Sara and I are life-long residents of Potomac and have served as proud stewards of the historic Old Angler’s Inn (OAI) which has been in our family since 1957. Residents of Potomac and the area have enjoyed our unique and gorgeous setting for 60 years and we have worked tirelessly to maintain our quality and status as a destination restaurant. However, operating a fine-dining restaurant is challenging and it has become more and more difficult to continue our tradition of outstanding food and service to patrons due to the rising costs of maintaining a historical building, staffing, and rising food expenses.
We own 7 acres above and adjacent to OAI, which have always been considered in our long-term planning. In order to continue to operate, we knew we had to take steps to improve our situation and to make good use of this piece of undeveloped property. Thus, several years ago, we began exploring how to best use this property with the least amount of disruption to the community — and developed a thoughtful plan which would enhance the Potomac community and benefit the residents. Thus, we had an architect draw up plans for a truly exceptional and beautiful Country Inn.
We truly believe that this Country Inn will bring a much-needed venue for private dining and special occasions to Potomac. Our vision is to create a spot similar to the Inn at Little Washington, where exquisite food, bonhomie and quaint, tranquil sleeping accommodations will be provided. The proposed Country Inn is intended to be a natural extension to Old Angler’s architecture and design. We spent years exploring our options before finally filing our Country Inn application in 2015. We entertained lucrative offers from builders and had plans drawn to determine the number of homes and/or townhomes that our 7 acres could yield. At the end of the day it was determined that developing the land for yet another group of 6,000 sq.ft+/- McMansions would ruin the property, would provide very little return and more importantly destroy what all of our patrons have come to love, the tranquility and beauty of Old Angler’s Inn.
After two long years of hard work, public hearings and expensive studies to ensure compliance with all zoning regulations, OAI and the Country Inn received the Development Review Committee (DRC) recommendation and they were scheduled for a final public hearing this September in front of the Hearing Examiner. However, a bill entitled “Country Inn Standards” (ZTA 17-04) was introduced by a few members of the Montgomery County Council (who were lobbied by a few rich, powerful people who wanted to stop OAI’s right to develop their land). They are encouraging the Council to strip away existing laws and stop the right to due process. The final hearing has been postponed until a decision is made on ZTA 17-04.
This new bill is improper and unfair not only to Old Angler’s but to the general public. We all deserve a right to be heard on the matter in the proper forum on the merits of the application and not be circumvented and diverted to a hearing on an unwarranted, ill-conceived proposed text amendment that was introduced for the sole purpose of stopping Old Anglers from having its day in court. While community advocacy is admirable and should be applauded, it is detrimental to the public’s interest when a few who are against development do not correctly represent the truth. Zoning laws should not be amended to specifically prevent our 60-year-old business from developing our land in the best interest of the community. The facts presented to the community have been false, misleading and harmful to the community, our business and most importantly, to everyone’s fundamental right to due process.
We believe that a recent article in the Potomac Almanac is riddled with falsehoods, including an absurd picture the opposition has created which is distorted and not at all representative of our proposed Country Inn. We feel that Old Angler’s Inn is under attack by a small group of very rich and powerful people who want to stop our right to develop our land. They intend to use whatever tactic they can including disseminating false and misleading information to the surrounding neighborhoods and lobbying local council members to change current law to specifically prevent our conditional use application for a Country Inn from moving forward. In addition, this group set up a petition drive on their website and posted an entirely false video hoping to negatively influence opinion and garner support for their opposition in order to put pressure on members of the council. They have gone so far as to imply that current law allows us to apply for the development of a McDonald’s or possibly a Hooters. False!
What is true is that a Country Inn has been delineated in the Zoning Code for Montgomery County as a “special exception” or “conditional use” specifically available to properties like ours for decades. It also has been an integral part of the Master Plan notwithstanding our opponents’ false statements to the contrary. In fact, historical public documentation shows that converting the back acreage of Old Anglers into a Country Inn would restore the property back to its 1860 origins where many dignitaries, presidents and the like utilized the Inn as an overnight retreat.
Unfortunately, as owners and operator of such an important landmark diligently paying taxes and serving the community, the all-out attack against our proposed Country Inn orchestrated by a few powerful people who have the money, connections and the desire to stop any type of progress that doesn’t conform to their “no development” mandate, will usurp the rights and interest of a long established landowner and the desire of the community at large. They most likely will succeed unless our community comes together and voices their support. Our legislators and councilmen/women represent all of us and need to hear from you.
My wife Sara and I operate OAI and diligently pay taxes and provide a service. If our business is not supported by our community as well as by Montgomery County, it may fail; then it will be one more case of a small-business failing because of the issues of Montgomery County not providing a comfortable small-business environment.
The public hearing for proposed ZTA 17-04 is on Sept. 12, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. The Hearing location is: 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850, Third Floor Hearing Room. We need as many supporters as possible to join us that day in our fight to secure the legacy of one of the area’s oldest and important landmarks and to stop this vicious attempt to circumvent ours and your right to due process. We have a right to be heard and our application deserves a hearing on the merits without interference from misguided, unfair and unconstitutional legislative initiatives sponsored by a few pressured council members who erroneously believe that such an amendment is the will of the people,
We need community support. “The Montgomery County Council members need to hear from you now. Please contact the County Council about this unconstitutional and inequitable proposed amendment as soon as possible. Petitions or other written material may be
Presented to the Clerk at the time of the hearing
Emailed to County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov
Mailed or delivered to Montgomery County Council, Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, 5th Floor, Rockville, MD 20850
All written material becomes a part of the public hearing record. It’s important that each of us takes the time to write the Council. You may also call the Council 240-777-7803 to voice your opinion.
Please visit the OAI webpage www.oldanglersinn.com and click on “Future Development” to download their petition and send via mail or email to the Council at the addresses above. Support T-shirts and other paraphernalia can also be purchased to help the cause and to wear to the hearing.
Sara and Mark Regis
Owners, Old Anglers Inn