Friends,
I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend with your loved ones. As the wife of a former U.S. Marine, my family remembered and honored the brave men and women who sacrificed for our nation, and reflected on the freedoms we enjoy because of their sacrifice.
In part two (read part one on education and economic development) of my series on next year’s budget, we are going to zoom in on the resources we are investing on transportation, public safety, health and human services, and the environment. This second (and last) budget letter will connect our Capital Improvement Program (CIP) wins in District 6 with the operating budget, and how they reflect on our vision of building a connected community to walk, bike, roll, take transit and drive.
Let’s remember, the CIP is prepared every two years to cover a six-year cycle. With the significant needs all across our county, we hustled to ensure we had all the votes needed among colleagues to approve significant projects in our district, including the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center; Forest Glen Passageway; Wheaton Regional Park Improvements; the Veirs Mill Corridor BRT connecting Wheaton, Aspen Hill and Rockville; and the life science economic development efforts mentioned last week that will impact our advocacy for a pedestrian trail over the CSX tracks connecting the Randolph Hills neighborhood with the North Bethesda metro station.
Check out all of these APPROVED projects:
Getting people moving, safely
BUS RAPID TRANSIT ON VEIRS MILL RD – $169.04M
This project on Veirs Mill Road is about saving lifes as people walk, bike, roll and take transit in this neighborhood. It builds sidewalks and crossings as it creates a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Veirs Mill Road to be completed in FY27, connecting with MD 355 BRT at Montgomery College Rockville. Together, they will achieve an unprecedented expansion of the County’s transit network to provide rapid transit service from Wheaton to Germantown.
WHEATON BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY PROJECTS – $11.55M
This project funds a number of vision-zero projects in downtown Wheaton and surrounding neighborhoods, including the Amherst Ave Separated Bikeway (due to be completed this year) and neighborhood greenways on Upton Drive and McComas Avenue.
WHEATON URBAN DISTRICT – $125K
Sidewalk Streetscape, lighting and Façade improvements.
TWINBROOK CONNECTION TRAIL – $1.5M
This project will design and construct the relocation of the existing Parklawn North ConnectorTrail from the roadway shoulder to facilitate the BRT line on Veirs Mill Road between Rock Creek and Aspen Hill Road in Rockville. The long-term BRT alternative for Veirs Mill Road includes curbside dedicated lanes, which will conflict with the existing trail location. The project will be managed by Montgomery Parks with the intention of relocating the trail prior to BRT construction in this vicinity.
FOREST GLEN PASSAGEWAY – $44.47M
We were able to keep the project, but with a two year delay due to fiscal capacity. While the project is set to be finished by FY30, the public hearings are underway; you can find the latest presentation on May 16, 2024 here.
SUMMIT AVENUE EXTENSION – $31M
The project to extend Summit Ave from Plyers Mill Rd in District 6 to Farragut Rd supports the vision of Thrive 2050 for walkable communities, and it is part of the greater vision for our partners in the Town of Kensington.
As part of the Planning Department’s approved portfolio for FY25, successfully added: GEORGIA AVENUE CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN AND THE PARKING LOT DESIGN STUDY, and added funds to continue to fund the University Boulevard Corridor Plan, Glenmont Corridors Opportunity Study, and the Wheaton Placemaking Festival. These are significant efforts to improve Georgia Ave, University Blvd – plus Veirs Mill Road with the aforementioned BRT investment – with the goal of planning safe connections to the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Wheaton Regional Park and its upcoming Adventure Park, Brookside Gardens, Wheaton Streetery and all the amazing restaurants in the area, the library and schools.
Deep dive into Wheaton Parks and Arts
District 6 has a wealth of cultural and park resources–it’s why I love living here–and I am beyond excited that this year’s budget invests heavily in these areas:
WHEATON REGIONAL PARK IMPROVEMENTS – $18.3M
Consistent with the Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan, the Council has approved nearly $18.3 million–representing nearly a 55% increase in County funds, or a little over $6.6M, from the previously approved project–for many exciting upgrades to the park, which could include the Adventure Sports Park, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, entrance enhancements, wayfinding, parking lot renovations/expansions, community gardens, dog park facilities, court renovations and conversions, restroom building improvements, and more.
