Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The county council has approved construction of a huge new apartment complex in our neighborhood, but our local ES is already over capacity with no new updates/improvements on the horizon. Do the council and MCPS talk to each other about this sort of thing? How do they approve these types of projects without having a plan on where the kids can go (besides adding portables which is not a solution). There doesn’t seem to be any thought as to the long term impacts to our schools……

Is this Damascus? I can't believe how close that development will be!!!! It's like right on top of the school. I really was hoping they were going to expand because I think it might be one of the oldest elementary buildings in the county, if not the oldest?

The development next to Damascus ES is for 62 townhouses. Damascus ES is on 9.42 acres, so yes, the townhouses will be next to the school. Is that a bad thing?

https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ADA-Format_StaffReport_King_Souder_Property_820210170_final_with_attachments.pdf

It's not necessarily a bad thing; there hopefully will be a fence that separates the properties because it is that close. It's just when my kiddo went to school there they were just starting to increase numbers - now they have portables. It's like the developers are trying to build on every patch of grass they can. I mean these will be WAY out of price range for most people - I only ended up in Damascus because it's what I could afford. I just wish they would put up more affordable housing for once or at least cap the rent for people! We were going to move to Clarksburg but Wilson Wims was over capacity pretty much the first year after it opened. They can't build the schools fast enough to accommodate all these new developments.

So, housing is too expensive, and there's not enough of it? Hmmm.

There will be a pedestrian connection between the development and the school parking lot, and there might be another one between the development and the back of the school.

If MCPS thinks there needs to be a fence, they can put up a fence.

Thanks for the helpful feedback Karen

Anonymous wrote:The council just wants things to get really bad so they can get people to accept even more tax increases to remedy a problem they created.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The county council has approved construction of a huge new apartment complex in our neighborhood, but our local ES is already over capacity with no new updates/improvements on the horizon. Do the council and MCPS talk to each other about this sort of thing? How do they approve these types of projects without having a plan on where the kids can go (besides adding portables which is not a solution). There doesn’t seem to be any thought as to the long term impacts to our schools……

Is this Damascus? I can't believe how close that development will be!!!! It's like right on top of the school. I really was hoping they were going to expand because I think it might be one of the oldest elementary buildings in the county, if not the oldest?

The development next to Damascus ES is for 62 townhouses. Damascus ES is on 9.42 acres, so yes, the townhouses will be next to the school. Is that a bad thing?

https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ADA-Format_StaffReport_King_Souder_Property_820210170_final_with_attachments.pdf

It's not necessarily a bad thing; there hopefully will be a fence that separates the properties because it is that close. It's just when my kiddo went to school there they were just starting to increase numbers - now they have portables. It's like the developers are trying to build on every patch of grass they can. I mean these will be WAY out of price range for most people - I only ended up in Damascus because it's what I could afford. I just wish they would put up more affordable housing for once or at least cap the rent for people! We were going to move to Clarksburg but Wilson Wims was over capacity pretty much the first year after it opened. They can't build the schools fast enough to accommodate all these new developments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The county council has approved construction of a huge new apartment complex in our neighborhood, but our local ES is already over capacity with no new updates/improvements on the horizon. Do the council and MCPS talk to each other about this sort of thing? How do they approve these types of projects without having a plan on where the kids can go (besides adding portables which is not a solution). There doesn’t seem to be any thought as to the long term impacts to our schools……

Is this Damascus? I can't believe how close that development will be!!!! It's like right on top of the school. I really was hoping they were going to expand because I think it might be one of the oldest elementary buildings in the county, if not the oldest?

The development next to Damascus ES is for 62 townhouses. Damascus ES is on 9.42 acres, so yes, the townhouses will be next to the school. Is that a bad thing?

https://montgomeryplanningboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ADA-Format_StaffReport_King_Souder_Property_820210170_final_with_attachments.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. This is an issue. Apartments count less towards school capacity as we still operate under ancient assumptions that families dont live there. Take this up with the council and school board. This is a major problem with condo and apartment construction all over the county. Of course we should build more housing. But then we should update the school capacity estimators based on units build to more closely resemble what actually happens and apply to the developers and use those funds to build more schools!!

