Borders In White Flint Slated To Close

Borders, the bookstore chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Manhattan today and will be closing almost 1/3 of its stores including the Borders Books and Music in White Flint Mall. Although White Flint is slightly out of our coverage area, the mall is a local shopping destination. Over the years, I’m sure most of us have shopped at the multi-level store down the Pike.

The news is filled with stories about how Borders and Barnes & Noble are struggling financially. At one point last year Barnes & Noble was seeking a buyer and a possible financial deal with Borders was floated.

Last year I attempted to purchase a book as a present at Borders and they had no selection. On the way home I found several books on the subject in Barnes & Noble. Telling? Perhaps.

Do you still buy books in a store? Or on Amazon? Or only electronically for your reader?

Times change. We no longer have Tower Records in Rockville either.

Do You Know What You’ve Been Missing?

January ended and if you haven’t purchased your Rockville Rewards Card, you’ve missed out on another month of specials:

January 3-9: Free appetizer at Gordon Biersch
January 10-16: 20% off at Timpano’s
January 17-23 save $25-$90 with specials at Aveda
January 24-29 50% off platter order at Bean Bag Catering

By contributing $25 to one of 15 area non-profits, you can join this community effort and have your very own Rockville Rewards Card. These local organizations need your help and this is a fun way to give it. Along the way, you can also discover Rockville businesses and receive a discount.

With the purchase of a card, you’ll continue to have access to Everyday Rewards and Weekly Hot Deals through June 30, 2011. The sooner you make the contribution, the more you can save and experience in Rockville. There are almost 70 Everyday Rewards and you won’t believe the restaurants, services, retail, health & beauty, activities, and events offering specials!

If you hurry, this week has a double duo of savings with a Rockville Rewards Card:

• 40% off entire purchase at Color Me Mine: “This week only, head into Color Me Mine, and get 40% off your entire purchase. Head in to create a memorable piece perfect for a Valentine’s Gift. Just pick your piece, paint, and the folks at Color Me Mine, will fire it and have it back to you in a week’s time. Cannot be combined with any other coupons, promotions, offers, specials and cannot be used for parties.” Color Me Mine Location, 33 F Maryland Avenue, (301)-251-2010
• Three Scoops for $3.00: “3 full scoops of Ice Cream, Yogurt or Sorbet, scooped in a cone or cup. Enjoy the latest scoop on all the yummy treats, and the fun events we are concocting for you. We are here to give you a great little vacation, a bit of self-indulgence, and joy for the belly and soul. Fresh baked waffle cones have an additional cost.” Ben & Jerry’s Location, 199-F East Montgomery Avenue, (301)-610-0560

Go to the Rockville Rewards site and click on the organization you want to help to find out how to purchase a card directly.

Several businesses are also selling the Cards on behalf of the organizations: The Bean Bag Deli & Catering Company, Decorating Den, Oro Pomodoro, Rockville REDI, Upscale Resale Thrift Shop, Wagging Tails Thrift Store, and VisArts, Too.

Join me in purchasing a Card!

The Tower Building Continues To Earn High Marks

Photo from The Tower Companies website

Today The Tower Companies, Washington DC’s largest builder of USGBC LEED® Certified buildings, announced three of their existing buildings have been certified by EPA as Energy Star buildings. I was please to know The Tower Building in Rockville led the list.

I’ve always admired The Tower Building, whether I was driving past on I-270 or biking along Wootton Parkway. The building’s futuristic design always seemed a step above the other new architecture in our City. When it was completed ten years ago, this 265,000 square foot, multi-tenant commercial office building was the first new construction green building in the DC Metro region.

The Tower Companies designs the buildings then continues to work with tenants to improve their overall green rating. In post on the PR Newswire, the certification for the Tower Building was explained:

It received an Energy Star score of 90. According to Tower’s Chief Sustainability Officer, David Borchardt, two factors contributed to the high rating; their 134,000 SF GSA tenant, Health and Human Services already met the new GSA standards for Energy Conservation. Furthermore, Tower replaced all garage lighting, which must be on 24/7, with more efficient lighting, realizing an energy savings of nearly 35%.