WHEATON ARTS AND CULTURAL CENTER – $40.33M
The funding is to provide for planning, site feasibility, design and construction for the new arts and cultural facility. This center is proposed to be co-located with a housing project to be developed by Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) at 11507 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton. MHP proposes to develop a mixed-income, affordable, multi-family development containing up to 320 multi-family units in two buildings, 39 townhomes, 15,000 square feet of office space, and the arts and cultural center. The Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center will be located on the ground floor of the first multi-family building fronting on Georgia Avenue. The arts center will be approximately 40,000 square feet. The second community conversation on this Arts and Cultural Center to review the comments from the first meeting will take place on June 20th at 6pm at the Wheaton Library; the flyer about this meeting will be released soon.
By the way, congratulations to District Bistro in Wheaton for being named by The Washington Post as one of the top 26 new restaurants in the DC Region! Check it out!
Investing in Public Safety
Support for the police and fire and rescue is essential, and providing them with the resources they need is vital.
Police Department – $330 million, a 5.41% increase.
Fire and Rescue – $290 million, which includes six new firefighter positions to improve response times.
Some highlights:
- Increased funding to expand the successful Police Cadet Program.
- After the success in Wheaton and Silver Spring, expanded the Drone as First Responder (DFR) program to Montgomery Village, Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Bethesda.
- $1.2 million for security grants to protect our faith-based and ethnic-based organizations who are facing increasing threats and hate crimes.
Social Safety Net
Our most vulnerable residents are still grappling with a variety of health and economic challenges. As the Federal COVID-19 aid is set to expire this year, we are stepping up with County resources to mitigate the shortfall for FY25. Some highlights include:
Department of Health and Human Services – more than $504M, which represents a 5.8 percent increase.
The MoCo Pride Center – $500K
As Pride Month arrives in June, I am thrilled to express my unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community in Montgomery County with this investment.
Addressing homelessness – $49M
These funds will go to Services to End and Prevent Homelessness (SEPH) and will be used to provide access to safe, affordable housing through a continuum of services that includes housing stabilization, homeless diversion and permanent housing options.
As you know, last year, due to deaths happening in our community for fentanyl, I took this issue as one of my top priorities. I successfully got funding for treatment centers for youth; you can read the article from MoCo 360. Then, secured a partnership with a trusted non-profit called Identity to work with at-risk youth and their families in Aspen Hill, Glenmont and Wheaton. Thanks to the work with Identify, in partnership with the Police and the Department of Health and Human Services, I am happy to announce that about 40 young people have been placed in different treatment plans thanks to this work. If you know of a family affected by fentanyl use, please contact my office at Councilmember.Fani-Gonzalez@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov.
Doing our part for climate justice
I am proud of the sound investments this budget makes on green initiatives. These investments reflect my steadfast commitment to fighting for a healthier and more sustainable future. Here are the highlights:
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) funding – nearly $200M
DEP’s efforts are crucial in protecting and improving our air, water, and land, fostering smart growth, a sustainable economy, and healthy communities.
Montgomery County Green Bank – more than $19M, representing an increase of over $478,000 from last year’s budget.
Climate Change NDA – $718,344, nearly a 50 percent increase from the previous year. This funding supports the development of the Climate Action Plan and assists various departments with climate-related initiatives.
If you have made it this far, I want to thank you for your attention and participation in the annual budget process. Passing a $7.1 billion budget takes a village, and I couldn’t have done my part without your phone calls, emails, social media posts, and public hearing testimony.
It is an honor to represent you on the County Council.
Sincerely,
Natali Fani-González
Councilmember, District 6
Chair, Economic Development Committee
PS: Check out the upgraded playground at Sligo-Dennis Local Park in our District. I visited this playground with my kids this past weekend while riding on Sligo Creek Parkway, check it out!
