Planning Board to Haul Ass on Policy Review

The planning board got marching orders yesterday to hightail its review of the county's growth policy, The Gazette reports.

Results of the review will be due in late May, three months earlier than usual. The accelerated schedule allows the county council to vote on the policy before their August vacation, The Gazette says.

"The objective is to produce comprehensive tools for managing growth," Royce Hanson, chairman of the planning board, tells The Gazette.

County council prez Marilyn Praisner (District 4) proposed last week to put a six-month lid on approving new development projects. The full council votes on that idea in January.

"Council Backs Resolution for Higher Gas Tax ... Growth Review on Fast Track" (The Gazette)
"MoCo Council Prez Wants Kibosh on Growth" (Daily Penguin)

Council Backs Leggett on Gas Tax Increase

The county council is sending a message to Annapolis: Raise the gas tax.

Yesterday, the crew voted unanimously to back county executive Ike Leggett's proposal to jack up the tax, The Gazette reports. Leggett said on Monday that increases in the tax and vehicle registration fees could go towards improving roads and mass transit, says the Washington Post.

"The goal was ... to show the governor that all the top elected officials of the state's most populous county are speaking with one voice," District 1 Councilmember Roger Berliner tells The Gazette.

Passing a gas-tax hike needs a soft sell, says state Senate Prez Thomas "Mike" Miller. Residents need assurance that statewide tax revenues won't go entirely to MoCo and DC's other burbs, he tells the Post.

"I'm not certain the political will is there," Miller says.

"Council Backs Resolution for a Higher Gas Tax" (The Gazette)
"Leggett Repeats Call for Gas Tax Increase" (Washington Post)

New Spin on "Drive-Thru" Window

Why did the chicken cross the road? Probably to get away from the car barrelling down the sidewalk.

A driver parking in front of a fried chicken shack accidentally hit the gas, shooting the car through the restaurant's storefront and into its dining room, says NBC 4 News.

The accident went down at Popeye's on 16th Street near Lyttonsville Road in Silver Spring during Saturday's lunch hour, NBC 4 News reports. The unidentified female driver was positioning her car in the lot when her foot hit the accelerator instead of the brakes.

The car jumped the sidewalk, smashed through the restaurant's window and stopped in the dining room, says NBC 4 News. No injuries were reported.

"Driver Hits Accelerator by Mistake, Slams Into Popeye's" (NBC 4 News)

Gas Tax, Metro Fares May Increase

MoCo exec Ike Leggett says Maryland should jack up the gas tax to pay for road and transit projects, the Washington Post reports. Ike's proposal pops up as Metro considers increased fares and reduced bus and rail service, the Post writes.

The state's gas tax currently sits at 23.5 cents per gallon, higher than taxes in the District and Virginia, according to the Post. In the past month, area gas prices have risen by 12 cents per gallon, the Washington Times says.

At the same time, Metro ridership has flattened out, contrary to previous predictions of a 2 to 3 percent increase. Metro is required to hold public meetings before jacking up fares, the Post writes.

Governor-elect Martin O'Malley, however, still supports development of the Purple Line and completion of the $2.4 billion Intercounty Connector, says the Post.

"Leggett Repeats Call for Gas Tax Increase" (Washington Post)
"Metro Considers Increasing Rail Fares" (Washington Post)
"Gas Prices Fail to Siphon Holiday Spending" (Washington Times)

The Early Bird

Correction: The county council votes on Tuesday whether to approve an accelerated review of the county's growth policy. It will vote in January on whether to impose a moratorium on new development. My bad. (Dec. 13, 2006)

If anyone's got a 250-unit condo complex they'd like to put up, do it now. Here's what's cooking this week:

Tuesday: The county council decides whether to put a temporary freeze on approving new development projects. If the resolution passes, the planning board gets six months to figure out the direction of development in Montgomery County.

Tuesday: The Kitchen hosts a reading of the new musical "Tussaud!" at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd). Playwright Joan Cushing ("Mrs. Foggybottom and Friends") serves up song and dance about the wax-museum madame. The free performance starts at 7:00 p.m.

Props to AlbinoFlea for the photo.

