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The Lyttonsville Civic Association, with support from concerned neighbors in adjacent Rosemary Hills, are working to ensure the best design possible for the rail yard and maintenance shop. These Purple Line support facilities, along with associated office building and parking garage, will buffer the back yards of two apartment complexes (one housing low income residents) and many modest single family homes.

We do not oppose the purple line. We do not even oppose our community housing these support facilities. However, we were never presented with the expanded vision for the rail yard, now expanding the entire northern border of our neighborhood. We were also never presented with the transposing of the track and trail, which will cut our neighborhood off from easy access and place the trail on the side where there is no neighborhood. The last design concept we were shown placed the entire maintenance shop west of lyttonsville place - tucked behind WSSC (in nobody's back yard). Almost the entire rail yard also was placed in that location, with just a little of it east of Lyttonsville Place.

For those charging Nimbyism - shame on you for insulting this neighborhood. This is a majority minority community of families from humble economic backgrounds that will bear the brunt of negative impacts of the rail yard so you and thousands of others may enjoy the benefits of the Purple Line and expanded trail. Instead of criticizing these concerned neighbors for their efforts, you should join them in fighting for the best design that will bring the least negative impacts to the area.

Finally - the promise of the purple line is smart growth redevelopment. Brookville Road, which not too long ago was a residential area with homes and churches, could be redeveloped into a thriving economic area that would benefit the region and the residents. A noisy, dirty, ugly and pollution-making maintenance shop and rail yard taking all the land would not allow this option, but would further industrialize the area. We invite you to join us in pressing the county to make better use of county-owned land in Lyttonsville to minimize negative impacts to the community.

by Susan B on Oct 5, 2011 3:07 pm • link • report