How do they encourage energy conservation? Their ideas are good advice for everyone:

• Creating more energy efficient build outs, including lighting and temperature control of spaces.
• Taking advantage of utility rebates and installing more energy efficient motor control devices, allowing heating and cooling systems to run more efficiently.
• Finding opportunities to turn off unused equipment and lights; replacing inefficient lighting when a fixture or bulb needs to be replaced.

Here’s a full description of The Tower Building, and if you are interested in seeing the interior, the Gallery on the Tower website provides a little tour.

The Tower Building, designed by Kishimoto Gordon Dalaya PC, is powered by 100% wind energy and was the first green office building in the Washington metropolitan area when construction started in 1999. In 2003 it was awarded The Apartment and Office Building Association’s prestigious “Green Office Building of the Year” award. In 2009, The Tower Building achieved US Green Building Council LEED Silver certification. Rising 10-stories over a campus of lush woodlands and eco-sensitive planning, The Tower Building is the subject of Case Studies by the Urban Land Institute, US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy for its advanced sustainable features; years before the US Green Building Council (USGBC) established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Amenities include health-food café, a state of the art fitness center, onsite parking, and bicycle storage, lockers, showers, a meditation/yoga room, and an ATM and beautiful art covers the walls; building grounds feature open fields, and tree-filled walking areas and biking trails. Two bus routes pass by, which provide easy access to two metro train stations.

Colombo Bank In Deeper Trouble

Rockville Central friend Sean Carr alerted us to an article in The Daily Record concerning the continuing problems with Colombo Bank’s operations.

Although Colombo Bank began its history 96 years ago in Baltimore’s Little Italy, its headquarters moved to Rockville in 2002. Currently the bank has four locations: one in Baltimore, two in Montgomery County, and another in Washington, D.C.

Last Friday, federal regulators issued a second cease-and-desist order related to the bank’s operation. Already facing a June hearing for its loan practices loan including the underwriting and capital levels required to cover bad loans, Colombo must now deal with another order.

A cease-and-desist order is one of the strongest enforcement actions the Office of Thrift Supervision can take. The holding company’s board agreed not to make any “golden parachute” payments to officers as well as abide by restrictions on buying or redeeming shares of stock without written permission from the OTS. This is the third cease-and-desist order in the last seven years and it doesn’t bode well for the Bank’s ability to survive.

The Daily Record article provides the financial background:

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., as of Sept. 30, 2010, Colombo Bank had assets of $169.7 million, compared with $169 million the prior year. The bank also reported a $2.39 million loss for the quarter, compared with a $2.01 million loss for the same quarter in 2009.

The article also points out the management difficulties:

Colombo also needs to have an approved management plan in place, according to the orders. Former Colombo CEO Lester Johnson resigned in 2010 and the bank has not named a new chief executive.

Washington developer Morton Bender is the majority shareholder and chairman of the board at Colombo.

Without more capital from the primary shareholder, the bank could be forcibly closed. Considering its balance sheet, it continues to be a bad prospect for a merger.

Chesapeake Bay Candle Head Details Landing Target

Rockville-based candle maker Chesapeake Bay Candle is a highly successful and long-lived company, having sold its first products in 1995.

In a blog post this week, the candle behemoth’s co-founder, Mei Xu, details how her tenacity over the course of a year enabled her to land the company’s first “big box” contract with Target.

Here’s how the story begins:

I tracked down the candle department buyer’s phone number and left her a message. She didn’t call back. So I left another message the following week — no reply. I refused to take her silence as a ‘no.’ So I left messages every week for six straight months. I figured she might not appreciate my tenacity but she was my only way in to the company.

