Comic Strip: ROCK’burb 12-4-10

About ROCK’burb: A few months ago we were tossing around ideas for new features on Rockville Central. We thought Saturday morning comics would be fun. Since I’ve always wanted to draw a comic strip, I’ve been imagining them in my head each week. Sometimes an idea pops up in my head and sometimes my whole family thinks up a panel about our lives here in Rockville. As usual, this week’s comic is taken from the headlines, New Courthouse Creates “Death Ray”.

Do you like to draw? We’re hoping we have other cartoonists who would be interested in submitting comic strips. If you have one about life in Rockville, please send it along! We’d love to see it and may even publish it. Remember, be nice! Email us: [email protected].

New Courthouse Creates “Death Ray”

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

ABC 7/TBD has a news report about our new District Court House. Apparently the south-facing wall of windows reflects the sun to such a high degree that people on the street feel the heat. The reflection is actually burning the people and plants below. Picture a handheld mirror frying ants scurrying around on the ground — but on a much larger scale.

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

As we know, many in Rockville weren’t happy about the over-sized building in the first place. Now we’re facing the “death ray” on our brightest days.

Rockville City staff with basement offices facing the building have had to add shades on their windows in City Hall due to the glare.

A construction worker brought the situation to the State’s attention. Now the Maryland Department of General Services needs to work with the architect, AECOM, to find a solution. Adding a non-reflective coating to the windows might solve the problem.

Think about the solar possibilities here! Really, this should be a solar-powered building!

Have you noticed the effect of the “death ray” windows?

Courthouse Construction And The Farmer’s Market

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

During the tour of the new District Courthouse last summer, the schedule indicated construction of the building would be completed in December. Over the weekend I noticed the building appeared to be close. Well it turns out, the construction is still on target and the building will be completed in December and opened for use in March 2011.

As part of the process, Maryland Avenue will be closed on Saturday, November 20, between 8 AM and 6 PM in order to shut down an abandoned valve in the water line. Three lanes of Maryland Avenue will be closed between East Jefferson and Vinson Street. Flaggers will direct traffic through that block. There will be no impact to water service to the homes in the area.

Since I live right off Maryland Avenue by City Hall, this is of particular interest to me but if you are going to the last Farmer’s Market of the season, it might be of interest to you too. When driving up Maryland Avenue, you should expect a slight delay and you should turn right on Fleet Street.

Since I’m preparing the big meal for my extended family, I know I’m planning on my annual Thanksgiving trek to the Farmer’s Market for the herbs, pumpkins, potatoes, spinach, cider, and turkeys. This is a one-stop shop for the entire meal. Even if you don’t buy at the Farmer’s Market regularly, you should for this special holiday meal. The quality will make all the difference.

Turkey On Handlebars Is Heavy by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

Although I sometimes take my bike, I don’t recommend it for the purchase of a large turkey!

Tour Deep Into The New Courthouse Construction

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The new District Courthouse under construction at Rt. 28 and Maryland Avenue towers over the surrounding buildings. Since I live right off Maryland Avenue and pass the bustling site regularly, I jumped at the chance to see this state-of-the-art building before its completion. Mostly curious but also just plain nosy, I’m wanted to witness the hard work that goes into making a building from the inside. I’m sure we’ve all noticed it from the outside. How could you not?

Here’s a look on the inside along with some terrific views of Rockville:

Aileen Klein and City staffer Rocio Estrada helped Trapper Martin arrange the tour for the Town Center Action Team (TCAT). Carl Fox from the Department of General Services was the main tour guide explaining the safety concerns and building features. Our instructions were to look down even when you were looking up since debris is standard on a construction site. There are no elevators so our group walked up the stairs then crossed the floors to the other side. With temperatures in the 90’s and long pants with boots, this was one hot excursion.

The contract completion date is December 4, 2010. However, in mid-June the schedule was 15 days behind due to the snow last winter. There are also about $200,000 worth of change orders. Between 125-170 workers are on the site daily and that number will increase when the interior work starts. After the building is completed, it will take another month to furnish the 165,000 square foot structure. Mr. Fox said he would be happy if it was done by his birthday so we had to ask the date. February 1st. So, my unofficial guess for an actual “in business” date would be sometime in March, but construction always takes longer than the longest guess.

The project is on budget. The bid was competitive not lowest-bid, but Coakley Williams Construction wound up being the most qualified and they made the lowest bid. This brought the project in substantially below the amount expected and even with a contingency fund, money was given back to the State coffers.

Here’s the basic layout of the new building.

Security gates on Vinson Street will give access to the driveway down to the garage entrances for prisoners, judges, and administrators. Prisoners will be taken into two garage entrances next to a special door for the judges who have their own underground parking (23 spots) and private elevators to the floors with courtrooms and the clerk’s office. Cameras and electronic security blocks will be used for this area including a separate loading dock for deliveries. Prisoners will enter the building then immediately go to a caged area with 11 holding cells. The prisoner elevators will also have cages built inside so there is no way someone could get out.

