Tuesday, May 22, 2012
County residents spoke against a proposal by county planners that seeks to make approval for accessory apartments easier.
Montgomery County residents turned out in force at two public meetings on Monday to express concerns about a proposed rule change that would eliminate the special exception process for some accessory apartments, also known as “mother-in-law” apartments. The zoning text amendment proposed by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission staff would allow by right “attached” accessory apartments of up to 1,200 square feet that are located in certain residential and agricultural zones, and “detached” accessory apartments in specific residential zones. (See the zoning text amendment draft online for more details.) Many residents objected, arguing that the special exception proceedings keep them informed and involved in the process. “…
Join us at 2 p.m. Thursday for a live blog with Washington Nationals blogger Patrick Reddington of Federal Baseball.
Robert Griffin III doesn't take an official snap under center for the Redskins for months. The Capitals were eliminated by the Rangers. The Wizards and their miserable season are long forgotten. But the Washington Nationals' season is in full swing and are off to a great start with ace Stephen Strasburg back to form and 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper making his Major League debut. It's an exciting time to be a baseball fan in Washington. Join us at 2 p.m. Thursday where Patch editors and Washington Nationals blogger Patrick Reddington of Federal Baseball discuss the Nats and all things Major Leagues. What topics should we cover? Let us know in the comments ...
Pumphrey parking issue echoes in debate between competing slates.
The West End Citizen’s Association elected new officers at its annual meeting on Thursday. They are: The run-up to the election included a “Local Voices” blog post calling for new leadership and a blog post that prompted a lengthy and contentious discussion of how the civic organization operates. “A small group is engaging in an outrageous attempt to hijack a neighborhood association in the service of commercial special interests and their narrow political agenda,” read the latter post, by West End residents Brian and Carla Shipley. Theresa Defino authored the former post, which endorsed a slate of candidates challenging candidates on a slate posted on WECA’s Web site. She posted a comment below the Shipley post, calling it “false.” “It …
New REDI director introduced; council zeroing in on city manager.
The Rockville City Council on Monday adopted a roughly $107 million operating budget and $70 million capital budget for fiscal 2013. The vote was unanimous but was preceded by a lengthy debate about spending and the prospect of tax increases in fiscal 2014. The council’s final budget discussion included approval of a 2 percent salary increase for city staff, with a 1 percent salary increase for 13 senior staff members. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, backed by Councilwoman Bridget Donnell Newton, made the proposal for the first time on Monday. The council also approved another Marcuccio proposal that shifts $17,990 from the Rockville Emergency Assistance Program fund to several community caregiver agencies as follows: “This does not cause the …
AAA projects more than 34 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles away from
home this weekend.
As families gear up for the official welcome of summer, AAA is projecting that more than 34 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home Memorial Day Weekend. The travel club says the number of travelers increased by more than 500,000 from last year. More people will be on the roads instead of the air this year, according to AAA. More than 30 million people plan to drive to their destination, up 1.2 percent from the 30.3 million whodrove last year. According to The Washington Post, retail gas prices dropped by a penny to anational average of $3.71 per gallon on Friday after a spike in April and the weaker demand is also helping to push down prices. “The overall domestic economic picture continues to improve slightly, …
Monday, May 21, 2012
Proclamations on public works and boating safety weeks also on the agenda.
The Rockville City Council is scheduled to vote on a proposed fiscal 2013 budget and to discuss its strategic goals as part of its agenda for Monday. The council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting will be broadcast live on Rockville 11. The budget The council is scheduled to adopt the city’s fiscal 2013 budget for fiscal 2013. The proposed operating budget is $107.1 million, a decrease from the fiscal 2012 budget by $88,848 (0.1 percent). The proposed capital budget is $69.6 million, a decrease of $2.6 million (3.6 percent) from fiscal 2012. It includes funding for 47 projects and a $3.9 million transfer from the general fund. The plan for fiscal 2013, which begins July 1, maintains the real property tax rate of 29.2 cents per $100 …
Rockville police arrested a man from Gaithersburg and a man from Germantown.
Two men are charged in connection with an attempted daytime burglary of a home in the 1500 block of West Kersey Lane on Tuesday. Joshua R. Evans, 18, of Gaithersburg, and Alexander Patrick Jeffrey, 24, of Germantown, are charged with attempted first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, according to a city news release. Evans also is charged with malicious destruction of property, the release said. Evans is being held in the county jail in Rockville on $25,000 bond, according to online court records. Jeffrey was released Wednesday on $5,000 bond. Both men are scheduled to appear in Montgomery County District Court in Rockville at 8:30 a.m. on June 18. City police responded to a call of a burglary in progress at 3…
Archdiocese's superintendent: Vincent Spadoni 'sets high expectations.'
Vincent Spadoni, principal of St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Rockville, is the Archdiocese of Washington’s Distinguished Principal of the Year. The school surprised Spadoni with an announcement assembly on May 4 attended by students, staff and members of the Archdiocese of Washington’s Catholic Schools office. Spadoni was recognized "for his superior spiritual leadership and strong commitment to academic excellence," according to a news release from the archdiocese. “Mr. Spadoni’s dedication is evident in the students’ academic achievements," Deacon Bert L’Homme, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Washington, said in the release. "He sets high expectations and provides the support for those expectations to be met — one of …
Miller is preparing to compete for gold at the London 2012 Olympics this summer.
This article is sponsored by Citi. Kari Miller’s personal story is one of survival and bravery. In December 1999, Kari lost both her legs in a collision with a drunk driver. Kari, a 35-year-old Washington, D.C. native, turned this life-altering tragedy into an opportunity. After her accident, she was introduced to the sport of sitting volleyball and began to excel in it. Kari’s team won silver at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and she was named best defensive player when they won another silver at the 2010 Sitting Volleyball World Championships. Adding to her list of accomplishments, Kari is now one of 13 athletes whom Citi is sponsoring in its Every Step of the WaySM program. This innovative digital program benefits U.S. Olympic and …
Rockville resident and Germantown abortion clinic landlord counters anti-abortion protesters.
It was one thing for anti-abortion protesters to shift their focus from Dr. LeRoy Carhart—one of the few doctors in the country to openly perform late-term abortions—to the landlord of his Germantown clinic, said Todd Stave, the man who leases to the doctor. But then abortion opponents staged a rally outside his daughter's Rockville middle school, Stave said. "They made an error in judgment coming after my family," Stave said. "I'm not someone who's going to run and hide." Voice of Choice was born. Under Stave's Voice of Choice initiative, volunteers call the homes of abortion opponents at their homes. The 44-year-old businessman said the initial list of numbers, about 30, comprised people who called his home urging him to stop leasing to …
joe
1:13 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Ms Defino... more ›