Finally, I had a conversation with her receptionist to ask why the buyer wasn’t returning my calls. She told me that I should go over the buyer’s head and talk to her boss. So I called her supervisor, who told me that my products sounded great and that she’d have the buyer call me.

The phone rang two minutes later: Jackpot, it was the buyer. I thought I’d finally struck gold. Then she told me what I’d done wasn’t the right way to start a business relationship. She refused to meet with me, and my subsequent calls went unanswered.

But there is a happy ending, so click over to the full story to learn how it ends!

It’s a great story of just what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, and we are glad to have such energetic and successful companies here in Rockville. (Well, it’s on the border with “North Bethesda,” but I say let’s claim it!)

Help And Save With A Rockville Rewards Card

Yesterday I purchased my Rockville Rewards card from Community Ministries of Rockville. This new program designed by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce as part of the Buy Rockville campaign “combats the increased needs in our community”.

Simply put, you can purchase a card for $25 from one of the nonprofit organizations (or local businesses selling them on behalf of the organizations), then use the card for discounts and deals. The cards are currently valid until June 30, 2011 so the sooner you purchase one the longer you can enjoy the benefits.

Everyday Rewards categories include Business to Business, Events, Health & Beauty, Food & Drink, Retail, Services, and Activities. All you have to do is present your card. Here are some examples of the savings:

• Talk of the Town – 10% off any party rental, excluding entertainers & performers.
• Acqua Nails – 10% off any service, until 02/15/11.
• VisArts at Rockville – VisArts Too – 10% off any item
• Bark! Pawsitive Petfood – Bark! Pawsitive Petfood in Congressional Plaza. $5.00 off your first purchase of $25.00 or more!

If you’re into dining out, these are deals:

• The Bean Bag Deli & Catering Company – Come in to The Bean Bag deli & Catering Co for Breakfast or Lunch Mon-Sat. and receive 10% off your in-store order. Excludes delivery orders.
• Ben & Jerry’s of Rockville – 15% off of any scooped cone, sundae, shake, mash, smoothie or coffee ‘Joe’ drink. Also $3.00 off any ice cream or yogurt, handpacked cake.
• Cake Dreams – 10% discount on cupcake and basic cake purchases. Excludes custom cakes and cupcakes.
• Gordon Biersch – 10% off total check, excluding alcohol.
• Il Pinito – 20% off total check. Dine in only. Not valid with any other offers. One card per table.
• Jackie’s Wine Club – From 4-7 p.m. daily, enjoy 15% off!
• Lola’s Cafe & Bakery - From 3-7 p.m. daily, enjoy 15% off!
• Oro Pomodoro Pizzeria Ristorante – Get 10% off entire check excluding alcohol. Valid for Lunch & Dinner Dine-In only. Not valid on Fridays & Saturdays. Cannot be combined with other offers.
• The Potomac Grill – 25% of total check up to $20 dollar maximum discount. Valid 1 card per table, not valid on holidays or New Year’s Eve.
• Potomac Pizza – 10% off dine-in or carry-out purchase. Expires 5/31/11
• Robeks Fruit Smoothies – Buy One Get One Free Smoothie or Frozen Yogurt!
• Timpano Chophouse and Martini Bar – 10% off your total bill when you dine. Offer is valid in our dining room only for lunch or dinner. Offer not valid in the bar & lounge, on holidays, banquets.
• Phillips Seafood: Receive a complimentary appetizer, order two (2) full-priced entrees and present your Rockville Rewards card. All offers subject to black-out dates & availability.

When you register your card online by providing your name, email, and zipcode, you will receive notification of Weekly Hot Deals. Quite frankly, anything hot sounds good to me right now.

The organizations can make up to $25,000 each if they sell all their cards so join me in purchasing one!

