Arson in Upper Rock area of Rockville

Rockville City police are investigating a case of arson in the Upper Rock area off of Shady Grove Road. Some time between 11:30 AM on January 28, 2024 and 11:30 AM on January 29, a suspect removed a window barrier at a vacant building in the unit block of Choke Cherry Road. The suspect then set fire to a pile of trash inside the building. No estimate or description of the resulting damage was provided by police.

Several office buildings in the office park on that block were sold to Boston Properties in recent years. A Boston Properties representative told a Montgomery County government advisory board in 2022 that three of the buildings were vacant on the 31-acre site between Choke Cherry and Gaither Road. Police did not identify which specific building the arson took place at. If you have any information on this fire or the suspect, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Man throws coffee, chair at employee at Rockville restaurant

A man who was asked to move aside by an employee cleaning at a Rockville restaurant allegedly reacted with violence, according to Rockville City police. The suspect responded to the request by hurling a chair and a cup of coffee at the employee, police said. Police were called to the restaurant in the 1300 block of Rockville Pike at 1:14 AM on January 23, 2024. There is a 24-hour McDonald's on that block.

Police described the suspect as a Black male of medium-build, 5'7" in height, with a beard and a light complexion. The suspect was last seen wearing a brown sweater.  If you can identify the suspect, or you witnessed the assault, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Rockville police searching for suspect in bus stop robbery

Rockville City police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in the January 26, 2024 strong-arm robbery at a bus stop. At 7:00 PM, the suspect approached a bus rider at a stop in the 700 block of Hungerford Drive (MD 355). "Mumbling incoherently," the suspect allegedly assaulted the bus rider, and took property from him. 

Police describe the suspect as a Black male between 30 and 40 years old, 5'3" in height, with a light complexion. He was wearing all-black clothing at the time of the robbery, and carrying duffel and book bags. Anyone with information about the suspect or this incident is asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Sheepskin Gifts closes, Relax Station kiosk opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too has cleared out of its space on Level 1 at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Like See's Candies and other seasonal stores, this was to be expected after the holiday shopping season ended - - although you'd think the temperatures outdoors would keep them in business through the spring. Meanwhile, massage spa Relax Station from the Old Navy wing of the mall has set up an auxiliary kiosk to serve shoppers in the center of the mall. Look for it on Level 1 outside of J.Jill. 

Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too

Rockville Pike Arby's to become McDonald's

The former Arby's restaurant at 11710 Rockville Pike, which has sat vacant since it closed in May of 2021, has finally gained a new tenant. McDonald's has leased the building, which will now be remodeled into the newest location of the Golden Arches in Montgomery County, and slightly enlarged. With an existing McDonald's only a block away at 11564 Rockville Pike, it appears that this may be more of a relocation than an addition. It's shocking that rapidly-expanding chains like Jack-in-the-Box, Cookout, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Shake Shack and Raising Cane's passed on this prime location in a densely-populated area, but count on McDonald's to realize the value of prime real estate, and of an amenity their current White Flint McDonald's lacks - a drive-thru.

Popeyes, The Children's Place officially closed at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

It's official: Popeyes has permanently closed in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. So has The Children's Place, an apparel store for kids. Both spaces have been cleared out, and signage removed. Chicken-loving mall walkers will have to turn to Chick-fil-A, McDonald's or (soon) Pollo Campero in the food court.

Popeyes

The Children's Place

Another attempt to restore Office of the People's Counsel in Montgomery County

Montgomery County's government bodies - Board of Education, Montgomery Parks, the Montgomery County Planning Board, to name three recent examples - are in disarray, and have been embroiled in scandals. Incredibly, while holding oversight power, the County Council has actively chosen to not restore funding for a position that can help hold the County's planning authorities (including the Council itself) more accountable to residents and taxpayers: The Office of the People's Counsel. Never a popular position among the developers who have funded most or all of the councilmembers' campaigns this century, depending upon which Council term is under discussion, the OPC was axed in 2010 when the Council finally had an excuse to do so: a budget crisis of their own making. But in 2023, more than a decade after the "Great Recession" ended, the current Council still voted against restoring funding for the OPC.

Fed-up residents and responsible growth advocates are launching a new attempt to persuade councilmembers - some of whom vowed to fund the OPC, but then betrayed the voters and organizations they made the vow to, once in office - to restore the OPC in the FY-2025 budget. The Montgomery Countryside Alliance, which works to protect rural areas, open space and streams from impacts of overdevelopment, is taking a leadership role by creating an easy form to send a brief message to the County Council in support of funding for the OPC.

For those not familiar, the OPC is (or was!) a land-use attorney who provides free advice and technical information to residents regarding development and land-use issues. Residents, most of whom cannot afford the kind of powerhouse legal representation that developers and the County itself have at their disposal, can therefore be better prepared to defend their interests before the Planning Board, County Council and hearing examiners. The OPC can also point out when the Board or Council is in violation of the rules or breaking the law, which non-land-use-attorney citizens may not be able to recognize their own. Perhaps most importantly, the People's Counsel can represent residents' interests in administrative hearings.

Boosting hopes for the return of this critical County government position is Bill PG/MC 112-24 at the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, which is sponsored by Senator Ben Kramer of Montgomery County. Senator Kramer has also been a leading voice to make the planning process in the County more directly accountable to residents, such as considering proposals to move some aspects of planning under the executive branch of County government. Kramer's bill would fully fund the Office of the People's Counsel in Montgomery County, just as other jurisdictions like Prince George's County have. In other words, Kramer is saying to the Council, "if you won't do it, we will." But, if you don't use this form to send a message to the Council and the full Montgomery County delegation to Annapolis in favor of funding the OPC, they might not!