“By many measures, 2023 was a very good year for Montgomery County,” Elrich said in a statement Friday. “We saw several major economic wins while recording a historically low unemployment rate. Our County government retained its 'Triple-A' rating from all three credit rating agencies and increased our reserves of revenues upward to 17%, well beyond the 10% target. We also had historic levels of investment in education and affordable housing. However, this year was not without its challenges. Public safety concerns, juvenile crime and drug overdoses, as well a dramatic increase of hate incidents and fear in wake of war in the Middle East remain issues that we will have to continue to address in 2024.”
Elrich recently told WAMU-FM that he intends to run for a third term in 2026. Term limits passed in 2016 restrict the executive and County Councilmembers to three consecutive terms. A petition effort to place a ballot question limiting the executive to only two consecutive terms is currently in progress, led by Elrich's 2022 Republican opponent, Reardon Sullivan.
The cause of the collision has not yet been determined, and in their statement, police did not identify the party at fault. Detectives said the incident is still under active investigation. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact detectives with the Montgomery County Police Department's Collision Reconstruction Unit at (240) 773-6620.
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| Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (L) and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich |
“We applaud Governor Wes Moore’s efforts to help all Marylanders,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said in a statement. “The minimum wage is ultimately about working people being able to earn enough to put a roof over their heads, feed their families and not have to choose between food on the table and medical visits. I want to thank Governor Moore for making this one of his earliest priorities. I was glad to testify on behalf of the legislation, and I support this important State-wide legislation.”
Police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating the suspect. He is described by police as a Black male, 28 to 30 years old and 6' in height, with a medium build, black hair, full beard, and a medium complexion. The suspect was wearing black New Balance pants, a blue-and-black quarter-zip Under Armour "sweater" with the hood up, and blue athletic shoes. Anyone who has information about the suspect or this incident is asked to call police at 240-314-8900.
Photos courtesy City of Rockville
The proposal under discussion is essentially the same as was first introduced this past spring. 31 single-family homes, 29 3-to-4 story townhomes, and a neighborhood park would be constructed on the property. The amount of commercial and office space proposed has been reduced from 5,500-square-feet to 5,200 SF (the original size proposed last spring was 5000 SF). EYA is also seeking a parking waiver related to the commercial/office portion of the project, as well as a road code waiver for a proposed private alley, which would not comply with a City requirement that any road constructed must either connect to an existing road or end in a cul-de-sac.
Following tonight's briefing, EYA will be asked to revise its plan to address existing concerns about the driveway access from Hurley Avenue, outdated traffic studies being used by EYA, trees, the relocation of a trail near the Korean Presbyterian Church, parking capacity, and pedestrian access to the retail structure from the Carl Henn Millenium Trail that were raised this fall by nearby residents and the Rockville Planning Commission. In addition, the plan revisions would address any new concerns expressed by the Mayor and Council at tonight's meeting.
The T2 is also useful for reaching the judicial and government centers of Montgomery County in Rockville Town Center, as well as Amtrak and MARC service via the Rockville Metro station. WMATA's strategy is not novel, however. Governments and transit agencies often release doomsday budgets prior to asking taxpayers to shell out more to avoid the painful cuts proposed.
Successful relocation of the teams to Potomac Yard, and the related development, dovetail perfectly with JBG Smith's existing plans and vision for the National Landing area. The firm will be able to sell the proposed sites to a Virginia sports development authority, and would be the developer of the corporate Monumental Sports Entertainment headquarters, arena, media studio, performing arts venue, and e-sports facility proposed as part of the overall plan. And the sports-related growth at Potomac Yards would boost the earning potential for JBG Smith's other National Landing properties, of which Amazon's HQ2 is the crown jewel.
Of course, HQ2's ultimate benefit to Northern Virginia remains to be seen, as Amazon has not been exempt from the work-from-home revolution and other stresses on its businesses. How many jobs and how many square feet of office space Amazon will eventually need at National Landing is up in the air at this point. How much Virginia taxpayers will shell out for a billionaire to move his sports teams is also not set in stone today. But the additional development opportunities the move would provide could not have come at a better time for JBG Smith.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is in the unenviable position of not only possibly losing two of the city's professional sports teams at once, but of having had to make a desperate bid of $500,000,000 at the 11th hour that doesn't appear to have persuaded Leonsis to stay. Such a two-team exit is a potential nightmare for Moore in Maryland, as he tries to keep the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Orioles in the state. His cringeworthy pitch to the Commanders in a VIP suite in "Raljon," as recounted by The Washington Post, did not reflect the bargaining prowess his Wall Street resume would lead us to believe he would have. Moore's inabililty to find immediate success in attracting major companies to Maryland over the past 11 months, despite a Rolodex filled with celebrity and Fortune 500 friends, has raised eyebrows among those closely watching Maryland's economic development efforts.
The fact that Moore was not in the conversation regarding the Wizards and Capitals, when the firm at the center of the intrigue is in his own state, is unlikely to reduce those whispered doubts in the business community. But the silver lining in this case is that JBG Smith - and Montgomery County and Maryland, if they actually get their share of the firm's increased revenue - will likely gain financially, even if Virginia ends up overpaying for the teams, as the company will still profit regardless. Virginia's elected officials could look like suckers a decade from now, but the real winner would still be at 4747 Bethesda Avenue.
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| Proposed site plan for Take 5 |