Here are the organizations you can help:

The Arc of Montgomery County
Bikes for the World
Child Center and Adult Services
Community Ministries of Rockville
Jobs Unlimited/Upscale Resale Thrift Shop
Literacy Council of Montgomery County
Manna Food Center
Montgomery County Humane Society
Montgomery County Stroke Association
Musical Theater Center
Pain Connection-Chronic Pain Outreach Center
Premier Homecare
Rockville Community Nursery School
Rockville Concert Band
VisArts of Rockville

“Give a little, get a lot.”

Possible New Grocery Store In Town Square

The lack of a grocery store has not helped Town Square businesses.

Federal Realty shared with the City that they are very close to lease agreement with grocery store for Town Square. However, the agreement will depend on their obtaining a beer and wine license for the store.

At last night’s meeting, Assistant City Manager Jenny Kimball, informed the Mayor and Council that they will be asked to endorse the license request at their next meeting on January 10, 2011. Federal Realty will be providing additional information before that date.

As we know, A&P had signed a 20-year lease for the space but indicated they wanted to end the lease agreement in March 2010 after continuing to pay but failing to open a Superfresh in Town Square. Federal Realty has been seeking a replacement ever since. As a side note, A&P has been in red ink for quite some time and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past Sunday.

Since A&P had failed to obtain a special exception from the Maryland State legislature when a bill to sell beer and wine at the store never even made it out of a House of Delegates subcommittee, Councilmember John Britton asked if this request would need to go to the legislature again. If so, he wanted to get it on the agenda with the District 17 State Delegation which visiting the Mayor and Council meeting later in the evening. Specifically, he wanted to know if this would be a second beer and wine license for the store which would require State action.

City Manager Scott Ullery responded that this would be the first grocery store of this company in Maryland and no legislation would be required.

Now, all we can do is speculate as to which new grocery store chain would like to move into Maryland and our Town Square. Will the lease agreement be successful? If it is, please Federal Realty, include a date by which the company must open the grocery store. Let’s not make the same mistake twice!

Standard Solar Activates Solar Roof At Rockville Ice Rink

Photo from Wilkinson Shein

Yesterday Standard Solar activated the new 701 Kilowatt Solar Energy System on top of the Rockville Ice Arena. Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, Councilmember Bridget Newton, and Karen McManus from Congressman Van Hollen’s office attended along with more than 60 other people celebrating one of the largest single rooftop solar energy systems in Maryland.

Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO, Malcolm Woolf, Director, Maryland Energy Administration, Stuart Schooler, Managing Member, The Maven Group. Photo from Wilkinson Shein.

Tony Clifford, Standard Solar CEO, emphasized how such solar systems can solve many of our dire energy problems on the East Coast.

I’m sure that most people in the audience know that Maryland is part of the most congested portion of the national utility grid system. Now the traditional way that utilities have dealt with growing demand on the east coast is to build another coal plant in the Mid-West and upgrade or add new transmission and distribution facilities to move that power to MD, DC and other jurisdictions up the East Coast. Well, about 15 years ago a lot of people started to oppose expensive and unsightly new transmission lines. I think we all know that it is a lot more difficult to site a transmission line in 2010…and it is not going to get any easier.

The real answer is to put the power sources where we consume the power – that is on rooftops and available land near to where it will be consumed. Solar electricity is inherently a source of peak power as it is produced during the day when utilities experience their peak power demands. This 700 kW solar system is certainly going to reduce the peak power demand and improve the reliability of the local distribution grid…with several hundred more such systems we will eliminate the need for a new power plant, truly improve grid reliability and have an noticeable impact on grid congestion throughout the region.

Rockville Blades, LLC, owns the arena and is an affiliate of The Maven Group. Stuart Schooler, a managing member, explained why the solar choice makes so much sense.

This was an easy business decision. Ice rinks are an energy-intensive operation. We need to help our tenants manage costs, while providing activities like skating and hockey that have a more benign impact on the environment. After all, the C&O Canal is only thick enough for skating two to three weeks per year.

