Historic Designation Process Confounds Council Once Again
The City of Rockville’s process for designating historic landmarks has confused the city leaders and staff once again. For many years, the process has vexed property owners, preservationists, neighbors, staff, and city officials, despite continual calls for reform from the Historic District Commission. It’s frustrating and costs time and money, and yet, here was another discussion about it at the March 14, 2011 meeting. It borders on the surreal, so I’m providing a transcript so you can see it for yourself:
Councilmember Pierzchala: On next week’s tentative agenda, Item Number 11…this is Glenview Mansion, it’s listed as 45 minutes and I’m not sure why. I am planning to vote to Authorize to File and get a Public Hearing going, and I’d rather have staff presentations and whoever is for, whoever is against, all at one point, and where we can ask questions, and so I’m just wondering why we need 45 minutes for next week.
City Manager Ullery: I would agree with you. I don’t think that item requires 45 minutes.
Mayor Marcuccio: Well, is there someone who requested 45 minutes?
City Manager Ullery: It probably came in through the agenda from Rec and Parks department. I think we can probably do it in 20 minutes. Continue reading →
Golden Quince Produces Fantastic Art
It’s always a nice surprise to find a local artist producing stunning work. Today on Etsy, the online marketplace for artists, I stumbled upon Golden Quince, the studio of Rockville artist Erin Vaganos. She’s an illustrator working in watercolor, ink, colored pencil, and Photoshop creating fantastic original works inspired by diverse sources, including Art Nouveau architecture, medieval botantical woodcuts, graphic novels, and Chinese paintings. Her work is easily accessible but also very detailed and intricate. She’s currently completing her second children’s book but also sells prints and cards of her work at her online store on Etsy. You can learn more about her at goldenquince.blogspot.com. If you want to support a local artist or want something special from Rockville, I recommend Golden Quince.
Rockville’s Year 2010 in Review
Usually this type of post goes up on January 1, but I always prefer a bit of distance to identify the biggest stories of past year. Although this is admittedly from my limited personal perspective and is bound to generate controversy (but hey, that’s what these lists are supposed to do), here’s my list for Rockville in 2010:
1. Red Gate Golf Course. This is continued to be a thorny issue and made have seen its thorniest moment when the City Council used $2.4 million in “surplus” money to pay off past debt and the anticipated shortfalls for 2011, and also (once again) punted the decision to another time. Despite countless meetings and studies, for years the Council has been astonishingly agonized about making a decision on whether to commit to an annual subsidy, integrate it into the recreation program, levy a tax to support it, or to close it down. Meanwhile, the golf course continues to bleed money and participation rates continue to slide. Perhaps we need to start over: if we were offered 130 acres today (Red Gate is the second largest park in Rockville), what would most benefit the community? I don’t think most people would say golf course.
Welcome to (snowy) Twinbrook
2. Snowpocalypse. Who can forget this snowstorm? There was so much snow it closed the federal government for a week. The adventurous walked and explored the city in a new quiet way and neighbors found a new reason to talk and help each other. There was a lot of frustration with snow clearing and the City wasn’t prepared, but remember, the city worked around the clock and conscripted employees into snowshoveling duties to deal with this record snowfall. We also improved our abilities to monitor and respond to these situations so when this happens again (and it may not be for another fifty years), we’re prepared. And someone at the City gets two stars for Continue reading →
New Blog for Rockville: Patch
Rockville Patch
In addition to Rockville Central and Rockville Living, Rockville Patch provides another online source of news and information about our fair city. Patch is based in New York City and operates throughout the country, working in communities of 15-100K population that are “underserved by media and would benefit by having access to local news and information about government, schools and business”. Each “Patch” is run by professional editors, writers, photographers, and videographers who live in or near the communities they serve and for the Rockville version includes nearly two dozen editors and contributors, including Sean Sedam, Lauren Sausser, Jillian Badanes, and Nathan Carrick (in case you run into them at an event). They’ve been operating in Rockville since October 2010 and recent posts include a review of Zio’s Restaurant, a video on the Comptroller’s visit to Best Buy to promote Maryland’s tax-free weekend, and images from around town. It seems to have already attracted the attention of the usual online community activists, including Temperance Blalock, Theresa Defino, and Joe Jordan (on Red Gate Golf Course, no surprise), so you’ll see some familiar faces.
