Town Council Reacts to Briefing on New Middle School

The Kensington Town Council heard a briefing from Montgomery County Public Schools on the proposed new middle school at its meeting last night.

Bruce Crispell, director of Long-Range Planning for MCPS, was on hand to answer the council's questions. The council decided not to take a position on the issue until a later date.

Council members expressed frustration with the site-selection process, but many said they understood the need for a new middle school in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster.

"It seems like the process was poorly handled," Mayor Pete Fosselman said. "Especially when the only municipality adjacent to the site was not notified — not even a phone call."

Councilmember John Thompson said he's sympathetic with the residents of Rock Creek Hills, but that the overcrowding at requires a new facility.

"The demographics that required a middle school on that site in the past have returned," Thompson said. "It's not a question of where the school board wants to put a middle school."

Councilmember Lydia Sullivan said she is concerned about how a new school would affect traffic in the area, and that she would be sorry to see Rock Creek Hills Park go.

"All of my children learned to ride their bicycles and tricylces at that park," she said.

Councilmember Mackie Barch, who grew up in the Rock Creek Hills area, said he shared the community's frustrations with the way MCPS conducted its site selection.

Residents of Rock Creek Hills showed up to the meeting to voice their concerns about constructing a school on the park.

Shannon Hamm of the Rock Creek Hills Citizens' Association said her opposition to the school is hardly a "not in my backyard" issue.

"Rock Creek Hills cares about great schools," she said. "We care about great locations for schools, and Rock Creek Hills Park is not a great location for a school."

Residents argued that the park's 13-acre size is insufficient to house a middle school, and many said the are untenable.

The Council chose Councilmember Sean McMullen to represent the town at the ongoing public design meetings for the middle school. The next meeting is  at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.