Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Parking In Town Square

As many readers of >Rockville Central know, because of some of the lengthy comment trails on a a number of articles, there’s a storm brewing over the parking in Town Square. Until recently, it’s been low-level, but on October 5 the time when people have to pay to park is set to be extended.

As Samuel Johnson said, “Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” People are, for want of a better word, focused.

By and large, the Town Square merchants would like to make it as easy as possible for people to park and be customers. (This stands to reason.) Many merchants are concerned that additional parking fees will drive people away. Furthermore, one merchant who has been very active in this issue of late is a candidate for City Council (Trapper Martin). That is neither good nor bad, but it does complicate things when it comes to decision making.

In the midst of all this, the Mayor and Council as a body appears reluctant to act. (I am not talking about individuals, but the whole.) Not only that, but this particular iteration of the parking issue has become a heated political issue. The Gazette has a good recap of the situation.

But my favorite update is by Roald Schrack of the Alliance of Rockville Voters, who writes:

The September 21 , 2009 meeting of the Mayor and Council epitomized the past two years experience with this M&C. The Citizen’s Forum was largely taken up by a plea from the restaurateurs of Town Center to delay the onset of regular parking fees that had been scheduled for October 4 . It seems that a big coordinated advertising campaign has been arranged for “Restaurant Week in Rockville” starting on October 5. The restaurateurs felt that the success of their campaign would be seriously hurt by the need for their customers to pay for parking. The Mayor [Susan Hoffmann] said they would take up a solution under New Business later in the evening. When it came time for New Business John Britton made a motion to delay the imposition of paying for parking (after 7:00 pm) for one week to avoid being coincident with “Restaurant Week”. The motion failed for want of a second (the Mayor cannot introduce a motion or second it according to Robert’s Rules of Order). [Phyllis] Marcuccio, [Piotr] Gajewski, and [Anne] Robbins gave various reasons for objecting to the motion. . . . [T]here it sat with no action taken to soften the blow of parking fees on “Restaurant Week”. Everyone on the M&C knows that the survival of the Town Center restaurants is vital to the success of Town Center but the M&C fear that citizens would see any compromise on the parking fees as a further burden on the taxpayers. It is estimated that the additional parking fees earned from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm would bring in $400,000 a year. Delaying the fee for one week would only cost about $8000 and could be absorbed by the city. But the problem remains after the week is over. The restaurateurs would return after the week and again ask for continuing relief from parking fees. The City is between a rock and a hard place. It isn’t just $400,000, There is an additional $2,400,000 that the city must trim from the budget because of the recession’s impact on state revenues. Why anyone would want to run for M&C in this environment is hard to see. The next two years are going to be very difficult for the city.

Roald makes good points. As many know, I am in favor of people having to pay for parking in Town Square. The Mayor and Council are indeed between a rock and a hard place. At some point, the parking lots must get paid for. But a week delay seems as if it might have made sense all around.

If it had been raised earlier that waiting one week (until after a major retail event) might help things, it is likely there would have been enough time to deal with the one-week delay. Of course, it may not have — it might take the October 5 deadline to actually spur action. Furthermore, someone might have raised it already and it fell on deaf ears.

In any event, many Town Square merchants are hoping for a reprieve so that Restaurant Week can take place without the added burden of the extended paid hours. It is unclear whether that is possible.

Wootton Speed Camera A Microcosm

As >Rockville Central readers know, talking about speed cameras is a sure way to generate angry comments. That’s not the intent of this article, though!

Reader Theresa Defino pointed out that today’s Washington Post has a very interesting piece on the effects of speed cameras on driving habits. The article takes the speed camera on Wootton Parkway and looks at what’s happened there since it was installed. (A new law takes effect tomorrow that allows such cameras across Maryland.)

The results? Drivers learn to slow down — sometimes more than they have to:

In December, three months after installation: 1,678 citations. In January 2008: 1,463. By September 2008, the monthly citations count had dipped below 700. And three months ago, the camera caught 555 speeders. Drivers obviously got the memo.

