Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Councilmember wants to clarify relationship between Mayor & Council and Rockville Sister Cities Corporation
"It's very unclear in my mind when the Mayor and Council should be chiming in," Pierzchala said at Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting. He said he wants to "define the relationship" between the Rockville Sister City Corporation and the Mayor & Council, and explore the evolution of that relationship and their respective roles over the last 30 years.
The Rockville Sister City Corporation, as it is officially known, was founded as a non-profit in 1987. Rockville's current sister cities are Pinneberg, Germany and Jiaxing, China.
A discussion item has tentatively been added to the next meeting's agenda. That agenda had not been posted on the City website as of this writing.
Friday, May 12, 2017
New development aims to "fill the gap" between Metro and Rockville Town Square
Foulger-Pratt SVP Dick Knapp introduces the project team at VisArts last night |
The existing site of the future apartment building, looking northwest from E. Middle Lane |
"We got a lot of excellent feedback from those three," Knapp said of those elected officials. In direct response to their input, he said, new elements were added to the project that fill needs for the city. Knapp said that Foulger-Pratt has agreed to Newton's request for family-size, 3-bedroom units. As a result, 11% of the MPDUs in the building will be 3-bedroom units, a longtime housing priority for the mayor.
Those 3-bedroom MPDUs will rent for only $1400-a-month, Knapp said. 1-bedroom MPDUs will run as low as $1000, and 2-bedrooms for $1335-a-month. He predicted market-rate units in the building would be similar to The Upton across the street. Studios would likely start at $1500-a-month, 2-bedrooms at $2300, and 2-bedrooms with dens at $2500.
This existing vehicle access to nearby buildings will be preserved under the future building |
Aerial view of the site, with future building at center in white |
Closer view (click to enlarge) |
Sears said school capacity is "adequate under the test" now applied under the city's updated APFS. Students living in the new building would attend Beall Elementary, Julius West Middle School and Richard Montgomery High School. The target demographic for the project includes "singles and couples in the technology field," and empty nesters, Knapp said. Foulger-Pratt anticipates both groups will find the "lock-and-leave" services the company will provide as the property manager appealing. He said the company plans to hold on to the property for the long-term.
Tree-lined path pointing NW at right is the "urban grotto" |
The interior bike station accessible from E. Middle Lane |
Vehicle and bicycle access from E. Middle Lane |
Courtyard with pool |
Pool |
View from E. Middle Lane |
That support is still nearly five years away, however. "It's going to take awhile," Knapp acknowledged of the timetable. He said groundbreaking is two years away, and that it will take about two years to construct the building. Sears predicted the project's Pre-Application Submittal would likely be filed "toward the end of the month." Next up, will be informal presentations to the Planning Commission and Mayor and Council, followed by the formal approval process and public hearings before both bodies.
With the announcement of a Japanese steakhouse as the future ground-floor tenant at Rockville Metro II next door, the entire block between MD 355 and Maryland Avenue could be fully-activated at street level by 2021 or 2022.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Cost, impact on residents top concerns on Veirs Mill BRT options
Councilmember Mark Pierzchala, a BRT supporter, was not convinced that option would be worth the money for the modest transit ridership boost the Maryland Department of Transportation claims the line will produce.
The loss of left-turns at many intersections was another concern for Pierzchala, as that would impact residents trying to get around their own neighborhood. Given the cost and disruption of the Cadillac option, Pierzchala said he is more comfortable supporting Alternative 3, which would provide dedicated curb lanes for BRT "where feasible."
Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton suggested that cutting corners with BRT would fail to produce world-class results for passengers, and for economic development. She warned against trying to "nickel and dime around the edges" of a major project. At the same time, Newton said she was very concerned about the impact on residents and homes along the route. Houses and businesses along Veirs Mill are threatened with demolition to various extents, depending upon which alternative is chosen.
Newton also urged that any extension to Montgomery College of the service reflect the actual hours classes are held on the Rockville campus.
MDOT is scheduled to make its final BRT recommendation by the end of this year.
Photos via MDOT
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Burden of Rockville water and sewer fees debated by Mayor & Council
Newton has asked City staff to consider the possibility of transferring revenue from a cell tower atop a City water tank to the sewer fund, rather than its current flow into the General Fund. Councilmember Mark Pierzchala said that would not provide sufficient revenue to allow a reduction in fees. Newton said that $50,000 annually adds up to a significant amount over time.
