Section 3 of the Village of Chevy Chase

SOME KEY POINTS OF INFORMATION:

TRASH COLLECTION
PARKING AND TRAFFIC
SNOW REMOVAL
DOGS
CATS
HEDGES
BUILDING PERMITS
NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES
CHURCH PLAYGROUND
CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUPS & BABY-SITTING COOP
POLICE PROTECTION
MAKING IT OFFICIAL THAT YOU LIVE IN SECTION 3

Section 3 residents share neighborhood news at a community event

Mondays & Thursdays are trash pick-up days. Montgomery County residents living in unincorporated areas get trash picked up only once a week. We contract privately as an incorporated municipality and have trash picked up from your garbage cans twice a week. Please be certain all trash in the cans is in plastic bags, not loose. If you are missed, call the town line(301 656-9117) and leave a message immediately with the address and the manager will contact our service and they will try and pick up on the next business day.

On Mondays, in addition to household trash, yard trash (leaves, grass clippings, small branches) is picked up. Yard trash must be left at curbside and placed in large brown paper bags or grass clippings and/or leaves can be placed in a trash can at the curb. Tree branches should be no more than 4' in length and bundled in twine. All yard trash is recycled, so exclude any plastic plant holders or plastic bags. Plastic plant pots can be placed with bottles and glasses for recycling on Thursdays.

Household trash does not have to be left at curbside please but should be left in tightly sealed garbage bags in cans.

Once a year, in the fall, paper bags are distributed to all members of the community. When you run out of your supply, you are responsible for supplementing that supply yourself. Most hardware stores and supermarkets have large paper bags used for yard trash.

On Thursdays, in addition to household trash, we set out our recycling at curbside. Newspapers should be in bags (paper or plastic) or bundled with twine.You can bag junk mail, old phone directories and magazines as well.Because of identity theft problems, we urge that you do not put any credit card offers or other key papers in your recycling. Bottles and cans (mixed glass, plastic and metal and placed in blue recycling containers) should be set out at the curb. Please note: Different trucks collect household trash and recycling on Thursdays, so please don't expect that everything will be picked up by the same truck. If you have difficulty lugging recyclables out to the curbside, please call the Village Manager. We have a group of energetic young people who have volunteered to help out our elderly residents each week to set their papers and bottles out at the curb. We'll be happy to help you out.

If you need a new blue recycling container or a second one, call the Village Manager and arrange to pick one up at her house.

Major household goods (bulk trash--excluding toxic waste, paint cans, tires and batteries) is picked up on the first Wednesday of every month except January and February. Pickup of these items is at curbside. Refrigerators and/or air conditioners can only be picked up by our contractor if a licensed plumber has removed the freon in those appliances and applied an EPA tag to the appliance.

Hazardous materials (including paint cans) may be taken to County drop-off sites which are announced in local papers and in our own community newsletter.

PARKING AND TRAFFIC:

Please consider your neighbors. We have narrow streets and we need to keep access clear for emergency vehicles. Please don't park any closer than 35 feet from an intersection or opposite driveways. Use your driveway whenever possible. If snow is forecast, please park in your driveway to allow for the prompt and efficient removal of snow. You are responsible for clearing snow from your sidewalk in front of your home within about 12 hours of a snowstorm. We have a program for our senior citizens to shovel their walks for them. PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY THROUGH OUR VILLAGE, WE ARE A COMMUNITY WITH LOTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN. On most streets, there is parking on one side only and no parking where the curb is painted yellow. If you have guests or deliveries, please remind them of this fact

SNOW REMOVAL:

We hire a contractor to come and plow our streets once the snow gets 2" or more. Senior citizens who ask for the service have their walks shoveled for them,however they are expected to keep the walkways free of ice. We just help with the heavy lifting. If you're not a senior citizen, then you are responsible for having your walk clear within 12 hours of a snow storm. If you have a problem, we have a number of able young people who would love to earn money shoveling walks and driveways, just give the Village Manager a call and she'll give you the names and numbers of interested neighborhood kids. If you park your car on the street normally and have space to put it in your driveway on snow days, that would be a great help to keep our streets well-plowed. So watch the weather forecast and park the car in your driveway on snow days please!

DOGS:

A leash law is in effect for the entire County. Rabies shots are also required for all dogs along with a license. This can be obtained from a local vet. Please don't allow your dog to run loose or foul a neighbor's yard. Please pick up after your dog. There is a small park at the intersection of Spring, Fulton and Florida Streets. The park is for residents, not their dogs. People bring young children to play in the park and we don't want them tripping on doggie donations to the park! If you walk your dog, bring a plastic bag to pick up their waste. There are public garbage baskets for that purpose throughout the community and there are two dispensers with biodegradable doggie bags for dog walkers.