The speed measurements also tell the story: Before the camera went up, the mean speed along that stretch was 27.4 mph. Now it’s 23 mph, a 16 percent reduction. Drivers are so aware of the camera that they are moving at speeds below the posted limit. “That’s much more than we expected,” said Rockville police Capt. Robert Rappoport.

The overall speed camera effort has also been good for Rockville’s coffers: “The [single camera has] generated $567,173 for the city to spend on traffic safety programs and $388,066 for Affiliated Computer Services, a Dallas business services conglomerate that installed and operates Rockville’s cameras,” according to the article.

Here is a map of all speed and red light cameras in Rockville, courtesy of your friends at Rockville Central:

View Rockville Speed Camera Locations in a larger map

Rockville Cemetery May Get Historic Designation

According to our friends at the >Gazette, a small plot of land off of Twinbrook Parkway may soon get historic designation. The County’s planning board has approved the move and the County Council now must vote on it.

It’s the Higgins Family Cemetery, with graves dating back to 1816. (Here’s a document describing it in detail.)

The Higgins Family Cemetery in Rockville is on Arundel Avenue, and contains 27 marked graves and possibly additional unmarked ones from the Higgins and Knowles families. Jack Jones, of Kensington, is a descendent of the Knowles line, and though he hadn’t been active in getting the designation for the cemetery in years, said he was happy it finally happened. He said the Higgins and Knowles families were “the two premiere landowners in Montgomery County before 1900,” and much of the land the B&O Railroad used came from their tracts.

Here’s an aerial view:

View Higgins Family Cemetery in a larger map

POTD: Idyll.

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This lovely little pocket scene is nestled up against Crofton Hill Road (the road Mark Pierzchala doesn’t like to bike up). Even though it’s right out there on MD-28, I always think it looks so sweet. Serene, an idyll. Hence the title.

Rockville Roundtable Set For Oct. 13

The next Rockville Roundtable is set for Tuesday, Oct. 13!>WHERE: Giuseppe’s Pizza
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct 13, 12:30 – 2:00

More than a year ago, launched a little experiment. We announced that we were going to be at lunch at a certain time and place and invited anyone who wished to join us and we’d split the bill.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a dozen people come. We had a wonderful, informal lunch — and so the “Rockville Roundable” was born!

Rockville Roundtable

The name comes from a little sign that our friend Ruth Hanessian drew on yellow construction paper with a heart on it. (We were meeting on Valentine’s Day).

Since that time, Rockville Roundtable has met just about every month. It’s a different day and place each time so as many people can come as possible. Sometimes there are more people, other times just a few. It’s always the same rules: Everyone is welcome, and it is informal. There is no set agenda — we just let the conversation unfold. Sometimes it’s lots of people, sometimes it’s just a few.

We hope you can make the next Rockville Roundtable at Giuseppe’s Pizza on Tuesday, October 13 at 12:30 pm!

If you think of it, shoot us an email to let us know you are coming. However, if you forget to rsvp, don’t let that stop you! Just show up! Everyone’s welcome!

Jazz Fest and Taste of Town Square This Saturday

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Town Square will be all jazzed up this Saturday, October 3, 2009 from noon until 6 PM.

Here’s the schedule for an afternoon of cool, smooth music:

Noon – Swing Speak
1:30 PM – Donato
3 PM– James King
4:30 PM– Jeff Carmella Band
6 PM– The Kevin Mittleman Trio

Stop by the ATM because the Taste of Town Square is cash only with $5 food tastings. Wine and Signature drinks will also be sold at various prices from these fine Town Square restaurants:
Bobby’s Crabcakes
Gordon Biersch
La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar
Noodles & Company
Oro Pomodoro
Primo Italiano
SpiceXing
Taste of Saigon

If you spend $15 on taste tickets or retail purchases, they’ll be giving away mini-insulated coolers while supplies last. Only one per customer and the quantitiy is limited so buy early.

You can also sign up at the information tent for a chance to win gift cards from your favorite Rockville Town Square merchants.

For more information, please contact 301-998-8178 or email [email protected].

POTD: Bzzzz.

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I saw this little guy while I was running along Watts Branch Parkway. I sort of thought he was cute, so even though the shot isn’t perfect I am posting it anyway!

