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Newsletter, Dec. 2008

Email: manager@chevychasesection5.org

VOLUME 42   NUMBER 4   DECEMBER 2008

Please remember if it snows or the forecast calls for snow—get your cars off the streets and into the driveways so the plows can do their work. If snowfall is deep, please clear a safe path to your household trash can or leave trash curbside on trash collection days.

Also, remember if the snowfall is more than 2 inches, Section 5 will pay to have someone shovel the sidewalks.

The weather man had said all week that it would not rain on our party even though a hurricane had pummeled the Texas coast. In spite of the weatherman’s reassurances the manager was very worried. Just as the weatherman had predicted the sun rose bright and beautiful Sunday, September 7th. Many Section 5 residents, 225 in all, turned out for a fun-filled day with children playing on the moon bounces, trying their skills with the games and lining up for a treat at the ice cream truck. Adults were able to spend time at a more leisurely pace—eating with friends and catching up on the latest neighborhood news. It has been reported that many adults were also in the line at the ice cream truck.

Some people came who did not make reservations and as a result some people who made reservations and came a little later were turned away without food. Only 135 made reservations but 225 people came. PLEASE, in the future call for reservations.

Section 5 welcomes Michael and Jennifer Gershberg and their son, Matthew. They have moved into 3808 Thornapple St.

At the November Council meeting the Council enacted an addendum to the fence ordinance. The following is a copy of this addendum; the words in bold print are the new material.

(5) A fence situated on a corner lot where the resident can show the fence is necessary for the reasonable use of the property. This fence may not exceed four (4) feet in height and must be set back three (3) feet from the edge of the public sidewalk or edge of the public land closest to the property owner. The owner must install suitable camouflage such as shrubs in this 3 foot setback not to exceed the height of the fence.

At the November Council meeting the manager explained to the Council that construction vehicles have been parking their vehicles over the curb on Dalkeith Street and have destroyed the curb in some places. As a result of this destruction the Council decided to enact an ordinance precluding parking on Dalkeith Street. A copy of this proposed ordinance was sent to residents before the November Council meeting where they had an opportunity to voice their opinions.

The following is a copy of this new ordinance:

Sec. 8-600 Restricted Parking Dalkeith Street

Whereas it is necessary for the safety, health, life, and general welfare of the inhabitants of Section 5 that parking of motor vehicles not hinder the passage of emergency vehicles and as the Council has determined that no parking on Dalkeith Street between Underwood Street and Thornapple Street is necessary to assure the passage of emergency vehicles, be it enacted that:

  1. The parking of motor vehicles on Dalkeith Street between Underwood Street and Thornapple Street is not allowed;
  2. The street shall be posted to inform the public of this restriction.
  3. The Police Department of Montgomery County shall be advised of this ordinance and requested to enforce it in the same manner and with the same penalty as Montgomery County parking restrictions on residential streets.

*** Annotation Enacted November 11, 2008.

Before you get too far into your planning, please contact the manager at 301-986-5481 about Section 5 building ordinances.

BEFORE you get a Montgomery County permit, before you spend money on plans, check to see if your plans will meet Section 5’s building requirements. Please ask questions up front to save problems down the road.

The County animal control code requires that you keep your dog on a leash whenever the dog is not on your property. Also, you must clean up after your dog. Please keep our sidewalks and yards clean from dog waste. Please remember that your barking dog may not be music to your neighbors’ ears. Dogs who are left outdoors for long periods of time often bark incessantly and become real nuisances to neighbors.

Cold weather is upon us and rats are looking for a warm place to spend the winter—inside your house. Make sure that you block all the entry places in your house where rats may come in from the cold. Be certain to secure the lid on your trash can so rats and other animals may not feast on your trash. The inside of your garbage can may contain bits of food that can attract rats or other creatures like raccoons or possums, so wash them. Compost piles and bird feeders should be managed with care because they too may provide food for rodents.

The Council has received complaints from residents concerning on-street parking. Please be courteous to your neighbors by parking in your driveway when possible and this will free up parking spots on the street. On-street parking is very often at a premium because some houses do not have driveways.

The Section 5 Council has always considered the trees in our town to be one of our most important assets. The trees maintained by Section 5 and the trees in your yards continue to give us an atmosphere that makes living more pleasant and keeps our property values increasing. In recent years all of us have learned that our trees make a substantial contribution to a healthy environment.

This year Section 5’s Council offered a free tree to each of its residents and nine residents contacted the town to receive a free tree. In addition to these nine private trees the Council will also plant ten public trees this fall to replace trees which had to be removed.

Many of the house numbers in Section 5 are not visible from the street, particularly at night or in bad weather. It is very important that your house can be identified by visitors or Fire and Rescue personnel. Please think about what might happen if someone calls 911 because of a problem at your house and responders are delayed because they could not locate you.

This is the new list of acceptable plastics:

  • Plastic food-grade tubs and lids
    Examples: margarine/butter tubs, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, whipped topping, peanut butter and deli containers, and prescription bottles
  • Narrow-neck plastic bottles that contained food, drink and household products
    Examples: milk, juice, water, syrup, vegetable oil, salad dressing, cleaning, detergent and shampoo/conditioner bottles
  • Plastic pails/buckets
    Examples: ice cream, detergent, pet food and kitty litter containers.
  • Plastic flower pots
  • Plastic beverage cups

Remember to empty your recyclable bottles before placing them in the bin because if there is liquid still in the bottles, someone on the sorting line must pull those bottles and dump them on the floor. The frontend loader then runs over the bottles crushing them and allowing the liquids to drain out. This creates a mess and reduces the processing efficiency.