This Weekend

Nothing's better on a frosty night than warm folk tunes and hot coffee. Tonight, folk singer Steven Gellman sets the mood at Mayorga Coffee Factory (8040 Georgia Ave). His two-hour set starts at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday afternoon, your pooch can get his pic with Santa at Downtown Silver Spring's holiday celebration. Your $15 donation benefits the Washington Humane Society. Santa strikes a pose between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Don't have a dog? Then go for the music performed by Montgomery Blair High School's chorus and jazz band.

Score some affordable art at Sunday's Under $300 ArtWalk in south Silver Spring. The guided tour starts at 2:00 p.m. from the Heliport Gallery (8001 Kennett St) and wends through local studios and galleries.

Thanks to the House of de Don for the photo. Awww!

NEW! Local Licks

Fridays at The Daily Penguin can be a painful drag, so I've decided to start the weekend early. Enjoy the vibes from these local artists:


Mystr Treefrog. His self-described "swampadelic thump" is like Lynard Skynard on oxycontin. Folksy and bluesy, Silver Spring resident Jon Brayton (aka Treefrog, above) released his album "Bats Will Scatter" earlier this year. His song "Chikin Milk" is a taste of Ronnie Van Zant and Bob Dylan, while "The Ark" is a nod to Jimi Hendrix. Check out more of Mystr Treefrog at his website.

Benjy Ferree. Sometimes campy, sometimes startlingly dramatic, the enigmatic Ferree is definitely worth a try. His tune "Private Honeymoon" is an ode to Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. He's got more songs in his pocket at his ironically minimalist website.

More Follow-up: Water, Water Everywhere

Update: The company that manages Charter House told residents displaced by last Thursday's flood that it will no longer pay to put them up in local hotels, according to NBC 4 News. Instead, the building's management offered to waive December's rent and threw in a one-time shot at $1,200 to find new digs.

Apartments at the Charter House are still unhabitable, says NBC 4 News. Building inspectors say it may take a few weeks to repair the busted 4-inch water pipe that caused 5 feet of water to fill the basement. (Dec. 7, 2006)

Residents of a downtown Silver Spring apartment building are being evacuated because of flooding in the building's basement, NBC 4 News reports.

The Charter House, an independent-living facility for seniors, has up to six feet of water in its basement. How the water got into the Fenwick Lane building is unknown.

Because the basement also contains the building's electrical systems, MoCo's fire and rescue services are asking Charter House's 230 residents to pack at least a day's worth of clothes and meds and to bug out.

"Of course, it's distressing," one resident told NBC 4 News. "I have a cat I left behind."

Officials on the scene are putting residents on Ride-On buses, which will take them to the Gwendolyn Coffield Recreation Center in Lyttonsville.

Roads around Fenwick Lane have been closed so that utility workers can address the problem. So far, NBC 4 News reports no traffic backups on Georgia Avenue as a result of the evacuation.

Photo courtesy of Harkins Builders.

"Officials Evacuate Silver Spring Apartment Building" (NBC 4 News)
"Senior Citizens Displaced After Flood" (Washington Post)

High School Wants Crest Returned

Parents of Montgomery Blair High School students want the school's coat of arms returned, The Gazette writes.

The red and white crest has been stuck to the side of the Silver Spring International Middle School since 1986, when the high school occupied the building. Montgomery Blair pulled up stakes in 1998 for bigger digs in Four Corners, but the crest stayed behind.

"It just needs to come home," PTA co-prez Dave Ottalini tells The Gazette. "It's a link to the past."

But moving the coat of arms won't be easy. According to The Gazette, the ceramic-tile design is set in the concrete that holds the middle school's brickwork together. Also, the tiles are in bad shape and could use help.

"I suggested they get some kind of art restoration specialist to take a look at it," says Richard Hawes, who runs facilities management for the school system.

Removing and restoring the crest also could carry a hefty price tag. Ottalini tells The Gazette that the PTA and other Montgomery Blair organizations would pick up the tab, though no dollar amounts have been estimated.

Thanks to The Gazette for the photo.

"Looking to Bring Blair's Coat Home" (The Gazette)

Q+A: Happy Feet, Open Doors?

Last month, The Daily Penguin announced that The Maryland Youth Ballet would be opening a studio in downtown Silver Spring. The studio--a second-floor space above furniture retailer Bombay Company--is scheduled to open in January.

One reader known as The Courtyard asked:

Are there going to be public performances there?

I feel like space on Ellsworth Drive should be as open to the public as possible, keeping in line with other uses (restaurants and shops) on that block.

