Nick's Farm: The County Executive Speaks

Patch,

You do a lot of great reporting, so I thought you might be interested in this email that I got from County Executive when I complained about the ultimate outcome for Nick's Farm.  Perhaps you can share with Nick and company--they might like Mr. Leggett's help.

Dear Mr. Roberts:

It’s good to hear from you again.

In my regular “On-Line” chats, I try to answer as many questions as possible.  Often, questions may be duplicative of ones I have already answered in that session or in others.  Sometimes, questions involve individual issues better resolved by following up by phone rather than answering on-line.  Certainly, if you go back and look at the archives of the chats on the County website, you’ll see that the questions answered cover almost every conceivable issue and perspective.

On Brickyard, I strongly believe public land should be used for public purposes, not for private commercial gain. Montgomery County families need more soccer fields, especially Down County.  Under the Potomac Master Plan, this tract was specifically mentioned to be used for recreational uses and ballfields if not used for a school.  The County sublease would have fulfilled that.

I understand that some residents in this neighborhood objected to using this public land for soccer fields, just as they objected to using this same underused land for housing for police officers, firefighters, and teachers a decade before. Now I see the objection continues as the land has been mentioned as a possible site for a new Potomac elementary school, the first use dictated by the Master Plan.

As you know, the County has withdrawn its sublease and decisions about the use of the public land now lie with the Board of Education.

You ask me to find another location for the commercial farmer whose lease expired.  In fact, I offered that help at the very beginning of this process, with an eye toward relocation to other County-owned or other private land.  The farmer refused to consider it.  The offer still stands.

Sincerely,

Isiah Leggett

County Executive