The third police district is pulling up its Sligo Avenue stakes for new digs on New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring’s regional director announced Thursday.
The new station house will be built on recently acquired property near the intersection of Route 29 (Columbia Pike) and New Hampshire Avenue in the White Oak area, Gary Stith told the urban-district advisory committee.
But downtown Silver Spring won’t be left in the lurch. Officers assigned to the downtown beat will work from a substation inside the firehouse on Georgia near Sligo avenues, Stith said. Currently, 32 cops work that scene, but staffing levels may change in the next few years, Capt Don Johnson, Silver Spring’s top cop, told The Penguin.
Development of the new station house is still in the planning stages, and Stith guessed it could be three years before anyone moves in (up to five years, if you ask Capt Johnson).
So what becomes of the station house on Sligo Avenue?
Don’t know, said Stith. However, the county does have a process for passing its property first to other agencies. If no county agency can use the one-acre lot, then it goes up for sale, Stith explained.
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My vote is for a park. We are sorely lacking in green space in Fenton Village and Downtown SS. The police station is in a great location and is the last parcel left here that is big enough to make a decent size park. The little pocket parks are not adequate and will not be enough to accomodate the density that is being approved for Fenton Village and SS.
A park? Are you kidding me? That would only attract loitering and littering. How about a tax-paying business.
How about a supermarket? I believe that a Trader Joes would do well in that location. This could all be wishfull thinking because I fear that the NIMBY forces in East Silver Spring would torpedo any idea that involved people “invading” their neighborhood.
Brewpub!
I agree with Karen. Furthermore, I have no idea what PJ is talking about.
Nancy- I have been to enough meetings with ESS folks to know that there will be great opposition to build this site up. Anything outside of a “park” will not be acceptable. If a developer came in and wanted to build a condo building on that site there would be an uproar. I believe that a supermarket is a business that is a critical need for the folks in that area and would also service the South Silver Spring area but I know that the forces in ESS will not want it. I can hear the complaints already- “The area is not conducive to house a supermarket; the roads weren’t built to handle alot of car traffic; the area is not the right place for a supermarket”, etc.
Also, isn’t there already a park on Sligo Ave, not too far from the police station?
pj, there is a Safeway about a 7-minute downhill walk from the police station. On the opposite corner, Fenton & Thayer, a condo building plan was approved by Park & Planning. Cross Fenton, keep walking across Wayne, and you come to Whole Foods.
Turn around and go back up Fenton, and find lots upon which literally hundreds of apartments have been proposed — near Fenton, Silver Spring & Thayer Aves. I’m not even mentioning the stuff in that area that would be between Fenton & Ga. So we need more parkland for the people who will be stuffed into those units. We already have grocery stores.
Your characterization of East Silver Spring is unfair. This is a beautiful, small-scale, deeply loved neighborhood. There are small houses with small yards, and small apartment complexes. There are big trees. People sit out on their porches. Wonderful, spontaneous conversations happen on the sidewalks.
We cannot afford to lose any more public land. And we cannot afford a commercial rezoning that would keep spreading and eating into the existing housing and trees.
I’m becoming worried about the automatic knee-jerk call for a park whenever any land is freed up for new uses. (Although I’m not sure the Sligo site is the best place for a supermarket; if it’s going to be developed, it might be better suited for something like a drugstore or medical offices, which would have a slightly lower traffic volume than a huge supermarket.)
I dearly love parks, and of course I want my daughter to have nice places to play, but all the parkland in the world doesn’t help people who spend a portion of their day trekking around the area in search of goods and services. I live in East Silver Spring in part because of the convenience, but if I could do even more of my errand-running on foot I would have more time to spend in the parks that we’re all so fond of.