Voter Registration Deadline Nears

If you live in the City of Rockville corporate limits, you can cast your ballot for Mayor and Council on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, but in order to vote you must be registered. The deadline is Monday, October 5, 2009. Residents can >register through the Board of Elections of Montgomery County.

In order to make the process easier, the City of Rockville Human Rights Commission is holding two more voter registration drives on Saturday, October 3, 2009:

• Twinbrook Library from 10 AM - 1 PM (202 Meadow Hall Drive)
• Twinbrook Community Center from 1 PM - 4 PM (12920 Twinbrook Parkway).

The City has sent along the details concerning absentee ballots:

If you are unable to vote on Election Day, you can vote by absentee ballot. Residents wishing to can pick up an absentee ballot 30 days in advance of Election Day, beginning on Monday, Oct. 5. The last day absentee ballots will be mailed is Tuesday, Oct. 27. However, the ballots will still be available for pick up at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall.

Voters who want to apply online for an application to vote absentee ballot, can go to www.rockvillemd.gov/election09/absenteerequest.htm. Once the form is received, an application will be mailed. The signed application must be returned to the City Clerk’s Office by Tuesday, Oct. 27. Registered voters can also pick up the ballot in person, or have their registered agent pick it up, at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave.

Voter information on the ten districts can be found here. We’d like to encourage everyone to vote!

Chorale Joins National Philharmonic for Season Opening

>Rockville Central friend, Daryl Newhouse, was kind enough to pen an announcement for the National Philharmonic concerts which start the 2009-2010 Season this weekend.

Last Tuesday night as several residents of the West End prepared to carpool to the Music Center at Strathmore for their National Philharmonic Chorale rehearsal with artistic director Stan Engbretson, they passed Maestro Piotr Gajewski knocking on their neighbors’ doors, campaigning for re-election to the City Council. On October 3 & 4, 2009 he will pick up his conductor’s baton to direct the National Philharmonic’s Opening Concert “Beethoven 1-2-3.”

The Chorale, with 6 soloists, will join the full orchestra and piano for the last 5 minutes of Beethoven’s Fantasia op.80 (or “Choral Fantasy”) (It’s been jokingly said that these concert soloists must be earning the highest pay per note of all time!) The Choral Fantasy, written in Beethoven’s “middle period” in 1808, foreshadows his Ninth Symphony, which he completed 16 years later. As you listen, you will hear some familiar variations on the well-known “Ode to Joy” finale of the Ninth Symphony. The text celebrates the power of art to dispel the storm and stress of daily life.

Performances are Saturday, October 3, 2009, 8 P.M. and Sunday, October 4, 2009, 3 P.M. All National Philharmonic concerts at the Music Center at Strathmore are preceded by free pre-concert lectures at 7:00 p.m. in the Education Center. Parking is FREE in the Grosvenor - Strathmore Metro Garage.

The 2009–2010 season marks the National Philharmonic’s fifth full season in residence at The Music Center at Strathmore. The group now known as the National Philharmonic Chorale originated as the Montgomery County Masterworks Chorus. Since moving to Strathmore, the National Philharmonic Chorale has grown to almost 200 members. With six concerts and eight performance dates, this will be our busiest season to date. We will be performing exquisite and greatly varied musical works in addition to the Beethoven, including Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise, Handel’s Messiah, Bizet’s Carmen, Brahms’ Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Visit nationalphilharmonic.org for concert subscriptions and ticket information. Tickets for this weekend range from $29 to $79 each. Season subscriptions are available. Kids 7-17 are ALL FREE, ALL THE TIME (sponsored by The Gazette). All kids tickets must be purchased in person or by phone.

POTD: Gilded Cage

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I took this on a recent training run for the Marine Corps Marathon. I was on our own “Bridge To Nowhere” over the 270 and felt very . . . odd.

Rockville Central Candidate Forum Saturday, Oct. 24, 9:30 am

Dear Readers:We are delighted to announce the first-ever >Rockville Central candidate forum. It will be held on Saturday, October 24, at 9:30 am. The location is our very own Thomas Farm Community Center near Fallsgrove.

