Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago I attended The State of the County Address
and listened to County Executive Leggett discuss the great strides Montgomery
County has made in the past year.
Leggett discussed the strength of our local economy, successes in
education, and the growing diversity of the County. He also laid out a vision
for the future and discussed the growth and redevelopment happening in areas
such as White Flint, Bethesda, and Gaithersburg to name a few. Overall, the
speech was well received and many in attendance felt good about the direction
the County was heading on many economic fronts.
What struck me most about the speech was that there was no
mention of Wheaton, especially during the discussion of areas in the County
going through redevelopment. I took this omission as a challenge for WUDAC to
work harder in ensuring that Wheaton is not ignored when it comes to communities
working towards developing into their own unique and individual locales for
families, small businesses, and visitors.
As Chair, it is
important that WUDAC strive to promote and highlight the great things happening
in and around the Wheaton Urban District. WUDAC is working hard to
address issues such as lighting, greening, walkability, economic development,
and arts and entertainment. Our Economic
and Design subcommittees are staying on top of current issues affecting the
area, as well as taking the lead on other matters before they arise. All these
steps are done by design, and I am happy to report that they are yielding
positive results.
The Wheaton
website and WUDAC blog sites receive steady traffic and are updated regularly
with community news, events, and other pertinent information. WUDAC has also
invited County officials and community groups to speak at our monthly meetings
and provide input and guidance on ways to improve the Urban District. Finally,
WUDAC sent a letter to the County Executive seeking transparency on the
progress of Wheaton Redevelopment and full funding in the FY14 budget for Bill
6-12. It is imperative that there are no delays in redevelopment as WUDAC works
on other issues of the Urban District.
Looking forward,
WUDAC looks to seek continued support for priorities of the Urban District and
Wheaton Redevelopment. Some of our priorities in the next few months include:
- Recommending that
the County Executive and County Council endorse the Urban District’s FY14
budget requests for gateway signs and seasonal banners, greening projects, and
promotional materials to boost advertising for current and new events around
Wheaton.
- Continued
outreach to the community seeking their input on matters important to them. WUDAC
members will continue to attend community events and report on any relevant
issues that come from these gatherings.
- Continuing to stay on top of redevelopment and collaborating with our colleagues at the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee (WRAC) to ensure that there is no delay in funding for any aspect of redevelopment.
Great things are happening in and around Wheaton and the
Urban District. WUDAC’s aim is to highlight these accomplishments and champion
issues and causes important to the community. We are working diligently to
achieve this goal and are making sure County officials are aware of this
progress and that Wheaton Redevelopment is an open and transparent process. In
the next few months, WUDAC will work towards seeking our FY14 budget priorities
and ensuring that Wheaton Redevelopment moves forward with no delay. The input
and support of the community is vital towards this goal and we hope you can
lend your voice to the cause.
Henriot St. Gerard
Chair
Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee