Rockville Council to Weigh Rules of Decorum, Zoning Rewrite, and King Farm Future
The Rockville Mayor and Council will meet on Monday, September 29, 2025. Several significant issues are up for discussion, ranging from meeting rules to long-term planning for land use, transportation, and historic preservation. Below is a preview of the topics most relevant to residents and businesses.
Rules of Decorum for Council Meetings
The Council will consider adopting formal Rules of Decorum and Protocols for public meetings. These rules cover conduct for councilmembers, staff, and members of the public, aiming to ensure meetings run efficiently and respectfully. This proposal formalizes expectations for behavior in Council chambers, reinforcing civility and safety. Some of the proposed rules may be toughest for the councilmembers themselves to follow, especially the bans on interrupting or talking over colleagues and on making lengthy or repetitive comments that delay business.
Opportunities and Threats
Continue reading →Rockville Council Agenda Includes Major Forest Preservation Updates and Transportation Achievements
There’s something for everyone at the Monday, August 5, 2024 meeting of the Rockville Mayor and Council. They will discuss amendments to the Forest and Tree Preservation Ordinance; rezoning of 5906 Halpine Road to permit construction of residential units (with a floating zone amendment); a budget amendment; authorizing the sale of $27 million in bonds to fund capital improvements; and an acknowledgement of the lack of proper notice for the May 4, 2024 meeting. On the Consent Agenda (items approved without discussion) are subaward agreements, license agreements, a public art project in Town Center, MPDU Program Agreement for the Flats at Northside, and July 8 minutes approval (which was marked as having “explicit language”; I’ll have to see what that was about). The Mayor and Council will also receive reports on Vision Zero and from the Transportation and Mobility Commission.
In March 2023, Rockville’s Traffic and Transportation Commission was renamed the Transportation and Mobility Commission (TMC) with a broader focus on all transportation modes (p. 17+). The TMC provides guidance to the Mayor and Council on multimodal transportation, emphasizing economic development, sustainability, social activity, equity, and resilience. They’ve recommended budget priorities, intersection safety improvements, and updates to transportation plans. For 2024, they will focus on zoning ordinance recommendations, intersection improvements, and public communication. The TMC is committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and accessible transportation system for all Rockville residents.
Rockville’s new Asphalt Art Project, funded by a $25,000 Bloomberg Philanthropies grant and an additional $15,000 from the city, aims to beautify Beall Avenue in the Town Center (187+). Set to start after summer roadway improvements, the project will feature artistic designs painted on the road surface between North Washington Street and Gibbs Street. The selected artists, Chalk Riot, will incorporate community survey results into their designs, highlighting local flora, fauna, and historical elements. The project not only aims to enhance aesthetic appeal but also to improve pedestrian safety and foster community pride. Completion is expected by late 2024.
A public hearing will be held regarding proposed amendments to Chapter 10.5 of the City Code, the Forest and Tree Preservation Ordinance, to align with Maryland Senate Bill 526 and enhance local forestry practices (243+). These changes aim to increase tree canopy and streamline the ordinance’s administration. Key amendments include higher reforestation rates, expanded priority retention areas, and new public notice requirements for forest conservation plans. Additional updates involve improving the replacement standards for significant trees and expanding the use of fee-in-lieu funds for street tree plantings. The amendments support Rockville’s commitment to environmental stewardship and urban canopy preservation, promoting a greener, more resilient community.
In addition to need to align with state law, there are concerns about using non-native tree species in city planting projects. The Forest and Tree Preservation Ordinance currently prioritizes native trees for reforestation and afforestation, but staff flexibility allows for the use of non-native species when urban conditions necessitate. While native trees support local biodiversity and are well-adapted to the environment, they can present challenges in urban settings, such as maintenance issues and susceptibility to pests. Non-native trees are often better suited for urban conditions. If you have thoughts, share your thoughts for this public hearing in person or by email (see below).
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 663-page agenda packet are available at https://www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08052024-7248.
Random Rockville Reports: January 28, 2024
Playing Musical Chairs and Three-Card Monte in Rockville City Hall
The Takoma Park City Council hired Robert DiSpirito as their new City Manager effective January 22, 2024. DiSpirito was City Manager of Rockville for seven years and by coincidence, his predecessor was Barbara Mathews, who was previously the City Manager of Takoma Park. They were also both hired and fired by the Rockville Mayor and Council, which both times included Mayor Bridget Newton and Councilmember Beryl Feinberg.
DiSpirito’s departure continues to be an embarrassment of poor management by the Mayor and Council. When he resigned at the conclusion of a Closed Session (aka “secret meeting”) of the Mayor and Council on August 17, he also received a $307,093 severance package (typically resignations don’t include severance). But figuring out what was going on was kept secret illegally for several months. According to Maryland’s Open Meetings Act, the Mayor and Council must provide minutes of a closed session at its next open session (3-306), which would have been September 11 but they failed to share the minutes. It wasn’t until October 23, 2023 (three regular meetings later) that the Mayor and Council approved the August 17 minutes (Agenda, page 218), keeping the public uninformed for more than two months. Furthermore, they played a trick in the meeting minutes. The Mayor and Council approved the official minutes of the September 11 meeting as if they included the Closed Session minutes of August 17 (watch the video of September 11 meeting and you’ll see the August 17 meeting was not discussed)–but it actually didn’t happen until October 23. Hmm, looks like the Mayor and Council is playing three-card monte with the public. Clearly, the Mayor and Council violated the Open Meetings Act but also acted unethically in the preparation of their official records.
More Pedestrians Struck in Rockville Than Reported
The recent death of a 70-year old pedestrian struck by two vehicles at Atlantic Avenue and Viers Mill Road prompted me to see if this a growing problem in Rockville. Data collected by Montgomery County suggests that many more pedestrians were injured or killed in Rockville in 2023 than the eight reported at the most recent Mayor and Council meeting. Not sure the cause of the discrepancy, but county data shows the greatest numbers of incidents occur in and near King Farm, downtown Rockville, and Twinbrook. Although these high incident areas all share major highways (MD Route 355 and 586), pedestrian injuries and deaths also occurred on smaller streets in these neighborhoods, which conflicts with the City’s conclusions. Both the City of Rockville and Montgomery County have adopted Vision Zero, but they don’t seem to be working from the same data. Should pedestrian safety be a higher priority for Rockville’s Transportation and Mobility Commission?
Max for Rockville 