We have been thinking about this event for some time and we are delighted to be able to announce it.

We want this to be a “different kind of candidate forum.” Many organizations and local associations hold candidate forums each election, and they do a great job of making sure candidates are accountable to their hoped-for constituencies. We always attend as many as possible. We scheduled this event so that it would not interfere with any of the other candidate forums announced so far.

With this candidate forum, we hope to build on the work of other organizations. It won’t look like a typical forum, and we may not run it like a typical forum. We are going to try to create an environment in which candidates interact with each other as much as possible — after all, one of the chief concerns on the minds of citizens right now is how candidates will work together.

We will also make sure that the full video of this forum is available online and we are also exploring the feasibility of live streaming the forum so people throughout Rockville can tune in.

One big complaint we have heard is that forums can go on a long time, especially when there are lots of candidates like this year. So, we are intentionally limiting the forum to two hours. We feel certain we can be fair in that period of time and also respect the desires of the audience who have other things to do in their lives.

Leading up to the forum, we will be reaching out to the Rockville Central readers’ community to solicit good ideas. We want you to weigh in on:

• What kinds of questions should the candidates answer?
• What format would give you the best sense of who the candidates are?
• What kinds of things would you like to avoid in a candidate event like this?
• What kind of event would make you proud of these candidates?
• And more.

Please consider adding a comment if you have some initial responses. We are probably also going to create a survey for more formal input.

We also will need help pulling this off — so if you are willing to pitch in at the forum, please let us know!

Watch Rockville Central for more announcements as we make this thing happen!

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Fall Means Apple Picking!

>Rockville Central reader Wendy Kiang-Spray was kind enough to send along a link to her blog, Greenish Thumb. Her latest post is all about an activity that has become a tradition for many Rockville families around this time of year.

By Wendy Kiang-Spray

Yes, of course I am talking about the annual trek to go apple picking! We have a number of apple orchards nearby. Any one of which makes for a great crisp fall afternoon diversion!

Here’s a snippet from Wendy’s post on apple picking:

In our family, the Autumnal Equinox has become synonymous with fall apple picking. Lucky are the suburbanites who have several orchards within a short driving distance from home! Last weekend, we visited Homestead Farms in nearby Poolesville, MD. Though the tradition is a fairly new one (ok, to be truthful, last weekend was our first time…), the day was perfect for apple picking. We had the kind of weather that’s cool enough to keep kids from whining about being hot — no one needed to be carried — yet warm enough to dress in t-shirts and enjoy being under the sun all day. We were also smack in the middle of the season for several types of apples.

POTD: Sanctuary

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Here’s the last in a series by Scott DeGasperis. He says: “[T]aken at Potomac Woods Park at our neighborhood’s Labor Day picnic.”

The hand reminds me of one of my favorite albums by the J. Geils Band.

Event Pick of the Week 9/24/09: Police

>Pick of the Week

Open House at the 1st District Rockville Police Station
1451 Seven Locks Road
Saturday, September 26, 2009
12 Noon - 3 PM

People always rave about all the activities at this event: Apple Dumpling the Clown, the Police Command Bus, SWAT Team demo, motorcycle officer, moon-bounce, K-9 Demonstration, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police & Horse, a Police helicopter and fire & rescue vehicles. Stop by for a busy time. I don’t think you need to have a kid!

Events in Rockville

Here’s the links to Rockville Living’s events in two formats - a one week list or six week calendar.

Six Week Calendar

This community event listing is a partnership between Rockville Central and Rockville Living. If you would like your community event listed, submit your information to Rockville Living using this form. Please become a regular contributor by requesting a username so that you can enter the information directly to the database.

If you attend an event in Rockville, we invite you to write a Contributor Review. Share the experience. Let everyone know about an event worth attending. Tell us about the school play, fair, or city activity, as long as it’s recent and you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. We prefer short, not more than 500 words. Please include a photo if you have one. Send it along to Cindy Cotte Griffths for consideration.

POTD: Thistle

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Here’s another in a series by Rockville Central reader Scott DeGasperis. He says it was taken in the meadow behind Croydon Creek Nature Center.