Proposed Communication Tower in the Olney Area

Below is the contents of a letter GOCA sent its members:

October 21, 2018 Dear Fellow Resident of the Olney area: The State of Maryland and Montgomery County intend to implement a portion of the state-wide public safety communications system known as Maryland FIRST. The proposed system calls for a 330-foot self-supporting lattice tower with an 18-foot extension at the top for the top marker light (for a total of 348 feet) to be installed at the northwest clover leaf of the intersection of the Inter County Connector (Md. Rt. 200) and Georgia Avenue (Md. Rt. 97).

Presently the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Mandatory Referral Hearing has been postponed. A joint state/local technical team is re-evaluating possible alternative tower site locations.

The strength of emergency radio communications, its speed, accuracy and consistency are important concerns for our state, county and community. However, the unsightliness of such a tower at the entrance avenue to our community, along with the potential negative impact on residential property values, presents its own concerns.

With this correspondence we seek to inform you of this developing project. If you choose to do so, you are invited to correspond with our local officials about your position on this particular project.

As we have the benefit of further information, we will make such available. For photo representation of a similar tower, see below.

Thank you for your interest in this important development within our community.

Sincerely,

Billy Becker, President

Greater Olney Civic Association, Inc.