(EXCERPTED FROM THE SECOND ANNUAL REPORT, PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2004)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Long Branch Task Force Second Annual Report, October 2004, continues our first year’s work.

Year One:  We determined our vision, gathered data and developed preliminary recommendations.

Results:  Some recommendations have already been implemented.  A complete list of Year One recommendations and current status is contained at Tab 11.  

Year Two: We analyzed data collected in Year One, determined what was keeping us from our goals, and expanded the recommendations to include short-, mid- and long-term strategies.

Results:  The research data was divided into four areas with corresponding work groups of community, business, and government members.  Each work group (see below) identified a vision for the community, indicators to monitor changing community conditions, root causes preventing positive change, and strategic recommendations for the short and long-term health of our community.

§         Economic and Commercial Development (Tab 6);

§         Housing (Tab 7);

§         Safety (Tab 8); and,

§         Youth, Schools, Childcare, and Enrichment (Tab 9).

Methodology:  We amassed a great deal of data not all of which is contained fully in this report.  We will share this in-depth research with those who are interested.  Collectively, we spent in excess of 3,000 hours over the last two years discussing, deliberating, and attempting to reach consensus as we struggled with acceptable solutions.  See Tab 5 for methodology.

Recommendations:  Because the work group recommendations contained many common elements and overarching issues, we have merged them into a set of integrated recommendations.  These are both concrete and conceptual.  The recommendations may require both governmental as well as private sector partners, and may include outside funding and support, or the pursuit of legislative and policy changes.  Priorities are laid out in a short-, mid-, and long-term format. The complete list of recommendations is located at Tab 10. Here are some sample recommendations.

§         Continued Community Involvement – Creation of a Long Branch Development Council, Long Branch Liaison, development of an annual report card, creation of an inter-agency, inter-jurisdictional planning and coordinating group for Long Branch, and institutionalized funding to continue after the Task Forces finishes in 2005.

§         Legislative/Policy Initiatives – Loitering and public drunkenness, liquor licenses, higher code standards, adjudication of housing and commercial code violations, immigration, clarification of maintenance responsibilities, and underground utilities.

§         Action Projects – Pedestrian linkage of community center and library to the commercial center, community signage, commercial development incentives, enhanced streetscape, playground development, in-depth studies, cooperative inter-jurisdictional study for potential realignment of Piney Branch Corridor and proposed METRO Purple Line.

§         Safety & Security – Increased police funding including bilingual officers and bike patrols, permanent police facility, enforcement of speed limits, gang prevention, improved lighting, pedestrian improvements, road changes, liquor law violations, law enforcement, and institutionalized funding for sign maintenance and replacement.

§         Community Outreach – Support for community organizers, civic and tenant associations, increased marketing of available programs, and increase availability of ESOL classes for adults, coordination with local faith based organizations, stronger media connection and continued interface with police representatives.

§         Schools and Youth Opportunities – Eliminate access fee for Community Center, increased opportunities in MCPS, alternative schools, parent participation in schools, mentoring programs, accessible affordable quality child care, increase funding for Recreation Center, available translation services, ongoing law enforcement presence in schools and recreation and continued funding for the Long Branch Athletic Association.

§         Housing – Intensive code enforcement, housing and zoning inspection data publicly available, intervention buying of problem properties, affordable housing programs in Long Branch, loans and grants for apartment reconfiguration, institutionalized funding for after school and summer youth programs, assistance in tenant displacement for those impacted by development in Long Branch.

Year Three:  In our coming year, we intend to study transportation, parks, immigration, and poverty issues and refine our other recommendations, where necessary.

Second Year Priorities

Although prioritizing the complex, interlocking, and diverse strategies is very difficult, we agreed to provide our immediate top priorities from this Second Annual Report to Montgomery County.  We understand that, as opportunities arise, any one of our more than 100 recommendations may move up and become a priority project.  Each priority is grouped into one of five vision areas. (See next page for a summary.)  A greater description of these projects is located at Tab 10, “Integrated Strategies”.

