Transformer explosion a symptom of corrupt Montgomery County planning policy

KABOOM! Another Pepco electrical transformer exploded yesterday afternoon in downtown Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, cutting off power to many residents and businesses in the area. This has become an unacceptably-regular occurrance downtown. Importantly, power grid issues have become frequent in the two areas of Bethesda that were upzoned since 2016, downtown Bethesda and Westbard, since those sector plans were passed. This is no coincidence, and is a clear example of what many opponents of those plans warned - that the growth allowed would outstrip the capacity of the local infrastructure, including utilities. Such gross negligence has impacted communities countywide, where County officials have failed to deliver even the new infrastructure that was included in sector plans, such as downtown Bethesda, Clarksburg, Damascus, Wheaton, Glenmont, and Watkins Mill.

Around 3:00 PM Friday, a massive explosion was heard - and seen - in front of 7944 Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda. One witness saw a bright flash, and noted that power lines on nearby blocks were shaking. The explosion was so big that Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched to the scene, but according to witnesses, departed after finding no ongoing fire. Another nearby resident told me that the lights in their apartment blinked, but power remained on. Many others were not so lucky, as you can see in the Pepco outage map shown here.

In the close vicinity of the transformer explosion, the power outage darkened buildings along the north side of Cordell Avenue, and in the 7900 block of Norfolk Avenue. Those were only two of the affected streets. Not only was this an inconvenience for many residents in an age where everything - including working-from-home - relies upon Wi-Fi, but was a cost to the bottom line of business owners in the area, as well.

Along with frequent power outages and transformer explosions in downtown Bethesda, where thousands of new residential units have been approved and constructed under the 2017 Bethesda Downtown sector plan, the Westbard area has been impacted by ongoing brownouts and power outages. The latter began in 2017, which coincided with the redevelopment of the "Westwood Complex" properties that was approved a year earlier, in the Westbard sector plan.

During these sector plan processes, many residents expressed concerns about how the area's aging power grid, and water and sewage systems, would handle the addition of hundreds or thousands of new households. And if they, inevitably and logically, could not, who would pay for the eventually-necessary upgrades? Their concerns were laughed off by the Montgomery County Planning Department, County Planning Board, and County Council. Nobody living or running a business in the affected areas is laughing anymore.

We've also seen increased flooding during heavy rains in downtown Bethesda, Westbard, and White Flint, which County officials have tried to blame on "climate change." In fact, it is those very Planning staff members, Planning Commissioners, and County Councilmembers who are personally responsible for the flooding - which has been fatal, in some tragic cases - because they approved the massive development and reduction of green space that has increased runoff countywide.

All of these problems stem not simply from developer greed, but from County government not placing limits and protections on that greed in the planning process. You can't blame developers for seeking the moon, if they can get it - that's their job. It is the planners, Planning Commissioners, and County Councilmembers who are tasked with protecting their constituents.

Instead, we've seen planners and commissioners who represent development interests fully take over the planning process. And developers in the Montgomery County cartel have controlled a majority of County Council seats since 2002, when they funded the "End Gridlock" slate. Today, we have a Council where all 11 members have taken varying degrees of money from developers. Not surprisingly, the Council's planning agenda has mirrored that of the developers who funded their victorious campaigns.

The approach can be summed up with a childish analogy. Developers - and the elected, appointed, and hired officials they support above and below the table - are skipping the vegetables, and going right to the chocolate cake every time. That all-sweets diet has understandably impacted the health and quality of life in our communities. Instead of doing the hard work of providing the infrastructure for the growth being proposed, our officials are simply approving all the growth, and not requiring those who are profiting from that growth to fund the infrastructure upgrades it requires.

Longtime residents know that developer-beholden officials have been a major factor in the economic, environmental, and quality-of-life decline over the first quarter of this century. Those engaged enough to pay attention can keep complaining about it - or we can actually do something about it. Here are just a few action items to consider:

1. Virtually every town, city, and county has an adequate public facilities ordinance. Montgomery County's is clearly in-adequate. It needs to be beefed up considerably. An APFO doesn't limit growth, it simply ensures that the private companies profiting from that growth pick up the tab for the infrastructure their new development demands: electric grid and sewer capacity upgrades, new classrooms, new social services, new police and fire facilities and equipment, etc. Right now, the majority of those costs - like the taxes the Council increasingly exempts developers from - are being pushed off onto the backs of residents in the form of higher property taxes and higher utility bills.