THIS

Twinbrook ES is facing the same issue. Rampant over-development. The County Council allows developers to build, without requiring the appropriate infrastructure for the areas.

We get what we vote for in Montgomery County.

Twinbrook ES is UNDER capacity.

OP here- we’re not Twinbrook but we are a Title 1 school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. This is an issue. Apartments count less towards school capacity as we still operate under ancient assumptions that families dont live there. Take this up with the council and school board. This is a major problem with condo and apartment construction all over the county. Of course we should build more housing. But then we should update the school capacity estimators based on units build to more closely resemble what actually happens and apply to the developers and use those funds to build more schools!!

THIS

Twinbrook ES is facing the same issue. Rampant over-development. The County Council allows developers to build, without requiring the appropriate infrastructure for the areas.

We get what we vote for in Montgomery County.

Twinbrook ES is UNDER capacity.

OP here- we’re not Twinbrook but we are a Title 1 school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. This is an issue. Apartments count less towards school capacity as we still operate under ancient assumptions that families dont live there. Take this up with the council and school board. This is a major problem with condo and apartment construction all over the county. Of course we should build more housing. But then we should update the school capacity estimators based on units build to more closely resemble what actually happens and apply to the developers and use those funds to build more schools!!

THIS

Twinbrook ES is facing the same issue. Rampant over-development. The County Council allows developers to build, without requiring the appropriate infrastructure for the areas.

We get what we vote for in Montgomery County.

Twinbrook ES is UNDER capacity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. This is an issue. Apartments count less towards school capacity as we still operate under ancient assumptions that families dont live there. Take this up with the council and school board. This is a major problem with condo and apartment construction all over the county. Of course we should build more housing. But then we should update the school capacity estimators based on units build to more closely resemble what actually happens and apply to the developers and use those funds to build more schools!!

THIS

Twinbrook ES is facing the same issue. Rampant over-development. The County Council allows developers to build, without requiring the appropriate infrastructure for the areas.

We get what we vote for in Montgomery County.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think these new developments have to pay into a fund to help offset the costs of things like schools, but typically the county council exempts their developer pals since they help finance their reelection bids. In a few areas, there have been moratoriums on new development since the schools are already overcapacity but they also often waive that.

Can you tell us more about that? I know many on the county council accept a lot of money from realtors. Kind of a conflict of interest if they are then able to waive these much needed fees that then go towards schools….

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. This is an issue. Apartments count less towards school capacity as we still operate under ancient assumptions that families dont live there. Take this up with the council and school board. This is a major problem with condo and apartment construction all over the county. Of course we should build more housing. But then we should update the school capacity estimators based on units build to more closely resemble what actually happens and apply to the developers and use those funds to build more schools!!

THIS

Twinbrook ES is facing the same issue. Rampant over-development. The County Council allows developers to build, without requiring the appropriate infrastructure for the areas.

We get what we vote for in Montgomery County.

Anonymous wrote:The people saying that development is closed, or building is not allowed when a school is over capacity (even over 92 seats an at ES 6 years out), are incorrect.

The Planning Board did away with moratorium a few years back. They also did away with the impact taxes builders pay when this happens, because they suggested an increase in recordation taxes (progressive) instead (because they said overcrowding was from turnover in single family homes, not from development).

Except the county council received pushback from the Association of Realtors, and never increased the recordation tax.

In summary:
- unlimited building allowed, no moratoriums
-school CIP budget in a downward spiral (no impact taxes)
-affordable housing and more housing is what they all care about, not overcrowded schools

Anonymous wrote:Yes. This is an issue. Apartments count less towards school capacity as we still operate under ancient assumptions that families dont live there. Take this up with the council and school board. This is a major problem with condo and apartment construction all over the county. Of course we should build more housing. But then we should update the school capacity estimators based on units build to more closely resemble what actually happens and apply to the developers and use those funds to build more schools!!