The highly-anticipated Hummer EV electric truck is now available for pre-order at King GMC Buick, located at 16200 Frederick Road. It features a 300-350 mile range, depending on which model you choose. Advanced features include Ultravision navigation cameras, a power swing gate, and the ability for the truck to drive diagonally like a crab. The pickup model goes 0-60 in three seconds; the SUV version takes a half-second longer.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Hummer EV now available for pre-order at King GMC Buick in Rockville
The highly-anticipated Hummer EV electric truck is now available for pre-order at King GMC Buick, located at 16200 Frederick Road. It features a 300-350 mile range, depending on which model you choose. Advanced features include Ultravision navigation cameras, a power swing gate, and the ability for the truck to drive diagonally like a crab. The pickup model goes 0-60 in three seconds; the SUV version takes a half-second longer.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Montgomery County to rifle through residents' recycling bins with camera crews in tow
Montgomery County is experiencing a violent crime wave, but has defunded 27 police officer positions. The County was chastised last year for leaving 54 positions unfilled at its 911 call center, a failure that was highlighted by a 36 minute response time to a fatal drowning incident. Those are far from the only areas of government understaffed, as witnesses to the collapse of a rusted-out traffic signal pole in Bethesda this week can attest. But the County's Department of Environmental Protection appears to be well-staffed, as it will demonstrate this morning in Bethesda.
According to a press release, DEP inspectors will go house-to-house in the neighborhood near Walt Whitman High School, and rifle through each resident's recycling bin. "Reporters and camera crews will be able to follow the inspectors" starting at 6:30 AM this morning, in what appears to be a massive violation of residents' privacy. This was clearly the wrong week to toss your unshredded sensitive documents or Playboy collection. Do you read the wrong newspaper, or drink too many boxed alcoholic beverages? We may find out this morning!
The "Oops Tag" program quietly began two months ago, the press release states. Inspectors have had the time and manpower to already sweep through those early-targeted neighborhoods "two to three times." Rummaging through residents' recycling bins, they have left a tag on those which contained items that cannot be recycled, identifying the ineligible items. Such ineligible items cost taxpayers approximately $750,000 in 2020, the press release says.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Rockville deer hunt to close parts of Civic Center Park
A managed deer hunt will temporarily close parts of Rockville's Civic Center Park at times over the next three months. The City of Rockville is launching a pilot archery deer-culling program in response to increased vehicular collisions with deer, and concerns about Lyme disease.
Parts of Civic Center Park and Croydon Creek Nature Center will be closed November 21-29, December 19-27, and January 9-16. The City says a survey showed Rockville parks currently host an average of 130-160 deer per square mile, while a healthy deer population is around 20 deer per square mile.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
America's largest crabapple tree would be relocated for redevelopment of Rockville office building
UPDATE - July 21, 2020: The article has been updated to indicate that Montgomery County's assertion that a homeowner has agreed to accept the relocated tree is false; the homeowner has not even been contacted about the matter, much less agreed to accept the tree
A developer has proposed a plan to redevelop a one-story office building at 12500 Ardennes Avenue in the Twinbrook area of Rockville as a residential building. The property is directly adjacent to the City of Rockville, and is indeed partially surrounded by land within the city's jurisdiction, but falls under the planning authority of Montgomery County.
Developer Ardennes Partners, LLC is proposing a 203-unit residential building. It is requesting a 22% density bonus for affordable units it will include, and an additional 10% density bonus for workforce housing units. The project will be 198,718 SF in total, and 100' in height.
A national champion southern crabapple tree currently stands on the property (there are actually several mature trees on the site). It is the largest known southern crabapple tree in America, according to American Forests.
The developer has proposed relocating the tree to a "nearby" site on Vandegrift Avenue. That site is actually about four blocks away on the lawn of a private home, and is not visible from Twinbrook Parkway. However, the owner of the property Montgomery County claims would be accepting the tree tells me she has never given permission for the tree to be planted there, and that she has never even been approached by the developer or Montgomery County about the matter. There is currently a petition to stop relocation of the tree. Montgomery County Planning staff is proposing to require the applicant to be responsible for the survival of the tree at its new location for only five years.