Like the WSSC, Pierzchala said, Rockville is being forced to spend large amounts to update aging water and sewer infrastructure. "It's what we have to pay to have clean, safe water," he said.
A ring that is planned for installation atop the tank will allow for more cell towers to be installed. Acting City Manager Craig Simoneau said that would provide opportunities for additional revenue.
Pierzchala warned that moving the cell tower revenue out of the General Fund would mean taking money from something else in the budget. Newton replied that the difference is there are more sources of revenue for the general fund, while water fees only draw money from ratepayers.
Photo courtesy City of Rockville
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Rockville Mayor and Council discuss FY-17 budget priorities
But if the Mayor and Council accept the general outline presented by staff last night, there would be a 5-6% increase in trash fees, and a two-cent hike in what commercial property owners at Rockville Town Square pay toward the parking fund annually. Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton asked what that spike in trash fees would cost the average Rockville resident. Webster said it would be about $20 to $25 out of residents' pockets in FY-17. She said a number of factors led to the suggested increase, including a renegotiated city refuse agreement, new vehicle purchases, and labor costs.
Finance Director Gavin Cohen said the Rockville Town Square parking tax hike would cost property owners there about $12,000. He added that the new revenue would help cover the installation and adoption of "smart" parking meters.
Councilmember Mark Pierzchala, known for being well-prepared for meetings, identified a discrepancy in the newest unassigned reserves figure for FY-17. He noted it was now below the target established in the FY-16 budget. Webster explained that the number had to be revised due to new concerns about revenue, particularly in light of the Wynne decision and the recent mistake by the Maryland Comptroller's office in allocation of revenues to municipalities such as Rockville. The latter gaffe means the City will likely have to return an unknown amount of funds it mistakenly received from Annapolis.
In the context of those concerns, Webster said, she did not recommend the City reduce the property tax at this time. Councilmember Beryl Feinberg asked her colleagues if there was any inclination among the body to pursue a property tax reduction or credit for FY-17. There appeared to be no takers. Pierzchala said he was not only concerned about the factors Webster mentioned, but about the increasing forecasts of another national recession.
Webster said that Rockville is in a position to keep water and sewer fees flat this year, but cautioned against reducing the amount of unassigned reserves. She said the money that would free up would likely be outweighed by the negative message such a move would send to bond rating agencies, upon whom staff had impressed last year's increased commitment to reserve funding. Webster said those agencies expect the City to continue on that course to retain its prized Aaa bond rating.
With the recent election having just passed, the Mayor and Council also sought to deliver on promises made during the 2015 campaign. Newton noted that the Rockville Senior Center is in urgent need of both a full-time social worker, and a dedicated staff member who can help manage the aging-in-place Village programs being established across the city. She also pressed for one of her top priorities, increasing the number of police officers in the city. Newton said Rockviille's population, demographics and law enforcement challenges are not what they were 30 years ago. Rockville Police Chief Terry Treschuk concurred with the Mayor's comments. "It's time we had a frank discussion about the Police Department in this city," Treschuk said, "and lay it all on the table."
Pierzchala said he was hesitant to add signifcant numbers of new officers without first examining how current personnel are deployed and other efficiency options. Newton and Treschuk's remarks suggested that such analysis would be part of the overall discussion. But Newton argued that additions to the force are clearly warranted, with Rockville officers answering over 70% of calls within the city last year. She said Montgomery County officials have told her the efforts of the Rockville Police have allowed County Police assets to be redeployed to other priorities.
Feinberg brought up another proposal supported by several candidates last fall, the construction of additional recreation centers around the city. She suggested Potomac Woods Park as a prime location, because it already has utility lines running out to it, and existing recreational facilities in place.
Newton encouraged residents and staff to come forward with needs that could be addressed in this budget, saying it is important that the document reflect their priorities while maintaining the City's sound financial management.
