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Candidates at Martin's Additions forum warn county rezoning could strain stormwater, services
Summary
At a village election forum, candidates Andrew Kotters and Lehi Spencer urged vigilance on Montgomery County rezoning proposals they say threaten Martin's Additions' character, discussed stormwater and infrastructure, village reserves and modest pilot funding, resident outreach and accessibility concerns.
Two candidates vying for a seat on the Martin's Additions council used a village election forum to press for tighter local controls on development and faster responses to infrastructure and service needs while outlining how they would use village reserves and boost resident engagement.
Candidate Andrew Kotters said county rezoning proposals — especially amendments affecting corridors such as Connecticut Avenue and East–West Highway — "threaten the single family home structure" in Martin's Additions and risk increasing traffic and stormwater impacts. He told residents the council has retained outside counsel and been coordinating with neighboring municipalities on the issue.
Lehi Spencer, who spoke at the forum under the name Alexa, agreed the zoning changes "look on path to be passed" and called for the village to prepare for how corridor construction could affect parking, congestion and local services. Spencer emphasized code clarity and said she expects an engineering report from the stormwater task force to provide recommended fixes in July.
Both candidates said stormwater management and infrastructure upgrades are urgent. Kotters noted the village has funded an expert to support the stormwater task force; Spencer said the code contains "vague language" written decades ago and urged revisiting building standards to protect pervious land and reduce flooding.
On budget and reserves, Kotters said the village is currently "at 5 and a half to 6000000 in reserves" (as stated at the forum) and expressed support for using a portion of that money for conservative, community-building projects such as snow-shoveling programs and outreach. Spencer said she could not name a target reserve amount on the spot but argued the village should keep enough to remain solvent while exploring targeted investments and code updates.
The candidates defended modest village funding for pilot programs. Kotters supported the council's recent decision to pay a $300 annual fee for the resident-operated listserv and to seed participation in community services like Chevy Chase at Home if the need is clear. Spencer, drawing on her caregiver and social-service background, highlighted combining initiatives (for example, walkability and aging-in-place programs) to stretch resources.
Accessibility and service delivery were also discussed. A resident raised concerns about the village office's lack of first-floor access for people with mobility impairments; Kotters said buying a nearby property might be considered if reserves and renovation costs made sense, while Spencer suggested rental or shared spaces and recommended assessing actual use and frequency before buying. Kotters also described a forthcoming emergency text alert system to notify residents quickly about safety or service incidents.
On resident engagement, both candidates urged more one-on-one outreach and better instructions on how to access meeting materials online. Kotters pointed to surveys and agenda packets as tools for setting priorities; Spencer advocated more targeted survey questions and programs to bring younger residents into civic life.
The forum, moderated by Elizabeth Goldberg and Naomi Nairman for the village election committee, closed with reminders that ballots will be delivered in the coming days and can be mailed or dropped off at the Election Day celebration on May 6. Both candidates used closing statements to thank organizers, reiterate priorities and encourage participation.
What happens next: ballots are scheduled to be delivered to residents within days of the forum and may be returned by mail or at the Election Day celebration on May 6, as moderators announced.
