County’s Seven Locks Project

Montgomery County wants to redevelop the 40-acre site of the Detention Center in Rockville to include a bus depot and new crisis management services and rebuilt detention center that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This plan raises serious safety, environmental, traffic congestion and financial concerns. 

 

The County has been negligent in communicating their plans to the community. We believe this community needs to have a voice in determining plans for this land.

 

We oppose these plans:

• A bus depot will add unnecessary traffic, pollution, noise and safety concerns with 269+ buses being added into an already congested residential area as well as overnight maintenance and cleaning services
• Expanded crisis service and detention center plans have not been communicated to the community, nor have other options been explored.
• Safety issues are of top concern considering there is limited access to public transportation in this residential area. The centers will operate 24×7 and release folks at any time of day or night, but the bus services only operate from 5:15am-10:30pm. 
• These plans, if approved, have the potential of significantly lowering home values.
• Locating these services so close to so many residential communities not only poses a risk for the residents, but also increases the likelihood of those who are released (or self release) could be in greater danger of incident or run ins with that make their situation worse.

 

This community supports the Crisis Now model as well as the existing essential crisis services located in Montgomery County. They serve an important role in our community, but these proposed centers belong in closer proximity to existing health and crisis services.

 

Without a clear safety plan and active communication with the community,  this plan should not proceed.