The meeting started at 7:40PM with the Vice-President presiding.

We discussed the possible need to revise the April minutes characterization of the officers’ cyber meeting in March concerning final comments on the Golf Course covenants. There was a general consensus that the April minutes were literally correct, in that they properly represented what was said at the April meeting about the March meeting—but possibly what was said at the April meeting was wrong.

The substantive questions was how the minutes ought to characterize the vote on a motion by Jim Titus to change the no development covenant from 30 years to in perpetuity. The minutes said that the motion failed on a 2-2 tie, with Titus and Wixon voting yes, and Shields and Vondrak voting no. Mary said that she had abstained on that vote. Titus said that the President declared that the motion failed, and given that Wixon and Titus voted yes, the motion would have passed had she abstained.  Titus and Vondrak agreed to review the email exchange, and to suggest changes next month if necessary.

The President arrived during the Secretary’s Report.

Treasurer’s Report: $1520 + 48 = $1568.

Announcements:

Soil Conservation Road. Attempted completion date October 14, 2006. They are working hard, and say they will be done. After that is done, there will be a 10-day grace period. Then Old Soil Conservation Road will be closed after the visitor’s center. There will be a gate to get into NASA.

Magruder House. This is the house at corner of MD-450 and MD-193, up the hill, across the street from Frank’s Nursery. There is a plan for an Office building at the corner of MD-450 and MD-193. There is a proposed bank on that parcel. Moving Magruder? Marietta does not want the house.

There is a proposal to leave the historic designation in place and move house across the street to lot 16 of the Zoglio Property. There would be a woodsy setting. It would be on a much smaller lot. It would have a stream and wetland setting somewhat similar to what they have now. At this point, it seems very doubtful that they can leave the house in place and build the office building.

The association wrote letter stating that we prefer to keep historic designation in place; second choice to move it to near Bell Station Rd. We are totally opposed to the destruction. This is a 1912 Queen Anne’s 300-acre farm. This is from the period when people first lived in Glenn Dale. It is characteristic of several houses on Bell Station Road. Characteristic of what the area looked at before it became a suburb for Washington, D.C. It would retain historic a designation.

Henry: Two decades ago, an "environmental setting" was reserved to protect the area from development. This house has larger setting than Buena Vista house. By setting, he means the area in which development can not be undertaken. Chesley, the developer, got the property for $600,000.

These things go to Historical Preservation Commission. Its recommendation goes into the staff report that goes to planning board, which recommends on whether the building should be built. All of this goes before the planning board on June 22.

Mr. Chang of M-NCPPC objected to the development.

Mary: We further discussed the idea of talking points for a letter: (1) keep house where it is; (2) keep the enormous old trees; (3) oppose off-site woodland mitigation or "fee in lieu of". We want on-site mitigation. Also request detailed site plan to see what they are proposing. Mary: Need sidewalks along MD-450. Jim: Isn’t there a bike-path there? Henry: No, the bike path starts at Bell Station. Jim: there is a side path along MD-450 between Bell Station and MD-193.

Lil: What about green buildings?

The proposal is to remove all trees for an asphalt parking lot.

Original proposal: Office Park.

Question: Why such a large parking lot? Why not put parking buildings?

Henry: Summarizing, we have two issues:

1. Saving the setting of Magruder, if we win that, fine. But if we lose we still have:
2. The level of development on that site. And this is way too great.

We passed a resolution to send a letter to M-NCPPC along the lines of the discussion. For others who want to be on the record, write Ms. Ivy Thompson, Development Review Division, following 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Driver, Upper Marlboro, Md. 20772

Reference: PP4-05144. "Fairwoods Office Park."

Sidewalks on Glenn Dale Motion for letter on sidewalks. Jim will work with Dave Wilson

Northern Avenue. Do we need speed bumps? How about traffic signals. Will they need a light at Northern Avenue at Good Luck. Probably need to see if the traffic increases enough.

Speed bumps: Typically, all residents on avenue must agree. A good first step is to do a poll and find out. Camille McKenzie and Racquel Keller will be the committee to look into this issue.

School on Northern Avenue. It was an African American one-room schoolhouse.

People in Parks Department would like to get the building, and move it to M-NCPPC lands near Dorsey Drive. Right now, the building is in terrible shape. The land was bought—no electricity and sewer. We don’t know what the owner intends to do. Mr. Turner on Historical Preservation Committee is behind it.

Proposal for lot next to Duval Shopping Center. Proposal for senior housing. Master plan does not suggest that type of use on that size. Henry will talk about that.

Letter on Livable Communities Initiative from Jack Johnson.

Henry got an entire stack of CD’s for the ICC’s EIS.

Report on Townhall meeting last Tuesday with Doug Peters. He mostly talked about the East Glenn Dale Sector plan. He showed a picture of golf course with pictures. People on Fachina Lane were told traffic would all go down Prospect Hill Rd. Then the question was raised: Councilman has money to maybe move on to the rest of the planning sector. It’s been a long time since we had a sector plan. Henry: We would be worse off with this. We ended up with more density than we had before.

Senator Leo Greene is not running for re-election. Doug Peters is running. We do not know who is running for the seat that Peters will be vacating. Rumors include: a JAG corps, Elizabeth Hewlett.

Motion to oppose any district plans.

Motion on whether we oppose a sector plan. Motion carried with one dissent.

Adjourn at 9:23.

Guest Speaker: BP gas station. Talking about car wash, which was supposed to be 725 feet. They need an amendment to increase the size of parking building to be 22 X 36. Manufacturer of the prefab carwash building doesn’t make it that small. Greenery would not change. It would decrease the "drive aisle" by 10ft. There will be no limit on the hours of the car wash.