Conclusion

At the end of this process, we do not want the report to be placed on the shelf.  It must be a working document to guide Montgomery County funding in Long Branch.  We consider this community as a work in progress. We have quite a few successes so far, but we have much more to do.  We want to continue to have a close relationship with Montgomery County government, the commercial property owners, our businesses and residents to make Long Branch a clean, attractive, safe neighborhood that serves our diverse community.

A vibrant commercial core

• Village Center linkages (First Year) (short)
• Community signage (First Year) (short)
• ULI study (short)
• Business & property owners association with full-time director (First Year) (short)
• Transportation study (long term)
• Medical office building (mid)

A community where children succeed

• Increased funding for recreational programs (short)
• After school & extended school activities including Long Branch Athletic Association & mentoring (First Year) (short)
• Support smaller learning communities (short)
• Parent participation – service, transportations, etc (short)
• Accessible affordable network of childcare choices (First Year) (long term)  

A crime free-community for residents and businesses with safe pedestrian and vehicle circulation

• Increase police funding (First Year) (short)
• Address the issue of public drunkenness and loitering (First Year) (short)
• Enhance pedestrian & traffic safety by funding of safety equipment and enforcement (short)
• Permanent police facility (First Year) (long term)  

A community with a variety of high standard quality, affordable housing for all

• Strengthen code enforcement (legislative) & publicize data (First Year) (short)
• Home ownership opportunities, condo-conversions, rehabs, & affordable housing (short) 

A community that is actively involved with implementation efforts

• Long Branch Development & Youth Council (short & continuing)
• Annual report card (short)
• Community organizers (short)
• Institutionalize staffing levels and maintenance contract (short & continue)

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(EXCERPTS FROM THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2003)

In its first year, the Task Force has organized its activities into four primary categories and created a Work Group for each category.  These are the SAFETY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING and YOUTH AND SCHOOLS Work Groups.  The full Task Force has adopted and endorsed the following activities by these groups and hereby submits these recommendations for action to the County Executive and County Council. 

A.      SAFETY WORK GROUP

 1.  Funding for Policing of Long Branch.  Provide funding to increase the policing of Long Branch, including foot/bike patrols.

 2. Permanent Long Branch Police Facility. Establish an attractive, permanent Long Branch police facility.

3.   Partnership to Reduce Public Drunkenness.  Establish public-private partnership to reduce incidence of public drunkenness in Long Branch.  Create a sobering center or a local satellite treatment center so area residents can participate in existing or newly created treatment programs.  This effort will require both County and private sector funding and resources. 

4.      Replace damaged/faded/missing street signs. 

5.      Improve/repair lighting in pedestrian areas.  

 a.       Improve lighting by replacing bulbs with the 175 watt Metal    Halide lamp for clear, bright light on pedestrian sidewalks.

       b.      Increase lighting both for safety and aesthetic appeal:

            (i)      increase wattage of bulbs in parking and pedestrian areas;

(ii)    continue lamp-post theme of commercial areas.

6.      Install needed signals and traffic signs.  A list of  recommended        projects is contained in Appendix A.

7.      Maintenance of Public Spaces and Commercial Areas.

Continue to fund and expand the provision of effective, high level, on-going County maintenance warranted by high intensity traffic and use in a concentrated commercial area.  Increase County supervision of solid waste contractors and recyclers to eliminate the dropping of trash and recyclables during collection.  Increase trash and litter cleanup in all public areas of Long Branch.

 8.      Establish and fund apartment-based local community centers for   youth/families, including but not limited to: 

a.       Pine Ridge

b.      Greenwood Terrace

c.       Nob Hill

d.      Carroll Avenue/Quebec Terrace (get back up and running)

B.      ECONOMIC & COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WORK GROUP 

1.      Legacy/façade grants 

      Use grants to inspire curb appeal improvements, window display improvements and lighting expansion.  Apply for legacy grants and obtain business/building owner applications for façade improvement grants. 

2.      Theme signage 

Develop theme signage for commercial district gateways and identity.  Improve condition and visibility of present signage.  Explore and prepare future banners, gateway features and sign posts (as part of a community design contest). 

3.      Usable pedestrian pathways

Enhance and elevate the quality of the lighting and landscape maintenance along the existing paved path/bridge connecting the Long Branch Community Center to the Long Branch Library.  Install additional lights and trim back the overgrowth to achieve an inviting, safe, marked pedestrian pathway.  This would be the beginning of a program to create a contiguous, identifiable Long Branch area, with such marked paths eventually connecting all commercial and residential areas.

4.      Long Branch Business Association 

Establish a Long Branch business association which could, among other things: explore small business assistance/loan programs; craft collaborative marketing; pool resources for maintenance and landscaping; and develop joint solutions to common problems, such as illegal dumping, graffiti/trash, and parking. 

5.      County contact position/person for Long Branch businesses

Establish a County professional staff position to work with Long Branch business community who would provide a visible government presence and be active, visible, recognized and identified with the commercial areas.

C.      HOUSING WORK GROUP 

1.      Apply targeted Code Enforcement to all of Long Branch including Ward 5 properties in Takoma Park. 

2.      Establish a program for developing and implementing Community Safety Plans in apartment communities. 

3.      Allocate personnel and other resources to organizing and supporting neighborhood tenant and civic organizations, including development of organizational leadership, civic responsibility, and education. 

4.      Develop incentives and other methods to increase owner-occupancy of small apartment buildings. 

5.      Make housing code enforcement data available to the public on the Internet and by other means. 

6.      Make zoning code enforcement data available to the public on the Internet and by other means.  

7.      Develop a plan for a rehab tax credit for single family and multifamily housing to encourage owners to make visible improvements (vs. repairs to a minimum standard) to older buildings.  

8.      Continue DHCA-supported programs for renovation of single-family homes by income-eligible residents of Long Branch. 

9.      Increase the number of loans made to Long Branch neighborhoods under DHCA’s Home Improvement Loan Program for exterior improvements and installation of driveways. 

10.  Increase funding for income-eligible, first-time buyers programs in Long Branch to create a stable, solid community. 

   11.  Develop strategies to increase the accessibility of Section 8 vouchers to Long Branch residents in order to reduce overcrowding. 

   12.  Develop legislation to accelerate adjudication of housing and commercial code violations (Housing Court). 

13.  Create an inter-agency, inter-jurisdictional planning and coordination group for Long Branch that meets monthly to improve delivery of all county services. 

14.  Bury all overhead wires (electrical, telephone, cable, etc.) whenever feasible in conjunction with other improvements.  

15.  Permanently increase the number of staff maintaining Long Branch parks by the M-NCPPC Parks Maintenance department. The dense population living around the parks and urban areas nearby stress the parks, and more personnel are needed to perform pruning and weeding, litter collection, trash removal, and remedy acts of vandalism. 

16.  Develop partnerships between the Parks Department and schools in the Long Branch area through outreach and public education to children in elementary, middle and secondary schools.  Engage children in caring for the parks including stream valley park (e.g., through an adopt-a-park program); stress the environmental and recreational benefits of parks; teach children to become stewards of the parks; and involve them in monitoring of trash and broken glass, camping, drugs, and persons loitering, etc.  As a result of the partnership, children will take home important messages and help reduce the trash and illegal activities in parks.

          17.  Develop and implement quality, scientific surveys of community      residents on an ongoing basis, or as otherwise required, for purposes of evaluating progress.

                      D.    Youth and Schools work Group 

  1.      Establish a Long Branch youth athletic association and provide needed facilities.

  2.      Increase the current aggregate level of resources that support children and families in Long Branch.

 3.      Increase (in addition to current funding) resources for regulated quality community based early child care and education programs including parent    training and counseling.

 4.     Increase the number of after school programs outside of the school buildings.