What People Are Saying on Patch: Small Business, Library Designs, Dusit Thai

Join the conversation on Wheaton Patch! These commenters weighed in this week on small business concerns amid redevelopment plans, the architect selection for the library and recreation center project, and the closing of a popular Thai restaurant on University Boulevard.

Meeting Notes: Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee

Maybe I'm missing something, but I love Wheaton as it is! The library is accessible and has plenty of parking, plus a great selection of materials and a book store. The Wheaton Triangle has been a favorite shopping destination for over 30 years; the variety of small shops is a delight. Marchone's is a treasure. Parking is not a problem. I am concerned that new building would displace current businesses by raising rents to unaffordable levels.  --Anne Goodwin

I took a look at some of the library and recreation center designs for Grimm + Parker and there seems to be some good work. I like the new library they designed in Ellicott City and the one in Rockville looks good, as well. They're not necessarily the most innovative or striking and distinctive designs like some I've seen in Seattle and now Washington, DC, but they do incorporate some of the local character of the community and seem like places where I would want to spend time. For Wheaton, I would assume that the architects may want to tie the design of the library to Brookside Gardens and the regional park. Perhaps the Green Wheaton group may want to weigh in to encourage this direction. Since Wheaton has a more residential character and a lot of families, I would hope that the library/rec center would look to be a hub for families in the area, a place where parents could bring their kids regularly during the days and families could come for events and classes (and outdoor performances?) in the evenings. As a dad with young kids, we also love places with outdoor fountain play areas like in downtown Silver Spring or Columbia Heights. I would hope for one of those kinds of areas at the new library/rec center or at the new park in downtown Wheaton. And since the Friends of the Library bookstore is so great at the current library, I would hope for a space for them to be intentionally designed into the new building. --italianboy

Dusit Thai Restaurant Closes

"A friend of ours who'd lived in Thailand said Dusit had the best Thai food in the DC area. But we, like many others I guess, got distracted by Nava Thai the past few years. Too late now, I guess. Sad to see them go." --bmsinmd