The system is projected to meet about 30% of the Arena’s annual electricity needs while reducing carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions by about 757 tons each year. A comparison to our household use helps to understand these statistics. The electricity generated by the solar system would power approximately 72 average-sized American homes for a year.

When you visit to skate, you can see the results for yourself. A large screen monitor shows how much electricity the solar panel system is producing at any given time.

We’re lucky to be able to see and monitor this large, green step forward in Rockville. The Arena’s system is a model and inspiration for all the solar possibilities available.

Liquor Stores To Be Open On Sunday

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

The Washington Examiner reported that County Executive Isiah Leggett will release an executive order on Wednesday to allow Sunday liquor sales at the two dozen county-owned stores.

County spokeswoman Donna Bigler said Sunday sales will begin sometime this month. It’s designed as a six-month trial through the busy holiday season.

Earlier this year, County Councilman Mike Knapp estimated the county would make an additional $1.5 million to $2 million a year by opening its liquor stores on Sunday. County Councilman George Leventhal is sceptical because he believes people don’t buy hard liquor every day so they therefore would not be purchasing it on another day of the week. The County Council does not have to approve the plan.

Since the Twinbrook Liquor store was closed, the two remaining Rockville Liquor Store locations are at 832 Rockville Pike and 12015-B Rockville Pike in Montrose Crossing.

New Rockville Women’s Business Center Launched

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

At the launch of the new Rockville Women’s Business Center (RRBC) at VisArts this morning, Sally Sternbach, Executive Director of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), held a copy of the Washington Business Journal Book of Lists, then passionately revealed that only one category had women-owned businesses making up 50% of the ranked list. Since these are the most successful businesses in the area, she concluded “It’s not enough to start a business. You have to grow it,” then she added, “We’re going to change the landscape of this region.”

The new Rockville Women’s Business Center has been formed to do just that. In short, it’s designed to help Montgomery County’s diverse population of women start and build successful businesses positioned for long-term growth. The RWBC will be located in the REDI offices at 95 Monroe Street.

Speakers at the launch. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

Steve Silverman, Director of Montgomery County’s Department of Economic Development, said it was a “no-brainer” when he was approached to support the new RWBC because the smartest thing the government can do is to pursue true opportunities to work with those outside of government. Such efforts will help get everyone out of this great recession.

By reviewing the details of a 10-month feasibility study, Lori Gillen, the Managing Director of the RWBC, explained why we need such a Center and why it’s located in Rockville. During seven workshops over 300 entrepreneurs were surveyed about their needs. Although the workshops were not advertised as being for women, 64% of the attendees were women. The workshops attracted a diverse group; 60% were minorities while the Montgomery County minority population is 45%. Three-quarters of the attendees were “tire kickers” who were not in business. The largest percentage (26%) preferred a Rockville location which was also considered central to the others. The only drop in center for women in the County is provided by the Commission for Women. Although many volunteer women business organizations exist, respondents wanted more help with one-on-one counseling, business planning, and marketing. The greatest gaps identified for women business owners involved affordability, frequency, and accessibility of services. All this led to the creation of the RWBC.

The Director of the Washington Metropolitan District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Bridget Bean, explained that if an owner spends more than five hours working with a business center, their business is more productive and earns a greater profit. She knows the good work at the RWBC will benefit the entire economy.

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

Barbara Wrigley from the Northern Virginia Women’s Business Center admitted it’s a long drive to Springfield for any entrepreneurs in Montgomery County. They have plenty of people for their two person staff to serve, so they welcome the new Center to the network. The first centers were started 22 years ago when HR 50-50 changed everything for women. The four trial centers formed back then have now grown to 110 in the United States. Over the years they have found that women can train women more successfully when they are based in the community close to public transportation with convenient hours. The mission of women’s business centers is not being “transactional” but rather “relational”. Women never felt comfortable going to small business development centers at universities or working with SCORE counselors who were retired after running large companies. WBC builds relationships while offering coffee and cookies because that’s what women do. She reminded everyone that it was only 22 years ago when HR 50-50 eliminated the requirement for a woman to have a male relative sign for a business loan. Women now strive to bring balance into their lives through entrepreneurship. The NoVA Center can be easily replicated in Rockville and it will be just as successful.

