MoCo Archives - Page 340 of 629

Phase 1 Plans for Shady Grove Innovation District Expected Soon

Published March 23, 2023 at 9:26AM

Plans for the Shady Grove Innovation District (“SGID”) are expected to be submitted soon to the City of Rockville. SGID has been described as a “world-class, amenity-rich, mixed-use district catering to the dynamic life science industry in the heart of the Shady Grove cluster in Rockville, Maryland.” The first phase of SGID will feature a brand new 137,000 RSF lab building and 315 luxury apartments set in a new, walkable urban environment. Phase 1 will be located at 15815 Shady Grove Road and Choke Cherry Rd. Future phases will include an additional 1M SF+ of new lab space in new buildings. Below you will see a photo of what Phase 1 is expected to look like. A rendering of the completed project can be seen in our featured photo, courtesy of SGID:

Additional information can be found on the SGID website.

Notice of District 39 State Delegate Vacancy After Delegate Kirill Reznik Takes Job With Gov. Wes Moore’s Administration

By MCS Staff

Published March 22, 2023 at 10:59PM

On March 14, 2023, Delegate Kirill Reznik announced that he would resign from the Maryland House of Delegates on March 21, to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Inter-Departmental Data Integration for the Maryland Department of Human Services. Per the Montgomery County Democratic Party: Delegate Kirill Reznik has resigned as Maryland State Delegate serving District 39 effective March 21, 2023. Governor Wes Moore has appointed Delegate Reznik as Assistant Secretary for Inter-Departmental Data Integration at the Department of Human Services.

Individuals interested in applying for the appointment should submit a cover letter, a resume, and any other supporting materials that they would like the MCDCC to consider by email to [email protected] with the subject line D39 Delegate Vacancy Application no later than Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 5 p.m. Applicants also must provide proof of residency indicating that they have been a resident in the district for the past six months. Each applicant must submit either a Credit card bill, Utility bill, Bank statement, or mail from a Federal, State, or Local government agency dating back six months.

WSSC Water Now Accepting Applications for Engineering Scholarships

By Patrick Herron

Published March 22, 2023 at 12:15PM

HANDOUT -Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission plans to change its name and logo from "WSSC" and a water drop to the above. (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission)

Per Montgomery County: WSSC Water’s is now accepting applications for its 2023 Commissioners Engineering Scholarships for undergraduate or graduate engineering students. Graduating high school seniors accepted into a collegiate engineering program also are eligible to apply. Winners of the scholarships receive $2,000 per year and up to $8,000 over four consecutive years.

Montgomery County to Sponsor Seven Pit Stops During Washington Region’s Annual ‘Bike to Work Day’ on Friday, May 19

By Patrick Herron

Published March 22, 2023 at 12:13PM

Per Montgomery County: National Bike to Work Day will be held on Friday, May 19, and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will sponsor seven pit stops throughout the County as part of the Washington Region’s participation in the event. Registration for the free event is now open. The first 15,000 bicyclists to register and participate will get a free t-shirt and will be automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win a new bike.

“Today, we offer more bike paths, dedicated lanes, as well as opportunities to transport a bike on RideOn, MetroBus and Metrorail, than ever before,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Biking to your job or to run errands is a healthy form of transportation that does not produce pollution or add cars to the road. I encourage everyone to join us on Bike to Work Day and consider biking as a transportation alternative this summer.”

County Executive Elrich to Hold Six ‘Community Conversations’ to Talk About Long-term Priorities and the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Improvements Budget

By Patrick Herron

Published March 22, 2023 at 12:10PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will hold six “community conversations” at sites around the County in April and May to talk about long-term priorities and how he will address the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget. The first event will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, at the White Oak Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring. Five of the community conversations will be in-person events. On May 1, the community conversation will be a virtual only event.

A capital budget plan that states how much money is needed for major construction projects and for purchase and maintenance of the assets. It also determines the amount of time that will be used for the planning and design of the project. The CIP refers to items such as land, buildings, equipment and other investments in the County. The capital budget addresses planning for long-term major projects. It differs from the County operating budget, which funds spending needs for a one-year period.

Montgomery County Council Passes Legislation to Achieve Greater Forest Planting and Conservation in Montgomery County

By Patrick Herron

Published March 21, 2023 at 2:22PM

Expedited Bill 25-22, Forest Conservation – Trees, in companion with the resolution to approve Montgomery County Planning Board Regulation No. 25-22 on Forest Conservation – Trees, will amend Chapter 22A, the Forest Conservation Law, and the Planning Board’s forest conservation regulations. The Council passed an amendment to expedite the legislation.