The main entrance on Rt. 28 will serve everyone else entering the courthouse with metal detectors and a complete security system. The three-story windowed atrium will have three-glass door entrances. The exterior is limestone from Arkansas and black granite.

If you’re curious about the two-story section of the building jutting out to the street, the first floor will be used for building services and the public defenders’ offices while the second floor holds the clerk of the courts, high-density file storage, and the cashier (for paying fines).

The courtrooms will be on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors. One section of the 4th floor will be a multi-purpose room. The bowed ceilings being installed will absorb sound so that when the double doors to the courtrooms are closed, they will be soundproof. No one will be able to listen at the door.

The judges chambers face City Hall to the south and the courtrooms are in the interior of the building without windows. Each of the judges’ chambers will have a closet and bathroom with a sink.

We all hoped we will never have to come to the courthouse on business, but we sure enjoyed the tour. The high-up views were exhilarating without windows or walls. I felt like I was perched on a cliff. Everyone thought the time was well-spent. We’ll always know what’s behind the walls of the courthouse.

Tour The New Courthouse Site

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Trapper Martin, President of the Town Center Action Team (TCAT) has extended an invitation to our readers to get a “sneak peak” behind the new courthouse project.

The tour will take place on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 2:30 PM. If you would like to attend you must RSVP to Trapper by email: [email protected].

Since it’s a construction site there is a dress code. No tennis shoes and no shorts. Visitors must wear hiking or work boots. Also if you happen to have a hard hat then bring one of those along as well.

You should get back to him as soon as possible if you are interested in this unique opportunity.

He sends a special thank you to Aileen Klein and Rocio Estrada for helping to get this set up. I do too. I’ve already signed up!

POTD: Back To The Future (Part One)

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This photo is by Rockville Central friend Eric Jensen. There’s a punchline to the title, which you will learn later in the week!

For now, just note that this is the construction site for the new District Court House building.

DON’T FORGET! Starting tomorrow, we are going to a one-email-per-day policy. We will send one email each day between 4 and 5 pm, with the day’s headlines and links to articles. This is to save your inbox. See this article for a fuller explanation.

POTD: Walk The Line

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This is the walkway along Montgomery Avenue, where the new courthouse will be. The shot is by Rockville Central friend Eric Jensen. In addition to being beautiful, I thought it was timely, as we just ran an update on court house construction!

Eric Jensen sells Fine Art Prints and is available for portrait and event photography. Check out some of his work on Flickr!

Court House Construction: Dirt Mostly Gone

>While I was very sad to see the efforts to move the new District Court House away from its currently-planned site at the old public library fail, we’re not going to cry over spilt milk. Demolition is well under way and construction will soon begin.

Here is the latest update from the City on what’s happening:

95% of all the dirt has been exported and should be all cleared by the end of the week. Looking ahead, the west side of the retaining wall will be started within the next two weeks, starting from the south and working north.

Coakley Williams has hired a company that monitors the vibration coming from the construction site to protect the historic homes next door from vibration related damage. Readings so far have shown very little vibration. The State and the City are aware of the constant flow of trucks that must make their way around, and therefore have specific routes that all trucks must use to have as little impact as possible on the neighborhoods.

Coakley Williams and the State realize the amount of dirt and dust that falls on the street, and have hired a larger sweeper that will sweep more thoroughly. Coakley Williams also hoses down trucks before they leave the site to reduce the amount of dirt tracked on the streets. They will not be using water to clean the streets in below freezing temperature, so as not to have slippery roads during the cold season.

As previously mentioned, we are aware that the temporary sidewalk is a cause of concern due to the lack of visibility southbound on 28. We have passed our concerns to SHA, State and Highway Administration, and they are currently working on how to best caution drivers to slow down and be aware of the upcoming traffic light.. Safety is a top priority for everyone involved in the project.

As the City keeps us informed, we’ll pass it along.

POTD: Snow Pile

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The old Rockville Library, over which area residents fought the good fight, is finally coming down. Here’s a shot showing one area in mid-demolition. The debris pile reminded me of the snow piles that sometimes accumulate in winter in the lee-corners of snow covered buildings.

News Story on Rockville Courthouse

News Channel 8 will air a story about the Board of Public Work’s approval of the $60 million contract to demolish the former Rockville Library and begin construction of the future Rockville District Courthouse. That will be at 5:30 tonight. In case you missed it, all kinds of interesting documents about the courthouse are here on RC - check some out - >http://sites.google.com/site/rockvillecentral/Home/move-the-court-house-documents or see the April 15 post about it.

