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Subject
Princeton Place and Montgomery College Smoke-Free Campus Policy
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council direct staff to:
- Send the letter at Attachment A from Mayor Hoffmann to the Chairwomen of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees explaining the Mayor and Council's concern about the neighborhood impacts of the no smoking policy and requesting a change that would keep smokers on campus and out of the neighborhood.
- Report to the Mayor and Council on the results of the February 11 Planning Commission meeting to discuss the removal of the Science Center condition of approval to retain the opening in the fence between the campus and Princeton Place.
- Continue working with Montgomery College and the neighbors to explore options that provide relief to residents. Depending on the results of the February 11 Planning Commission and the College's response to the Mayor's letter, staff recommends exploring the feasibility of and stakeholder interest in: 1) installing landscaping to screen the area from the neighboring homes; 2) prohibiting parking on Princeton Place on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm; 3) installing a fence with a gate that automatically locks from 9 am to 5 pm or a gate that staff locks during the week and opens on weekends.
- Coordinate a community meeting for all stakeholders to consider options that mitigate the negative impacts on the neighborhood of the College smoking policy and meet stakeholders' needs.
Discussion
On January 26, residents of Princeton Place spoke at Citizens Forum about the negative impacts on the neighborhood of the Montgomery College policy banning smoking on the Rockville campus. This agenda item provides information about the impacts on the College Gardens and Plymouth Woods neighborhoods, City staff coordination between the College and neighborhoods, and the measures that the City has considered to address the situation. The agenda item concludes with recommendations for next steps.
Montgomery College Smoking Policy
On August 1, 2008, the Montgomery College Board of Trustees implemented a new policy that prohibits cigarette smoking on the Rockville, Germantown and Takoma Park campuses. The policy applies to all campus locations, including private vehicles parked in College parking lots. The College implemented an education program in conjunction with the policy and a system for handling violations of the smoking ban.
A policy of no smoking in outdoor locations has been established by other institutions in this region including, the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, the Holy Cross Hospital campus, all Adventist Health Care facilities in Maryland (including Shady Grove Hospital). Our research also indicates that approximately 130 college campuses across the U.S. have adopted smoke free policies and numerous other ones are pursuing an outdoor smoking ban.
Neighborhood Concerns
Since the campus smoking ban was implemented, Montgomery College students have been using the area around the Princeton Place cul-de-sac to smoke. A bike/pedestrian path connects the neighborhood and the campus at Princeton Place, adjacent to Anderson Park. A fence has been in place there for as long as staff can remember that delineates the edge of the College campus. There is an opening built into the fence at the bike/pedestrian path to provide access between the campus and neighborhood. Approximately 65% of the Rockville campus classes are held in the buildings located near the Princeton Place cul-de-sac, making it a convenient location for students to visit.
Neighborhood residents report that students smoking and hanging out in the area is eroding their quality of life. Residents have indicated that they at times feel intimidated by the large group of students and that the students leave cigarette butts and other litter in the street, sidewalk and grass. The placement of trash cans and ashtrays have done little to deter littering. Residents also report that the number of students parking on Princeton Place and walking onto campus has increased, leading to more traffic and speeding on the street. Residents have also indicated that they have possibly seen illegal drug use and sexual activity in cars. An additional concern shared with City staff is the risk of fire cigarette use in the vicinity of the forest in Anderson Park.
A report of the Police Department's response to neighborhood concerns is found in Attachment B. Corporal Matney has visited Princeton Place 17 times and talked to smokers and neighbors. He has observed several groups in the area, from 10 to 12 individuals at a time, but has observed no problems or issues. A Princeton Place resident reported that the majority of smokers are not the problem, but a small proportion are creating a problem. Smokers advised Corporal Matney that a solution to the problem is to fence in a smoking zone on College property.
Neighborhood Resources staff also visited the site on several occasions and spoke to groups of smokers. They are aware of the neighborhood concerns and note that there are a few smokers who litter and cause disturbances. However, they report that the majority just go there to smoke in between classes and are sensitive to the proximity to homes.
Coordination and Communication
Appeals from the City Manager to the Vice President/Provost of the Rockville campus and other College officials to mitigate the problems caused by the smoking policy have not been heeded. The response has been to place ashtrays and trash receptacles at the site and to post signs requesting that students not smoke or litter.
