North Four Corners News ♦ December 2024

President’s Message

By Sharon Canavan

I’m pleased to report on the October election results for NFCCA’s Officers and Board members.  We have a new At Large Board member, Richard (Ricky) Fitzpatrick, who lives on Hannes Street.  The rest of NFCCA’s Officers and At Large Board members are continuing in their previous positions.

I would like to remind everyone about the beginning of the 2024–2025 NFCCA dues cycle.  In 2023–2024, NFCCA had 251 paid memberships, near our all-time high of 267 member households.  To date for 2024–2025 we’ve received dues from 190 households (see page 7)—a good start, so join up if you haven’t already done so.  NFCCA annual membership only costs $15 per household.

The blizzard of planning proposals that our neighborhood is facing will affect us for decades to come.  Reminds me of the head-spinning action in that movie Everything Everywhere All at Once!  Read the article on page 8 that takes a stab at summarizing the various housing and transportation-related planning initiatives that are underway.

In past General Meetings, NFCCA has invited speakers to answer your questions and hear your views on these proposals.  Also, North Four Corners News articles are a good resource to re-read if you need to brush up on the details.  Our listserv discussion threads reflect comments that oppose the changes these planning initiatives would bring to our neighborhood, while other community members defend the potential benefits of more affordable housing types and a safer walkable/bikeable community with convenient public transportation.

My goal as NFCCA President is to craft a fair process to hear the concerns we as a community have and, ultimately, develop a formal policy that reflects a consensus position that NFCCA can transmit to the Planning Board and the County Council as they continue their deliberations.  Three Steering Committees are developing a position and strategy for responding to these proposals:  (1) Housing Issues, (2) Traffic and Transportation Issues, and (3) Education and Outreach.  If you are interested in participating on a Steering Committee, please contact [email redacted].

Real-time communication is key at this point, so NFCCA is creating a dedicated webpage titled “MoCo Planning” located on the top banner of our nfcca.org website.  This webpage will be updated with current information about these initiatives and our policy development process.  The webpage will also include information about timing of the various initiatives and contact information to send your own thoughts and comments to the Planning Board and Council members responsible for making these important decisions.

On a much lighter note, NFCCA is hosting a Holiday Social on Wednesday, 11 December (for further details, see the article on page one in this newsletter or go to nfcca.org).  Have some fun, bring your kids for games and treats, meet your neighbors, and come prepared to chat with the NFCCA Officers and Board about your thoughts and ideas for next year!   ■