KENSINGTON, MD—Today the Montgomery County Department of Parks announced it will cancel its request for proposals (RFP), issued in February 2008, to solicit ideas from interested businesses and non-profits for Kensington’s historic Warner property. The Department of Parks is now considering a public agency solution for reuse of the property.
“We’re turning our sights now to public entities, including ourselves and the Town of Kensington, for instance, as a possible best fit for this historic site,” said Department of Parks Legacy Open Space Program Manager Brenda Sandberg.
The proposals submitted in response to the department’s RFP require significant public financial investment. At this time, the necessary funding to make the submitted proposals viable is not available.
“Our intent with this RFP was to find a potential private partner, but we were unable to do so through this process,” added Sandberg. “So, we’re ramping up our efforts to find the best reuse options for the property consistent with our adopted public policy objectives for the site—we think that might be a public agency.”
The public policy objectives for the site have developed over the past two years with input from the Town of Kensington and other local community organizations. The Montgomery County Planning Board approved these objectives in 2006. They are as follows:
- Historic preservation;
- Open space preservation;
- Provision of another public benefit;
- Maintenance of the site as a cultural resource, including public access to the grounds and the historic house and carriage house; and
- Community compatibility.
“As we move forward we will continue to work closely with the Town of Kensington and those local community groups—who have been of tremendous support through this process—during this next phase of planning,” said Sandberg.
The Department of Parks identified the Warner property as a heritage resource in 2001 through its Legacy Open Space program and completed the transfer of the 4.45-acre Kensington property into public ownership in September 2007. The Warner property at 10231 Carroll Place sits on the circular tract of land at the heart of Kensington’s historic district. The site includes the circa 1891-1914 historic house and carriage barn and circa 1960 nursing home addition to the house. The 19th century house with carriage barn was home to Brainard H. Warner, the founder of the Town of Kensington.
The Department of Parks released its RFP to solicit reuse ideas for Kensington’s historic Warner property on February 8 and held several pre-proposal meetings with interested businesses, developers, non-profit organizations and others to discuss project parameters, submission guidelines and to tour the property.
To learn more about the Department of Parks’ Legacy Open Space program and what’s next for the Warner property, visit www.LegacyOpenSpace.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866