City staff continues communicating with College officials in an effort to identify ways the College will assist to provide relief to the neighbors. Staff coordinated a meeting between College and neighborhood representatives on December 12, 2008. The meeting included the College Gardens Civic Association president, a Plymouth Woods resident, and the following representatives from Montgomery College: the Vice President and Provost, the Associate Dean for Student Development, the Associate Vice President for College Facilitates, the Assistant to the Vice President and Provost, and the Director of the Evening Weekend Office. The result of the meeting was a list of follow up items to attempt to address residents' concerns and a commitment to reconvene in February 2009 to reassess the situation. The notes from the meeting are found at Attachment C.
Staff is maintaining close contact with the presidents of the College Gardens Civic Association and Plymouth Woods Condominium Inc and with individual residents. Staff listens to concerns, forwards information to the appropriate City departments, answers residents' questions, and provides updates on our coordination with the College. City staff also attended the November 2008 College Gardens Civic Association meeting, and the December 2008 and January 2009 Plymouth Woods Condominium Inc meetings.
Internal City coordination is underway between the Department of Public Works, the Recreation and Parks Department, the Police Department, the City Manager's Office, Community Planning and Development Services and the City Attorney's Office. Representatives from those departments are involved answering questions and assessing actions that the City can take to assist the neighbors.
Communication between residents and the College also continues. Individual residents and representatives of the Plymouth Woods Condominium Association have met with and exchanged e-mails with Montgomery College.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council discussed this issue on January 26 in response to Citizens Forum comments .
Options Considered
Discussions among the neighbors, College representatives and City staff have resulted in suggestions to address the problems the neighborhood is facing. Some of those suggestions have been implemented, while others were identified as ineffective or otherwise unsatisfactory. All of the options considered so far are described here.
- Install 'No Littering' signs - Implemented by Montgomery College.
- Install a sign asking students to smoke off campus on Mannakee Street and Rockville Pike instead of Princeton Place - Implemented by Montgomery College.
- Send e-mails to all Montgomery College students requesting that smokers respect the Rockville neighborhood, not disturb neighbors and not litter - Implemented by Montgomery College.
- Include information about appropriate off campus smoking locations in student orientation materials - Implemented by Montgomery College.
- College Gardens and Plymouth Woods Association presidents write a letter to the campus newspaper editor expressing the negative impacts that student behavior has on the neighborhood.
- College Gardens Civic Association establish a committee of neighbors to examine the issues, communicate neighborhood concerns to the College and identify potential solutions.
- Install City benches in the right of way on Mannakee and Rockville Pike to make those sites more attractive to smokers - City staff does not recommend investing funds in benches because we expect students will continue to use the Princeton Place location since it is most convenient in relation to the classroom buildings on campus.
- Move the opening in the fence - Moving the opening further away from the homes would place the "smoking area" in the Anderson Park trees and brush and create a fire hazard. The City does not support removing trees and brush to accommodate a "smoking area."
- Prohibit smoking in the area – If the City prohibited smoking at the edge of campus, it could force students to smoke in the streets and sidewalks closer to the homes on Princeton Place. It is also difficult to enforce and a policy decision that could impact other outdoor locations in the City.
- Prohibit congregating in the area – The area in question is City right of way and a City park. The purpose of City parks is to provide pleasant outdoor space for individuals to spend time. As long as individuals are not engaging in any conduct that is prohibited by law, the City would prohibit gathering in a public place. Neighbors have been advised to contact the Rockville Police Department immediately if they observe any illegal behavior.
- Institute permit parking on Princeton Place – The purpose of the permit parking program is to ensure that sufficient parking is available for residents. Sufficient parking is currently available for residents in Plymouth Woods' private parking lots and the driveways of the single family homes. While traffic and speeding concerns have been reported by residents, the permit parking program has not been used previously to address those issues.
The resident who submitted the application for permit parking asked City staff to place the request on hold until after the February 11, 2009 Planning Commission meeting. At this time staff does not recommend approval of the permit parking request. When the resident asks staff to resume the process, the next step will be an appeal to the Traffic and Transportation Commission. The Commission will then decide whether to institute permit parking on Princeton Place.
- Close the opening in the fence - This option is not in line with the current Planning Commission condition of approval for the Science Center. The College has requested the Commission reconsider that condition during the February 11 meeting. Several stakeholders have weighed in to the Mayor and Council, Planning Commission and staff, with some expressing support for closing the fence and others opposing closure.