CATS:

Montgomery County has recently passed a no trespassing law for all dogs and cats--which means that unless you have permission from your neighbor, your animal cannot go on other's property. For outdoor cats, this is more of a problem than for dogs who are supposed to be on a leash anyway. If an animal is on someone's private property, they can legally capture or trap the animal and take it to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. If the animal is trespassing, then you can get a warning, a $100 fine and if it's a second offense, a $500 fine! Please be careful with our animals and contact the Village Manager if a cat is missing before you call the Animal Shelter.

HEDGES:

To ensure drivers ease in seeing around corners, Section 3 regulations mandates that hedges bordering on streets or at the intersection of two streets must be trimmed to a height no greater than 36 inches for 15' on either side of the corner and trimmed at the side so that they don't encroach on the sidewalk.

BUILDING PERMITS:

In addition to getting proper building permits from the County and adhering to County Building Codes, Section 3 also requires a building permit for the construction or alteration of any building and for the placement of fencing and front hedges. Section 3 setback rules override County rules. Our ordinances mandate that side yard building lines can total 18' from the two side property lines and rear-yard building can be no more than 20 feet from the property line. Rear fences can be as high as 6 feet, front fences no more than 48 inches. Permit fees are $10 and can only be obtained after County permits have been acquired as the County permit number is an important part of the application. Inspections during construction is the responsibility of Montgomery County's Building Inspectors. The homeowner is responsible for returning all sidewalks, curbs and streets to their pre-construction condition. If you are using a dumpster, your contractor may be required to post a performance bond or some funds to insure that no damage is done to town property or neighbor's property as it's installed and removed. If no damage is done, then they will get their money back once the job is complete.

If you have any questions or require a variance, please contact the building inspector (always a Council member) and ask. We also urge you to talk over any changes with your neighbors as soon as you contemplate any changes to the exterior of the house. Permits must be obtained before work begins.

NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES:

Every September we sponsor a "Party-in-the Park" for all Section 3 residents. It's a wonderful time to meet everyone in the neighborhood and have fun with music, food and games for children. In recent years, we've had a community-wide dinner it's lots of fun. In addition, we have a periodic "Mini-Chautauqua" series of concerts and lectures for residents. We have had talks on Chevy Chase history, on the impact of trains on the settling of the West, on China before the revolution, the Iraqi war coverage and we have had some wonderful concerts, all in neighbors' homes, the Gazebo Park or in the Church auditorium. If you have a special area of expertise or talent, let us know. We'd love to have you share it with the rest of us. Recent community activities have included an Easter Egg Hunt,a "House Tour" of renovated homes, a Halloween parade, a puppet show in the park,a blanket and warm clothing drive for the homeless and an "orphan socks and gloves" drive also for the homeless.

Each Spring or Fall we sponsor some sort of house or garden tour, only for Section 3 residents. It gives people a chance to see design solutions executed by their neighbors and it gives those who have been living with contractors for months and months a chance to show off their efforts. We have had a garden tour, a tour of neighborhood artists' homes and several "additions and remodeling" tours. We are always open for new ways to bring neighbors together--so if you have any ideas, let us know.

We have a gardener's exchange to recycle plants within the community. If you are getting rid of something from your garden, chances are we can find someone who wants it.

CHURCH PLAYGROUND:

The Chevy Chase United Methodist Church welcomes neighborhood children to use their playground when the pre-school program is not in session. The have a nice "tot lot" for very young children and a larger playground for older children. The church assumes no liability and expects that proper care will be given to play equipment and that dangerous ball-playing will not be allowed.

CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUPS & BABY-SITTING COOP:

A number of young mothers have joined together to form playgroups and get to know one another in the neighborhood. Contact the Village Manager to find out if there is a playgroup for your child's age group or to connect with families with children your child's age nearby.

There is a long-standing baby-sitting cooperative in the Chevy Chase Area. Belonging to the coop means donating a certain number of hours per month to sit for other people's children with the knowledge that people in the neighborhood will return the favor and sit for your children. If you're interested in more information on the Chevy Chase Baby-sitting Coop, contact Nedra Weinstein at 301 654-2419.

POLICE PROTECTION:

Montgomery County Police serve our community. In addition, to augment their services, Section 3 hires the Chevy Chase Village (our neighbors to the south) police for a limited number of hours each month for patrols through the neighborhood. For normal police issues, however, you can either use 911 for emergencies, or contact the Bethesda station for routine questions at 301 652-9200.

MAKING IT OFFICIAL THAT YOU LIVE IN SECTION 3:

Remember to change your driver's licenses to reflect your current address because that is also your voter registration under the new motor voter law. Please be aware that you should indicate that you live in the Village of Chevy Chase, Section 3 on your Maryland income tax return. Please change your car registration as soon as possible as well. Maryland law requires that all permanent residents with cars registered to their principal residence register their cars in the state within the first 30 days.