Thief ransacks unlocked vehicles in Rockville neighborhood

A thief "ransacked" several unlocked vehicles parked in the King Farm neighborhood, Rockville City police say. The cars were parked in the 1100 block of Pleasant Drive, and were not damaged. Police say the unknown suspect managed to find a vehicle key, loose change, a sun shade, and a flashlight.

The thefts occurred on March 28 or 29, 2024. Remember to lock your vehicle, remove all valuables visible through windows, and never leave your keys in the ignition or glove compartment. 

WSSC seeks public comment on proposed new Damascus Town Center Wastewater Pumping Station

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission is moving forward with a plan to replace the Damascus Town Center Wastewater Pumping Station, and is receiving public comment on the proposal between now and May 4, 2024. As planned, the existing pumping station would be demolished, and a new one would be constructed about 1500 linear feet north of that location at 26701 Woodfield Road. The existing pumping station is now outmoded, the utility said.

The replacement facility would be a wet well and valve vault-style pumping station. It would include an electrical and control building, paving and fencing with an access gate, landscaping, a gravity sewer, a low-pressure sewer force main, a water main, and associated infrastructure to "pump sewage out of the proposed pump station and into the collection system.

Alas, the project plans are not provided online for the public. Instead, they are available for public review in-person at the WSSC at 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland 20707 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Public comment is only accepted in written form, and can be mailed to Tanweer Baig, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland 20707, or emailed to Tanweer.Baig@wsscwater.com.

Dunkin' Donuts temporarily closed at Wintergreen Plaza in Rockville (Photos)

The Dunkin' Donuts store at 865 Rockville Pike at Wintergreen Plaza is temporarily closed. An extensive renovation project is now underway inside the space. A reopening date has not been announced yet. Customers are being directed to the Dunkin' Donuts locations nearby at 11530 Rockville Pike, and 2006 Veirs Mill Road. However, I'm going to add the store at 15180 Frederick Road at College Plaza to that list, which seems like it might be closer to Wintergreen Plaza than White Flint.

Police respond to assault at library in Rockville

Rockville City police were called to the Rockville Memorial Library at 21 Maryland Avenue on Monday, April 1, 2024, after an individual reported being the victim of a 2nd-degree assault there. The assault was reported at the library at 12:50 PM Monday. The library is located at Rockville Town Square.

Walnut Hill Shopping Center seeks Sheetz-related parking waivers from Gaithersburg

Walnut Hill Shopping Center is seeking approval of changes to its parking lot, and waivers for smaller drive aisles in several spots around the lot, from the City of Gaithersburg. The retail property was recently annexed into the City, and is making many improvements and alterations to successfully bring add an Aldi grocery store and Sheetz convenience store to its tenant roster. Because the future Sheetz will take up a portion of the existing surface parking lot, a reconfiguration of the rest of the parking spaces on the lot is necessary. Walnut Hill is arguing that maintaining a sufficient number of spaces will require waivers to allow several drive aisles to be narrower than allowed under City code.

The drive aisles proposed in several locations around the parking lot would be 20 to 24 feet in width. City of Gaithersburg code requires drive aisles with two-way traffic to be 26' in width. The Gaithersburg Planning Commission will take up the waiver request at its meeting tonight, April 3, 2024, at 7:30 PM. City staff are recommending approval of the waiver request, and have advised that the other proposed changes - which involve adding green space to the parking lot (shown in green on the map below) - be addressed when the site plan for the Sheetz is submitted for approval at a later date.

Armed robbery at Derwood gas station

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a gas station in Derwood early Monday night, April 1, 2024. The robbery was reported at a gas station in the 15800 block of Frederick Road, across from the King Farm neighborhood of Rockville, at 6:21 PM Monday. A firearm was the weapon used in the robbery.

Torchy's Tacos opening in Rockville

Torchy's Tacos has leased the former Chuy's space at Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike, according to signage posted in the windows. Chuy's closed at 12266 Rockville Pike in 2020. 

Like Chuy's, Torchy's has an apostrophe "S," was founded in Austin, Texas, and owns all of its locations rather than license franchises. Unlike Chuy's, Torchy's leans more toward the fast casual model, and less toward a decor that looks like a freight train carrying a shipment of hubcaps crashed into a Texas flea market. 

Torchy's does have a full-service bar, unlike most fast-casual restaurants, however, and relies on a very simple marketing gimmick of serving "damn good" tacos. Which sets the bar very high, as Torchy's will live or die on the Pike based on the first few bites taken by customers, who are a short drive from Taco Bamba, Nada, and El Mariachi in Rockville, not to mention Tacos Don Perez in Glenmont.