SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON ROCKVILLE APFS SCHOOL STANDARDS MONDAY, JAN. 26

The Mayor and Council will hold a second public hearing on the proposed changes to Rockville's Adequate Public Facilities Standards regarding school capacity, which have been proposed by Councilmember Tom Moore, on Monday, January 26. These changes would adopt Montgomery County's weaker school standard of permitting 120% overcrowding, and allow school capacity to be measured by cluster, rather than by individual schools, as the city does today.

Residents can sign up to speak by calling the City Clerk at 240-314-8280 by 4:00 PM on January 26. The meeting will be held at 7:00 PM at City Hall, and the public hearing is only one item on the evening's agenda. You can also sign up in person, but you will have to wait until the speakers who signed up in advance are finished.

One public hearing has already been held, and the Mayor and Council are scheduled to act on the proposals in February.

82 STEAK OUT CLOSES AT ROCKVILLE TOWN SQUARE (PHOTOS)

Another closure at struggling Rockville Town Square. 82 Steak Out, a well-reviewed and reasonably-priced steakhouse, has closed. Friday was its last night of operation. The restaurant, which opened slightly less than a year ago, had just received a rave review from the notoriously Montgomery County-averse Washington Post in November. A disappointing finish, but the reception bodes well for any future ventures by the owners. These pictures showing a darkened restaurant were taken at the height of the dinner hours Saturday night.

MAYOR TO DELIVER ROCKVILLE'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS ON JANUARY 29

Mayor Bridget Newton will deliver Rockville's 2015 State of the City address on Thursday, January 29, at 7:00 PM, at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. The theatre is located in Rockville Civic Center Park, at 603 Edmonston Drive. The speech is free and open to the public.

Newton's theme will be "Rockville: The City that Energizes."

A reception will follow in the theatre's lobby.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY WHIPPED BY NORTHERN VA AGAIN

More evidence of Montgomery County's moribund economic development climate comes from commercial real estate firm CRBE's DC Tech Pulse: Metro Office Leasing Activity Snapshot report from December 2014. The study found that Northern Virginia's tech-related leases accounted for a full 70% of the region's total tech leasing activity in 2014. The DC suburbs in Maryland had a paltry 19%, in comparison.

While the study does reflect the success Montgomery County has had in the biotech sector, it shows several of the weaknesses we need to address in future economic development efforts. According to the report, Northern Virginia's tech leasing dominance was driven by high-tech and aerospace firms. Biotech is an important but small niche by comparison, and we can't compete on that alone.

In fact, the top 2014 lease in Northern Virginia, according to the report, was Northrop Grumman, who chose Virginia over Montgomery County in a humiliating defeat for politicians on this side of the river in 2010. Northrop occupies a full 309,757 SF at its Fairfax County space. The two next-largest tech tenants in Northern Virginia? Yep, both aerospace/defense firms - Argon ST and Boeing.

Now check out Montgomery County - the report cites 0% leasing by aerospace and defense firms in 2014. Zero! The county's largest tech lease in 2014? JDSU, a technology services firm in Germantown, with 45,726 SF, paltry in comparison to Northrop's.

The report also cites the proximity of Northern Virginia's "strong concentration of highly educated young knowledge workers" to that area's tech, defense and aerospace firms, a workforce Montgomery County has struggled to attract. Recent efforts to boost MoCo's nightlife have fizzled, leaving downtown Bethesda with less nightlife than it had just a few years ago. The County Council's efforts to make Uber and Lyft fares more expensive, ban e-cigarettes where traditional cigarettes are banned, and approval of the closure of Dave and Buster's are unlikely to increase the county's appeal to millennials.

How can Montgomery County revive its floundering economy? Better economic development incentives, a more business-friendly climate, a greater appeal to young professionals, and investments in highway infrastructure. The county had $4 million to spend, and put it toward securing a Costco store in Wheaton. By contrast, Arlington County paid the same amount to bring the Corporate Executive Board to a new Rosslyn office tower. CEB brought a couple thousand jobs, plus plans to add 800 new ones that average $100,000 in salary. Not exactly Costco wages, and only Montgomery County would try to use a Costco store as an economic development trophy.

