DRAFT
Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee
Mid-County Regional Center, 2424 Reedie Drive
Wheaton MD 20902
January 8th,
2013
Meeting Minutes
Members
Present: Henriot St.
Gerard (Chair), Devala Janardan
(Vice Chair), Jim Onder,
Dan Thompson, Nadia Sesay,
William Moore, Marian Fryer,
Jeannette Feldner, Tom Stanton,
Luis Bonilla
Members
absent: None
Staff
Present: Ana Lopez van
Balen, Director, Mid-County Regional Center
Guests: Bertha Flores, assistant to Councilmember
Nancy Navarro
Khalid Afzal, Montgomery
County
Planning Department
Elizabeth Chaisson, Carol Bender, Kathleen Michaels, from
Green Wheaton
Melissa Brown, WRAC member
Call
to Order: 6:07pm by Vice Chair Devala Janardan in the temporary absence
of the Chair, followed by member introductions.
Motions: Motion to approve December minutes with
corrections. Motion approved.
Sub-Committee
reports:
Design: Dan Thompson
passed out handout outlining subcommittee goals and then discussed. Noted
committee will be working off of Main
street principles and pairing with Economic subcommittee in
outreach marketing. He said our goal is a walkable Wheaton.
He went on to discuss that the committees work will be subdivided into
key areas including lighting, signage, storefronts, greening, and
beautification with members assigned to these areas of responsibility. WUDAC members commented about
tie-ins to funding, walkability and subcommittee linkages, and Melissa Brown
from WRAC offered comments on a WRAC award to local businesses and the Einstein
Arts Program and a Dark Sky Initiative.
Economic: Nadia Sesay talked about a work plan
for her committee. She discussed use of vacant space and gave an example of the
vacated Gilchrist Center as possible places to showcase art. She
stated that her committee has discussed a local Coalition’s request for a
support letter and will present draft at February meeting for WUDAC to review. She noted that they
will be working with a workgroup hosted by Ana Lopez van Balen and may
incorporate that work into the subcommittee. Devala Janardan talked about the Montgomery Business
Development Corporation established by the County Council . They have a new
President and Devala presented a draft letter to WUDAC for review, introducing WUDAC and inviting the President to Wheaton. A motion was accepted to
approve a draft of the letter with changes.
A motion was made to copy the council on the letter. Motion did not pass.
Chair
Report: Henriot
St. Gerard commented on an informative Green Wheaton lighting event. He noted our blog needs updating and also
touched on a Public safety survey and upcoming County council budget hearings.
Other
Business: Khalid
Afzal from the Montgomery County Planning Department presented a detailed
review of the history and substance of the Wheaton Sector Plan and its effects
on business and residential development.
Directors
Report: Ana
Lopez van Balen reported that the business newsletter has started. She informed
WUDAC that they are
submitting an application for a National Endowment for the Arts grant. She
touched on her work with a Small Business Group reviewing regulations for the
Small Business Impact Fund, and with other groups on zoning issues. She
mentioned the upcoming Council budget hearings and a Pepco appearance at the
next MCCAB meeting.
Council
Update: Bertha Flores talked briefly about council
action regarding Wheaton Redevelopment.
Other
Business: WUDAC
was briefed by Jeannette Feldner on the actions and purpose of the Public
Safety Workgroup and the results of a survey.
WRAC
update: Melissa Brown handed out a copy of a WRAC
letter to the Montgomery County Dept of Community Affairs regarding
streetscapes in downtown Wheaton.
Other
Concerns: A representative
from Green Wheaton announced the topics of upcoming meetings. They would like to work with WRAC and WUDAC to bring a Kids
Museum to Wheaton.
Adjourn:
7:29pm