Last week, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett was sent a formal letter recommending specific projects to be included in the capital budget from the East County Citizens Advisory Board, an advisory group that represents communities in East County.
The letter lists dozens of high-priority projects to serve transportation, transit, commercial revitalization, parks, recreation, and public safety needs. K-12 education needs were not included because the public school budget is managed by the Board of Education, not the County Executive.
Projects on the list include:
- Street resurfacing in Hillandale
- Sidewalks in Hillandale, Good Hope, Colesville, Burnt Mills, and Calverton
- Bus Rapid Transit on MD 29
- White Oak Science Gateway (transportation improvements)
- Revitalization of Burtonsville (construction of the long-delayed access road, improvements to MD 198, and new recreation centers)
- Hiker and biker trails along Paint Branch Valley, ICC, and Northwest Branch
- Dog parks in East County
- Renovations to Hillandale Park and Fire Station
- Renovations to Martin Luther King, Jr. Swim Center
The full letter is presented at the end of this post.
The list was developed after a public workshop at the East County Regional Services Center hosted by ECRSC Director Jewru Bandeh and ECCAB Chair Peter Myo Khin. Councilmember Marc Elrich and representatives from various county departments, including Parks, Recreation, Transportation, General Services, and Libraries were also in attendance to explain their department’s mission and assist residents identify priority projects.
Approximately twenty residents participated in the workshop, and only two attendees were under the age of thirty. Participants were split into groups and provided approximately one hour to develop a list.
Based on the group recommendations at the workshop, the ECCAB developed a letter with a list of recommended capital projects. The letter is presented below.
What can you do to get involved?
- Attend future meetings at the East County Regional Services Center. To be added to the ECRSC email list, contact Director Jewru Bandeh at eastco.citizen@montgomerycountymd.gov.
- Contact your County Councilmembers with your suggestions for the capital budget. Their contact information is available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/members.