in late January. "The question is will we oppose slots vigorously, oppose slots passively or not oppose them," he said. While James declined to provide a hard prediction of what Progressive Maryland would do, few of us left the meeting believing that the group would fight hard against slots. Several of the group's union affiliates may in fact support slots because of hopes to unionize casino workers, perform the construction work, or gain more public funding. This creates a significant possibility that Progressive Maryland will sit out this fight, thus lessening the chances of slots opponents.

Pay attention to this one, folks. The fighters are still in their robes, bouncing in their corners. Michael Buffer is only now reaching for the mike. I'd advise you to place your bets, but ah... maybe that's the wrong metaphor.

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Sen. Gwendolyn Britt Died This Morning

Gwendolyn Britt on the Glen Echo Park Merry-Go-Round

Prince George's Sen. Gwendolyn Britt (D-47) died suddenly.

The Washington Post reports:

A Democrat who represented Landover Hills, Langley Park and Adelphi, Britt died at 4 a.m. apparently from heart failure or a stroke while still being admitted to Doctor's Community Hospital in Lanham, he said.

"The legislative arena is one filled with people with sharp elbows. She was the antithesis of that," said Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George's). "She was warm, caring, honorable, principled and fair."

Britt, a civil rights and community activist, was entering her fifth year in the Senate.

During her first term in office, former Montgomery County executive Douglas M. Duncan strongly considered Britt as a running mate before he dropped out of the race for governor.

"It was clear she was coming into her own," said Pinsky. "She was taking on more responsiblity and she enjoyed that."

This week the county delegation unanimously reelected her as chairwoman. Britt, a lead Senate sponsor on a bill that granted voting rights to ex-felons, was expected this year to be the lead Senate sponsor of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Advocates for gay rights said they were excited to have Britt leading their effort. . . .

Britt was a Freedom Rider in the 1960s who spent 40 days in jail for sitting in a whites-only train station waiting room in Mississippi. Closer to home, she and four other black friends sat on the merry-go-round at Glen Echo Park, which was segregated at the time, and was arrested for trespassing.

Senator Britt was a real class act. Reflecting her long history of championing civil rights, she was the lead Senate sponsor on the same-sex marriage bill even though there was no political benefit--and some political risk--in being so outspoken on the issue.

I know she'll be missed by many. Sen. Britt is survived by her husband, Travis Britt, two children, and five grandkids. (See also this story in the Baltimore Sun.)

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Reflecting on Wheaton

Could Wheaton look like this someday?

So why have we been talking about Wheaton? After all, this blog is called Maryland Politics Watch, not Wheaton Watch. There are two reasons.

First, Holly Olson, author of the prior three postings, is my long-suffering wife. To get a sense of that suffering, imagine having to hear maximum-volume rantings about such things as the Baroness of Montgomery 24-7. One reason I blog is because she ordered me to “get it out of your system.” The least I can do is return the favor and give her a conduit for expressing her thoughts, which are infinitely better-formed than mine.

But second, and much more importantly, Wheaton represents the future of Montgomery County, the state of Maryland and the United States. Its bustling, chaotic streets, its teeming masses of every language and color and its combination of private-sector optimism and skepticism of government hearken back to our roots of a century ago. If we can bring Wheaton to its full potential, we will have a formula that could be applied broadly to every main street in America.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Wheaton, it lies at the junction of three of Montgomery County’s great avenues: Georgia Avenue, University Boulevard and Veirs Mill Road. Along with Silver Spring and Takoma Park, it is one of the county’s three truly diverse urban centers.

Wheaton does not have the prosperity or sheer population size of Silver Spring. It does not have the municipal government of Takoma Park. But it does have a friendly, welcoming spirit along with astounding diversity. In one small shopping center along University Boulevard, two Jewish food establishments co-exist with a Thai grocery, a Chinese restaurant and a Pho kitchen. Right across the street are a couple Latino restaurants. An Italian pizza joint is on the next block up and a Korean restaurant is around the corner. At several Wheaton businesses, when the owner hears I have walked in, he comes out, slaps me on the back and asks if my wife (who is invariably present) has gotten rid of me yet. (She usually answers, “First he buys me lunch.”) Unfortunately, Sabang was one of those places.