The City Manager suggested to Montgomery College that the City install a temporary barrier at the opening in the fence to provide relief for the neighbors until the problems are resolved. Staff recognizes that installing a temporary barrier would not keep all students out of the neighborhood but would send a strong message that congregating, smoking and passing through the neighborhood is not welcome. The College’s Vice President and Provost indicated that the College's attorney advised against the City closing the fence at this time and permission to do so was denied.
Public Notification and Engagement
As described above, staff is communicating with stakeholders, including the property owners on Princeton Place, neighborhood association leaders, College administrators and College students.
Staff also notified the public about the Planning Commission's February 11 meeting to discuss the College's request to remove the Science Center condition of approval related to the fence at Princeton Place. Notification included:
- Meeting notification postcards mailed to approximately 2,200 residents
- Channel 11 upcoming meeting bulletin board
- Homepage of the Rockville web site
- This Week in Rockville e-newsletter
- Neighborhood Network e-mail message
- Phone calls and emails to the College Gardens and Plymouth Woods association presidents and Princeton Place residents who have requested assistance from the City.
Boards and Commissions Review
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission reviewed and approved, with conditions, a USE permit for the Montgomery College Science Center on October 22, 2008. The condition, recommended by staff and supported by the Commission, to maintain access between the campus and the neighborhood at Princeton Place is intended to maintain and enhance the City’s pedestrian and bikeway system and provide connectivity between the campus and the community.
At the time that the condition was recommended and approved, residents had started to communicate with the City their concerns with the smoking at Princeton Place but communication had not risen to a level to cause staff to reconsider the condition. No comments about the College smoking policy and impacts were shared at the Planning Commission public hearing. Since the October 22 approval, communication from the neighborhood about the smokers has increased significantly and led staff to discuss the Planning Commission's condition in this new context.
Montgomery College submitted letters dated January 15 and 16, 2009 requesting that the Planning Commission reconsider the condition that requires the College to 1) keep the entrance to the campus at Princeton Place open for pedestrian and bicycle use, 2) remove a parking space to allow clear passage of bicycles and pedestrians, and 3) replace the curb with a ramp from the path to the parking lot. The Planning Commission will discuss the condition during their February 11 meeting. Staff will share the Planning Commission staff report with the the Mayor and Council before the February 9 meeting, and will communicate the results of that meeting to the Mayor and Council.Notification about the Planning Commission meeting was described above.
Bicycle Advisory Committee
The Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee discussed this topic at their February 4 meeting. The Committee concluded that the members agree on the following two proposals for the College and City that address the problems without "walling each other off":
- Set aside a place where smoking can occur on campus grounds nearby the Princeton exit, perhaps to the West of Parking Lot 9.
- Provide security personnel in the vicinity of the Princeton exit facility
An e-mail describing this proposal is found at Attachment C. The Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee (RBAC) advises the City but is not designated as a Rockville Board or Commission.
Fiscal Impact
There has been no fiscal impact to date with the exception of staff time devoted to this effort. Any action the City might take to provide relief for the residents would be assessed for its fiscal impact and shared with the Mayor and Council prior to implementation.
Next Steps
To date, College representatives have not indicated any intention to change the smoke free campus policy. The recommended next step is for the Mayor and Council to prevail on the decision makers again to pursue a change that would keep smokers on campus and out of the neighborhood. To that end, the first next step is to transmit the letter at Attachment A to Montgomery College.
If the smoke free campus policy remains in place in the current form, staff recommend exploring the feasibility of and stakeholder interest in other options such as 1) installing landscaping to screen the area from the neighboring homes; 2) prohibiting parking on Princeton Place on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm; 3) installing a fence with a gate that automatically locks from 9 am to 5 pm or a gate that staff locks during the week and opens on weekends. These measures are dependant on the results of the February 11 Planning Commission meeting. Staff will recommend more specific next steps to the Mayor and Council after the February 11 Commission meeting.
Attachments
   
Department Head:
Jenny Kimball, Assistant City Manager
Approved on: 02/04/2009
Assistant City Manager:
Jenny Kimball, Assistant City Manager
Approved on: 02/04/2009
City Manager:
Scott Ullery, City Manager
Approved on: 02/05/2009
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