Was the Bethesda-Chevy Chase middle-school site selection rushed?

 

The critics have been expressing their concerns that the middle-school site selection was rather rash and the people behind it did not see through the complete cost and impact analysis. 

It was only last February 22 that the committee voted to recommend Rock Creek Hills Local Park as the building site of the new middle school, with North Chevy Chase Local Park as an alternative.

The final report included recommendations from the committee of residents, parks, school officials and the minority reports of the committee members that did not approve of the decision.

Brook Farquhar, supervisor for park and trail planning for the county parks department and one of the opposing members, stated in her report that costs were not thoroughly evaluated in the process and misinformation may have prejudiced the votes of committee members.

She also added that sites should have been analyzed more thoroughly to allow for consistent comparisons, and the cost of replacing lost parkland and facilities was not analyzed.

Sandra van Bochove, a representative of Rock Creek Hills Citizens’ Association, voiced out that there has been an underestimation of over $18M for the entire cost of building the school.

According to John Tierney, the construction manager hired by the association to oversee the project, overall cost would be $64.5M. A feasibility study done in 2011 by Montgomery County Public Schools only had $46.5M estimation.

The new middle school is the answer to overcrowding at Westland, the lone middle school in the area. All the sixth-graders at Chevy Chase and North Chevy Chase elementary schools will also be reassigned to this new school. MCPS stated that the new school must be operational by 2017.

Community Planner Fred Boyd indicated in his minority report that the site selection committee did not delineate the consequences on Westland or the delay of site selection beyond 2017. He also added that time constraint turned the committee towards parks as opposed to getting better public and private sites.

On the approving side, director of long-planning for the school system Bruce Crispell promoted the selection process and added the MCPS does value the parks and don’t consider them vacant land.

Potential loss facilities at Rock Creek Hills Park include a playground, two soccer fields, two tennis courts and woodland with the Rock Hills Citizens’ Association being more critical of losing the two soccer fields.

Farquhar’s report also hinted that athletic field users in Bethesda are frequently turned down for field time as the area has the lowest level of park and recreation services per capita in the whole county.

She also recommended that private sites should be kept on the table and while she principally dissent the plan of building on parkland, she said that using the old Lynbrook school site would result to a less impact on the recreational system in general. It would require the high school sports teams to relocate to another field on weekdays.

Teresa Murray, a Parents’ Council representative, pointed out about the new school’s effect on diversity. If the new middle school were built in Rock Creek, students coming from more affluent, predominantly white portions would most likely be assigned to Westland while those coming from more racially and economically diverse areas would be assigned to the new school.

Is building the new middle school in Rock Hills a good idea?

This decision would surely change our lives as residents of Rock Creek, any thoughts? Call me, Mynor Herrera, I can also give you expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda, and Whitehall Condominium.