May 5: Planning Board holds 'hearing' where families can oppose surplusing SLES

The Montgomery County Planning Board is holding what it calls a "hearing" on the facility plan for the new Kendale Elementary School being built to replace the surely-to-be-surplused Seven Locks School.

Even though the community knows the "hearing" is just a formality to make it look like the county welcomes input from parents and neighbors, citizens are urged to attend the May 5 event to voice opposition to surplusing the valuable SLES site.

"Although we have lost the battle to keep Seven Locks Elementary open, we can still fight to keep the site from being declared surplus and available for high-density affordable housing," writes Barbara Boykin of the West Montgomery County Citizens Association.

"If this site is taken away from our neighborhood, we will not only lose a much-used community facility, but it will set a very dangerous precedent for the county in controlling land use against the neighboring homeowners’ wishes," she says in the Almanac. "On May 5 the Facility Plan for the Seven Locks replacement school on Kendale will be reviewed in a hearing before the Planning Board. We urge you to join WMCCA at this hearing and express your opposition to the surplusing of this and any other school site."