What’s Next for King Farm and 900 Rockville Pike?
The next Rockville Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 14, 2025 starting at 5:30 p.m. Several agenda items may directly interest residents and businesses, including a proposed development extension on Rockville Pike and new plans for the King Farm Farmstead Park. The meeting also includes updates on international partnerships and community celebrations. Complete agenda available online.
Proclamations and Student Recognitions
What’s on the Agenda
The Mayor and Council will issue several proclamations and recognitions:
- Declaring July 17 as Mattie J. T. Stepanek Peace Day
- Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Recognizing Park and Recreation Month
- Honoring student achievers from local schools
Why It Matters
These recognitions highlight the community’s values and the achievements of Rockville’s residents. It’s also a chance to show appreciation for local leaders, programs, and youth accomplishments.
Rockville Sister Cities Corporation Presentation
What’s on the Agenda
David Hill, president of the Rockville Sister Cities Corporation (RSSC), will present its annual report, highlighting cultural exchanges with Pinneberg, Germany, and Yilan City, Taiwan. The update includes student visits, community festivals, and international partnerships—as well as growing challenges related to funding, volunteer capacity, and city support. Sister City programs were created in the aftermath of World War II to promote peace through people-to-people diplomacy. But with recent closures of international initiatives like USAID’s local programs and the Fulbright Scholar exchanges, some are asking: could Sister Cities be next?
Mayor and Council to Discuss City Branding, Revising Ethics Code, and Allowing ADUs
At its Monday, July 29, 2024 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will discuss city branding, a code of ethics, accessory dwelling units, development of 900 Rockville Pike, and regulating tobacco and vape shops. On the Consent Agenda (items approved without discussion) are public artworks for Twinbrook and College Gardens, tree conservation for the swim center, changes to the Youth Commission, and bus stop maintenance services, among others. They will also receive the 2023 annual report of the Cultural Arts Commission.
Following a comprehensive review of community feedback gathered through focus groups, the Mayor and Council will select a logo and tagline as the city’s official brand (page 90+). This recommendation comes after six focus groups of three people each, facilitated by Medium Giant, provided their preferences and perceptions of the community regarding the three final brand logos and taglines. The the newly elected Mayor and Council requested the focus groups to engage the community in the rebranding process. The selection of a definitive brand logo and tagline will mark the culmination of an extensive branding initiative that began in June 2022. The total cost of research, design, and implementation was not reported in the staff report.
The City’s Code of Ethics is being revised to reflect recent changes in Maryland’s ethics law (138). Changes under consideration include prohibiting former City officials or employees from disclosing confidential information; restricting City officials and employees from accepting gifts from entities representing counties and municipalities; modifying financial disclosure requirements; and adding an anti-retaliation provision for those reporting or participating in investigations of potential ethics violations. The Rockville Ethics Commission has reviewed the proposed amendments and upon adoption, chapter 16 of the City Code will be updated and the Financial Disclosure Forms will be revised.
Since at least 2019, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have been discussed as a means to diversify and increase affordable housing options in Rockville (p 161-222). The proposed ordinance, which has been reviewed by the Planning Commission and received lots of public comments, would allow detached ADUs as a conditional use in all residential zones, with regulations on the size, appearance, and parking requirements. It also addresses property ownership, occupancy, and compliance for existing non-compliant units. The Mayor and Council’s approval is needed to move forward with an ordinance, which is slated for presentation on August 5.
The Mayor and Council are conducting hybrid meetings. If you wish to submit comments in writing for Community Forum or Public Hearings, please email the comments to MayorAndCouncil@RockvilleMD.gov by no later than 10:00 a.m. on the date of the meeting.
More details in the 511-page agenda packet are available at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07292024-7242.
Mayor and Council to Consider Increasing Lots of Fees; Can it Untangle 900 Rockville Pike?
At its Monday, May 8, 2023 meeting, the Rockville Mayor and Council will discuss amending master fees for community planning and development services. On the Consent Calendar (items approved without discussion) are the pension plan for 2023. The Mayor and Council will also receive reports on the Vision Zero Action Plan, Bikeway and Pedestrian Master Plans, development of 900 Rockville Pike, and the historic preservation work plan.
Fees for building permits, inspections, and licenses are proposed to increase 2.5% to keep up with inflation; include a 10% fee to offset the cost of technology; adopt a fee structure based on square footage or estimated construction cost; and assess a separate application fee. For example, a building permit for new residential construction or to repair fire damage will be $0.25 per square foot, including the basement, garage, and roof; a license for short-term rentals is $450; and a building permit for a swimming pool or to demolish a building of any size is $553.
Interestingly, the staff report admits that the actual cost of providing services is unknown and it is uncertain whether the revenues from fees are sufficient to cover their expenses (170). Secondly, new construction accounts for 35-40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and “virtually every green rating program (LEED, USGBC, IgCC) recognizes the value of adaptive reuse” (173). Nevertheless, the City is comfortable granting inexpensive demolition permits (where does all that building material go? into the county dump!). Instead, it should encourage adaptive reuse by significantly increasing the demolition permit fees on a square-foot basis.
J. Danshes LLC has filed an application to build a 4,400 square foot one-story retail building at 900 Rockville Pike (southeast corner of Rockville Pike and Edmonston Drive, one of the narrowest lots on the east side of the Pike due to the railroad tracks). In 2006, the City adopted a Mixed-Use Corridor District zone for this small lot, which allowed up to 12,754 square feet of retail space. Despite this new proposal being a much smaller building, it is now subject to several new city regulations that have been adopted over the years plus it needs to accommodate the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route. As a result, this project has been in the pipeline since 2017 and is becoming an enigma wrapped in a puzzle—what would you do with this property when you’re faced with the following situation:
“To create the right-of-way land area dictated by the public agencies, the Applicant must dedicate 6,523 square feet of area (0.15 acres, 25.2% of existing lot area) to public use. Said dedication reduces the size of the site from 25,862 (0.59) acre to 19, 339 square feet (0.44 acre).” (257)
More details in the 329-page agenda packet are available at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05082023-6899.
Max for Rockville 