But Wheaton has its problems. Holly discussed the economic ones. In addition, I see a more basic one: the difficulty of communication and building relationships within the community. I worked with Holly and the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) on the inspiring parking meter revolt of last summer. One of our strategies was distributing 3,000 handbills to business owners protesting the new hours, which they could then give to their customers. Now I’ve spent many years in the labor movement, so cold calls are no big deal to me. But Wheaton was a different experience. In some of these businesses, the music was blaring and bodies were flying. Others were barren and empty. Many, many languages were spoken. Many workers looked at me with a stare that said, “Are you here from the government to mess with us?” In some places, I could not identify the manager or owner. All of this causes me to have immense sympathy for the employees of the county’s Mid-County Regional Services Center who have to deal with all of these establishments.

This polyglot of polysyllables extends to the organizations in Wheaton. There are three county advisory committees with jurisdiction in Wheaton. There are several civic associations who are inside and nearby. There is both a Wheaton-Kensington Chamber of Commerce and a new association for local, small businesses being created by LEDC. There is also the management of Westfield Wheaton, the giant mall just outside the central business district. There is one county services center, but its brave, overworked staff faces the daunting task of dealing with all of the above as well as similar issues in many other areas outside Wheaton. The central communication challenge for politicians and outsiders is that while many people speak for a part of Wheaton, no one speaks for all of Wheaton.

But we are going to have to resolve that problem because Wheaton is changing, and not necessarily for the better. Holly discussed the continuing exodus of many long-time businesses due to rising rents. Many believe that redevelopment is necessary, and the county has long recognized its need. In 2006, County Council Members Marilyn Praisner and Tom Perez championed a new zoning text amendment that raised allowable building heights and relaxed obstacles to building improvements in the central business district, all while encouraging small square footages in new retail spaces. To date, not a single new development has taken advantage of the opportunities in this new amendment.

Instead, the market seems to be creating two Wheatons. On the outskirts of the CBD, high-end housing projects have been sprouting like gilded mushrooms, including a new one above the eastern Metro entrance. Until the recent housing crash, some of the new townhouses were selling for over $600,000. But inside the CBD, there’s not much going on. One low-rise project is under construction at Georgia and University, but it has failed to maximize its location’s potential and will have little impact on the district’s retail capacity. And as Holly has said, businesses are leaving. It seems that Wheaton has two possible paths before it: continued bifurcation or a general decline along the lines of Langley Park.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Wheaton is the last great opportunity for revitalization among the county’s four downtowns. It has Metro access and bus access. It has one of the area’s most diverse stocks of retail and restaurants. A few years ago, local residents worked with the county government to produce a vision of what a revitalized CBD could look like, and that concept appears at the beginning of this post. Here’s another view:

The left edge of the “V” is Veirs Mill Road. The right edge is Georgia Avenue. Tucked into the middle is a broad swath of green space. On all sides is a mix of retail and residential, anchored by a parking garage topped by residences just north of the central green. Here is a central community space that’s greener than Silver Spring, friendly to pedestrians and features a built-in customer base for business through integrated residential in the core.

What about the existing businesses? Preventing further exodus is a high priority for both Wheaton’s business community and its devoted customers (including this author). How about getting the developers to build retail condos, grandfathering the existing businesses as owners and subsidizing their condo mortgages? Come on, guys, this is MoCo. We’re smart, we care and we’ve got resources, so we can get this done.

But somehow, the above vision has been lost in the bureaucratic shuffle and Wheaton is starting over – again. Just as in the past, resources are being directed elsewhere, a situation exacerbated by a tight budget. Businesses continue to feel disconnected from the government and some are leaving. Residents continue to wonder what, if anything, is happening. And rumor has it that the county is coming up with a new “theme” for Wheaton. Why does it have to be re-invented again? When will we stop planning and start doing? What are we waiting for?

The future of Wheaton, and the future of America, await.

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