The Daily Penguin emailed Deidre Byrne, spokesperson for The Maryland Youth Ballet, who gave this response:

Our space will NOT be used for performances. We are a professional ballet school.

There you have it. Thanks for your question, Courtyard!

Any other questions? Send them to The Daily Penguin at penguinstate@gmail.com.

Butts Out at The Blairs

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, at least until January 1, 2007, if you live at The Blairs apartment complex.

A November memo sent to residents says that smoking will be prohibited inside all apartments and outside The Blairs' buildings, except in designated areas. The 1,400-unit complex along East-West Highway and Colesville Road will be the county's first residential development to go smoke-free, writes The Gazette.

"It would be safer and healthier," Elizabeth Lisboa, the landlord's spokesperson, told The Gazette. Last year, two people at The Blairs died in an apartment fire attributed to a smoldering cigarette.

The memo also says that no lease will be renewed unless the tenant agrees to sign a "smoke-free lease addendum."

"I had to sign it and I don't agree with it," one resident told The Gazette. "There are a lot of other things that should be managed instead of policing the smoking ban."

D.C. Hughs, a ten-year resident, says that he contacted County Councilmember George Leventhal (at large) about the matter. According to Hughs, the councilmember said that smokers were not a "protected class" under the law, The Gazette writes.

County law forbids discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability or sexual orientation.

"We're trying to do the right thing," Lisboa says. "Obviously, you can't please everyone."

Mmmm ... Peeps!

"Apartment Complex to Snuff Out Smoking" (The Gazette)

Council Prez Wants Kibosh on Growth

The county council's new president wants to put a temporary lid on development, writes the Washington Post.

On Monday, Council Prez Marilyn Praisner called for a seven-month freeze on commercial and residential project applications so that the county planning board could review MoCo's annual growth policy, the Post reports. Praisner represents District 4, the eastern stretch of the county.

"I want to assure our residents that we have heard the call to moderate growth," said Praisner in the Washington Business Journal.

Councilmember Phil Andrews, who cosponsored Praisner's proposal at the televised council meeting, said that stronger growth-control measures were needed "to assure that whatever growth occurs doesn't make our transportation problems worse." Andrews represents Rockville, Gaithersburg and North Potomac in District 3.

Some members questioned the council's ability to steer consumer demands. "Growth comes from where the market is," said Councilmember Valerie Ervin, who represents Silver Spring in District 5. Ervin added that she had other concerns about Praisner's proposal but did not disclose them immediately.

"Residential growth follows where people want to buy homes," said Councilmember George Leventhal (at large and in charge). He added that a freeze on development may not treat what he called a perceived "growth emergency."

"If we build a wall around Montgomery County, we will still have traffic," Leventhal said.

The council will decide on Tuesday whether to move forward with the moratorium.

"New Council President Seeks Freeze on Projects" (Washington Post)
"Montgomery Calls 'Time Out' for New Development" (Washington Biz Journal)

County Leaders Laud Duncan, Lull Audience

Monday's inauguration of the new county government went down like this: Oaths were taken. Speeches were read. A high-school band played patriotic tunes. Probably the biggest surprise of the day was the county council's on-stage group hug after taking their oaths.

Of course, it wouldn't be an inauguration without giving outgoing exec Doug Duncan a proper sendoff.

"The county's top elected official deserves his fair share of the credit for this county's success," council president George Leventhal told the audience at Bethesda's Strathmore Music Center.

"Thank you, Doug Duncan!" Leventhal blared into the microphone (twice).

But the real man of the hour was new county exec Ike Leggett (above), whose speech touched on a variety of subjects: slavery, JFK, the American Revolution, biblical scripture, Zen politics.

"Many--if not all--of our problems actually are the result of some of our successes," he told the audience. "How we respond will help determine whether this county's future is one that will bear fruit for all."

Oh yeah, and he said the county needed improved infrastructure to support existing and future development.

Photo courtesy of The Gazette.

"Remarks by Council President George Leventhal ... " (MoCo)
"Inaugural Speech by County Executive Isiah Leggett" (MoCo)

Two Die in Georgia Ave Crash

Two people were killed late Sunday night in a high-speed car crash in south Silver Spring, NBC 4 News and the Washington Post report.

Around 11:45 p.m., a Chevy Impala speeding north on Georgia Avenue smashed into a Honda Accord and a Ford Crown Vic near Sligo Avenue, and then smacked into the the base of the railroad overpass, according to the Post and the MoCo police.