Photo courtesy City of Rockville
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Rockville councilman: Stop funding tackle football
Rockville Councilmember Mark Pierzchala advised his colleagues at last night's Mayor and Council meeting that he wants the City to stop funding contact football for youth in its budget. The Mayor and Council have allotted $342,510 for youth sports in FY-2016. However, the amount of that which funds tackle football is not broken out in the budget document.
The Recreation and Parks Department offers a Rockville Football League for youth on its list of sports. A representative for the City, Jen Liberto, sits on the Board of Directors of this league entity. But it's unclear how much control or say Rockville has in its budget and operations, or how much the City contributes financially to the league. If Rockville were to cease funding tackle football, the impact on this or other programs is also unclear.
Pierzchala said that, as a former football player in his own youth, he knows football is inherently a "helmet-to-helmet" game. With recent concerns over concussions and long-term brain injuries in football players at all levels, Pierzchala argued that this is discussion the City must have. He said he wanted to give advance notice of his position, so that no one would be taken by surprise when the new budget deliberations are underway.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Former Rockville councilman decries "awful" campaign tactics
Marrinan termed the mailer, sent out by the mayoral campaign of Sima Osdoby and emblazoned with logos of the Team Rockville slate, "awful."
Later at the meeting, the newly-sworn-in Mayor and Council held a public hearing to start the process of annexing the former CarMax property near the Shady Grove Metro station into the City. The site is at 15931 Frederick Road (MD 355).
Councilmember Mark Pierzchala questioned why the street between the CarMax site and the new Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments wasn't being included in the annexation. The street is currently owned by WMATA.
Planning commissioners had criticized the planned apartment building at the site for including no retail to activate the streetscape around it, or reduce driving by residents. They did ultimately recommend the proposed annexation plan.
Attorney Pat Harris, representing the developers 355 Partners, LLC and Frederick Road, LLC on the project at 15931 Frederick Road, said that the high ceilings and windows of the building's ground floor will allow future retail build-out if the retail market improves.
The Mayor and Council also discussed legislative priorities for the upcoming 2016 session of the Maryland General Assembly, such as school construction funding, and scheduling meetings on the topic of parking at Rockville Town Square. Parking problems have been blamed for recent business closures there.
Newton said she would like to include landowner Federal Realty in an upcoming worksession, and take action on the matter before the holiday shopping season gets fully underway. However, last night's scheduling discussion made it unclear that such timely action on the issue would be possible.
Photo courtesy City of Rockville
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Osdoby, Team Rockville make it official (Photos)
Campaign Manager Max van Balgooy introduces Team Rockville 2015 |
Sima Osdoby announces her candidacy for Mayor |
Clark Reed |
A co-founder of the Rockville Solar Co-op, Reed says his venture is "literally giving power to the people," having signed up 200 families for solar panels this year. Despite his rookie status in electoral politics in Rockville, he didn't shy away from taking a swipe at the current Mayor and Council. Reed argued that "personal grudges grew into dysfunction," producing a "continuous shower of negativity." Presumably referring to those who opposed weakening school capacity standards in the city's Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, Reed said, "fearmongering is stopping us from moving forward."
That divide over planning and development became the central theme of the evening. By event's end, one thing was clear - Team Rockville leans more toward the dense, transit-oriented redevelopment being implemented at the city's door in the Pike District, than the small town approach the city has followed outside of its town center for decades.
Mark Pierzchala |
Palakovich Carr spoke the least about development, however, positioning herself as an environmental and pedestrian safety advocate. Overhauling the city's Animal Control Ordinance and the establishment of a water conservation program are among her first-term accomplishments. She said Rockville should be a city "where no one loses their life or jeopardizes their safety" when walking or biking. She also noted her vote in favor of bringing the city's school capacity standards in line with Montgomery County's weaker standards, which has opened the entire city up for development. That 3-2 Council vote enraged a large, well-organized coalition of citizens. Palakovich Carr termed the dissenters a "vocal minority of naysayers" last night.
Virginia Onley |
"I swore I was never gonna join another slate," Onley recalled. She said the caliber of the new slate changed her mind, promising that Team Rockville will "keep their thumbs on the pulse of development" if elected.
Osdoby |
"Doing nothing costs," Osdoby declared. "We're standing still. The future is passing us by."