I know we want people in the new apartments to have places to play, but we also need to have the basic services– and hopefully a bit more– nearby so they don’t have to add their cars to the already overcrowded streets. (Yes, maybe I’m a grocery store snob, but I barely consider the Thayer Safeway a grocery store. Diet Coke and toilet paper are about all it’s good for. I guarantee the people in the soon-to-be-built overpriced condos will agree.) Many of the people moving into these new apartments and condos will have cars– and they’re not afraid to use them. If they can’t get exactly what they want on foot, they’ll get in their cars and drive down your street (and past that lovely new park) to get to it.
Thayer, Ave., too, I agree that the Safeway needs improvement. But those condo-dwellers will overcrowd the parks we now have, regardless of how they get to anywhere.
I’m unaware of a knee-jerk call for parks. Indeed, we had to work hard to protect Jessup Blair park from major encroachment by Montgomery College. And the historic building in that park was supposed to be available to the public. Instead, it has been turned into a center for abused women.
I do most of my errand-running on foot, by the way. Including food shopping at Whole Foods and Safeway. The food (and other stuff) that I can’t get on feet I usually get from Peapod, or from Drugstore.com.
Grocery-wise, I am happier than a pig in a mud waller. I’ve got great stores I can schleup to, and can even order groceries online and get them delivered. Speaking of deliveries, the grocery stores in DC often have an informal arrangement with a driver. It’s high time to explore a neighborhood taxi service. That would also keep cars off the road and be great for people who can’t drive.
MNCPPC have published a Draft Green Space Plan for the Silver Spring Central Business District, a link to which can be found on the Silver Spring Scene or on the MNCPPC website. The draft plan acknowledges that the growing residential density in the central business district will increase demand for green space. The plan has several interesing proposals for converting surface parking lots into green spaces, (including the surface parking lot beteen Thayer Avenue and Silver Spring Avenue) however it did not contemplate the police station site being converted to a park.
I’m on board for adding more green spaces and parks to the central business district and would prefer that the parks be more centrally located in the CBD. The police station site would be a good location for some tasteful 2-3 story townhouses with small-scale retail fronting Fenton Street. I don’t think that this type of development would overly encrouch on the surrounding residential area, and it would allow more people to live within walking distance of transit and the amenities of the CBD.
The development currently proposed and one already approved for the the block bounded by SS Ave, Fenton St, Thayer Ave and Mayoral Lane includes 1,100 parking spaces. Apprpoximately 350 of those spaces are being requied by the County. Another 300 some are for an office building two blocks from the Metro at Thayer and :Mayoral Lane. There will also be 4-5 large condos. Whatever green space is included will not be very large.
The EPA last year rated SS air quality at 27 out of 100. Average for the country was about 45. Part of the reason is our lack of trees and green space.
Negotiations are currently taking place with CVS to locate at the corner of Georgia Ave and Sligo Ave.
I don’t think that the entire police station is zoned for commercial. I would have to check. However, the Master Plan Zoning in place now is CBD 1.0 along Fenton, then a short space going east is CDB 0.5 (commercial but smaller) and mid block between Fenton and Grove the zoning changes to R-60 – single family homes.
This zoning was put in place by those planning the entire SS CBD as a step down into the existing residential neighborhood. The Plan was to protect this older neighborhood with very narrow streets that cannot accommodate two-way traffic and in many cases and has few sidewalks.
The “overpriced condos” will also include workforce housing and MPDUs. The surrounding neighborhood is more working class than upscale with many apartments as well as family homes. You may have the option to go elsewhere, but people of more modest means will and do mostly shop at the Safeway. They deserved a rennovated and enlarged Safeway.
It was the goal and the promise of the rennovation to keep an economic mix by not infringing on the surrounding working class neighborhood. Thankfully ESSCA working to keep that promise.
Karen, Nancy, etc: Where can I look to find more information on the workforce housing being built in ESS? I’m looking to stop sharing rentals and find my own place next year. I live in ESS presently and would love to continue renting and perhaps one day buy something in this neighborhood, but I feel like anything considered affordable will still be overpriced enough to weed me out.
