Concerned about buying in WJ cluster because of re-zoning

[Anonymous]

Are we going to have boundaries drawn 2 times for WJ cluster?

MCPS is hiring a consultant to look at all boundaries in MCPS and then WJ will have it's own boundary study when before school opens.

It seems very disruptive for kids.

[Anonymous]

When house hunting in 2017 folks pay extra to live in Winston Churchill or Walt Whitman.

Walter Johnson and Wooten are the schools that homes go for less for value shoppers.

Doubt it will make much difference. This is like a Toyota for a Honda switch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When house hunting in 2017 folks pay extra to live in Winston Churchill or Walt Whitman.

Walter Johnson and Wooten are the schools that homes go for less for value shoppers.

Doubt it will make much difference. This is like a Toyota for a Honda switch.

WJ won't be the same WJ we know right now. It will make a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we going to have boundaries drawn 2 times for WJ cluster?

MCPS is hiring a consultant to look at all boundaries in MCPS and then WJ will have it's own boundary study when before school opens.

It seems very disruptive for kids.

The consultants are not redrawing boundaries; they are conducting "an in-depth review and analysis of how existing school and cluster boundaries support or impede the effective use of school facilities" and will produce a report by spring 2020. What happens after that no one knows.

Before Woodward opens (in 2023 or 2025 depending on whether or not Northwood occupies the building during its construction) there will be a boundary study to determine which areas are assigned there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When house hunting in 2017 folks pay extra to live in Winston Churchill or Walt Whitman.

Walter Johnson and Wooten are the schools that homes go for less for value shoppers.

Doubt it will make much difference. This is like a Toyota for a Honda switch.

WJ won't be the same WJ we know right now. It will make a huge difference.

You mean its boundaries won't be as far reaching?

[Anonymous]

No one wants to buy a house and then see its value drop 5%-10% in a few years because of a boundary change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to buy a house and then see its value drop 5%-10% in a few years because of a boundary change.

This change is going to happen in 2023 or 2025. Prices for close in homes in the WJ cluster, especially near Pike and Rose and walkable to Metro or MARC, are going to appreciate by that much by then anyway. People are seriously underestimating the effects that development around the Purple Line and near the Strathmore and White Flint Metros will have on prices in MoCo around these areas and close to the Beltway. Add on to that how the ripple effect of Amazon making MoCo “affordable” compared to Arlington, where tear downs will be going for $1M+ in 5-10 years, and these redistricting issues won’t have near the effect on prices that all this development has. DC is boomtown and everywhere near it will appreciate along with it. Just don’t be too far out or far out plus not near fixed rail and you’ll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to buy a house and then see its value drop 5%-10% in a few years because of a boundary change.

This change is going to happen in 2023 or 2025. Prices for close in homes in the WJ cluster, especially near Pike and Rose and walkable to Metro or MARC, are going to appreciate by that much by then anyway. People are seriously underestimating the effects that development around the Purple Line and near the Strathmore and White Flint Metros will have on prices in MoCo around these areas and close to the Beltway. Add on to that how the ripple effect of Amazon making MoCo “affordable” compared to Arlington, where tear downs will be going for $1M+ in 5-10 years, and these redistricting issues won’t have near the effect on prices that all this development has. DC is boomtown and everywhere near it will appreciate along with it. Just don’t be too far out or far out plus not near fixed rail and you’ll be fine.

If school opens in 2023 then Boundary change will happen before that. There is other section of red line with lots of development and metro walk ability. Prices are totally different for similar properties. Schools matters a lot more than you are suggesting. Every single family looked at school as a huge factor in our street before buying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to buy a house and then see its value drop 5%-10% in a few years because of a boundary change.

This change is going to happen in 2023 or 2025. Prices for close in homes in the WJ cluster, especially near Pike and Rose and walkable to Metro or MARC, are going to appreciate by that much by then anyway. People are seriously underestimating the effects that development around the Purple Line and near the Strathmore and White Flint Metros will have on prices in MoCo around these areas and close to the Beltway. Add on to that how the ripple effect of Amazon making MoCo “affordable” compared to Arlington, where tear downs will be going for $1M+ in 5-10 years, and these redistricting issues won’t have near the effect on prices that all this development has. DC is boomtown and everywhere near it will appreciate along with it. Just don’t be too far out or far out plus not near fixed rail and you’ll be fine.

I tend to agree with this. Also, at the rate of the proposed development along Rockville Pike (Twinbrook/Wegman's complex) and around Pike and Rose (there is another development planned along Montrose Parkway for townhouses and apartments), I think there is going to be far less capacity for students from DCC schools than people think.

This is the Wilgus development plan near Pike and Rose. Kids living here will presumably go to Woodward:

"During their pre-submittal sketch plan meeting, Willco Companies shared their initial plans and information about their planned redevelopment of the Wilgus Property which is located between Montrose Road and Montrose Parkway and borders Towne Road.

Though subject to change, preliminary numbers show that this redevelopment will yield 110 townhomes, 34 two over two residential units, and 600 to 675 multi-family residential units.

The current schedule shows a public hearing in May 2019, preliminary and site plan submissions in May 2019 with a preliminary plan and site plan hearing in September 2019. Construction is slated to being in the second quarter of 2020."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to buy a house and then see its value drop 5%-10% in a few years because of a boundary change.