Criticizing the delay in the update of the Rockville Pike Plan, Osdoby charged "something's wrong here." Planning Commissioners recently defended the time spent on the plan as valuable in obtaining citizen input, and the fault of those on the Council who changed the APFS standards that were relied upon throughout the current draft. With those now out the window, the Commission said the Council knew their actions would delay the plan further.
Osdoby somewhat ironically blamed Newton for "failing to forge consensus" as mayor, given that Team Rockville's message last night implicitly labeled a sizable group of Rockville residents as a "vocal minority" of "fearmongering" bad actors, who in Pierzchala's words, are "spending too much time fighting last century's battles." Not exactly words to bring the city together.
Turnout was sizable for the last-minute event. Osdoby noted that the slate had only been working together for a few days, and "we've got a room full of people here." Notables in the crowd included former Mayor Rose Krasnow, current Councilmember Tom Moore, Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan (D - District 17), and former Planning Commissioners Jerry Callistein and Steven Johnson.
Not all supporters were from the city, however. Former state Democratic Party chair Susie Turnbull, Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, and Montgomery County Planning Board Commissioner Natali Fani-Gonzalez were also in attendance. I asked Fani-Gonzelez, who recently became the first Latino commissioner ever appointed to the Planning Board, if she was endorsing the slate. She clarified that she was there not to officially endorse anyone, but because she served on the board of Emerge Maryland with Osdoby. Turnbull was a co-founder of Emerge Maryland.
Montgomery County Planning Commissioner Natali Fani-Gonzalez (right) joins supporters behind Team Rockville at the end of the event |
Voters that year eagerly voted for the council candidates on Team Rockville, but chose Newton over Pierzchala. One could interpret that as a desire by the citizens to pursue many of the agenda items of Team Rockville, but wanting Newton as a check on that power. One could also interpret Pierzchala's decision to run for council this year, rather than mayor, as a tacit admission that Newton will be tough to beat.
Or, perhaps the political ground has shifted since then. That's what makes elections exciting.
Rain didn't dampen the turnout at the New Mark Commons Clubhouse |
Monday, August 24, 2015
Osdoby rumored to enter Rockville mayoral contest; new Team Rockville expected to announce tonight
Saturday, August 22, 2015
New Team Rockville slate for Mayor and Council forming?
Thursday's announcement by former Rockville City Councilman Mark Pierzchala that he is seeking a return to his old seat was followed Friday by a cryptic Facebook post from a former Team Rockville teammate. Incumbent councilmember Virginia Onley hinted at a big announcement she plans to make "about the upcoming Mayor and Council elections" Monday evening.
The interesting part? Her announcement will be at the same time and place as Pierzchala's previously-scheduled campaign kickoff event.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Mark Pierzchala to run for Rockville City Council again
In his announcement, Pierzchala cited his "financial and budgetary expertise", promotion of economic development, and fiscal conservatism on the council "during the Great Recession." The former councilman has expertise in survey methodology and statistics, and runs a Rockville-based consulting firm specializing in those areas.
Pierzchala was a member of the Team Rockville slate as a mayoral candidate in 2013. Outgoing councilmember Tom Moore was a member of that slate, as well. Moore recently hinted that he would be backing candidates in the November 3 election, and would reveal his plans to that end in the near future.
However, Team Rockville did not always vote as a bloc. The most constant two Team Rockville votes on the council have come from Moore and Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr. Councilmember (and former Team Rockville member) Beryl Feinberg more often voted with Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton on controversial issues that drove angry citizens to testify at City Hall, such as the weakening of the standards on school overcrowding, proximity of self-storage facilities to schools, and backyard chickens. Feinberg is not running as part of a slate in this election.
Councilmember Virginia Onley also voted independently from her Team Rockville colleagues many times, often seeking to find a middle ground between disparate positions. In fact, Onley, Feinberg and Newton were more often than not a strong, 3-vote bloc as the current council term unfolded. But Onley cast the decisive vote to weaken school capacity standards, reversing her position a few months earlier to join Moore and Palakovich Carr.
One of the more interesting things we'll find out this fall in Rockville, is whether the APFS school standards votes will have any impact on the election results.
Pierzchala has not yet announced if he will run as part of any slate in this election, but promises to offer more details on his campaign Monday night.