Two people in the Honda--Shawn Ryan Terrill, the 24-year-old driver, and Ahmed Glenn, a 23-year-old passenger in the back seat--died at the scene. Both men were from Woodbridge, Va., says the MoCo police.

Two more passengers in the Honda, both female, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, NBC 4 News writes. The driver of the Crown Vic was treated at the scene, says the police.

One person in the Impala also went to the hospital with serious injuries, NBC 4 News writes. The police believe that two other people were riding in the Impala and left the scene.

"We believe they have serious injuries," Eric Burnett, a police spokesperson, told the Post. "They're going to need medical attention."

Georgia Avenue was closed for a few hours while medics and cops worked the scene. The road reopened just before 7:00 a.m., the Post reports.

Image courtesy of NBC 4 News.

"2 Dead in Montgomery County Crash" (NBC 4 News)
"Two Woodbridge Men Die in Late-Night Crash" (Washington Post)
"Fatal Collision--Silver Spring" (MoCo Police)

Welcome to Annapolis!

Maryland's newly minted legislators got their first lick of Annapolis life last week at an orientation meeting for the General Assembly, The Gazette writes. No partisan scraps were reported.

The newbies--45 in all--learned about ethics regulations, budgets and how to draft a bill, says The Gazette. But even the state's new boss quipped about information overload.

"You emerge more dizzy than you did when you went in," governor-elect Martin O' Malley said.

Silver Spring's elected crew is an even split of experienced legislators and virgins. Sheila Hixson has been in the House of Delegates since 1976, and delegate-elect Heather Mizeur served on Takoma Park's city council, say their websites. Delegate-elect Tom Hucker and senator-elect Jamie Raskin, however, have never held publicly elected office, according to their websites.

No problem, House Speaker Michael E. Busch told The Gazette. Senior legislators are standing by with paddles in hand to dole out some tough love.

"If you think you have the answer to everything, your colleagues are going to be the first to bring you back in line," Busch said.

Thanks to Nostalgia Central for the photo.

"Newcomers to Annapolis Get Oriented" (The Gazette)

The Early Bird

Still haven’t scored that PlayStation 3? Well, get over it. Time to move on. Here’s what’s happening this week:

Monday: The county’s newly elected officials take their oaths before God and everybody at the Strathmore Music Center, Bethesda. The inauguration ceremony goes down at 11:00 a.m. Later, outgoing county exec Doug Duncan throws a sold-out party to benefit arts and humanities programs.

Monday: The Maryland Court of Appeals--the state’s highest court--hears arguments on whether same-sex couples can marry (left). The case revolves around whether a 1973 state law defining marriage strictly as a heterosexual union is constitutional.

Wednesday: Montgomery College, Silver Spring/Takoma Park, hosts a salon-style discussion on the separation of church and state. The deal goes down at 2:30 p.m. Call (301) 650-1385 to register.

Wednesday: Photojournalist Mohammed Omer talks about the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip at Taste of Jerusalem (8123 Georgia Ave). The pro-Palestinian talk is free. The shwarma on your plate isn’t.

Thursday: The county planning board meets behind closed doors to discuss a pending contract for the development of Silver Place. Proposed designs for the mixed-use project on Georgia Avenue and Spring Street were revealed in October. The winning design hasn't been announced.

Thanks to CNN for the image.

This Weekend

Today is World AIDS Day, and there's supposed to be a candlelight vigil (above) at 5:00 p.m. on The Turf. But given the candle-averse conditions--heavy rain and high winds through Saturday morning--it's unclear whether anything will go down. Wearing a red ribbon might be the drier choice.

For indoor entertainment, there's the county's 21st annual holiday concert on Saturday at the AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Rd). The musical duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer kick out kid-friendly tunes at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 each.

Hopefully, that'll help the kiddies get over Yellow Wiggle.

Hurricanes Out, Blizzards In

Stick a fork in this year's hurricane season. It's done.

Weather gurus at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration officially called it off this week, after only nine named storms. Their original predictions called for at least 13 named storms this season.

"The development of El Nino conditions by September helps explain why this Atlantic hurricane season was less active than predicted," Gerry Bell, NOAA's weather guy in charge of hurricanes, tells NOAA News Online. Bell works at NOAA's headquarters on East-West Highway in Silver Spring.