Gwen Cook, one of the 80 supporters at the kick-off event, attended some of the workshops offered even though she lives in Prince George’s County. She wasn’t a business major but had an idea to have her own business, Bezzie’s BBQ Sauce. She intends to use the services at the RWBC to create a more defined business plan and discover financial possibilities. She’s glad she doesn’t have to drive to Springfield anymore.

Training opportunities and seminars have already started and the schedule is here. REDI and RWBC hope to work together to create local companies of all types such as biotech, high-tech, and service, capitalizing on the wealth of talent in our community.

$1 Million In Grants To Novavax In Rockville

Photo from Novavax

Novavax, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company located in Rockville, announced today that it has been awarded approximately $978,000 in grants under the Internal Revenue Service’s Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (“QTDP”). This program was created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 to provide tax credits or grants representing up to 50 percent of eligible qualified investments in therapeutic discovery projects during tax years 2009 and 2010.

In their press announcement, Dr. Rahul Singhvi, President and CEO of Novavax, stated,

We are gratified to receive this award in recognition of our efforts to develop novel vaccine candidates using our unique recombinant technology. Novavax plans to use these funds to support advanced development of its novel virus-like-particle-based vaccine candidates, which include vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

The company works to develop the use of virus-like particle (VLP) technology to tackle influenza viruses – including avian strains that have the potential to cause a pandemic outbreak. They’ve created vaccines designed to protect against various circulating strains of pandemic influenza including H1N1 and H5N1 influenza, as well as seasonal flu. Using a unique portable manufacturing system that allows for rapid mass production, their long-term goal is to be able to rapidly deliver a customized vaccine in the midst of a pandemic.

Novavax originally moved its headquarters from Malvern, PA to Rockville because they could build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility housed on site for their research and clinical scientific teams. The company takes advantage of their close proximity to Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland for recruiting. Novavax has publically stated that its employees “enjoy living and working in Montgomery County and feel comfortable raising their families in its exceptional public school system with extensive accessibility to public transportation.”

Insider Trading Case Involves Rockville Biotech

Photo from Clinical Care Options

As reported by many news outlets yesterday, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, a French doctor, Yves Benhamou has been charged with insider trading for telling an unamed hedge fund about drug testing setbacks at the Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences.

During the clinical trial of the hepatitis drug, Albuferon, he allegedly phoned, emailed, and texted messages to an unnamed “co-conspirator” who was a portfolio manager at the hedge fund. Although the charging documents do not name the fund, news reports identified FrontPoint Partners, a unit of Morgan Stanley. FrontPoint has admitted Dr. Chip Skowron is on leave during the investigation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission brought civil charges against Dr. Benhamou while the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan filed a criminal complaint. The documents claim the hedge fund avoided $30 million in loses based on the information provided. Traders were pushed to dump all of the Human Genome shares on January 22, 2008, right before the company announced it would be stopping parts of the Albuferon trial. One patient in the Albuferon trial died and another developed lung disease, possibly as a side effect of the drug.

As the NYT article explains:

The case demonstrates the conflicts that can develop when an expert in the medical field also advises investors. And it shows the pitfalls that can await a foreigner not familiar with American securities laws.

Choice Hotels Is Moving To Town Center

As we reported when the County Executive spoke with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery County was competing to attract the corporate headquarters for Choice Hotels. Today the offices of Governor Martin O’Malley, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, and City of Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio announced that Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) signed a letter of intent with the State, County and City to move its headquarters from Silver Spring to Rockville when its current lease expires in 2013.