Since this thread involves the police: a neighbor of mine was assaulted last night, Wednesday, April 23, at 8:30 at the intersection of Pershing & Springvale. He was attacked by about 10 youths and seriously injured.
I doubt that these kids were hiding in ambush, so the best thing we all can do is practice “environmental awareness,” meaning just look and see what’s around you. If you see a gang of kids, turn around and head in the opposite direction, towards a busy street, etc. Do not walk past them assuming they’ll ignore you. I tried that once last year and got a sucker punch for my troubles, but it was minor and after a brief face-off, we all went our separate ways. Next time if I see a group of kids, I will put as much distance between them and me as I can, even if it means turning around and spending 15 minutes in Whole Foods. Better to be wrong and thought rude than a victim.
Be safe, everyone.
Easley, The Council just recently passed the workforce housing code. I don’t think anything has been built yet. However, it will apply to the new buildings now being proposed. I think 10% of a condo has to be workforce. You have to apply and be qualified by income. There are several levels for both individuals and families. Then you pay no more than 30-33% (I thnk) of your income for one of the units designated as workforce. I don’t have all the details, but you can call the County Council and I am sure they can direct you to the right place – Housing?? Economic Development??? or whatever agency is handling this.
Jessup Blair Park is an example of wasted green space. I don’t ever recall seeing anybody in that park during the times I have passed by. That space would have been better utilized if the college was allowed to develop it.
Regarding the air quality in SS, the best way to get better air quality is to have people take mass transit rather than driving their cars. Having a few extra trees in the neighborhood is not going to do anything for air quality. The purple line would go a long way to solving the air quality problem but I know that there is quite a bit of opposition to the purple line.
Thank you Karen. I have to say that I whole heartedly love living in ESS. The ESSCA catches alot of sh!t because of the perceived notion that they are a bunch of NIMBYS. Quite honestly, today I took a long walk through the ESS area and I can see where they are coming from. There are not many areas in the USA, let alone MD, where there is a wonderful small town feel within walking distance to a metro. If anyone on the more west end of Easley would be putting their home on the market (or Thayer, Sligo, SS Ave, Etc) I’d be willing to listen. This is a wonderful area.
To follow up, I don’t think we do enough to utilize the green space we already have. Jessup Blair is A great park and lord do I love being so close to Sligo Creek. there are alot of nice green spaces within walking distance that we should use more often.
Karen, your dedication to your community is one of the best things that ever happened to East Silver Spring.
Easley, please just try the county web site and surf around until you find something about applying for workforce housing. The website is not that user-friendly, so it will take awhile. It would be wonderful to have you as a homeowner in the ‘hood.
With the multifaceted credit crisis, however, new projects will probably be slowed. That is all the more reason to preserve existing housing, and make it affordable to people with regular jobs – wages and salaries.
I agree with Easley. East Silver Spring residents are in the enviable position of enjoying life in a low-density residential neighborhood but with easy access to a bustling downtown. I also agree with Karen that affordable housing in East Silver Spring should be preserved, and with Nancy that the area’s small single family homes should stay. Although I’ve been a strong proponent of building up Fenton Village and the rest of the CBD, I oppose development projects that would require changing the area’s existing R-60 (single family residential) zoning to multifamily or commercial uses.
However, a number of ESS residents have voiced opposition some projects in Fenton Village, like Studio Plaza and the new library, that would bring additional people and jobs to the area and let others enjoy the benefits of living in a dense, walkable community. Methinks adding additional housing to the area, especially if some of it is affordable housing, helps supply keep up with demand and would reduce the upward pressure on housing prices.
The county should build affordable housing in that area. Its a need we all agree upon.
I think they shouldnt move the police station to white oak, downtown will become worse if they leave, i mean they are building new homes and offices but with no police station? People are not gonna feel safe paying alot of money on their home but has more risk of getting robbed or mugged.
Thanks for your comment, Joshua. As it states in the article above: