Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:09:20 -0500
To: Robert Kronenberg <Robert.Kronenberg@mncppc-mc.org>
From: Steering Committee
Subject: Resurrection Baptist Church - update
Cc: Bill Barron <Bill.Barron@mncppc-mc.org>

Robert:

On Saturday, November 17, some community members saw a number of people at the Resurrection Baptist Church site planting trees.  Attached are a few pictures of the results of their activity.

We were able to identify two types of trees that were planted:  Flowering Dogwood (white) and Red Maple.  It appears that the height of the trees varies from approximately 4 feet to 6 feet (you will notice that two of the pictures show the difference in size between one of the few trees that was not cut down and one of the newly planted trees).  The diameter of the trunks appears to be approximately 1/2 inch.

Although we applaud the church members for planting trees, the size of the trees appears to be insufficient to fix the problem created by the clearing of trees from the Limit of Disturbance (LOD) zone.  In addition, the planting of such small trees does not bring the Resurrection Baptist Church site into conformance with the Sandy Spring-Ashton Master Plan (pages 42-45).

It is our understanding that Parking and Planning is about to require the Resurrection Baptist Church to submit a new landscaping plan, created in conjunction with Park and Planning staff and concerned members of the community.  We also believe that such a plan has not yet been approved by the Park and Planning staff.   It was just Friday, November 16, that you indicated to Michelle Layton, while she was in your building on another matter, that the letter to the Resurrection Baptist Church about submitting a new landscaping plan would be in the mail either Friday or Monday.

In addition, a member of the Resurrection Baptist Church planting group told the photographer that Robert Kronenberg had said that everything that the church has done is perfectly fine, that the church was only planting the trees to be nice to the community, and he could not understand why we are not satisfied.  The photographer was also told that someone else from the church had talked to Michelle Layton, which is true, but irrelevant, as she did not suggest that such small trees would be acceptable.  There was no mention of any immediate plans to plant trees.  Could there be some confusion and the Resurrection Baptist church believes that Park and Planning has approved everything concerning the landscaping of the church site?

We would like to have a meeting with you and Bill Barron and anyone else you and Bill think should be present to discuss what Park and Planning’s plan will be to rectify what is now a more complicated problem.  Please contact Michelle Layton ((301) 570-0521 or via email at mul1@earthlink.com) to set up a meeting as soon as possible.

Signed,
 
Steering Committee
Sandy Spring-Ashton Rural Preservation Consortium (SSARPC)