What Are You Doing Out Here?
Twinbrook Parkway near Meadow Hall Road, Rockville
There’s five inches of heavy snow on the ground, the power has gone out, the roads haven’t been plowed, trees branches are falling, so why are people out driving? Here’s a pic from tonight on Twinbrook Parkway near Meadow Hall Road. It’s actually much brighter outside, despite the power outage, due to the reflection on the snow (but still, everyone get off the road and into someplace safe–your home, a restaurant, whatever).
The Latest and Greatest Restaurants in Rockville
The January 2011 issue of Washingtonian magazine is devoted to the area’s 100 very best places to eat and I’m proud that Rockville was included four times:
- Addie’s (actually, it’s in White Flint but I’ll adopt them because it’s such a good place)
- Againn (this is for the DC mothership, but we have a version of it in Rockville on the Pike)
- Cava (in the Fallsgrove neighborhood)
- Spice Crossing (in the Town Square)
Living in Rockville, we have a bit of a headstart on DC residents on a couple other winners:
- Volt in Frederick (outstanding restaurant in a great historic building; so popular you need to make reservations weeks in advance)
- Mannequin Pis in Olney (a Belgian-style bistro in a very ordinary strip mall).
These lists are always fun because they provoke conversation and encourage you to try out new places, so in that spirit, here’s my unofficial and incomplete addendum for the best places to eat in Rockville (in no particular order): Continue reading →
Rockville Architect Featured in UK Garden Book
The Shack, a simple modernist cabin designed by Rockville architect Jeff Broadhurst, was included in 1000 Designs for the Garden by Geraldine and Ian Rudge. This highly illustrated sourcebook focuses on the best in contemporary garden product design, including work from designers such as Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck and Ross Lovegrove–putting Mr. Broadhurst in impressive company. Congratulations!
And yes, I’m a bit biased. Jeff completed the award-winning addition (a sunroom and mudroom) to our Twinbrook house and is currently designing our kitchen.
“‘Round Rockville” Bus Returns to Service on Rocky Road
Ride On Bus #45: 'Round Rockville shuttle at Twinbrook Metro
The ‘Round Rockville bus has returned to service, but what does the future hold?
Ride On’s #45 is the major connector for Rockville–it’s the only bus that connects the Twinbrook and Rockville Metro stations with the Civic Center, Town Center, Senior Center, and Fallsgrove. Despite the county’s agreement to operate the six specially branded buses and nearly $1 million of federal and city funds in 2009, it’s been a troubled route.
Shortly after its launch, the buses were pulled from service due to mechanical problems and replaced with an assortment of large and small busses in varying conditions and ages. In 2010, County Executive Ike Leggett proposed eliminating the route and although service was preserved, it was significantly reduced. The “Rockville” busses are now back on the streets, but problems continue. My ride today (and everyone else’s) was free because the fare box was broken. What’s going on in the county’s Department of Transportation? Councilmember Phil Andrews, what are you doing?
Rockvillian Nathan Foley featured in Post magazine
Gutsy local musician Nathan Foley is featured in the November 28 issue of the Washington Post Magazine. A 15-year old student at Montgomery Blair High School, his guitar-playing talents have won him Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record-breaking seven times and co-title of Super Top Dog 2010. What an amazing achievement (just getting up on that stage shows he’s braver than most people). How lucky we are to have him in our community! See him on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al8XpTczi7g.
Fabulous Fall
Fall is one of my favorite times of year and each year I nearly run off the road when I’m stunned by a brilliant tree. So for everyone’s safety, I head to Lake Frank, a reservoir off Avery Road just east of Rockville, to walk the paths and take it all in as slowly as I can. Here are some shots from today’s afternoon stroll.