Proposed site plan |
It's unclear why the building could not have been configured to instead locate the plaza around the crabapple tree. The developer cites the need to grade the property, the need to construct a new sidewalk along Twinbrook Parkway, and Montgomery County's own demand that it dedicate right-of-way space along the parkway side to the County, as reasons the tree could not remain in place. Staff indicates in their report that the developer will be moving the tree at "considerable expense."
The Montgomery County Planning Board will review the proposed plan at its June 25 meeting. Planning staff is recommending approval of the plan, with conditions.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Montgomery Mall to add more electric vehicle chargers
Electric vehicle charger at a Montgomery County Safeway store |
Thursday, February 20, 2020
New scrap metal furnace proposed for Southlawn Lane in Rockville
To request a public meeting regarding the air quality impacts of the furnace, residents or other concerned parties must write to MDE within 20 days of the department's February 18 announcement of the potential permit approval. Public comments on the proposed furnace can also be sent to the same mailing address (within 30 days, or 5 days after a hearing if one is requested), which is Ms. Shannon Heafey, Air Quality Permits Program, Air & Radiation Administration, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
Anyone who would like to review the application, draft permit, and other supporting documents, can request Docket # 03-19 at the Rockville Memorial Library at Rockville Town Square.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Tesla Supercharger station now online at Pike & Rose
This Supercharger site is also is one more dot on the nationwide network of Tesla charging stations, a network that surpasses any of the automotive company's electric rivals in the industry. Only one Tesla owner was taking advantage of the new Supercharger last evening, but expect that to increase as the word gets out. I look forward to plugging in my Cybertruck here someday.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Montgomery County stagnant or getting worse in all key areas, residents say
86% of residents say there has been no improvement in availability of affordable housing. 76% feel there has been no improvement in crime prevention and public safety. A whopping 87% found no improvement in traffic congestion over the last two years. In fact, it's getting worse.
63% of residents say there has been no improvement in MCPS, which has declined steadily over this decade, as test scores and graduation rates plummeted and an achievement gap worsened. Yep, that's getting worse, too. But rather than improve failing schools, the corrupt MoCo cartel is trying to ready a forced busing strategy that failed nationwide decades ago, and is preemptively calling those who favor neighborhood schools "racists" and "white supremacists" - terms regularly deployed as the nuclear option when one has lost a debate on the facts.
Montgomery County's stagnant economy reached rock bottom in the region this decade, and residents' opinions squarely reflect that reality. A powerful 69% of residents say there has been no improvement in job growth. 61% report no improvement in business growth. Montgomery County ranked at the bottom in the region on both measurements this decade.
Progressive and green Montgomery County is leading the nation in environmental policy, our elected officials assure us weekly. Mmm...not so much, counter Montgomery County residents. 68% of residents say the environment hasn't improved, or has gotten worse, since 2017. 66% responded that quality of life opportunities in the county - the arts, culture, recreation and libraries - have either not improved or have gotten worse.
Friday, June 29, 2018
Rockville Pike tree massacre
Compare this Google Street View photo to the photo of the same scene yesterday at the top of this article |
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Rockville Mayor & Council back Paris climate accord
The Montgomery County Council recently adopted a similar resolution, as did Washington, D.C.
It's unclear what impact such votes have beyond the political. They do not put us back into the Paris deal, and Gov. Larry Hogan's environmental policies are already far more stringent on Maryland than the Paris accord would have been.
At least Rockville has not made the absurd claim the Montgomery County Council recently did - that they could negate the environmental impact of the Paris withdrawal in the air over Montgomery County. You can't make this stuff up, folks.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Rockville Planning Commission to assess City's environmental status (Photos)
Locations of green buildings in Rockville today |
Every 10 years, municipalities are required under Maryland law to produce such assessments. In this case, the report will aid commissioners in considering how they will incorporate environmental concerns into the Master Plan update currently underway. The environmental report itself is not making specific recommendations in that regard.
The four high-risk dams holding back water in Rockville (noted in red) |
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Chevrolet Spark EV arrives in Rockville (Photos)
Maryland is one of only 3 states where the car is sold, and the first on the East Coast.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
MONTGOMERY COUNTY GREEN FORUM WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN SILVER SPRING, 7:00 PM
Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions via index cards. The event is free, but registration will guarantee you a seat, and a chance to submit your question(s) early for the candidates online. Registration is not required, however.
The forum will be held from 7:00-9:00 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Parking is available in the public garage directly across Ellsworth Drive from the building.