2. Stop the planning-to-profit revolving door. The Council should pass a law preventing planning staff and commissioners from accepting jobs with development companies and real estate law firms for at least 5 years after leaving their County position. 

3. Vote smarter. Do you vote somebody else's ballot on Election Day, a ballot that represents someone else's interests, instead of your own? Think about it. The rotten Apple Ballot represents the interests of the powerful teacher's union, which along with developers and other cartel members, is bankrupting the County finances. Endorsements by The Washington Post editorial board reflect the interests of developers, who not only purchase massive amounts of ads in the Post every week, but have actually bought multiple properties from the Post itself, which has profited from those real estate transactions. The Post, in effect, is engaged in property development itself.

Instead, vote YOUR ballot, that represents YOUR interests. The interests of you, your children and grandchildren, your neighborhood, your business. 

Do your research. Find out which candidates are funded by developers, and pay attention to which candidates are calling for responsible growth, and which are calling for unlimited growth unsupported by new infrastructure. The developer-funded candidates can often be identified by their use of terms like "abundance," "housing now," "missing middle," "inclusionary zoning," "redlining," "attainable housing," "social justice," "activity centers," "resilience," "growth corridors," "mix of housing," "Thrive 2050," "a variety of housing types," "equity," "duplexes," "triplexes," "quadplexes," and "parking minimums." That final phrase is utilized in calling for those parking minimums to be done away with to expand developer profits, not the enforcement of such adequate parking space requirements.

Remember, the County Council not only determines who sits on the Planning Board, but also controls the budget of the Planning Department. So, while it cannot regulate who is hired by the department or the policies it puts in front of the Board for approval, it can defund the Planning Department if it pushes policies that are contrary to the public interest.

4. Public financing reform. Currently, developer contributions to those Council candidates using the County's "public" financing system get matched by you, the taxpayer. Does that sound fair to you?

Corrupt users and supporters of the current "public" financing system will tout the "small contributions" that are fueling their campaigns with "people power." What they won't tell you, is that a massive number of those "small contributions" are coming from developers, development attorneys, and their family members. This is a huge advantage, as those candidates can take a great haul in checks from those development interests, and then they receive a matching amount from the pot of taxpayer money that has been budgeted for "public" financing.

Real public financing not only would not allow such outsize developer involvement, but would give every participating candidate at least some respectable amount of money to campaign with, instead of rewarding corrupt candidates who are backed by deep-pocketed development interests with six-figure payouts from the taxpayer. The current system represents a brilliant move by developers and their puppet candidates to force you to fund their campaigns.

Wetzel's Pretzels "baking soon" at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

I can almost smell the pretzels on the larger than life signage posted by Wetzel's Pretzels, opening this fall at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Sometimes, Auntie Anne's just isn't enough. Now, Westfield will give you the chance to compare both, and declare a winner, without leaving the premises. Look for Wetzel's Pretzels this fall on Level 2 of the mall, next to The FIX, in the corridor between Macy's and the Dining Terrace food court.

Sneak peek: UNIQLO grand opening today at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

UNIQLO will hold its grand opening at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this morning, May 23, 2025, starting at 10:00 AM, and continuing through Sunday. Here's what the Japanese apparel retailer has in store for you each day, and enjoy a sneak peek in the photos below:

• Friday, May 23 - Taiko Drum Performances at 10AM, 1PM and 3PM
• Free breakfast for first 200 customers in line each day - May 23, 24 & 25
• Free knot bag with branded tissue box & pocky snack for first 200 customers in line each day - May 23, 24 & 25

Look for UNIQLO on Level 2, in the former Sears wing of the mall. It is in the spaces vacated by Express and Express Men.

Will Jawando running for Montgomery County Executive

The 2026 Montgomery County Executive race is starting to heat up. County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) officially entered the contest with a launch event last night in Silver Spring. Right off the bat, he has picked up the endorsement of the most-popular politician in Montgomery County, current County Executive Marc Elrich (D). Jawando joins existing Democratic candidates Evan Glass, his At-Large colleague on the Council, and medical assistant Celeste Iroha. Iroha is the only candidate who has actually filed with the Board of Elections to run.

Jawando has been a member of the Council for two terms, beginning in 2018. He is eligible to run for a third Council term, but the open executive seat is encouraging several Councilmembers to cut short their legislative careers to aim for the highest County office now. The executive position is becoming open because Elrich's opponents were successful in convincing a majority of voters to reduce the term limit for that office to two. They haven't been able to get rid of Elrich, as he plans to run for his old At-Large County Council seat next year, and he is almost certain to reclaim it.

