Options for Relocating the Shady Grove Transportation Depot
April 28, 2016
Recently, as a result of the need to vacate the Shady Grove Transportation Depot at the request of the Montgomery County Government, an interim solution identified the parking lot at the Carver Educational Services Center on Route 355 and Mannakee Street in Rockville as a temporary site to park approximately 100 Montgomery County Public Schools buses on an interim basis. This initiative has been a source of concern to many constituents who have cited various reasons why the location would not be ideal for relocating the buses even on a temporary basis.
In response to these concerns, at the April 19, 2016, Board meeting, a resolution by Board Members Philip Kauffman and Rebecca Smondrowski was introduced that outlined the need by all parties (the county executive, County Council, and the Board of Education) to review options for relocating the Shady Grove Transportation Depot to a permanent location. The Board voted unanimously to authorize the Board president to write a letter to the county executive and the County Council to request implementation of a final solution for the relocation of all school buses before the current Shady Grove Transportation Depot is released for its new intended use.
The Board would like to thank the community for their advocacy regarding the interim solution. Indeed the Board’s adopted resolution explicitly mentions the advocacy from individuals in the community as a key driving force in the request to explore options for a final location for the school buses: “In the past several weeks, the Board of Education has received correspondence from community members who have shared legitimate concerns about the impact on the community of the proposed interim relocation of school buses from the Shady Grove Transportation Depot to the parking lot at the Carver Educational Services Center.” To see the memorandum in its entirety, click here.
On Friday, April 25, 2016, I sent a letter to Council Executive Isiah Leggett and County Council President Nancy Floreen and Councilmembers requesting their support in finding a permanent solution for the relocation of the school buses and to request a delay in the issuance of the Declaration of No Further Need on the Shady Grove Transportation Depot until a permanent solution for relocation is identified and implemented. To see the letter in its entirety, click here.
Board members and I will continue to work collaboratively with the county executive and the County Council on this important matter. Again, we appreciate the input and advocacy from members of the community on this issue.