Choice is one of the world’s largest lodging companies. With a need to add 75 employees to their current 400, Choice was looking for a location with 130,000 square feet of office space. Rockville Town Center was chosen because it’s proximity to public transportation. Concerned about their current employees, the company also desired a location convenient to where the majority currently live. The shops and services in Town Center also helped to sway their decision.

In addition, the Governor’s office announced the company is considering a Cambria Suites hotel near the headquarters to accommodate an estimated 10,000 stays per year generated by employee and franchisee training programs, as well as other community, vendor and hotel developer events.

Washington Business Journal reporter Missy Frederick confirmed that Choice is not revealing the address at this time.

The Gazette provided details of the agreement:

… the state, county and city are providing $4.3 million in conditional loans and grants that are contingent upon job creation at the new headquarters. In addition, the company is eligible for state, county and city tax credits, including the county’s New Jobs Tax Credit, and could also receive Tax-Exempt Recovery Zone Facility Bonds.

On their website, Choice International details the companies profile. Choice currently franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 490,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 35 countries including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn.

Looks like we’re going to have a new corporate neighbor.

Historic Funeral Home Needs Additional Parking

Pumphrey’s Funeral Home has filed a Zoning Text Amendment to install a parking lot on the land they own next to the funeral parlor on West Montgomery Avenue. The Mayor and Council are holding a Public Hearing about the issue on Monday, October 25, 2010, at 7:00 PM in their Chamber at Rockville City Hall.

On their website, the Pumphrey family details the family’s long history in Rockville. Six generations have been involved with the business. In the 1830′s William Ellican Pumphrey, a Rockville cabinetmaker, began making coffins. Then in 1854, he entered the undertaking business on Main Street in Rockville. During the 1920′s, funeral services were held in chapels and viewing rooms but the Pumphrey family believed they should be held in a “comfortable, homelike atmosphere”, so in 1928 Pumphrey purchased the large home at the corner of Williams Street and West Montgomery Avenue where Pumphrey’s still operates.

Then four years later in August of 1932, Rockville changed the zoning code and made the Funeral Home a Nonconforming Use. Although the business has been permitted to continue operating, if it should cease operation for more than three months, it would lose the ability to operate a funeral home on the site.

Currently Pumphrey’s has 17 parking spaces with access off Willams Street and they would like to have 47 surface spaces in addition to the two inside their garage. They admit that under current zoning requirements they should have 52 spots but to a great extent, this would alleviate the problem.

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010, the Planning Commission considered the Zoning Text Amendment to allow the expanded parking. Through their attorney, the next door neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Bowen, sent a letter of opposition to the text amendment. The City Staff recommended the denial of the text amendment because it would perpetuate a nonconforming use in a residential zone. The Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend denial with Commissioners Callistein and Pakulniewicz opposed and Commissioner Trahan absent.

In the memo from the Community Planning and Development Services Department to the Planning Commission, they do acknowledge:

There have been periodic complaints from the neighborhood about overflow parking on the local streets in the vicinity of the funeral home. The text amendment is intended, in part, to address this issue.

People visiting the funeral home do park on Potomac and Wall Streets and even across on Forest Avenue.

The West End Citizen’s Association will be discussing this issue at their monthly meeting tonight at 7 PM at Rockville Presbyterian Church.

Persons wishing to testify at the Public Hearing before the Mayor and Council are asked to call 240-314-8280 by 4:00 PM on Monday to place their names on the speakers’ list.

Giffords Ice Cream Is Closed

Photo by Sean Carr

Rockville Central friend, Sean Carr, sent along this dreary photo of Gifford’s Ice Cream shop in Rockville Town Square. As we mentioned last week, a Baltimore investor bought all the Shops and Gifford’s Wholesale was attempting to regain ownership in court. As they feared, the process would take too long and the landlord would evict the Gifford’s Shop before the situation could be resolved.

Many are noticing the loss of Gifford’s and Bobby’s Crabcakes at the same time on the same street.

Thanks to Sean for sending us this update via photo!