If the Elrich endorsement wasn't clear enough, Jawando is seeking to put an early claim on the progressive lane in the executive race. Glass has slightly moved a notch towards the center in recent months. He is clearly seeking the Washington Post editorial board endorsement, which goes to the candidate who is most supportive of real estate developers, and puts on the best "pragmatic centrist" cosplay performance. Alas for Glass, that endorsement is more likely to go to his District 1 colleague on the Council, Andrew Friedson (D). Friedson is not even an official candidate yet, and he already has a million dollars in his campaign account, thanks to developers who not only write him big checks, but who even host entire fundraisers for him.

Jawando, in contrast, has accepted some money from developers in his past campaigns, but has largely been a nemesis for them on the Council. His leading role in getting a limited rent control measure passed has made him a punching bag for developers and their friends in the local press. Blogger and former Council staffer Adam Pagnucco has even blamed Jawando and his rent control-supporting colleagues for national and international residential development interests now "redlining" Montgomery County, as a result of that legislation.

Elrich's endorsement of Jawando is therefore not too surprising. But Jawando has also nabbed the backing of Prince George's County Executive candidate Aisha Braveboy, who is now the most-prominent Democrat in gorgeous Prince George's with the acension of former exec Angela Alsobrooks to the U.S. Senate. That is a solid one-two punch for Jawando in the endorsements race. Unions offer the biggest endorsement prizes, as they often come with mobilization of their members to put boots on the ground, and that is where the rubber usually meets the road in County elections. One union sure to be thrilled with Jawando's entry is the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, which went out of its way to endorse Jawando in 2018 and virtually no other candidate that year, an endorsement that majorly helped Jawando clinch the Democratic nomination and go on to victory.

Jawando's support of higher taxes in the FY-2026 budget will certainly be viewed favorable by union officials. Glass and Friedson have come out against Elrich's proposed property and income tax hikes this budget season, despite voting for budgets that contain tax increases in the past. Elrich's consistent support for higher taxes has never hurt him at the ballot box; will it damage Jawando in this race?

He certainly has the best claim to the Elrich lane in the race at this moment. But can he pull off an Elrich-style victory on June 23, 2026? 

That remains to be seen. Elrich was a major political figure, activist, and local elected official in Takoma Park long before he was elected to the Council in 2006. Decades of grassroots activism on hyperlocal issues allowed him to build up a huge base of support and goodwill across the county. Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike who were facing battles against development in their neighborhoods became Elrich fans, at least on growth and zoning issues. Whatever criticism there was of Elrich's views, he has been one of the few to win elected office this century in Montgomery County who was not corrupt or out to amass money and power for personal and political gain.

Jawando's activism and profile have been more national than hyperlocal. As an author, activist, alumnus of the Barack Obama White House, and even as a Councilmember, he has made infinitely more cable TV news appearances than Elrich. Even with two terms on the Council, he does not have the level of neighborhood-centric experience Elrich has parlayed into countywide success. As just one example, Jawando - like Elrich - were among the handful of elected officials who were initially willing to speak out regarding the ongoing desecration of the Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda during campaign season in 2017 and 2018. But once in office, Jawando did not spearhead any major push to investigate or stop it.

On the other hand, he is adopting the progressive label in the race. Montgomery County and Maryland Democratic voters have shown themselves to be extremely progressive in recent elections. Billionaire David Blair went down to defeat against Elrich twice, despite spending a literal fortune on both contests. Maryland Democrats gave the (relatively) moderate and presumed favorite Peter Franchot the boot in favor of progressive Wes Moore in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. And Moore was a newcomer who hadn't even lived in Maryland that many years in total over his lifetime, most recently as resident of New York.

Jawando may be hoping for that kind of vanguard faction to put him narrowly over the top next June, drawing in the younger Bernie/AOC/DSA crowd. He won't get the Post endorsement or the responsible-growth (YIMBYs would say NIMBY) GOP votes that helped Elrich slip past Blair twice. But unlike Glass and Friedson, he has a lane all to himself, barring the entry of an even younger and even more progressive candidate. All three are spending much of their time talking about Donald Trump - not surprising given their own legislative records of failing to attract a major corporate headquarters to the County or solve its highway gridlock or persistent crime wave, while focusing on banning gas powered leaf blowers, plastic bags, and gas stoves. To be successful next June, at some point "Hey, look over there!" will have to give way to proposals to solve actual local issues impacting County residents on a daily basis.