Photo via Team Rockville website
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
ROCKVILLE RESIDENTS DIVIDED ON LONGER COUNCIL TERMS AT PUBLIC HEARING
Former city councilmember Mark Pierzchala testified in favor of the change, but lamented the "construct" of the less than 17% of registered voters who voted speaking for the other 83%. Pierzchala, an expert on surveys and statistics, urged the mayor and council to put a second issue - moving city elections to presidential years - back on the ballot again in 2015. That particular calendar change was rejected by city voters in 2013. This time, Pierzchala suggested, the ballot question language should include a statement explaining the benefit intended by the initiative's supporters - namely, increasing voter turnout.
Resident Joe Jordan, who served on the Rockville Charter Review Commission, noted that the majority of voters who didn't turn out last November had the same chance to vote as those who did. Jordan also spoke in support of 4-year terms Monday night.
Twinbrook Civic Association President Christina Ginsberg was more skeptical of the change. Ginsberg said elected officials' efforts to avoid frequent elections, and put forward additional changes that would favor incumbents, were "very dangerous." She recommended the council take the opposite approach, and make changes that would reduce the advantages of incumbency. Such changes, she said, could motivate new challengers to run. Ginsberg mentioned several ideas, including public financing, campaign finance reform, and a limit on how many mailings city candidates could send out.
Another resident, who lives in the Rockshire neighborhood, said she and her husband specifically chose to move to Rockville 37 years ago for its frequent elections, which she believed made municipal government more accountable.
The Mayor and Council are now expected to act on the change to 4 year terms, on the basis of voters' recommendation last November.
Friday, August 2, 2013
BRIDGET NEWTON RUNNING FOR MAYOR; MARCUCCIO DECISION COULD BOOST TEAM ROCKVILLE SLATE
Two-term Rockville Councilmember Bridget Newton officially launched her bid to be the city's next mayor last night. Her opponent will be another multiterm councilmember, Mark Pierzchala.
Newton has pledged to take no money from developers, and has been a skeptic of urban-style development outside of the city's Town Center.
Pierzchala, and the rest of his Team Rockville slate, favor denser, transit-oriented development.
Both mayoral candidates have long records of public service.
Current mayor Phyllis Marcuccio declined to run for another term, and has endorsed Newton.
Marcuccio's decision, and the current lack of opponents for Team Rockville, could lead to success on Election Day for the slate.
There are now three wide-open council seats. Incumbent Tom Moore will lead slatemates Julie Palakovich Carr, Beryl Feinberg and Virginia Onley into the contest.
While Newton has as much of a chance to win as Pierzchala, the Team Rockville council candidates could sweep the election, if it were held today.
Rumored candidate Anne Robbins, a veteran councilmember, has not filed yet. The filing deadline is little over a month away.
The vacuum that would have existed for a slow-growth candidate has now become a black hole.
While Newton vs. Pierzchala will be a marquee race, offering voters a clear choice for the city's future direction, the mayor holds little power in Rockville.
Should no city activists nor Robbins step forward to file, this election would be a blowout for Team Rockville in terms of council seats, and political power.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
ROCKSHIRE RESIDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT FUTURE OF KARMA ACADEMY PROPERTY
Quite a few residents of the Rockshire neighborhood of Rockville turned out at Monday night's Mayor and Council Meeting.
They voiced concerns during the Citizens Forum segment of the meeting about the fate of the former Karma Academy property on Watts Branch Parkway.
The property is owned by Montgomery County, and the county has not yet specified what it intends to do with it. Rockshire residents who spoke at the meeting urged the city to obtain the property, and merge it with the adjacent Wooton's Mill Park, owned by the city.
Councilmember Mark Pierzchala said that, realistically, the county will not simply hand over the expensive real estate for little or no money. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio suggested it could be a good site for the Rockville Science Center she has long advocated for.
Residents have good reason to be concerned. The county could sell the property to a developer for a massive, dense townhome development. Or it could choose to keep it, building a school, soccer fields, or a shelter/clinic facility, as residents of Twinbrook Forest had to deal with until recently. The county council once tried to build a homeless shelter on property it obtained in an expensive Bethesda neighborhood of single-family homes, until outraged residents raised a ruckus.
