Rockville's Confederate statue could stay put at least through February 2016

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and the City Council will have the final say over whether or not the Confederate statue outside the Red Brick Courthouse ends up on the grounds of the Beall Dawson House, City Manager Barbara Matthews confirmed during Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting. 

The Rockville Historic District Commission is scheduled to take up Montgomery County's request to move the statue, which the County owns, to the City-owned Beall Dawson property on Thursday night. That decision was postponed when the recusal of one commissioner prevented a quorum on that agenda item at last month's meeting of the HDC.

Matthews said that, even if the HDC approves the move, the Mayor and Council can accept or reject the statue. She recommended scheduling Mayor and Council action on the matter for February, so that the highly-controversial issue would not overwhelm budget discussions already on meeting agendas in January.

That would mean the statue will remain in place at least through February of next year.

Rockville councilman: Stop funding tackle football

Rockville Councilmember Mark Pierzchala advised his colleagues at last night's Mayor and Council meeting that he wants the City to stop funding contact football for youth in its budget. The Mayor and Council have allotted $342,510 for youth sports in FY-2016. However, the amount of that which funds tackle football is not broken out in the budget document.

The Recreation and Parks Department offers a Rockville Football League for youth on its list of sports. A representative for the City, Jen Liberto, sits on the Board of Directors of this league entity. But it's unclear how much control or say Rockville has in its budget and operations, or how much the City contributes financially to the league. If Rockville were to cease funding tackle football, the impact on this or other programs is also unclear.

Pierzchala said that, as a former football player in his own youth, he knows football is inherently a "helmet-to-helmet" game. With recent concerns over concussions and long-term brain injuries in football players at all levels, Pierzchala argued that this is discussion the City must have. He said he wanted to give advance notice of his position, so that no one would be taken by surprise when the new budget deliberations are underway.

Lincoln Park resident dies from injuries in Rockville collision

A resident of Rockville's Lincoln Park neighborhood died at 6:50 PM last night, from injuries he suffered in a bicycle-automobile collision 24 hours earlier on E. Gude Drive at Southlawn Lane. Samuel Vigil, 37, of the 700 block of Lenmore Avenue, was riding his bike southward across the westbound lanes of E. Gude Drive when police say he struck a black 2004 Lexus RX330 traveling west in those lanes.

Montgomery County Police say their early investigation suggests Vigil was facing a red light, and entered the westbound lanes of E. Gude against the pedestrian signal.

Vigil was transported to Suburban Hospital, where he passed away last night. The driver of the Lexus, 23-year-old Monica Min of Gaithersburg, was taken to Shady Grove Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police continue to investigate the incident. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.

Rockville construction update: Ourisman Rockmont Chevrolet dealership (Photos)

Work continues on the future Ourisman Rockmont Chevrolet dealership at Wintergreen Plaza on Rockville Pike. As you can see, the structure is beginning to take the shape of the latest Chevrolet dealership design template (bottom photo). You may have seen this showroom design elsewhere in the DC region.

Should part of the Southlawn industrial area be redeveloped as residential? (Photos)

One residential vision for
currently-industrial land on
N. Horners Lane in
Rockville

Consultants unveiled two possible visions for the future of Rockville's Southlawn industrial area, and its interactions with the surrounding residential neighborhoods in East Rockville, at a public meeting last night. They wanted feedback from residents and business owners on what strategies and directions the City should pursue in the short and long-term in that area. Also there to hear that feedback were Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton, Councilmember Beryl Feinberg, and members of City staff.

Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton
and Councilmember
Beryl Feinberg

The basic choice offered was to make some modest improvements in pedestrian safety and cut-through traffic, or to allow a part of the industrial area along N. Horners Lane to be redeveloped as residential, a transformation that would cut off several roadway connections that currently exist between the industrial uses off Gude Drive and the residential neighborhoods.

The more-modest
Alternative A 

Alternative B's
more radical makeover,
including townhomes

To encourage redevelopment along Horners, a new road would be constructed. Horners would no longer have an industrial use, and be fully integrated with the residential area. Townhomes and low-rise apartments would have industrial uses behind them, and a buffer zone in-between.

Buffer area for
proposed new residential
development along
N. Horners Lane

One option for buffer
area between homes
and industrial along
N. Horners

The latter plan is more ambitious, sure to be controversial, more expensive and involves private property not under City control. But, "everything's for sale, my brother," one of those private landowners said last night.

Another major proposal in both alternatives is to rezone the public housing development David Scull Courts from industrial to residential. I asked one of the consultants if that would make David Scull Courts vulnerable to redevelopment through a public-private partnership. In other words, does the inability to build residential on the currently-industrial site prevent a knock-down such as is being proposed at Halpine View, where residents end up scattered - if they are lucky - to other affordable housing, while their building is replaced with a luxury development most will never return to.

He suggested the new residential zoning might actually help preserve David Scull Courts from being replaced by an industrial use, by zoning it what it actually is today.

During break-out sessions following the presentation, residents discussed a number of concerns. These included how the changes would relate to the new Maryvale Elementary School building, which will eventually include the addition of the Carl Sandburg Learning Center, which will relocate from Meadow Hall Drive. That will add at least 100 more students and 100 staff members, Melissa McKenna of the MCCPTA CIP Committee said, as well as 15-17 more buses and a second bus loop to the site.

Those types of changes could determine what the City should and should not change regarding pedestrian safety and parking in that vicinity. Currently, cars line up on both sides of the street to pick up kids after school, which offers a county-wide French immersion program. Sandburg is also a countywide magnet program.

These pylons or other
signage would attempt
to brand the neighborhood

Helicopter view over Gude Drive looking down
Taft Street at First Street

Both alternatives show improvements at the intersection of First Street and Taft Street. But there is also a middle school and high school bus stop at that intersection, McKenna said.

Plans to use signage to discourage cut-through traffic met with skepticism from some residents. "I don't think it will work," one predicted. "[Drivers] don't pay attention to it."

Scenario A
recommendations

Attendees' feedback on
Scenario B 

Scenario B
recommendations 

Southlawn Industrial Area Study public meeting in Rockville tonight

Community meetings tend to slip by during the holidays, but if you have an interest in the future of the Southlawn industrial area and the surrounding neighborhoods, there is a meeting on that topic tonight at 6:30 PM, at the Lincoln Park Community Center at 357 Frederick Avenue in Rockville.

Tonight's meeting will present "possible redevelopment scenarios" for the industrial area, sure to be of concern to current residents, and owners and employees of the Southlawn industrial land and businesses.

Derwood resident charged with sexual assault at Red Door Spa in Kentlands (Photos)

A Derwood masseur is facing sexual assault charges, following alleged acts he committed this year while employed at the Red Door Spa in the Kentlands. Gavin Anthony Otto, 42, of the 7200 block of Blanchard Drive in Derwood, has been charged with one count of second-degree sex offense, and one count of fourth-degree sex offense, after being arrested at his home last week.

Otto is now free on $20,000 bond.

He was accused of sexually assaulting and inappropriately touching two different women while giving them a massage, on July 7 and November 17, respectively, at the Red Door Spa.

But Montgomery County Police detectives say they believe there may be additional victims among clients of the Red Door Spa. Anyone who believes that he/she was a victim of inappropriate contact by Otto, or has any information about inappropriate contact by Otto, is urged to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5050.