UPDATED: MSI To Develop Soccer Fields At Brickyard Road
Montgomery County has formally chosen MSI to develop soccer fields at Brickyard Road in Potomac
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Pdfs
Updated, 2 p.m.: Montgomery County has chosen Montgomery Soccer, Inc. for the development of soccer fields at Brickyard Road in Potomac.
County spokesman Patrick Lacefield released the following statement to Patch:
"The selection committee has completed its proposal review and negotiations with MSI for the development of fields at the Brickyard Road property. MSI was the only offeror to submit a proposal in response to the advertised RFQ. MSI will be performing its work under a sub-lease from the County."
Public notice of the intended sublease was released today in the Washington Examiner.
The Brickyard Coalition, made up of civic organizations opposing the soccer field project, has said it is disappointed with the county's decision and will issue a formal response later today.
"We're very disappointed. Obviously this county has continued on the path of what we consider the wrong side of this issue," said coalition member Keith Williams.
KG Cook
1:36 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
"Montgomery County" did not choose this ... Ike Leggett and Patrick Lacefield made the decision and I am disgusted with this lack of transparency. This battle is not over and people should understand that they can write in to dispute this lease:
Objections to the MSI Lease must be submitted in writing and received no later than 5pm on Friday, April 13, 2012. Send them to:
Cynthia Brenneman, Chief Office of Real Estate, DGS
Attn: Brickyard Comments
101 Monroe St Fl 9
Rockville, MD 20850
alan
1:55 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
is there an email address? things go viral, electronically these days...
Susan Byrne
11:15 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Email: Cynthia.Brenneman@montgomerycountymd.gov
Phone: 240-777-6089 (Voice)
This is the official contact information provided by the County at
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/DGS/contactus.asp
Anything submitted to this address should be accepted as legitimately as if it were sent on paper by snail mail or hand delivery.
Susan Byrne
11:43 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Also cc the BOE on your email (boe@mcpsmd.org). There is an out clause in the grant to the County that says the BOE has the power to recall the Brickyard property should it desire to use it for educational purposes. An educational farm was inaugurated just a month ago that provides stewardship and nutritional awareness education in compliance with the No Child Left Inside initiative and is compliant with all state curriculum standards.
Susan Byrne
11:52 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The correct email address to which you may address comments, provided by Cynthia Brenneman herself, is: Dgs.ore@montgomerycountymd.gov
Democracy Works
3:16 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
I agree with KG Cook - the battle is not over. Over 2,500 people in Montgomery County signed the Change.Org online petition to "Save a 30 year Organic Farm." 2,500 concerned citizens!!
organic friend
3:28 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
I thought using the organic farm for educational field trips for your kids made alot more sense than more ballfields. Saying that MSI was the only responder makes me feel like they didin;t even consider the brickyard farm proposal. It seems like they really are just trying to hurry up and do what ever the County Executive wants and ignore the thousands who don't want to destroy a unique organic farm.
NatureLover
4:40 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Is it standard practice for Mo Co to publish legal notices in the Washington Examiner? has the notice been published in any other newspaper?
Katie Griffith
5:44 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Good questions, Patricia! We're working on a follow up story. The notice is attached to this post as well.
Sue Shaw
9:20 am on Saturday, March 24, 2012
Why is this remaining only local news? The issues are so much more
serious than NIMBY, and deserve major news coverage.
KG Cook
12:33 pm on Saturday, March 24, 2012
that's a great idea ... i've just suggested the story to CNN
Timothy McWhirter
10:30 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
I agree Sue. The international academic Vandana Shiva signed the petition to save Nick's organic Farm. She is known around the world. The international support for this effort is worth a story.
I think one story should also connect the dots to the national discussion. While Leggett and the school board were making plans to destroy the only organic seed farm in the county, the U. S. Congress was voting to make pizza a vegetable so that it stays on the menu in our schools. This is taking place while unprecedented numbers of teenagers are now obeses. It could be argued that one of the causes of the problems these teenagers will face is the ignorance of adults.
This ignorance is brought into clear relief by Leggett. He has consistently stated that we can move Nick's organic farm. A story needs to be writtent about this because you cannot move an organic farm. If you ask any organic farmer that is what they will tell you. Organic farmers invest in the soil: the increase the fertility of the soil each year. You can start a new organic farm; and if it is tended well for over thirty years, we might be able to reproduce what we have right now. You can move a soccer field; you cannot move an organic farm. By suggesting that we can, Leggett demonstrates that he does not know what he is talking about and he hasn't taken the time to talk anyone who does. A story could investigate this.
S. F.
9:39 am on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I work near Brickyard and grew up in Potomac the idea of Soccer fields on Brickyard is a great idea I hope they get it done in time for the fall 2012 soccer games.
NatureLover
11:50 am on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Dear S. F. Are you a member of MSI? What makes you think they will let you play on these fields?
KG Cook
5:54 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
I have no problem with soccer fields being made (love the game and my two boys play it) but NOT on this precious and rare piece land that's been organically maintained for 30 years.
Susan Byrne
11:06 am on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Why don't the students themselves have a voice in this? I'm sure many are soccer lovers and many are nature lovers and probably most would like the idea of a field trip to learn about organic farming. I have never seen a school district where the student voice is so muted by adult agendas as MCPS.
Janis
12:29 pm on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Susan,
The student "voice" is managed by a MCPS staff member. Students can't participate in student government unless they have a certain GPA and students must have the permission of their principal to even run for the student position on the BOE.
MCPS students have lost their voice.