This change is going to happen in 2023 or 2025. Prices for close in homes in the WJ cluster, especially near Pike and Rose and walkable to Metro or MARC, are going to appreciate by that much by then anyway. People are seriously underestimating the effects that development around the Purple Line and near the Strathmore and White Flint Metros will have on prices in MoCo around these areas and close to the Beltway. Add on to that how the ripple effect of Amazon making MoCo “affordable” compared to Arlington, where tear downs will be going for $1M+ in 5-10 years, and these redistricting issues won’t have near the effect on prices that all this development has. DC is boomtown and everywhere near it will appreciate along with it. Just don’t be too far out or far out plus not near fixed rail and you’ll be fine.

I tend to agree with this. Also, at the rate of the proposed development along Rockville Pike (Twinbrook/Wegman's complex) and around Pike and Rose (there is another development planned along Montrose Parkway for townhouses and apartments), I think there is going to be far less capacity for students from DCC schools than people think.

This is the Wilgus development plan near Pike and Rose. Kids living here will presumably go to Woodward:

"During their pre-submittal sketch plan meeting, Willco Companies shared their initial plans and information about their planned redevelopment of the Wilgus Property which is located between Montrose Road and Montrose Parkway and borders Towne Road.

Though subject to change, preliminary numbers show that this redevelopment will yield 110 townhomes, 34 two over two residential units, and 600 to 675 multi-family residential units.

The current schedule shows a public hearing in May 2019, preliminary and site plan submissions in May 2019 with a preliminary plan and site plan hearing in September 2019. Construction is slated to being in the second quarter of 2020."

How is this possible given the school capacity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to buy a house and then see its value drop 5%-10% in a few years because of a boundary change.

This change is going to happen in 2023 or 2025. Prices for close in homes in the WJ cluster, especially near Pike and Rose and walkable to Metro or MARC, are going to appreciate by that much by then anyway. People are seriously underestimating the effects that development around the Purple Line and near the Strathmore and White Flint Metros will have on prices in MoCo around these areas and close to the Beltway. Add on to that how the ripple effect of Amazon making MoCo “affordable” compared to Arlington, where tear downs will be going for $1M+ in 5-10 years, and these redistricting issues won’t have near the effect on prices that all this development has. DC is boomtown and everywhere near it will appreciate along with it. Just don’t be too far out or far out plus not near fixed rail and you’ll be fine.

I tend to agree with this. Also, at the rate of the proposed development along Rockville Pike (Twinbrook/Wegman's complex) and around Pike and Rose (there is another development planned along Montrose Parkway for townhouses and apartments), I think there is going to be far less capacity for students from DCC schools than people think.

This is the Wilgus development plan near Pike and Rose. Kids living here will presumably go to Woodward:

"During their pre-submittal sketch plan meeting, Willco Companies shared their initial plans and information about their planned redevelopment of the Wilgus Property which is located between Montrose Road and Montrose Parkway and borders Towne Road.

Though subject to change, preliminary numbers show that this redevelopment will yield 110 townhomes, 34 two over two residential units, and 600 to 675 multi-family residential units.

The current schedule shows a public hearing in May 2019, preliminary and site plan submissions in May 2019 with a preliminary plan and site plan hearing in September 2019. Construction is slated to being in the second quarter of 2020."

How is this possible given the school capacity?

I know, it's crazy!

[Anonymous]

Because the Long Range Planning Department staff (now Capital Planning) are awful. Because the Board of Education rubber stamps everything Dr Zuckerman says to them. Dr Smith hasn't fired Zuckerman or gotten rid of Capital Planning.

How many overcrowded schools and portables do we have?

The Planning Board and the County Council wants developers to develop and don't really want to get involved.

And so, here we are. At some point, the people that live here now will get fed up, and get rid of the pro-developer Council and rubber stamping Board. Until then, kids go to schools in portables, there isn't enough room in the hallways, isn't enough counseling space, lunch space, office spaces storage space, fields for athletes, etc. And the traffic gets worse and worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because the Long Range Planning Department staff (now Capital Planning) are awful. Because the Board of Education rubber stamps everything Dr Zuckerman says to them. Dr Smith hasn't fired Zuckerman or gotten rid of Capital Planning.

How many overcrowded schools and portables do we have?

The Planning Board and the County Council wants developers to develop and don't really want to get involved.

And so, here we are. At some point, the people that live here now will get fed up, and get rid of the pro-developer Council and rubber stamping Board. Until then, kids go to schools in portables, there isn't enough room in the hallways, isn't enough counseling space, lunch space, office spaces storage space, fields for athletes, etc. And the traffic gets worse and worse.

The city of Rockville had to vote an exception for the Twinbrook Quarter. Has the county done the same thing? If so, where are the angry people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When house hunting in 2017 folks pay extra to live in Winston Churchill or Walt Whitman.

Walter Johnson and Wooten are the schools that homes go for less for value shoppers.

Doubt it will make much difference. This is like a Toyota for a Honda switch.

WJ won't be the same WJ we know right now. It will make a huge difference.

How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When house hunting in 2017 folks pay extra to live in Winston Churchill or Walt Whitman.

Walter Johnson and Wooten are the schools that homes go for less for value shoppers.

Doubt it will make much difference. This is like a Toyota for a Honda switch.

WJ won't be the same WJ we know right now. It will make a huge difference.

How so?

If you think there is no difference between Einstein HS and WJ right now then any boundary change won't make WJ different.

If you think there is difference between Einstein and WJ right now then Boundary change will make a big difference to WJ.