NOAA explains the relatively quiet season like this:

El Nino, combined with the large-scale weather patterns over the southeastern U.S., produced sinking air in the middle and upper atmosphere, along with higher than anticipated wind shear (the change in winds through the atmosphere) over the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. These conditions minimized thunderstorm activity, which inhibited tropical storm and hurricane formation.

Whatever.

"We dodged a bullet this year," Dennis Feltgen, another NOAA meteorologist, tells the Haddiesburg (Miss.) American. "People should use the off season to prepare for next year."

In the meantime, NOAA is monitoring that freakin' mess that unloaded tons of snow in the Pacific Northwest, Rockies and the Midwest. The beast hits Silver Spring on Friday with heavy rain and high wind, NOAA predicts.

Props to NOAA for the satellite photo of Hurricane Ernesto.

"Return of El Nino Yields Near Normal 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season" (NOAA News Online)
"Hurricane Season Ends With Sigh of Relief" (Haddiesburg American)
"New Storm Brings Snow and Rain to Western States" (ABC 7 News)

Like Karaoke, With Civics

Ike Leggett wants to feel your pain. Or at least hear about it.

At Tuesday's open-mic night in Chevy Chase, the county exec-elect listened to gripes ranging from undocumented aliens to traffic to education. For Silver Spring residents attending the town-hall meeting, the big issues were the Purple Line, pedestrian safety and rent control.

"When they talk about affordable housing, I hope that includes rentals," said one Silver Springer who did not give her name. According to the woman, rents had increased by at least 10% despite the county's recommended increase of 4%.

"We pay taxes. We feel betrayal," she added.

MoCo has no rent-control regulations, though the housing department does issue annual voluntary guidelines for rent increases. The recommended increase for 2006 was 4.4%. Actual increases averaged 4.9% in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, according to a county report.

Leggett acknowledged the loss of affordable rentals, which he attributed to condo conversions. "You increase [availability] by maintaining what you already have," he said.

Pedestrian safety was an issue, particularly for those living around the Forest Glen Metro station. A pedestrian bridge over Beltway access ramps opened earlier this year, linking the Forest Glen Metro station with the Montgomery Hills business district along Georgia Avenue. A pedestrian tunnel beneath Georgia Avenue also is in the works.

Walking can be hazardous even along Ellsworth Drive, said Silver Spring mom Sandra Markhardt. She worried that any accident along that privately owned road might create a negative image for all of downtown Silver Spring.

The biggest item--for residents of Silver Spring and beyond--was the Purple Line. Denise Cohen, a Silver Springer who "lives above the CSX [railroad] tracks," voiced her support for development of the light-rail line.

Nancy Nickell disagreed. "In East Silver Spring, homes are threatened by the Purple Line," she told Leggett. Instead, Nickell recommended improvements in Ride-On bus service and taxi service.

Leggett reminded the audience that the Purple Line is in the county's master plan. However, he offered to "exhaust every means necessary" to build it as a subterranean line. Leggett also warned that the line was not a panacea for the area's traffic problems.

"If you believe that the Purple Line standing by itself will do this, then we're not fully addressing the problem," he said. "We can't build our way out of this."

Thanks to MoCo's planning board for the graphic and this dude for the penguin pic.

Leggett: Development Needs an Enema

MoCo's exec-elect hopes to rework the county's growth policy and break up that warm, fuzzy relationship between developers and the planning commission, the Washington Post writes.

Ike Leggett (right), who won the exec job on a platform of slower growth, says new-home construction may need to chill while infrastructure catches up. He and other incoming pols also say the development-approval process must be more transparent.

"Confidence and respect for the system need to be restored," Leggett tells the Post.

The county's new approach responds to critics who accuse fat-cat developers of getting around regulations. In one instance, a developer of 23 townhomes in Woodside got the planning board to waive requirements for moderately priced units, reducing the number from four to one, the Post writes.

"There really is a network of players in this county who know how to gain advantages and have access and results that are not available to the average citizen," says eastern MoCo activist Stuart Rochester.

Royce Hanson, chairman of the planning board, is hosing down the board's ethics policy, the Post reports. Hanson also may ask the county council for more time to review proposed development and less time blown on the council's pet projects.

Photo courtesy of the Washington Post.

"Developers Face a Chillier Montgomery" (Washington Post)