  • Shady Grove Transfer Station hazardous waste drop location will accept car batteries.
  • Cell phone and any other non rechargeable batteries or nickel, lithium or other speciality batteries can be dropped off at Radio Shack, Verizon, Strosniders or the Apple Retail Store. They all participate in a program sponsored by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, a national nonprofit organization.

The current effort to insert a pedestrian walkway along Brookville Road began three years ago. The last major milestone in the project occurred almost a full year ago and constituted a fairly potent setback. In December last year, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) rebuffed significant aspects of the 30% design developed to that point and in a subsequent review by the State Highway Administration (SHA), officials there offered no compromise to the HPC preferences. Essentially, the design was at an impasse and the Village Board of Managers directed staff to gather with the engineers, HPC and SHA representatives and return to the drawing board.

Nine months later, the Village is now in a position to return to both the HPC and SHA for formal design approval. In the time since, the walkway’s width, divider material, handicap access accommodations, and private property impacts have all been revised. Important from the project’s inception was that the walkway should be a space separated from vehicular traffic, be installed at-grade rather than elevated and not be made of concrete. The revised design remains true to these prerequisites and preliminary informal reviews by both HPC and SHA officials have both been positive.

Summary of Design Elements

The walkway surface will be gravel held in place with a plastic honey-combed matrix. Gravel in this construction is environmentally friendly, handicapped accessible and will replicate both the color and texture of the walking surface as it exists naturally along the corridor today. Sample installations may be seen at the Pentagon’s recently opened “9/11 Memorial” and at the Botanical Gardens on Constitution Avenue downtown.

The walkway width will undulate from a minimum just under 3-feet wide to a maximum of 5-feet. Half of the overall walkway’s length will be less than 5-feet and half will be at 5-feet.

The divider between vehicles and pedestrians is proposed as rough-sawn timbers with a steel backing plate for additional strength and impact resistance. The timber will be 6”x8” pressure treated material and weather to a grey. It will be rustic but strong and elevated 2 inches above the ground to allow the free flow of rainwater onto the porous walkway.

The roadway shifts have been scaled back. At only three points along the corridor is the existing asphalt road surface shifted to the west. In two of those locations the shift is 1 ½ feet and less.

The handicapped access ramps’ “tactile warning surfaces” will be cast iron instead of yellow plastic appliqués that pepper most new constructions.

The Village Board of Managers considered these recommendations at its October meeting.

Courtesy of the Village newsletter

Maryland’s Underground Facilities law, more commonly known as the “Miss Utility Law,” was enacted in 1974 to protect underground public service utility lines from damage and to prevent injuries and death. All excavation operations, including grading, digging, drilling, tunneling, trenching, ditching, augering, scraping or driving a mass of material must follow the “Miss Utility” requirements.

“Miss Utility” is a one-call notification center that notifies underground utility owners of proposed excavation projects. To make a locate request, call “Miss Utility” at 1-800-257-7777 or use the “Miss Utility” internet site at www.missutility.net and provide the exact location of the proposed excavation. Your locate request will be assigned a locate ticket number. You can learn if your site has been marked 48 hours after your request is made by calling “Miss Utility Ticket Check” at 1-800-821-4226.

When kitchen grease is discharged into the sewer, it cools and accumulates on the sidewalls of the sewer pipes. Over time, this accumulation of grease restricts the flow and causes blockages in the sewer which may result in overflowing manholes or basement back back-ups. Overflows can discharge to storm drains and creeks that ultimately flow to the Chesapeake Bay. Grease poured down kitchen drains can clog sewer pipes, spewing sewage into streams and rivers or into your basement. Follow these easy steps to prevent sewage back-ups and overflows:

  • Some cooking oils can be recycled into biofuels. Check to see if Montgomery County accepts cooking oil at their recycling facility.
  • Some food and sauces have oils in them. Scrape food into the trash or put them into your compost pile.
  • Never pour kitchen grease or oil down the drain, even if you are “washing it down” with hot water.
  • Pour cooled grease into a can (a soup can works great) and throw away.

Section 5 wants you to have a safe and enjoyable holiday. Please take a moment to review the following suggestions:

Safety Tips

  • Always park in well lit areas when shopping.
  • Never leave packages or valuables in plain sight in your vehicle.
  • Whenever possible, walk in groups.
  • Walk confidently (a potential mugger or thief will target people who seem apprehensive).
  • Be aware of your surroundings.
  • If you notice something that does not seem right, then it probably is not. Request assistance from security personnel.
  • When walking toward your vehicle, have your keys in your hand.

Protect Yourself Against Fraud

  • Sign all credit cards prior to activation.
  • Take only credit cards with you that you need.
  • Do not keep check cashing cards in your checkbook.
  • Keep purses or bags securely closed.
  • Keep your glove compartment locked or keep your registration on you as it contains vital personal information.
  • When carrying large amounts of cash, keep it in different places, rather than in one place.
  • Never reveal your social security number to strangers or telemarketers.
  • Never throw out anything that contains personal information without shredding it first (thieves search through trash in hopes of finding such material).

COUNCIL MEMBERS; Andrew Smith, Chairman; Ira Rosenbaum, Vice-Chairman; Margy Abbott, Treasurer; Peter Gray, Building Inspector; Chris Richardson.

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