With Support of Rockville Council, Letter Requests That Montgomery Co. Provide Free Parking at All County Libraries
ROCKVILLE, Md., February 27, 2006 – Rockville Mayor Larry Giammo today sent a letter to Montgomery County Executive Douglas Duncan asking him to “support having the Montgomery County government provide free parking for all county libraries in Montgomery County.”
Mayor Giammo said his position is supported by a majority of the City’s Mayor and Council.
The City of Rockville is currently redeveloping its Town Center. Phase I of the redevelopment is under construction. The 12.5-acre Rockville Town Square project will be a mix of residential, retail, restaurant, office and cultural uses. It will include the new Rockville Library, which will become the largest library in the Montgomery County system.
Montgomery County is funding construction of the library. The City is paying most of the cost of building three public garages that will provide parking for Rockville Town Square. At issue has been whether patrons of the county library should pay for parking.
The Mayor’s letter concludes: “I know that a number of county residents have expressed their support for the county government providing free parking for visitors to the new county library in Rockville’s Town Center. I ask that you take their concerns—as well as the City’s already substantial investment in the Town Center revitalization project—into account as you consider whether to support having the county government provide free parking for, not only the new county library in Rockville’s Town Center, but all county libraries throughout Montgomery County.”
The full text of Mayor Giammo’s letter to County Executive Duncan follows:
February 27, 2006
The Honorable Douglas Duncan
Montgomery County Executive
Office of the County Executive
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Dear County Executive Duncan,
I am writing to ask that you support having the Montgomery County government provide free parking for all county libraries in Montgomery County. As present, visitors to the existing county library in Bethesda must pay to park. And, the county's plan for the new county libraries in both Silver Spring and Rockville include having visitors pay to park.
Having grown up in Montgomery County, I very much appreciate the importance and value of the county's libraries to residents throughout the county. I hope that you will support having the county government ensure that all county residents have equal access to all of the county's libraries, regardless of their ability to pay to park.
As you are aware, the Rockville city government is making a very substantial investment in the current project to revitalize Rockville's Town Center. The city government's investment in the project is significantly greater than the county government's - even including the cost to the county of constructing the new county library in Town Center.
As you also are aware, once the current Town Center project is completed, the county government will garner much more new property tax revenue and income tax revenue from the redeveloped area than will the city government. In fact, once the project is completed, the county government will garner at least $6 million of new revenue per year, compared to approximately $1.5 million per year for the city government.
The county government could use some of that considerable new tax revenue to provide free parking for visitors to the new county library in Rockville's Town Center. Arguably, this would be appropriate given that the new library will be a county government facility located in the county seat and its patrons will be from across Montgomery County.
Along this same line, it is noteworthy that there is not a single county government facility within the City of Rockville for which the city government provides, or has been expected to provide, free parking. Further, I do not believe there is a single county government facility anywhere in Montgomery County for which the local municipality or local residents provide, or are expected to provide, free parking.
I know that a number of county residents have expressed their support for the county government providing free parking for visitors to the new county library in Rockville’s Town Center. I ask that you take their concerns—as well as the City’s already substantial investment in the Town Center revitalization project—into account as you consider whether to support having the county government provide free parking for, not only the new county library in Rockville’s Town Center, but all county libraries throughout Montgomery County.
Sincerely,
Larry Giammo
Mayor of Rockville