State Board Approves New Court House On Old Library Site

>Rockville Central friend Roald Schrack attended an important Board of Public Works meeting yesterday and sent along the following report:

Yesterday, October 15, there was a meeting of the State Board of Public Works that I attended. The Board consists of Gov. Martin O’Malley, Treas. Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot. The Board must approve all public works in the state.

The board unanimously approved the construction of the planned courthouse in Rockville at its planned location on the old library site. The meeting was a public hearing with many items up for decision. Testimony in favor of the planned location was presented by former Mayor Rose Krasnow and [state senator] Jennie Forehand. Testimony against the courthouse construction was presented by Frank Anastasi. The members of the board spoke extensively about their decision and reviewed many points made by proponents and opponents. They consistently supported the construction of the courthouse in the library location. This hearing was the final step in approving the courthouse construction.

Thank you, Roald, for the update.

Listen To The Rockville Central Radio Replay!

In case you missed listening live, you can still listen to >today’s episode of Rockville Central Radio.

Today’s show featured Frank Anastasi, on the Move The Court House steering committee, discussing his group’s new report detailing a number of questions about how the State of Maryland handled the new District Court House that is planned for the old Rockville Library site. The report is based on documents it obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request.

Frank gave a detailed rundown of what the group found in its investigation and talked about the conclusions the report draws.

From the Move The Court House press release announcing the report:

While MTC has always agreed that a new courthouse is needed in Rockville, it says now that the project as planned is a waste of taxpayers’ money. “We always asked, why can’t we build a better courthouse, at a better location, where adequate parking could be included? Until now, we didn’t realize that we could save money in the process,” said Bridget Newton, an MTC member, and Chair of Rockville’s Town Center Action Team for many years. MTC says that DGS data show the 171,200 square-foot Rockville courthouse as planned would cost $475 per square foot, fifty-four percent more per square foot than it cost to build the new Silver Spring Courthouse. That building was completed a few years ago for $27 million (about $309 per square foot).

MTC suggested to the Board, “… in this time of billion dollar budget deficits, the State can do better than spending more than $81 million on this ill-conceived, extravagant, monument to wasteful government spending.” It asked the Board to deny approval of the contract to demolish the old Rockville Library, which it says could save around $3 million. Another $7 million would come back to the State because Montgomery County would by the site back if the courthouse is not built there. The City of Rockville had offered to buy the site previously.

MTC believes that “tens of millions of dollars more could be saved by building a courthouse with a functional design and adequate facilities, at one of several nearby, available, and more-suitable sites.” The former Giant grocery site, and 255 Rockville Pike, located just outside the Circuit Court’s eastern doors, were two sites mentioned.

Rockville Central Radio will be back next week on Friday, October 10. Just go here to listen.

Move The Court House Releases Report

This morning the citizen’s group Move The Court House >released its report on its findings from a Maryland Public Information Act request filed with the state.

The full report and backup documents can be found at this page.

Rockville Central is hosting these documents as a public service and was not involved in developing the report. By hosting the documents, we are not commenting on their accuracy nor necessarily endorsing their findings.

Rockville Central Radio Friday 10/2: City As Ark; New Court House Report

We hope you will be able to tune in tomorrow at noon to listen to >Rockville Central Radio because we have a fascinating show lined up!

First, we’ll hear from our good friend Ruth Hanessian about the ark that is Our Fair City.

Then we’ll turn to an issue that has been a little dormant of late but that may begin to pick up steam anew: the new District Court House. Frank Anastasi, a member of the Move The Courthouse group, will be on hand to discuss the results of the Freedom of Information Act request they filed back in April. The report they have drafted, I am told, sheds new light on the state’s decision to build a new district court house on the site of the old Rockville Public Library.

As I have consistently been upfront about, I have long been a Move The Courthouse supporter — which does not mean I am not open to hearing and publishing other views. So, please: call into our listener number at 646-200-3332 tomorrow at noon and let’s talk about it!

Just go here to listen on Friday at noon.

Move The Courthouse Calls For Investigation

In an effort to continue their efforts to get the state to choose a different site for the new >district court house, the Move The Courthouse citizens’ group said Monday that it has asked Maryland’s attorney general and Montgomery County’s inspector general to look into whether the proper procedures were followed when it comes to the state’s decision to place the proposed new courthouse at the old library site.

According to the group’s press release:

The group has asked Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler and Montgomery County Inspector General Thomas Dagley to conduct investigations into the circumstances surrounding the State’s planned construction of the courthouse at 99 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. Move the Courthouse has asked for “the true facts concerning how the site was selected, and the subsequent alleged spending of more than $11 million to buy the site and design a courthouse”, according to its letter.

“We believe that due process was not followed, that taxpayers and lawmakers were mislead, and that former as well as current elected officials and public employees may have acted improperly in making ‘deals’ to ensure that the courthouse would be built at that location” the group wrote.

The full release has been posted at this link.