The city has officially agreed to hit pause on the Design Guidelines and address our concerns properly. This outcome belongs entirely to the 238 of you who stood up for a fair process. I am just humbled to have been part of this with you.
February 10, 2023
Final supporters
We are members of the West End community who oppose heightened restriction on property rights through Design Guidelines without sufficient awareness and input from the impacted residents and without sufficient research on the impacts of these restrictions. We call on WECA and the City to:
1. Revise the existing survey to clearly state the purpose and how responses will be used and to ensure that survey questions are neutral and not leading. Discontinue any reliance on the prior survey as support for the restrictions.
2. Distribute the survey three times via hand delivery, email, and public notice. Allow two full months to collect responses.
3. Create two new positions on the "Design Guidelines" committee of WECA to ensure that the perspectives of a diverse group are taken into account. Fill those positions with a preference toward individuals who are skeptical of Design Guidelines.
4. Conduct an impact analysis of the potential impact of restrictions on property values for a variety of homes and lots.
5. Conduct an analysis and make publicly available data to support that each restriction would have the intended effect. (For example, would a requirement restricting the types of building materials have a materially significant impact on residents' perception of "walkability" and/or address storm water management concerns?)
6. Pause further development of Design Guidelines until all of the above are completed.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
December 6, 2022
85 Comments
417 W.Montgomery Ave. We do not need more oversight from WECA. We already have the City of Rockville planning commission and the Historic District Commision. Why do we need another committee. Makes little sense !
The proposed design standards seem highly subjective and overbearing. Many of us are not living in historic houses for a reason and shouldn’t be subjected to strict design regulations as if we were.
I completed the survey because the wording of the questions raised a lot of red flags for me. Otherwise, I may have disregarded it entirely, as I'm sure others did. There is a big difference between "what do you prefer?" and "what do you think should be restricted?" The survey implied the first question.
Rockville City already has a highly regulated process for remodeling homes and I feel WECA is trying to misrepresent what the majority of the West End Citizens want. WECA is not an HOA and shouldn’t act like one.
I worry about the unintended negative economic impact this could have on our neighborhood. I believe we need more engagement from community members and better rationale/justification for these recommendations.
This plan needs more input from the residents of the West End. Please slow down and get a broader perspective of the community. It could have significant ramifications on property values.
Hello! I would like to share my views but I would like to stay anonymous, is this possible for reasons that I will state?
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The city has officially agreed to hit pause on the Design Guidelines and address our concerns properly. This outcome belongs entirely to the 238 of you who stood up for a fair process. I am just humbled to have been part of this with you.
February 10, 2023
Final supporters
We are members of the West End community who oppose heightened restriction on property rights through Design Guidelines without sufficient awareness and input from the impacted residents and without sufficient research on the impacts of these restrictions. We call on WECA and the City to:
1. Revise the existing survey to clearly state the purpose and how responses will be used and to ensure that survey questions are neutral and not leading. Discontinue any reliance on the prior survey as support for the restrictions.
2. Distribute the survey three times via hand delivery, email, and public notice. Allow two full months to collect responses.
3. Create two new positions on the "Design Guidelines" committee of WECA to ensure that the perspectives of a diverse group are taken into account. Fill those positions with a preference toward individuals who are skeptical of Design Guidelines.
4. Conduct an impact analysis of the potential impact of restrictions on property values for a variety of homes and lots.
5. Conduct an analysis and make publicly available data to support that each restriction would have the intended effect. (For example, would a requirement restricting the types of building materials have a materially significant impact on residents' perception of "walkability" and/or address storm water management concerns?)
6. Pause further development of Design Guidelines until all of the above are completed.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
December 6, 2022
85 Comments
The proposed architectural standards are poorly articulated, and conflate an esthetic that apparently is favored by one group within the West End with traditional zoning requirements. This idea needs considerably more study and broad community involvement before the city government should even begin to consider modifying the zoning ordinance.
417 W.Montgomery Ave. We do not need more oversight from WECA. We already have the City of Rockville planning commission and the Historic District Commision. Why do we need another committee. Makes little sense !
The proposed design standards seem highly subjective and overbearing. Many of us are not living in historic houses for a reason and shouldn’t be subjected to strict design regulations as if we were.
I completed the survey because the wording of the questions raised a lot of red flags for me. Otherwise, I may have disregarded it entirely, as I'm sure others did. There is a big difference between "what do you prefer?" and "what do you think should be restricted?" The survey implied the first question.
Rockville City already has a highly regulated process for remodeling homes and I feel WECA is trying to misrepresent what the majority of the West End Citizens want. WECA is not an HOA and shouldn’t act like one.
I worry about the unintended negative economic impact this could have on our neighborhood. I believe we need more engagement from community members and better rationale/justification for these recommendations.
This plan needs more input from the residents of the West End. Please slow down and get a broader perspective of the community. It could have significant ramifications on property values.
Hello! I would like to share my views but I would like to stay anonymous, is this possible for reasons that I will state?
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The proposed architectural standards are poorly articulated, and conflate an esthetic that apparently is favored by one group within the West End with traditional zoning requirements. This idea needs considerably more study and broad community involvement before the city government should even begin to consider modifying the zoning ordinance.