Subscribe free to our daily email newsletterReader Note From Daniel Stauffer: Two Weeks Of Town Square Vandalism
Oct 18, 2010 8:00 - 4 Comments
Photo by Brad Rourke
This Reader Note is by Daniel Stauffer:
I’ve lived at the Rockville town square for a little over a year now. For the last 2 weekends, Oct, 10th and Oct 17th, at approx. 2:30am large crowds have left the bars at the Rockville town square and have gone on to commit vandalism at Rockville town square. This evening’s loud crowd lasted over an hour and a half to which the police responded to 2 calls.
This evening the crowd completely vandalized the decorative fireplace fixtures on the walls in the underwalk at 154 gibbs street tearing down two ceramic candle sticks and smashing them. The crowd lasted for over an hour and was very loud and unruly. I have to say it does nothing but discourage people from wanting to live here or have anything to do with Rockville town square when it can be completely overrun with the late night bar scene.
Daniel Stauffer
[NOTE: As an editorial update, we have been in touch with the Rockville Police and, as one might expect from our law enforcement officers, they take this issue seriously. Among other things, they have informed us that they plan to make sure that they keep an eye on bar-closing time to try to stop similar things from happening in the future. They also let us know that for the past two weeks they had been called on Saturday night / Sunday morning, which they responded to in each case. It's important for citizens to call police when they experience such things, so the police can respond appropriately.]
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Photo by Brad Rourke
4 Comments
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I am just curious if the landlord is aware and is doing anything on their end to protect the interests of tenants, both commercial and residential (and themselves). This type of activity will surely ruin the great image and family atmosphere that the Rockville Town Square has developed since it opened. The Square is truly a great development that should be kept safe and peaceful, free of vandalism and crime lest it decline into just another commercial venture that shoppers do not want to visit. If it were an enclosed mall, the landlord would hire its own security guards, why not here too?
I agree Jon. Our already stressed tax dollars and police department should not be stretched to cover what is essentially a piece of private property. We have had issues with the Twinbrook Shopping Center and the Twinbrook Mart shopping center for decades and the police, while the do frequent drive by runs and are active in the area and I do not find fault in them at all, they are not stationed as they are in Town Center where they are basically acting as tax paid security. Your bring up a good point.
i am sad to hear this happened. but it causes me to note that the teens and skateboards in town center are NOT the problem. for too long the kids were targeted who were doing nothing but sitting and talking.
Residents and commercial units pay an additional Town Center Management District tax on top of the normal City of Rockville taxes. Presumably this goes to specific town square needs such as additional police, city maintenance of garages, etc. Additionally, I would disagree that this is a private piece of property, Town Square is considered the crown jewel of the City, we’ve won awards for it, had numerous articles about it in the Wash Post and other papers (NY Times recently), the Mayor and Council tout it as a huge success quite often (as they should), it’s essentially the public face of and redevelopment in Rockville and should be treated as such. The HOA (comprising representatives from the City, condo units, apartments and commercial units) hires a security force, that said, i don’t know how many guards are on staff at 2am, what they are exactly tasked with patrolling and how they are expected to resolve sticky situations.
Lastly, I’m also not sure if there are any residential units around the Twinbrook center that you make reference to, but vandalism and loud noise are two totally different things when you talk about commercial property vs mixed use property … sometimes people forget that RTS is supposed to be a mixed use community where people live as well work/play; it has to be a livable community for RTS to have long term success.
-Adam
PS. Some of the skateboarders or other youth are a problem in RTS, many have been cited for trespassing in the Palladian and Fenestra and given notices from the police banning them from the buildings due to disturbances they’ve caused. They also caused thousands of dollars of damage on the Fenestra roof last year among other issues.