The amendments to the Forest Conservation Law and regulations are proposed to achieve greater forest planting and forest conservation in Montgomery County, with a goal of achieving an equal or greater area of forest planted than forest removed on a Countywide level by projects subject to the Montgomery County Forest Conservation Law.

County Executive Marc Elrich Announces New “Business Center” to Provide Personal Assistance to Companies Seeking to Start or Expand in Montgomery County

By Patrick Herron

Published March 21, 2023 at 1:44PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today announced the launch of a “Business Center,” based in the Office of the County Executive. The Business Center is a rebranded and expanded version of the County’s Business Advancement Team (BAT). It will be focused on assisting businesses looking to start, expand, or relocate in the County. Goals for the Business Center include conducting proactive outreach to the County’s business community, reducing inefficiencies in County processes to make it easier to own and run a business, and connecting local businesses to the numerous resources available through the County. The Business Center is home to the County’s Small Business Navigator position, business liaisons, business incubator system, business grant programs, and access to resource partners.

“When COVID hit, our Business Advancement Team worked tirelessly to provide tens of millions of dollars in business grants to our hardest hit industries,” said County Executive Elrich. “As we emerged from COVID, we saw an opportunity to expand the team and shift its focus from pandemic assistance to proactive and responsive customer service for our businesses. We are one of the most diverse communities in the entire nation, with businesses that reflect this diversity. Our County is full of assets for businesses, but we recognize that we must compete in a regional and global community. The Business Center is going to give us the edge to better support our local businesses, work with our partners in and out of government to attract new businesses, and help our business community succeed, create jobs, and grow our economy.”

The Police Accountability Board Is Asking For Public Feedback About Public Safety

By MCS Staff

Published March 21, 2023 at 9:16AM

The Police Accountability Board (PAB) is asking for public feedback about public safety. This Thursday, they’ll host a hybrid listening session in White Oak. Please register beforehand if you plan to join online from 7pm to 9pm. Additional information, by the Montgomery County Government website, is available below:

Montgomery County Council Meets on March 21 at 9:15 a.m. to Begin Review of the County’s FY23 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY23-28 Capital Improvements Program

By Patrick Herron

Published March 21, 2023 at 7:50AM

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, March 21 at 9:15 a.m. and the meeting will begin with a proclamation presentation recognizing National Agriculture Day, presented by Council Vice President Andrew Friedson and Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe and Dawn Luedtke. The afternoon session will begin at 1:15 p.m. with a proclamation recognizing Ramadan, led by Council President Evan Glass and County Executive Marc Elrich. More detail on each agenda item is provided below.

Vote expected: The Council is expected to vote on LMA Application H-147 for property located at 11105 New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring. The application is a request by White Oak Self Storage to rezone approximately 2.62 acres of property from the CR-2.5, C1.5, R-1.5, H-200’ (Commercial Residential) to CRTF 2.25, C-2.25, R-1.5, H-200’ (Commercial Residential Town Floating). The applicant proposes to use the property to continue self-storage, expand the existing structure by 3,600 square feet and build a new freestanding 116,000-square-foot self-storage building. The hearing examiner recommends approval of the local map amendment.

Find and Tour Cherry Blossoms in MoCo with ‘Cherry Tree Finder Map’ by Montgomery Parks

By MCS Staff

Published March 20, 2023 at 7:48AM

Montgomery Parks is making it easy as pie to find and tour cherry blossoms in parks located throughout the county. Montgomery Parks’ online tree finder map allows cherry tree seekers to easily locate the beautiful blooms; the map features pink dots to represent cherry trees located in parks. According to the National Park Service, peak bloom is expected between March 22-25, 2023.

According to The National Park Service “History of The Cherry Trees” website, “…the planting of cherry trees in Washington D.C. originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan.” The first cherry trees were planted in Montgomery County, MD in Chevy Chase as a test to see if the trees would thrive in an environment in the Washington D.C. area.

(Located) Detectives Seek Assistance Locating Missing 14-Year-Old Last Seen Driving a 2011 Silver Chevy Malibu

By MCS Staff

Published March 19, 2023 at 8:20AM | Updated March 21, 2023 at 7:09PM

Update: Dakota Lilian Nicole Smith has been located safe and unharmed

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Dakota Lilian Nicole Smith, a missing 14-year-old. Smith was last seen on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at approximately 1:20 a.m., in the 20100 block of Loading Rock Place of Montgomery Village. Smith is believed to be in the Germantown area, driving a silver 2011 Chevy Malibu bearing MD tag 5BA4544.