Amalfi Ristorante Italiano cautious on Phase 2 Montgomery County reopening, predicts July return

Montgomery County will move into Phase 2 of its reopening from the coronavirus lockdown on Friday at 5:00 PM, which will permit indoor dining at 50% of capacity. Amalfi Ristorante Italiano won't be among the Rockville establishments taking the leap of faith, however. The owners say it's too financially risky to restock the restaurant now, given the risk of a spike in coronavirus cases in the region that could force another abrupt shutdown, and the potential reluctance of many to eat at restaurants.

They say they plan to wait for Phase 3. Amalfi estimates right now that they could reopen July 7, perhaps by then having a better gauge of just how strong the market is for dining-in, as opposed to rolling the dice beforehand.

I-270 resurfacing begins

The Maryland State Highway Administration is beginning a resurfacing project on southbound I-270 between Falls Road in Rockville and Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda. Expect lane closures in that direction between 7:00 PM and 5:00 AM Sundays-Thursdays through late summer 2020. SHA says that two lanes will always be open southbound during the work hours. Sure enough, crews were out already Sunday evening.

Pike & Rose to add new dog park, shipping container bar

New additions to Prose Street are in the works at Pike & Rose. A new pop-up bar will be constructed out of refurbished shipping containers there, where The Beach at Pike & Rose has drawn crowds the two previous summers.

The bar's concept has not been made public yet, but you can see an example of a beer garden that was built out of shipping containers at Assembly Row in Boston, another property in Pike & Rose owner Federal Realty's portfolio. Also coming to Prose Street will be a fenced-in dog park.

What dining at IHOP in Rockville will be like when indoor seating resumes

The tents out in front of IHOP at the Ritchie Center on Rockville Pike are the most visible sign of coronavirus-era dining at the popular restaurant. But behind the scenes, IHOP is preparing for the green light from Montgomery County to allow dine-in service again. The County hasn't even moved to Phase 2 yet, much less the indoor dining with restrictions of Phase 3, but here's a sneak preview of what dining at IHOP will be like when it does.

Diners will be asked to wait in their cars outside to be informed that a table is ready for them. Only a limited number of diners will be allowed inside at one time, and diners with fevers or other COVID-19 symptoms will be turned away. Hand sanitizer will be available, and all high-touch surfaces will be sanitized throughout the day.

Once seated, you will order from a single-use paper menu that will be thrown away. Syrup and other condiments will be served in single-use containers. Staff will wear masks and will be subject to daily wellness and temperature checks. For now, however, takeout and curbside pickup are available.

Rockville Historic District Commission meeting canceled

This month's meeting of the Rockville Historic District Commission on June 18 has been canceled. A statement from the City says the meeting will be rescheduled at a later date. No reason was given for the cancellation.

Bookshelves being installed at Barnes & Noble at Congressional Plaza in Rockville

If you're a book lover, you've got to love this. Bookshelves are now being installed at the future Barnes & Noble opening later this year at Congressional Plaza in Rockville. Their current Montrose Crossing location will remain open until then.

Montgomery County Council's progressive credentials on the line in Defund the Police debate

Day 1 of the Montgomery County Council tackling the nationwide call of progressive activists to Defund the Police found the Council looking out of touch with the moment to some observers. Shortly after Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D - District 1) became the first elected official to publicly state he was reviewing correspondence on the topic, the Council released a public statement about their plans regarding police reform. Their specific 3-point platform of "set a higher standard for use of force by police, outlaw certain deadly tactics such as chokeholds, and require police officers to intervene if a fellow officer is committing a crime or violating department policy," fell flat with many of their progressive constituents.

For a Council that touts itself on the cutting edge of progressive policy, many saw the proposal as being years behind the current hot topic that has arisen out of the nationwide protests in the wake of the George Floyd murder case: defunding or abolishing the police. A Zoom meeting held by several councilmembers later Monday evening was criticized by some for having the formal announced panel dominated by elected and appointed public officials. Meanwhile, residents opposed to defunding the police warned of crime surges, chaos, higher gun sales, and the prospect of fleeing Montgomery County altogether if the Council were to defund the police.

Monday was also a day that some high-level Democrats nationwide began to express second thoughts about the Defund the Police slogan. "Joe Biden does not believe that police should be defunded," a Biden campaign spokesperson said in a statement. Prominent progressives countered that phrases once considered extreme have become mainstream in a short time. "Not long ago, 'Black Lives Matter' was *also* a rallying cry for justice that politicians worried polled too poorly, was too 'divisive' & required 'too much explanation,'" U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - NY-14) tweeted. "Now Mitt Romney is saying it. Progress is a process. It’s normal to work through discomfort along the way."

It will be interesting to see which way the Council breaks on the issue. Montgomery County has clearly broken far to the left of establishment Democrats like Joe Biden in recent elections. Twitter was not low-volume in providing feedback to the Council on Day 1.