Tear down the little Village Mall and replace it with a town center.

Top Ten resolutions for improving Montgomery Village:

1. Reinstate the 5-minute Residents Time at MVF Board meetings.
2. Elevate the expectation for civility among MVF Board members and staff in dealing with residents.
3. Drop the promotion of "Flourishing" as the Village brand.
4. Scrap plans for building the $250,000 South Valley Restroom and Concession stand.
5. Reverse the Vision 2030 Plans projects to build a four-story parking garage at the Professional Center.
6. Reverse the Vision 2030 Plans projects to relocate MVF offices from Apple Ridge Road to Montgomery Village Shopping Center.
7. Ensure the safety and security of the residents of MV and their property.
8. Promote an economic development environment for the community businesses that serve the residents of MV.
9. Position MV with the County Executive, County Council, and the Maryland delegation to ensure the recognition we deserve and the protection against government overreach and interference we need.
10. Encourage the pride of MV residents in maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the community needed to boost property values.

The shopping center.

I read the Vision 2030 and found it to be an interesting look toward the future. There is nothing set in stone in the report, just ideas, thoughts, visions for the future. There is nothing saying there will be a four story garage where the professional center is located. Has anyone asked the property owner what they might plan for their property? As well whne did the MVF vote to move their offices, I can't find anythign in previous issues of the Village News about it.
As for the County and State Elected Officials, I hear comments of nothing but praise for our leaders on staff and the Board. I agree on the comment above about the Village Mall, but it is owned by WRIT not the MVF.

I hope that we see comments here from the MVF staff and Board members.
What they want to see during 2013.

Pete,

You say that nothing is set in stone yet the Vision 2030 Plan was put together to show Montgomery County Planners what people would like to see. As the twig is bent so grows the tree. Let's nip it in the bud, not defend the undependable.

The Vision 2030 presentation plan does show a four-story parking garage at the Professional Center just behind the Courts of Whetstone. Similarly, the Vision 2030 presentation plan shows the MVF offices located in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center. Of course, you didn't find a clear voiced statement in the MV News on these objectionable items. As usual the MVF tactic is to fly under the radar.

Allow the parking of non-commercial pickup trucks in owners driveways.

No wonder the "flourishing brand" is not gaining traction beyond the MV News. The president of the MVF Board misspells it as FLORISHING. Wow!

I commend Bob Hydorn for acknowledging that the four-story parking garage shown in the Vision 2030 Plan is actually there.

I condemn Bob Hydorn for insisting that the Vision 2030 does not serve as an enabler for the Montgomery County Planners to approve the four-story parking garage at the Professional Center just behind the Courts of Whetstone.

As a resident of Whetstone, I oppose this parking garage at the edge of Whetstone as well as truck parking in Whetstone.

Bob,

How about a linguist?

Bob Hydorn, Thank you for responding, as for your typing I doubt if any of us are proficient when we don’t type all the time. It was obvious your word should have been “FLOURSHING”. What is the big deal? It looks to me like Don O’Neil doesn’t like you or Montgomery Village. I can say that the people I know appreciate all that you and the Board do for Montgomery Village.

Pete,

First check your own spelling and get back to us. You and Bob obviously attended the same school.

In business, it is unforgivable to misspell the brand.

Don, if you think this blog is business, you have a major problem with life. Such blogs are more for entertainment than anything else. So I spelled something wrong as did Bob Hydorn, so what, get a life.

Pete,

The business of the Montgomery Village Foundation is business. In fact, the MVF spent $50,000 on its "flourish" branding initiative. What is the effectiveness of the initiative to date? What indicator is clear. No one can spell it correctly!

The question was why you love living here...and we got off into why we dislike a lot. I think Don makes many good points. I'm a long time resident and came to the Village in 1972. Loved the inside mall we had, loved the parks we had, the medical center, and loved the proximity to the city and yet the distance from it, too. 'Convenience' was what I liked about living here. Much has changed and while change is good, change can sometimes be disappointing, too. I'm frustrated that our Village Center is held hostage while deteriorating and a place that's embarrassing to me. I loved having the YMCA but was disappointed when it became run-down and then run-out-of-town without any kind of facility to take its place. Why wouldn't MV take it over, fix it up, and offer a gym/swim to the residents? This would have been our inside gym/swim thay you're now proposing to convert one of our pools to. I'm just saying...
I feel (just my opinion) that putting in restrooms at the lake is inviting problems. 'Back-in-the-day' my kids took part in sports there and people never had the dire need to leave to relieve, or eat (isn't obesity a problem today?). A park should be beautiful and should try to not look like a truck stop. My goodness, no one should be inconvenienced anymore!?
I used to like going to the Village Mall past six o'clock without feeling uncertain about my safety. Whatever happened to the proposed police station? Would have been a great deterrent. Level the abandoned bank

MVF and HoA to enforce upkeep of homes and neighborhoods. Have real plan to end the gunshots and huge deteriorating situation at the Village. Great that we have parks but encouraging something like children museum as well as indoor recreation as mentioned above.

Bob,

Back to basics again on spelling!

This time it's "maintenance" not "maintance". Check it out. Spell checker knew.

Bob,

In your response to Lois, did you mean that there were takers or that there were not takers when you said, "The empty bank site on Club House Road is for lease, yet there have been takers; once again that is a privately owned property."

Please clarify.

Don, I thank you for being so attentive to any spelling and typing errors, which I might make.

Does anyone know who is running for the Montgomery Village Board this year?
I always talk to my landlord about the people.

I would want to know what the all the Montgomery Village employees are paid, from the bottom to the top.

Does the board get paid?