Choice Hotels requests street name change in Rockville Town Center

Choice Hotels is requesting permission from the Rockville Planning Commission to change the name of Renaissance Street, which is the current address for its Cambria Suites hotel that will soon open across from Rockville Town Square. The hospitality chain, which is also headquartered across the street from the hotel, has suggested the following possible names for the street:

Bainum Way, Quality Court, Gatsby Way, or Convergence Avenue

Gatsby Way would seem to have the most logical connection to Rockville. However, city staff is recommending against Gatsby, stating that there is already a street named "Gatsby" in the county. It cites the zoning ordinance forbidding name duplication of streets already existent in the county.

The other most logical name, to my mind, would be Quality Court - named after an earlier Choice Hotel brand, Quality Courts. That is a bit of a relic of the 1970s and earlier, but does have a connection to the company. But that, too, has been rejected by city staff, who argue that the street will not technically be a "court," causing driver confusion.

Staff is recommending Bainum Way or Convergence Avenue. Bainum refers to Choice founder Stewart Bainum, and the staff memo suggests Convergence is symbolic for the "coming together of activities in Town Center."

Renaissance apparently fell out of favor with Choice, as it is a brand associated with a competing chain of hotels.

The matter will be taken up by the Commission at its April 22 meeting at 7:00 PM at City Hall. You may recall the Commission rejected an earlier attempt by Choice to rename part of E. Middle Lane as "Choice Hotels Lane" in 2011.

Rockville Police concerned about wage scale ahead of tonight's compensation meeting

The Mayor and Council are scheduled to meet tonight at 7:00 PM at City Hall to discuss the city's Compensation and Classification Study. But the Rockville Police union, FOP Lodge 117, is already concerned about the city's failure to offer what other jurisdictions provide their officers.

Lodge 117's president, Michelle Milne, appeared during the Community Forum at Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting, expressing concern that she might not have an opportunity to speak tonight.

Milne said officers are particularly concerned about two issues. First, the city does not offer a salary step scale, making it difficult for officers to forecast their income, she said. A corporal assigned to the department's Criminal Investigations Unit, Milne said that shortcoming is "unheard of in a department in this area." 

Noting that the physical demands of police work limit the productive earning years an officer can serve, Milne said, "I might be able to work for 25-30 years, and that’s kind of pushing it. I can’t get into a foot pursuit at 55 or 60." She argued that the department will have a hard time attracting and retaining officers without a step scale, like "all of the other departments around us are getting."

Another area of dispute is in-grade seniority. Milne, who said she has been with the department nearly a decade, said that the city's current system can leave officers with varying lengths of service time making similar salaries.

Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton instructed city staff to add a Community Forum to the agenda for tonight's meeting, which will allow anyone to address the Mayor and Council. Call 240-314-8280 by 4:00 PM today, or use the sign-up sheet before the start of the meeting.

Free Cone Day today at Ben & Jerry's in Rockville

Today, April 14, is the annual Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's, located at 199-F E. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville. Stop by between noon and 8:00 PM tonight for a free, one-scoop cone of your favorite flavor. The ice cream chain is also suggesting 10 ways to pass the time while waiting in line for your free cone.

Home demolition, Twinbrook Civic Association meeting on Rockville HDC agenda this week

Rockville Historic District Commissioners will consider a request to demolish a home, and a garage, at 704 W. Montgomery Avenue at their meeting this Thursday. Also on the agenda, is a potential meeting between the HDC Commissioners and the Twinbrook Citizens Association for April 28. That announcement last month took some residents by surprise, so we may get some more details this week.

The meeting will be this Thursday, April 16, at 7:30 PM, in the Mayor and Council chambers at City Hall. It will also be televised on Rockville Channel 11.

Dine at Rockville Lebanese Taverna, and save 25% on a second meal in Bethesda

Lebanese Taverna has a limited-time offer involving two of its locations in Federal Realty developments. If you dine at their Rockville Town Square location, and take your Rockville receipt to their Bethesda Row location within 10 days, you'll save 25% on your meal in Bethesda.

Lebanese Taverna

115 Gibbs Street

Rockville

Lebanese Taverna

7141 Arlington Road

Bethesda

Fire at Noodles and Company in Rockville Town Square

A kitchen fire brought Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel to Noodles and Company last night. The fire was quickly extinguished, and there were no injuries, according to MCFRS spokesperson Pete Piringer. However, there is no word - as of this writing - as to if the restaurant will reopen today, or the extent of the damage.

Montgomery County Civic Federation to preview the future of transportation on April 13

Montgomery County elected officials' widely-panned proposals for Bus Rapid Transit, and a powerful new taxing authority to force taxpayers to foot the bill for it, have generated rage and controversy countywide. But expensive transit projects are not the only way to address Montgomery County's nation-leading traffic congestion.

There are the county's long-delayed master plan highways, such as the Midcounty Highway Extended (M-83), Rockville Freeway and new Potomac River crossing to Northern Virginia, that need to be built. And there are ways to better manage our existing roads and highways, and bus service, through rapidly-advancing technology.

The Montgomery Civic Federation will be hosting an interesting discussion of the latter at its Monday, April 13 meeting, which will be held in the First Floor Auditorium of the County Council Office Building, at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville, at 7:45 PM.

Speakers at the Transportation of the Future seminar will include representatives for the United States Department of Transportation's Beyond Traffic initiative, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA). In addition, Christof Spieler, a member of the Metro board in Houston, Texas, will join the meeting via conference call.

According to Jim Zepp, MCCF First Vice President, Spieler will discuss how Houston was able to use technology to greatly improve existing bus service in the city - and unlike BRT or the ITA, this was accomplished at no cost to the taxpayer.

The meeting is free, and open to the public.