Rockville Historic District Commission Meeting #06 – July 17, 2025
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Rockville Historic District Commission Meeting #06 – July 17, 2025
The Rockville Historic District Commission (HDC) held its sixth meeting of 2025 on July 17, 2025, chaired by Anita Neil Powell. The meeting featured public comments on the King Farm Farmstead adaptive reuse project, approval of consent agenda items and a certificate of approval for demolition, presentation of the annual report, a work session on proposed zoning ordinance amendments for historic preservation, and initial discussion on strategic priorities for FY26.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of June 26, 2025 (5‑0).
- Approved tax credit applications HDC 2025‑01188, HDC 2024‑01192, HDC 2024‑01193, and HDC 2024‑01195 (5‑0). Application HDC 2024‑01190 (307 West Montgomery Avenue) was deferred to September due to a date error in the staff report; staff will confirm and bring it back for approval.
- Commissioner Falseman requested that future tax credit staff memos include brief descriptive notes (e.g., “tree,” “roof”) for easier reference.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mark Persheila (816 Fordham Street, former Rockville Council Member) expressed concern that the Mayor and Council work session on the King Farm Farmstead adaptive reuse project did not adequately involve the HDC or address the city’s obligations as owner of a designated historic property. He noted that Option 4 (adding a connecting wing and a second‑level bump‑out between the dairy barns) was chosen and that the horse barn has been allowed to deteriorate. He asked that the HDC be engaged earlier in the process.
- Staff (Katie Gerbis, Comprehensive Planning Manager) responded that Rec and Park staff have been coordinating with preservation staff and that formal plans have not yet reached HDC review. She confirmed that any future exterior alterations would require HDC approval and offered to have Rec and Parks present to the commission. Commissioners broadly supported earlier involvement and requested such a presentation at the September meeting.
- Paul Goldberg, owner of 100 West Montgomery Avenue (later during the certificate of approval discussion), stated that demolition costs have become prohibitively expensive and that he is open to suggestions, including use of the property for fire department training.
Discussion Items
- Organization Reports: Peerless Rockville representative Nancy Bukard reported on two recent events: a Heritage Days walking tour of Rockville’s displaced African American community on Middle Lane (to be repeated in September) and a program by Preservation Maryland on LGBTQ+ history. She also echoed concerns about King Farm Farmstead, noting that the staff report mentions a master plan presentation in September and adoption by October, leaving little time for HDC review.
- HDC and Staff Comments:
- Commissioner Falseman announced a ribbon‑cutting for a mural at 1350 East Gude Drive as part of the Rock East development, created by local artist Robert Cohen.
- Commissioner Goldfinger presented a historical feature on the Bell Dawson House (built 1815), including its original owners, enslaved persons, and its current use as a museum by the Montgomery County Historical Society.
- King Farm Farmstead Update: Chair Neil Powell and staff discussed the status of the adaptive reuse project. Staff confirmed that HDC will review all exterior modifications once formal plans are submitted, and the commission decided to invite Rec and Parks to the September 18 meeting for a presentation on the four options considered.
- Certificate of Approval – 100 West Montgomery Avenue (HDC 2025‑01198): The applicant requested re‑approval of demolition of a deteriorated historic structure, as the original one‑year approval had expired. Owner Paul Goldberg explained that demolition costs have soared, making the project economically unfeasible. Commissioners expressed disappointment with the delay but acknowledged the challenges. The certificate was approved 5‑0, and the commission suggested the owner contact the fire department about using the property as a training exercise to reduce costs.
- FY25 HDC Annual Report: Preservation Planner Sheila Pasheri presented a draft report summarizing FY25 activities: only five certificate of approval applications (compared to a typical 10‑13), three evaluations of significance, one designation (Courthouse Square), and ten tax credit applications. Accomplishments included inclusion in the city newsletter, reinstatement of the historic bronze marker program, receipt of two Maryland Historical Trust grants, and ongoing staff professional development. The commission approved the draft 5‑0, with final edits due by mid‑August before submission to the Mayor and Council on October 6.
- Zoning Ordinance Rewrite – Historic Preservation Code Amendments: Katie Gerbis led a work session on proposed amendments prompted by the Historic Preservation Work Plan and the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Key proposals included:
- Consolidating all historic preservation regulations into a single article.
- Adding explicit designation criteria and a definition of integrity to the code.
- Limiting consecutive evaluations of significance to five‑year intervals.
- Expanding administrative approvals for minor alterations (e.g., small accessory structures, light fixtures, tree removal, fencing).
- Creating a delisting process for properties that have lost their historic character.
- Restricting designation applications to the property owner, HDC, or Mayor and Council; requiring unanimous HDC approval if the owner does not consent.
- Adding enforcement against demolition by neglect, with municipal infractions.
- Adjusting triggers for evaluation of significance to focus on structures in the historic buildings catalog or those staff finds potentially eligible.
- Extending certificate of approval validity from one to five years.
- Removing obsolete references and adding commissioner qualification requirements for CLG status.
