Rockville Planning Commission to hold public hearing on annexation of King Buick GMC dealership into city

Should the City of Rockville annex the King Buick GMC dealership at 16200 Frederick Road into the city limits? You can weigh in on the proposed plan at a virtual public hearing being held by the Rockville Planning Commission on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 7:00 PM. To participate, follow the instructions on the meeting agenda. If approved, the new land added to the city is expected to be redeveloped by EYA as a residential housing development.

Rockville Mall artifact found

Historical documentation of the infamous Rockville Mall is few and far between. Photographs of the structure are virtually non-existent, even on dead mall websites. Whether such materials were simply destroyed, or slowly disappear via the Mandela Effect or CERN tearing apart the space-time continuum, is unknown. So discovery of any new artifacts from the Rockville Mall is exciting, indeed.

Here we have a matchbook from David Lee's Empress, a Chinese restaurant with a location inside the Rockville Mall. It is currently being auctioned off on eBay. If you ever ate at the Empress, please leave your memories in the comments section below. Meanwhile, my archaeological dig for Rockville Mall ephemera continues. "It belongs in a museum!"

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea holding soft opening in Rockville

It's finally time to try authentic Taiwanese fruit tea at Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea in Rockville. The shop is now having a soft opening at 777 Hungerford Drive, near Flagship Car Wash.

Armed carjacking reported in Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking on Rockville Pike late Sunday afternoon, January 31, 2021. The carjacking was reported at a commercial parking lot in the 12000 block of Rockville Pike around 5:31 PM, according to crime data.

Car stolen in Rockville

City of Rockville police responded to a report of a stolen car last Friday morning. The vehicle was parked outside of a home in the 5800 block of Stillwell Road. It was reported stolen around 10:50 AM.

Rockville Mayor & Council to receive presentation on proposed "Great Seneca" transit improvements

Elected officials at the Montgomery County and state levels have failed to deliver the Corridor Cities Transitway they assured us would make the Science City sector plan a "smart growth" success. The developers built, but the transitway never materialized. Now, Montgomery County will deliver its proposal for old-fashioned bus service additions to what was rebranded as the "Great Seneca" sector plan to Rockville's Mayor and Council this coming Monday night, February 1, 2021 at 7:00 PM.

Two new bus lines would pass through the City of Rockville as part of the proposal. The County Department of Transportation is including options for dedicated bus lanes, queue jumping, and priority for buses at traffic signals in the plan. They will seek feedback from the Mayor and Council on the proposed bus lines, which are being brought before city officials for the first time next week.

Bark Social sets opening date at Pike & Rose

The much-anticipated opening of Bark Social at Pike & Rose finally has a date. A 25000 square foot dog park with a craft beer/wine "dog bar," a dog treat bar serving canine friendly pupsicles and ice cream, and a morning-oriented coffee program, Bark Social will open for the first time on February 26, 2021 at 935 Prose Street in Rockville/North Bethesda. 

Professional Bark Rangers will monitor the private, off-lease dog park. The indoor-outdoor bar and beer garden will make the venue usable year-round. Events like dog yoga and Yappy Hours will be a regular fixture at Bark Social. There will also be a dog boutique and dog washing stations. Dog parents will be able to watch local sports and national reality TV shows while their pets get a workout.

For the occasion of the opening, Bark Social has launched a t-shirt fundraiser to support five local dog nonprofit organizations: Montgomery County Humane Society, Humane Rescue Alliance, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation, and MCPAW; and one national organization, Tails of Valor Paws of Honor. That veteran organization that helps both service members and rescue dogs, by turning rescued canines into service animals. Bark Social will donate $5 from each t-shirt sold to its non-profit partners.

Bark Social offers monthly and annual memberships. You can sign up online, including for one of the 250 founding-members discount deals that are available while they last.