Chevy Chase Resident Says Neighbor Used 'Brute Force' To Pave Grassy Driveway

From Bethesda Now - By Aaron Kraut

A nasty dispute between neighbors in the Town of Chevy Chase continued Monday when workers paved over a shared driveway that included a small strip of grass. To Deborah Vollmer, that "historic" strip of grass represented a vanishing part of the Town's character. But after losing multiple lawsuits to stop the project, being ordered by a judge to pay her neighbors' $30,000 in legal fees and even spending a day in jail over the dispute, it seems Vollmer is out of options. The courts have sided with Vollmer's neighbors, the Schwartzes, every step of the way. On Monday, workers were well on their way to finishing the paving job on the driveway that splits the homes at 7200 and 7202 44th Street. Vollmer attempted to persuade the Town of Chevy Chase Council to stop the paving project last week and even said she'd be willing to get arrested again to protect the grass. The Council sided with the courts and workers began tearing up the driveway of grass and concrete the next day. Vollmer appealed a Circuit Court order requiring that she consent to her neighbors' plans, but the project went forward. It's not the first time Vollmer, who grew up in the house, has objected to similar projects. She claims the property line between the homes runs about roughly halfway down the driveway. The courts disagreed. She also objected to the Schwartzes tearing down and building a new home on their property seven years ago. The Town of Chevy Chase has its own permitting process for new home construction or home additions such as decks, driveways or pools. Vollmer frequently speaks up against teardown projects. She's also made news for refusing to pay required opt-out fees for Pepco's smart meter. On Sunday, Vollmer contacted her neighbors' lawyer in an attempt to come to a compromise. Vollmer is under court order not to make contact with the family after she was found guilty of malicious destruction of property belonging to the Schwartzes in 2012. The judge sentenced her to one day in jail and three years probation, plus anger management classes. As Vollmer made her case to the Town Council last Wednesday, a member of the family sat quietly in the back of the room and passed on a chance to present her side to Council members. "Vollmer is attempting to both settle this dispute, and at the same time not surrender in her efforts to protect the character of her community, which values history, neighborliness, the tree canopy, and green space," Vollmer wrote in an email to media outlets on Monday.