Likewise, the county should not underestimate the Rockshire Association, which sued Rockville's Mayor and Council and Planning Commission over a development dispute during the 1970s.
Councilmember Tom Moore lauded the large turnout. He said the Karma Academy was "already on our radar," but that the appearance of so many residents would surely move the issue up on the council's list of priorities.
Monday, March 11, 2013
"TEAM ROCKVILLE" TAKES FIELD EARLY IN 2013 CITY ELECTION, PIERZCHALA RUNNING FOR MAYOR
Slates are back in Rockville city politics. Whether voters still obey them, will be just one intriguing outcome of the November 5 Mayor and Council elections.
The first slate - "Team Rockville" - has already gone public: Councilmember Mark Pierzchala is running for mayor, and Councilmember Tom Moore, Virginia Onley, Julie Palakovich Carr and Beryl L. Feinberg are in the race for the four council seats.
Two questions have been answered: Will there be slates? And will Pierzchala run for mayor?
But others remain, before one can get a true sense of the dynamics of this race.
Will John Hall run for mayor? Will Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio run for reelection? And will the council vote on the Rockville Pike plan before, or after the election?
Former councilmember Anne Robbins is also expected to run, and would be a formidable challenge to the lesser-known candidates on the "Team Rockville" slate. Robbins is skeptical of smart growth, having noted that advocates have been talking about "getting people out of their cars" since the 60s, with little results. She brought an independent streak to the council, referring to herself as "the Lone Ranger" during a contentious council meeting over a decade ago.
Pierzchala won election primarily on his strong work on behalf of the College Gardens neighborhood as a citizen, and diligent attendance and engagement at city meetings. Once on the council, he has pivoted to take an aggressive pro-development stance, and has helped organize two summits on Rockville's future.
Tom Moore is a first-term councilmember who often sides with Pierzchala on issues. He recently made news beyond the city limits when he questioned the use and storage of data collected by license plate readers onboard Rockville police cruisers.
Virginia Onley is the only other member of the slate who has name recognition at this early stage, having run for council previously. If I recall correctly, Onley is one of the relatively few candidates smart enough to use the Citizens Forum during the election season, as a free platform to reach voters. It's surprising more candidates don't utilize that forum. Larry Giammo made hugely-effective use of it during his successful campaign for mayor.
Now, of course, the other question is, who else will throw their hat into the ring?
Drew Powell and Dion Trahan are two former candidates still actively engaged in city politics and government, but there are certainly others who could make a run, as well. Stay tuned.
If there's a Rockville citizen you think would be a great mayor or councilmember, feel free to put his or her name in the comments section below (there is an option to post anonymously, if you wish).
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
ROCKVILLE COUNCIL REVOLTS AGAINST MAYOR'S COMMISSION PICKS
The Rockville City Council had issues with two vacancy appointment decisions proposed by Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio at last night's Mayor and Council meeting.
Three councilmembers, John Hall, Tom Moore and Mark Pierzchala, declined to support one of Marcuccio's nominations for the city Board of Supervisors of Elections, activist Drew Powell.
Powell has been a longtime opponent of developer influence in city and county elections, and was an outspoken critic of individual candidates' campaign finance activities in the 2011 city election.
Was this political payback, or simply a desire to explore other candidates, as some councilmembers suggested?
It has been established practice for mayoral nominations for appointments to be honored. The fact that Marcuccio raised objection to that protocol as a councilmember in previous years was raised. Marcuccio did so, but then-Mayor Susan Hoffman still prevailed in having sole power of nomination.
Thus the rejection of Powell was unusual.
Councilmember Bridget Donnell Newton joined Hall, Moore and Pierzchala later in the meeting in endorsing the reappointment of Kate Ostell to the city Planning Commission. Ostell is a longtime commissioner whose term actually expired last summer.
Marcuccio suggested it was time to add fresh blood to the commission. The four councilmembers disagreed.
This appointment is highly significant, as whoever is appointed will cast a powerful vote on the Rockville Pike Plan, on which billions of dollars in developer profits hinge. Marcuccio has been critical of the plan, and her appointment could complicate approval of what appears to remain a developer-friendly document. Others feel Ostell's experience and involvement in the lengthy Pike Plan process add value to the commission's final deliberations, which will follow a public hearing on it.