Thursday, May 17, 2012
Emotions occasionally ran high as two of Wheaton’s most controversial issues were discussed at the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee's May meeting.
In contrast to the April WRAC meeting, which saw a packed room including three members of the Montgomery County Council and numerous citizens, the May meeting was slightly more subdued, yet the topics discussed – predatory towing and Costco’s gas station special exception request – garnered a similar level of passionate debate and discussion. Rob Klein first offered a brief redevelopment report that included updates on Parking Lot 13 (where recent drill tests did not reveal any significant obstructions to construction) and completion by Lowe Enterprises of the sketch plan phase for the “Computer Building” located at 11141 Georgia Avenue. Klein also announced a Parks & Planning meeting on May 21 about accessory apartments in Montgomery …
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2424 Reedie Dr, Silver Spring, MD
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Teen substance abuse now is similar to the problems of 1993, when authorities were called to action to combat teen drinking and driving, police said.
A year ago this week Montgomery County was rocked by the loss of three Magruder High School students killed in a drunk driving accident. Now, activists say, it’s time for the community to wake up. The Montgomery County Council of PTAs hosted a community action forum Wednesday, gathering police, community leaders, parents, teachers and students to discuss a growing substance and alcohol abuse problem in Montgomery County. “We are far too overrepresentive of drug and alcohol related tragedies. The number one cause of death continues to be alcohol related crashes and teen driving crashes,” said Captain Thomas Didone, director of the Montgomery County Police Traffic Division. “The summary of what’s going on with underage drinking – we’ve …
What are you more excited about at Taste of Wheaton this year: the food or the drinks?
Check out our weekend picks for activities and events in and around Wheaton.
Here are some suggestions for fun activities for the weekend of May 19-20: The Taste of Wheaton Festival is Wheaton's biggest annual event, attracting people from all over Montgomery County and beyond to sample the food sold in small "tastes" by Wheaton's eclectic range of restaurants. Area nonprofits and local businesses (including Wheaton Patch!) will set up booths and give away freebies. Come and enjoy the live music, and be sure to bring the kids. Where: Downtown Wheaton, on the Triangle parking lot on Reedie Drive When: Sunday, May 20, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Greater Glenmont Civic Association is holding its first-ever community yard sale on Hathaway Drive this Saturday. Where: 12700 block of Hathaway Drive When: Saturday, May 20, 9 a.m…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
MCCAB discussed the ambulance fee, plans for rapid transit vehicles in Montgomery County, and problems with aggressive towing in Wheaton.
Here are some highlights from Tuesday’s meeting of the Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board: Costco Gas Station The newly elected Kensington Heights Civic Association president, Howard Nussbaum, attended the meeting to reiterate why KHCA is concerned about the proposed Costco gas station at Westfield Wheaton and to ask MCCAB to support the zoning text amendment that would restrict “mega” gas stations. Representatives from Costco and KHCA are scheduled to attend MCCAB’s next Land Use committee meeting. Rapid Transit Vehicles Tom Street, an administrator in the office of the county executive, gave a presentation about the plans for Rapid Transit Vehicles in Montgomery County. The county's Transit Task Force, which has been working for the last…
Representatives from Montgomery County Police, Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County State's Attorney will answer questions related to teen drinking and substance abuse in Montgomery County.
Do you think teenage drinking is a growing problem in Montgomery County? Is substance abuse getting out of hand? Are you just curious about the issues? Community leaders including police, school principals, representatives from the Montgomery County State's Attorney's office and school board members will come together Wednesday night to present a community action forum on teen drinking and substance abuse. After a presentation from the panel, the floor will be open to questions and discussion about the risks and life impact of teenage substance abuse. The presentation starts at 7 p.m. in the Montgomery County Public Schools Carver Educational Services Center Auditorium located at 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. What kind of questions …
WRAC meets on the third Wednesday of every month.
The Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee will convene at 7 p.m. for its May meeting in the Mid-County Regional Services Center on Reedie Drive. At its April meeting, WRAC members expressed their disappointment over the Montgomery County Council's vote on Wheaton redevelopment. They also listened to representatives from Costco and the Kensington Heights neighborhood talk about the controversial proposed gas station at Westfield Wheaton. The mission of WRAC, according to its website, is "to advise the County Executive, the Director of the Wheaton Redevelopment Program, and the Director of the Mid-County Regional Services Center on all phases of the revitalization of downtown Wheaton which consists of preserving and improving the …
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Mid-County Regional Services Center
2424 Reedie Dr, Silver Spring, MD
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With the special exception process put on hold, Costco is asking its members to contact the Montgomery County Council to show support for the proposed gas station.
Costco is now using the email addresses of its members to appeal for their help in convincing the Montgomery County Council not to pass legislation that would block Costco's business interests in Wheaton. In early May, Costco sent letters to its store members in Montgomery County (and reportedly as far afield as northwest D.C. and Boyds, Md.), asking for support for the proposed Costco gas station at Westfield Wheaton. The letter asked members to attend the May 17 Planning Board hearing for Costco's special exception application and to send in a pre-paid postcard expressing their support. But now that the Montgomery County Board of Appeals has put the brakes on the special exception process, the May 17 date is out the window--and Costco …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The measure was overturned by referendum in 2010 and brought back up by County Executive Isiah Leggett this session.
Despite voters striking down the Montgomery County ambulance fee in a referendum on the ballot in 2010, Montgomery County Council passed the fee again Tuesday with a 6-3 vote. Several councilmembers said there was a misinformation campaign surrounding the 2010 referendum vote. Councilmembers Councilman Phil Andrews (D, Dist-3), Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) and George Leventhal (D-At Large) were opposed. While Andrews implored councilmembers to respect the will of the voters, some of the county lawmakers were disturbed at how voters were educated about the ambulance fee. Many residents who voted against the fee thought county residents would have to pay the $300 to $800 fee per ambulance ride, Councilman Mark Elrich (D-At Large) said. “That’s…
Roy belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Wheaton.
Joseph George Roy, 89, of Ocean View, Del., passed away on Saturday. According to his obituary in Delmarva Now, Roy was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Wheaton. See the full obituary on the Delmarva Now website. Did you know Joseph George Roy? Share your memories in the comments. To submit obituaries on Wheaton Patch, send an email to Esther.French@patch.com or add an announcement.
Howard Nussbaum
12:42 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Again, the Costco is coming. The issue is about the mega, 16-pump, gas station located next to schools and residences. The gas station that will increase local traffic while not increasing economic activity one bit. The drivers that come from around the county or DC would pay for gas somewhere else anyways. How does it benefit the local community to have someone to drive from DC or Gaithersburg … more ›