KC Filipino nears opening in Rockville

KC Filipino looks about ready to open in the College Plaza shopping center in Rockville. The restaurant has completed its pre-opening health inspection by Montgomery County, and all of the furniture appears to be in place. KC Filipino is located at 15108-A Frederick Road, most recently home to Matt's House of Kabob, which closed in November.

Rockville acquires 6 Taft Court property

The City of Rockville has completed its purchase of 6 Taft Court, a 2.29 acre property that includes a 64,995-square-foot, three-story building. It is located in the industrial area along Gude Drive, and will relieve overcrowding at the present location of the city’s maintenance and emergency operations, the city announced Tuesday.

Those functions are currently housed at the city's Gude Drive Maintenance Facility on Rothgeb Drive. However, that facility has grown too small for these expanding divisions. It was never meant to hold two different departments of government when constructed, and is not ADA-compliant.

The city plans to move snow removal, street maintenance, recycling and refuse, parks and facilities maintenance operations, as well as water, sewer and stormwater maintenance, and other public services to 6 Taft Court. Emergency operations, as well as some storage and maintenance functions, will remain at 14625 Rothgeb Drive. As a bonus, vehicular access exists between the two properties, which are adjacent.

Rockville paid $5.88 million for the property to seller M8 Property Group, LLC — $220,000 less than the appraised value. That's quite a contrast to Montgomery County, which often overpays landowners who contribute to elected officials' campaigns when acquiring property, and sells public land to developers at sweetheart low prices.

CBD Wellness opens in Rockville

Cannabidiol oil is the latest hot cannabis consumer product in the United States. But CBD, as it is known, is not the same as medical marijuana because it has no psychoactive effects. It has anti-inflammatory properties, with uses ranging from pain and swelling relief to cancer treatment.

CBD Wellness has just opened a retail location in the Ritchie Center in Rockville at 765-L Rockville Pike. Their products use a proprietary blend of cannabinoids and terpenes, in salve and tincture form. They've taken over the vacant space that was recently home to a tobacco shop.

Regal Row surface parking lot closes in Rockville for the last time

It's the end of an era in Rockville Town Center. The last remaining half of the surface parking lot across from the Regal Cinemas and Cambria Hotel that once also hosted large Hometown Holidays concerts has permanently closed. Drivers are being directed into the adjacent hotel garage to park.

The closure comes as a new mixed-use project by developer Duball, LLC approved for the site begins to gain momentum. Once a popular and convenient parking destination for moviegoers and diners, the two-step closure of the lot has thrown gas on the dumpster fire that is parking in Rockville Town Center. It has also rendered Hometown Holidays a shadow of its former self.

LebTav opens at Congressional Plaza in Rockville

Lebanese Taverna has opened its downsized restaurant at Congressional Plaza, rebranded as LebTav after moving next to Modern Market from its old location in the other wing of the shopping center. As I reported several weeks ago, the menu was downsized along with the space. Here is a picture of the official menu:

Rockville police assist U.S. marshals in arresting two at Montgomery County Circuit Courthouse

City of Rockville police assisted U.S. marshals and Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies in apprehending two men at the Montgomery County Circuit Courthouse this week, the Sheriff's Office reports. Deputies assigned to a courtroom for security in another case recognized two individuals wanted on federal charges of possession of a dangerous controlled substance, with intent to distribute.

The deputies alerted the U.S. Marshal Service and Rockville police. Personnel from both agencies responded to the scene, and the deputies then moved to successfully take both suspects into custody without incident, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says. The Rockville officers and marshals then transported the suspects to the federal court in Greenbelt.

Rockville narrows finalists for vacant Council seat to 3

The Mayor and Council of Rockville reduced the number of applicants vying for the vacant seat on the City Council to three Wednesday, following interviews with five candidates the night before. The three finalists will now be interviewed again by the Mayor and Council on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

Those finalists are Monique Ashton, James J. Hedrick, and Robert J. Wright. The applicant chosen for the seat will serve until the Mayor & Council elections this November.