What brings millennials to Northern Virginia and DC? Two big factors - high-wage jobs and (in only relative terms) affordable housing. Not luxury apartments. While nightlife is important, there's a reason new graduates across America move to Washington, DC rather than Las Vegas. Montgomery County hasn't added a single major corporate headquarters in over a decade, meaning it hasn't added any significant number of non-government high-wage jobs in more than 10 years. It also is demolishing affordable apartments in desirable areas like Bethesda, including The Hampden and several buildings on Battery Lane. Talk of redeveloping the Bradley Boulevard corridor suggests lower-cost housing currently rented by millennials there could vanish, as well.

Finally, there's no getting around (pun intended) Montgomery County's traffic gridlock, and lack of Dulles Airport access. Northern Virginia's job centers like Tysons Corner have far superior access to interstate highways and airports. The big international firms also demand direct access to Dulles Airport, and Montgomery County has failed to plan for or build the new Potomac River bridge that could provide such access. As such, firms continue to choose Northern Virginia. In fact, one perk in Virginia's incentive package for Northrop was a discount lease for its corporate jet at a Dulles Airport hangar. Not a Bus Rapid Transit pass.

Oops.

BACKYARD CHICKENS WOULD BE ALLOWED UNDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE

A new ordinance regarding pets and livestock was introduced at Monday night's Rockville Mayor and Council meeting, by Councilmember Julie Palakovich-Carr. Palakovich-Carr said she has held a public meeting, and meetings with the Animal Matters Board, the Environment Commission, and other relevant bodies in the city to discuss and refine the legislation. She said these revisions would equal or exceed the standards currently enforced by Montgomery County.

One provision would prohibit the possession of most wild animals considered "dangerous or exotic," including bears and wolves. Owners of rabbits, birds, fish and other non-dangerous exotic pets would no longer have to register with the city. If residents' exotic animals pose a threat to the public, they would be required to notify the police if those pets escape.

The ordinance would allow the city to designate off-leash play areas for dogs on city property. It would also establish a trap-neuter-return program for feral cats, with the goal of reducing their number over time, Palakovich-Carr said.

Goats could be utilize to remove or control vegetation, and up to 5 hens could be held in backyard coops and outdoor enclosures at single-family homes. A setback from homes and property lines would be determined at a future date. The coops and enclosures would be mandatory.

A public hearing will be held on February 9, 2015 on the proposed ordinance.

ROCKVILLE MAYOR, COUNCIL BRIEFED ON SWIM CENTER OPTIONS

The Rockville Department of Recreation and Parks presented an audit and options for repairs and improvements to the Rockville Swim Center at last night's Mayor and Council meeting. Smolen-Emr-Ilkovitch Architects (SEI) was hired by the City last year to conduct the audit. The 1968 facility remains a popular one for city residents and swim teams.

SEI's audit found the center generally in good condition, but identified code violations in the locker room and tot pool, and structural concerns in the outdoor filter room. Filtration systems in general could use an upgrade, and aging and deterioration need to be addressed where necessary.

The Mayor and Council have already approved a replacement of the South Pool Deck, and renovation of the HVAC system. That November 2014 decision is funding a new pool deck, repairs to the structural pool walls, and air quality improvements to the South Pool Natatorium.

In addition to making budget decisions about immediate, short and long-term renovations and repairs, several potential additions to the site were discussed.

Councilmember Virginia Onley said she would like Rockville's Swim Center to be upgraded to be competitive with Montgomery County's Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center, which she said is drawing some Rockville residents away. Councilman Tom Moore recommended holded a town hall meeting to get public input on what residents would like to see added. Mayor Bridget Newton agreed, and said that, if a town hall meeting can't be held, there should at least be a public comment period added to a future Mayor and Council meeting for resident feedback.

NEW VAPING SHOP OPENING IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)

A new vaping supply retailer is joining pioneer Vape Ink in Rockville, but just outside of the city limits. AVAIL Vapor is coming to the Pike Center at 12107 Rockville Pike (also home to TGI Fridays and Pier 1 Imports).

Richmond-based AVAIL says all of its juices are made in Virginia, and that they contain no artificial sweeteners, oils, GMOs or preservatives. It emphasizes its juices are manufactured in a hygienic facility in Richmond, under the supervision of Dr. Baylor Rice, RPh, FIACP, a licensed compounding pharmacist.