- No action was taken; the commission provided feedback. The amendments will be presented to Mayor and Council on September 15 and at a public meeting on September 25, with formal adoption targeted for May 2026.
- Strategic Priorities Discussion: Commissioners explored potential budget requests for FY26, including funding for an internship program to engage younger generations in preservation, signage to increase HDC visibility, and resources to advance the Historic Preservation Work Plan (e.g., continued historic context survey). They agreed to revisit the issue at the September meeting and to advocate directly with council members.
Key Outcomes
- Approvals and Votes:
- Minutes of June 26, 2025 approved (5‑0).
- Tax credit applications approved (5‑0), with one deferred for correction.
- Certificate of Approval (HDC 2025‑01198) for demolition at 100 West Montgomery Avenue approved (5‑0).
- FY25 HDC Annual Report approved (5‑0) as a draft, with edits to be submitted by mid‑August.
- Directives and Next Steps:
- Staff will coordinate with Rec and Parks to present the King Farm Farmstead concepts at the September 18 HDC meeting.
- The deferred tax credit application (307 West Montgomery Avenue) will be brought back in September after staff confirms the correct dates.
- The annual report will be finalized and presented to Mayor and Council on October 6, 2025.
- Proposed zoning ordinance amendments will be presented to Mayor and Council on September 15 and at a public meeting on September 25; the HDC may provide formal comments during the public hearing process.
- Commissioner discussion on strategic priorities and budget requests will continue at the September 18 meeting.
- The next HDC meeting is scheduled for September 18, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, welcome to the City of Rocky City of District Commission. Good evening and welcome to the City of Rockville Historic District Commission meeting number 06 2025. Today is Thursday, July 17th, 2025. I am HDC Chair, Anita Neil Powell. I am joined by my fellow commissioners, Seth Dimbo, Peter Falseman, Mercia Shingay, and Michael Goldfinger. We also joined by city staff. Sheila Pasheri, Preservation Planner, Cynthia Waltz, Deputy City Attorney, and Katie Gerbis, comprehensive planning manager. The HDC are conducting hybrid meetings. Applicants, and the public may join virtually via WebEx or in person in the mayor and council chambers at Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue. The public is invited to participate in person or virtually via WebX. The virtual meetings can be viewed in Rockville 11, Channel 11 on County Cable and live stream at WW.Rockville MD.gov slash Rockville 11. Each meeting is also available for viewing soon after the meeting is held at WW. Rockville MD.gov slash video on demand. The first item on the agenda is committee and organization report starting with Peerless Rockfield. Is there anyone here from Peerless Rockville who would be given a report? Okay, thank you. The next organization report on the agenda is the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation. I am the president of the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation. I do not have a report this evening. We will now move on to item C public comments open forum. This time is set aside for members of the public who want to comment on any non-agenda item. Is there anyone from the public waiting to comment on any issues not on the agenda? Please come forward and state your name and address. Thank you, madam chair. My name is Mark Persheila, 816 Fordham Street. And um pertinent to my comments, I am a former Rockville Council member, 12 years serving. So on Monday, I uh chair Anita Neil Powell and 10 or 12 other people attended mayor and council meeting because they were talking about the King Farm Farmstead. And the discussion left me unsettled in many ways, but the reason I'm at this particular meeting is because the agenda item from the city manager staff and the discussion by the mayor and council itself had very little to do with historic preservation. And it was almost not mentioned at all. There's some you know a few sentences in the in the staff report. And in particular, uh very little or no discussion about the city of Rockville's own obligations as the owner of a historic property, not only from a historic district perspective, but also in terms of maintenance of buildings and and making sure that they're viable. Further, um, in the staff report, the only board or commission that was that the um that the item had been reviewed by was the recreation parts advisory board, which was totally appropriate because they're talking about a recreation use. But what I didn't see in the staff report or was not mentioned at all by uh staff or any of the mayor and council members was what's the role of the historic district commission in all this. Um there was openly talk amongst some mayor and council members about taking down the horse barn, for example. Well, that's a historic building, and it's uh building that we've owned as a city since 1999. Um there were four options for adapting the buildings. I'm it that someone who spent over 20 years, as I pointed out, uh, at the meeting on Monday trying to get something done with the King Farm Farm Side. I'm very happy that there's finally some enthusiasm for that to happen. Option four is the option mayor and council chose to go with. They were given four options. And um, you know, I'm not particularly for or against that option. I do note, however, that it positive adding a wing between the two dairy barns. It posits uh some bump out on the second level coming into the the courtyard of the dairy barns. Um so you know, I think you ought to be aware of that, but nothing in the staff report or by uh by the staff members mentioned. Okay, what is your role in all this? Um so that's a question I have for you for for city staff who are here. You know, what is the role of the HDC? I think the role of the HDC is important. Um, you know, I I think they should have uh passed some materials by you all, or at least mentioned you uh what where you all come into the process and what their obligations are as mayor and council with respect to um city-owned property, historically designated property. And so I just don't feel they got a full uh taste of uh not only the historic dimension but the their own dimension as owners or property that especially for the horse barn has been allowed to deteriorate for some time.
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