TGI Fridays creates outdoor seating in Rockville

The TGI Fridays at 12147 Rockville Pike in the Pike Center didn't have the benefit of their own dedicated patio for outdoor dining. But they have improvised to create room by using space in the parking lot outside the restaurant. Tables with umbrellas have been set up inside of fenced-off areas.

Strong arm rape reported at Rockville bus stop

A strong-arm rape was reported to Rockville police Saturday evening. The assault was reported at a bus stop in the 1700 block of Rockville Pike around 8:00 PM, according to crime data.

Montgomery County GOP chairman resigns

Alexander Bush

The chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party has resigned. In a resignation letter to members of the County Republican Central Committee, Alexander Bush, a trial attorney, said that the impact of the pandemic on his practice has placed new limitations on the time he can dedicate to running the party.

Bush will remain a member of the central committee, however. Vice-Chair Dennis Melby will serve as the interim chairman, until a new chair can be elected. Melby has worked at the American Enterprise Institute and Congressional Budget Office, and was elected four times to the Village of Friendship Heights' Village Council.

Photo via Montgomery County GOP

Signage installed at Main Street Apartments in Rockville

Permanent signage has been installed on the facade of the new Main Street Apartments at 50 Monroe Place in Rockville Town Center. The colorful logo reflects the welcoming nature of the housing development, where 25% of the apartments have been set aside for adults with disabilities, and 75% of the overall units are reserved for low-income residents at below-market rates. There are 70 units in the complex, which replaces the historic IBM office building.

Montgomery County criticized for releasing man who allegedly sexually abused child

A man arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a child on June 18 was released from jail by the Montgomery County Department of Corrections on June 23. In the meantime, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers had lodged a detainer request for Rene Atilio Ramos-Hernandez, 56.

ICE officials complain that Montgomery County did not honor the detainer request. They say the County called them at moment they were releasing Ramos-Hernandez, and refused to hold him for the time it would take ERO officers to travel to the jail.

“Montgomery County continues the practice of not honoring lawful ICE detainers and release potential public safety threats back into the community,” acting ICE Baltimore Field Office Director Francisco Madrigal said in a statement. “When they refuse to give adequate notification of an impending release to allow a safe transfer of custody, it shows their actions are insincere. ICE believes the best way to protect public safety is for law enforcement to work together.”

Officials in Montgomery County and other jurisdictions that refuse to comply with ICE requests have said detainers are not arrest warrants. They argue that the County could be sued for illegally holding a prisoner after his or her release. ICE reports that Ramos-Hernandez is in the country illegally, and remains at large.

Vibes Hookah Lounge indoor hookah shut down by MoCo in Rockville, remains open for retail sales, takeout, outdoor hookah

UPDATE - July 8, 2020 10:23 AM: Montgomery County has now acknowledged that it released false information when it incorrectly stated it had "closed" Vibes Hookah Lounge. As noted in my previous update, the business remains fully open for retail sales, takeout and outdoor patio hookah.

UPDATE - 3:44 PM: The owner of Vibes Hookah Lounge disputes Montgomery County's claim that the business was "closed" by the County. He says Vibes remains open for retail sales, takeout service, and outdoor hookah, and that the County inspector ordered that indoor hookah not be allowed during Phase 2 of reopening

Montgomery County inspectors have taken enforcement action against several businesses they say have not complied with Phase 2 reopening guidelines and social distancing requirements. Vibes Hookah Lounge at 1 Dawson Avenue in Rockville was closed down by County inspectors because hookah lounges are not currently allowed to operate under Phase 2 rules.

Cabana Hookah Lounge in Silver Spring was shut down by the County for the same reason, County officials said Monday. Additionally, the County forced The Palisades Lounge in downtown Silver Spring to close because social distancing was not being enforced, and for a liquor law violation, officials alleged.

The Grille at Flower Hill in Gaithersburg came onto County officials' radar after the owner vowed on social media not to follow the County requirement that employees wear masks. But it has not been closed down yet, as it is not reopening until Thursday, when an inspector will reportedly pay a visit.

County health officer Dr. Travis Gayles said Monday that the County has "legal authority" to close businesses that do not comply with reopening guidelines. "Businesses will stay open provided they follow the public health guidelines," County Executive Marc Elrich said yesterday. "If they choose to ignore public health guidance, we will shut them down."

Mayor and Council ask Hogan to slow down interstate express lanes plan

Rockville's Mayor and Council have sent a letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation asking that plans to add Express Lanes to Interstates 270 and 495 be halted temporarily. The plan was approved by the state's Board of Public Works in January.

“The City of Rockville requests that MDOT put a pause on the project and process,” the Mayor and City Council wrote. “It is not responsible to continue spending taxpayers’ money on preliminary design, environmental studies, and hiring a developer while the country is facing significant economic changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also predicted that teleworking will be more acceptable and widely implemented in the future, which will likely lower traffic volumes on I-495 and I-270. Therefore, it only makes sense to hold off on next steps for this project until a new purpose and need is defined.”

Rockville's elected officials would have a very strong argument about telecommuting - if our region's leaders had not decided to let a crisis go to waste.

Many expected the light traffic of the coronavirus lockdown could be a sign of the future of telework. After all, every employer across the region now has a firm list of exactly who can work from home. Common sense would dictate that all of those individuals should now be encouraged, if not ordered, to continue working from home permanently. Not only would we have cleaner air and very little traffic congestion, but perhaps necessary and expensive road expansions would no longer be needed.

Shockingly, regional officials have made clear they have no intention of seizing the opportunity to implement teleworking on a large scale. No formal efforts have been made to keep workers from returning to their commutes as the lockdowns are lifted.

Why is this? In short, developers, developers, developers. If the federal government were to continue teleworking on a large scale, Metro would have to shut down, as these heavily-subsidized riders are now the major bulk of the rail system's passengers. And transit use and traffic congestion are needed to continue to make the public relations case for increased density in development.

It's been a lost opportunity, but a small victory for those who have long pointed out that some in the development industry cynically use issues like climate change and pedestrian safety to wring out even more profits and buildable land for themselves. When the impact of Covid-19 revealed that more space would be needed for outdoor dining, developers moved quickly to ensure that would take the form of lane and road closures, rather than mandated wider setbacks for buildings from the street. Most recently and outrageously, developers are now using race to achieve their goal of mixed-use zoning in single-family-home neighborhoods - literally using racial tensions to line their own pockets.

In reality, those developers don't give a damn about any of these issues. The proof is in the pudding. When presented with a grand opportunity to extend the lockdown's clean air quality for our region by making mass teleworking permanent, they showed their true colors by sending the highway and transit users back to the office.

We see you.