Monday, March 23, 2015
Historic District Commission to meet with Twinbrook residents April 28
Friday, February 20, 2015
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION DECLINES TO RECOMMEND HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR 5 CHOKE CHERRY ROAD
The motion was made by Commissioner Anita Neal Powell, and seconded by Commissioner Craig Moloney.
Commissioner Jessica Reynolds urged the city to begin considering which of Sullivan's buildings in Rockville should receive such designation, to be preserved from demolition in the future. Moloney said he concurred.
The vote removes one of the last hurdles for developer JBG's planned Upper Rock retail project to proceed.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
HISTORIC DESIGNATION ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT ON ROCKVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA TONIGHT
Tonight's meeting will also continue the discussion of the Rockville Master Plan scope of work. It will be held at 7:00 PM in the Mayor and Council chambers at City Hall. The meeting will also be broadcast live on Rockville Channel 11, and streamed on the city website.
Friday, December 19, 2014
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION NOT READY TO GIVE UP ON 5 CHOKE CHERRY ROAD IN ROCKVILLE
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
628 GREAT FALLS ROAD DECLARED HISTORIC BY ROCKVILLE CITY COUNCIL
The Rockville Mayor and Council made short work of a prominent historical designation question at last night's meeting. Councilmembers John Hall, Bridget Newton and Mark Pierzchala voted to declare 628 Great Falls Road historic. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio and Councilmember Tom Moore voted against the motion.
This was the final meeting scheduled before the November 5 city elections, in which all but Marcuccio and Hall are running. The next Mayor and Council meeting will be held November 18.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
628 GREAT FALLS ROAD IS HISTORIC, ROCKVILLE CITY COUNCIL SAYS
The Rockville City Council found that a property at 628 Great Falls Road merits historic designation Monday night.
A long-simmering controversy over a single family home, and the possible expansion plans of its owner, Rockville Maryland Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, has generated more historical findings at every turn. The most compelling argument has been the discovery that the property was part of an African-American kinship community located around today's I-270/Falls Road interchange. Among citizen groups backing historic designation were the West End Citizens Association, and the Rose Hills Falls Homeowners Association, led by former mayor Jim Coyle.
Those opposing historic designation said the bar has to be very high to designate a property over the owner's objections. Councilmember Tom Moore said he felt that bar was not met in this case, and quoted his colleagues' past statements expressing unease over such hostile designations.
Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio responded that her vote would be consistent with her strong belief in property rights, saying once those rights are violated, what rights does a person have?
Councilmember Mark Pierzchala made a motion in favor of historic designation, and it was seconded by Councilmember John Hall.
After some discussion, Pierzchala's motion passed, 3-1-1.
Pierzchala, Hall, and Councilmember Bridget Newton voted in favor of the motion. Moore voted against it, and Marcuccio abstained.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
ROCKVILLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WON'T STAND IN WAY OF WRECKING BALL IN PINK BANK DEMOLITION (PHOTO)
The unique building at 255 N. Washington Street, known as "The Pink Bank," is now almost certain to be demolished.
A bid to forestall demolition, via a possible historic designation process, failed at last night's Rockville Mayor and Council meeting by a vote of 2-3.
Councilmembers Tom Moore and Mark Pierzchala voted to allow the study of historic designation. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio concurred with Councilmember John Hall's assertion that such a process would waste people's time, because neither would support historic designation in the end anyway. Moore responded that both officials - and possibly himself - would be out of office by the time such a vote would be taken.
Councilmember Bridget Newton also voted against the motion.
Originally the Suburban Trust bank building, it was built in 1965 and designed by architect Arthur Anderson. Some interior office space was reconfigured by another prominent Rockville architect, John Sullivan. Its singular design is an example of New Formalism, and I'm not aware of another example of it in the city of Rockville.
I agree with the comments of Rockville Historic District Commissioner Jessica Reynolds, who contrasted the landmark Pink Bank with the majority of today's Montgomery County architecture, which "all looks the same: cookie cutter."
Reynolds made the motion to recommend starting the historic designation process, which passed unanimously at the HDC's September meeting.
Most of today's new buildings could be anywhere. This stands in stark opposition to developers' claims that dense urbanization of the suburbs will establish a "sense of place" they somehow believe is lacking in decades-old suburban neighborhoods.
As HDC Chair Craig Moloney said, we are too quick to "throw our buildings in the dumpster."