Historic Rockville
Lincoln Park Community Preservation Committee

  MINUTES
Meeting of Lincoln Park Community Preservation Committee
Lincoln Park Community Center

August 10, 2004  
7:30 p.m.

Ten Lincoln Park residents attended the meeting at the Lincoln Park Community Center on Tuesday, August 10, 2004. Staff attending were Jim Wasilak, Chief of Long Range Planning, and Judy Christensen and Cindy Kebba, Preservation Planners.

Staff introduced some organizational questions and meeting date issues that were settled or are to be resolved at the next meeting on August 24. The Committee decided to continue meeting at the Lincoln Park Community Center and that staff will continue to do meeting notifications. Decisions will be by consensus. Fall meeting dates and appointment of a chair and vice chair were deferred. Me Judy Christensen explained that any legal overlay district, whether conservation or historic designation, would require an adopted plan that included a public purpose and an analysis of the history and physical characteristics of the area, including individual structures, streets, lot layout, setbacks, height, and other features that are part of the essential character of the community. This research and documentation will be the basis for any enforceable preservation or conservation plan. Staff has been working the past two years on gathering such information. 

A workbook system of preparing a preservation plan was introduced by Judy Christensen.  She proposed that the committee go through the mission statement, goals, and community analysis and guidelines portions of the plan first and prepare a matrix of objectives and guidelines. At that point, the committee will be able to select tools and methods, or a mixture of methods, to accomplish the goals. This was acceptable to the committee.  The groups reviewed the workbook and a completed plan based upon it.  It was noted that many relevant goals and objectives had been previously identified by the Draft Neighborhood Plan.

Jim Wasilak briefly outlined the “mission” and goals of the Neighborhood Plan. Questions and concerns were raised about cut through industrial traffic, illegal boarding houses and businesses operating in residential houses, drug sale and other antisocial behavior enforcement and abatement, and development of the three large parcels remaining in or adjacent to Lincoln Park.

In a trial of the workbook method, the committee concluded that since much of the preparation work was done in previous meetings and through the Neighborhood Plan process, staff should prepare draft elements of the preservation plan for committee review and feedback.

To increase community involvement, the committee requested staff to:

• Prepare a short monthly update on committee progress, topics under discussion, decisions and recommendations that will be sent to each household in Spanish and English. The update will include contact information and the next meeting date for those who wish to attend.
• Add a page to the City website on the Lincoln Park Preservation Plan which will include the monthly updates and each draft section as it is completed.  
• Order yard signs utilizing the “Historic Lincoln Park” logo developed by the City Graphics Department with the tag line: “Preservation in Progress  - Contact 240-314-8230,” to ensure that any resident or person passing through will be informed and have a number to contact. A copy of the proposed sign is attached. The font may change.

 Submitted by J. Christensen