The Montgomery County Board of Education voted March 8 to lease property on Potomac’s Brickyard Road to the county government so that youth soccer fields could be built there. The 20-acre property is currently used as an organic seed farm.
The county will convert this land into fields as a result of a 2005 study by the Parks and Planning Commission that found that the county needs 73 soccer fields and 15 rectangular fields to satisfy local demands. The county will work with a private organization to build the fields.
“The study and soccer community agree that there need to be soccer fields in county close to where people are,” said David Dise, director of Montgomery County’s department of General Services. “With the lack of Montgomery County’s fields, people have to drive to the upper or middle county, which is inconvenient.”
Montgomery County called Nick Maravell, who farms the land, March 3 to inform him that they would not be renewing his lease because the farm would be converted into playing fields.
“There was no public notice,” said CHS parent Maria Fusco, whose house overlooks the farm. “I know a lot of people in the neighborhood and nobody knew anything about it.”
According to Fusco, on the night of March 3, an email circulated around the neighborhood informing residents of the county’s the intentions, just two days before the hearing in which the school board voted to lease the land to the county government.
“Even with the lack of notice, 14 people spoke in front of the Board of Education,” Fusco said. “Twelve people spoke for the farm and two people spoke for the soccer fields. We have this jewel here in Potomac, an organic farm.”
Maravell’s organic farm is the only one in Potomac. The corn seed he cultivates is unique because unlike most commercial seed types, it can be saved and replanted to produce the same amount of crops each season.
“To convert new land into a certified organic farm, the land must be free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for three years,” Maravell said. “I have been farming organically on the Brickyard site for the last 30 years. To move my seed operation on short notice, I would need to find land that is already certified organic and has substantial isolation distances from other non-organic farms.”
However, there has always been a clause in Maravell’s lease that allows it to be terminated at any time.
“The master plan for that area called for the site to be used for a school site or recreational use,” Dise said. “Everybody operated within the legal definition of the lease.”
According to Dise, measures are being taken to ensure that residents of the street are not disrupted. There will be no turf fields, no lights, no public address system, no tournaments and no use of fields before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
“We’re going to make sure those using the fields will not disrupt the street,” Dise said. “We’re going to require that all parking must be on site, and the parking area must be sufficiently sized.”
Maravell recognizes the need for fields, but also feels the need for organic farming should be recognized as well.
“Our county officials and our community leaders should work together to find a win-win solution that all members of the community could support,” Maravell said.