Photo courtesy Will Jawando for Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Maryland leaders embrace their downscale future

The respective moribund economies of Montgomery County and Maryland have experienced the whiplash of rapid downscaling over the first quarter of this century. As Montgomery County fell behind even Prince George's and Culpeper Counties in job creation, dropped off the Forbes 10 Richest Counties list, and saw "Montgomery County's Rodeo Drive" fade into empty storefronts and smashed-out bus shelters, the same cartel candidates kept getting reelected. They've radically recalibrated their messaging for these bleak and desperate times by embracing the lowbrow lifestyles they once condemned. Last week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined them by announcing the only economic development victory of his term so far: the addition of 4000 McDonald's fast food restaurant jobs.

At first, many thought Moore's press conference was a stunt by The Onion. Karine Jean-Pierre might have referred to the livestream video as a "cheapfake." But it was all humiliatingly real. There stood the governor whom the media assured us in 2022 was a Wall Street wizard, and who fundraises for his political campaigns among financial oligarchs in the Hamptons and on Martha's Vineyard, touting burger flipping jobs as if he had won Amazon's HQ2 contest.

One wonders who is advising the governor these days. The Golden Arches press event only underlined what a failure Moore has been so far in attracting high-wage jobs and major corporations to the state. Surely his Rolodex must be bursting with corporate titans. Are they that convinced that Moore is such a poor leader and salesman, that they are unwilling to invest in Maryland, even while they imagine what Moore will do for their investment portfolios and offshore accounts as President of the United States in 2029?

Public reaction to the McDonald's "partnership" was decidedly disastrous. Incredulous, mocking tweets and memes populated social media timelines. Serious observers wondered why a future President of the United States, and current executive of a state, would be holding a press event more suggestive of a small town mayor rolling out a summer jobs program for disadvantaged youth. Mayor McCheese, perhaps.

Moore, who stresses his physical fitness at every Instagram opportunity, joined the Montgomery County Council in embracing a junk food future. As they have managed the decline that they themselves have brought about, the Councilmembers have done a 180 on health and fitness. A Council that once banned trans fats, forced fast food restaurants to post calorie counts, and even tried to adjudicate which products could be sold in vending machines in the county now has to promote a much different lifestyle.

Much like their flip-flop on natural gas - once calling it the clean fuel of the future, but more recently banning gas stoves and furnaces - the key for the Council is holding onto power, not ideological consistency. 

Montgomery County hasn't attracted a major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. It hasn't attracted many high-wage jobs at all, compared to Northern Virginia. Where the economic activity in Montgomery County is these days is a far cry from cutting the ribbon on Amazon HQ2 in Arlington or christening the new Northrop Grumman HQ in Falls Church. In the last few years, the Montgomery County Council has found itself holding giant pairs of shears outside of...mega gas stations and convenience stores.

Having warned voters of our leaders' incompetence for years, and now watching all of my predictions sadly come true...and being a huge fan of McDonald's...and watching the same Council that once raided a Wendy's and condemned the Baconator now spending the taxpayers' dime promoting Slurpees and Sizzli sandwiches, I have to say, "I'm lovin' it!"

A governor and County Council who should be asking questions like, "Where did we go wrong?" "Maybe we should cut taxes and spending instead of raising them?" or "Will you PLEASE move your Fortune 500 company to Montgomery County?" are instead asking, "Do you want fries with that?"

Police respond to assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this past weekend. The assault was reported at the mall on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 12:41 PM. This the fifth assault to take place at the mall this year. There were 11 assaults reported at the popular retail center in 2024, 5 in 2023, and 12 in 2022.

Rockville Pike McDonald's construction update (Photos)

Construction of the new McDonald's restaurant at 11710 Rockville Pike is nearing the finish line. The Golden Arches are now in place on the front facade of the building, as are the ordering screens in the two drive-thru lanes - which are currently blocked off with tape. Last week I broke the news that this will be only the third of the chain's "McDonald's On-the-Go" store concept to open in the U.S., with a focus on drive-thru, takeout, and delivery orders only, and no indoor dining room. That means you will be one of the first to experience the new concept outside of Los Angeles and Fort Worth, when this location opens.