Open Houses on the New Zoning Code

The Montgomery County Planning Department invites you to give feedback on the comprehensive District Map Amendment proposed for Montgomery County. There will be several open houses held throughout the County this spring and all are invited to attend. The new Zoning Code was approved by the County Council in March 2014 after months of worksessions and discussions. The new zoning code will modernize antiquated, redundant zoning regulations and create new tools to help achieve goals in community plans.

 

Although the new code has already been approved, it cannot go into effect until a new zoning map has also been adopted, since the zoning on many non-residential properties is changing. Over the next few months, Planning Department staff will be focusing their attention on the proposed zoning map and are seeking feedback from affected property owners as well as from residents. Staff will be available and will have interactive maps at each of the open house events to help answer questions about the proposed zoning.

 

After the spring open houses, staff will bring a revised version of the proposed zoning map to the Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) committee for review. Once the PHED committee completes its review, the full County Council will evaluate the proposed zoning map. It is anticipated that the map will be adopted by Council in the summer or early fall, and that the new code will become effective on October 30, 2014.

 

Zoning Code Open Houses Details:
April 22 (6-8 p.m.) Rockville Memorial Library
April 24 (6-8 p.m.) Wheaton Regional Library
April 29 (5-8 p.m.) Park and Planning Headquarters, Silver Spring
May 1 (6-8 p.m.) Marilyn J. Praisner Library, Burtonsville
May 5 (6-8 p.m.) Upcounty Regional Services Center, Germantown
May 6 (6-8 p.m.) B-CC Regional Services Center, Bethesda

 

About the Zoning Code Rewrite:
Montgomery County’s Zoning Code was originally written in 1977. It is the law that governs growth in the county. The comprehensive rewrite of the ordinance started five years ago with the goal of simplifying the complex and outdated code. The Council’s recent approval of the text for the Zoning Code Rewrite will be instrumental in all future planning and development in the County. Planning Department staff is looking forward to embracing a new zoning code: one that is easier to use, encourages better development, enhances compatibility, promotes sustainability, and supports our county master plans. The new zoning code represents a great step forward for Montgomery County to have a more understandable, clear and coherent zoning ordinance that will be easier to use and to enforce. It offers a better organization of uses and zones, clearer procedures for approval and a solid foundation in modern planning and design principles.

 

Learn more about the Zoning Rewrite and how to get involved in the process.

Community Beautification Grants Now Available

Apply now for a Keep Montgomery County Beautiful grant for beautification projects that help improve the appearance of communities. The grants pay 50 percent of the total cost, up to $500, on a competitive basis to any non-profit community association. Volunteer hours spent on the project are valued at $7.25 an hour.

Since 2000, KMCB has helped 65 communities fund beautification projects to plant flowers, shrubs, or trees; landscape a community entranceway or traffic circle; convert weed fields to wildflower meadows; screen highways; and beautify schools. Grants must be used for new projects that improve community aesthetics or serve to protect the environment. Construction and general maintenance projects or those that have already been completed do not qualify.

The Keep Montgomery County Beautiful Task Force is a group of concerned citizen volunteers who help educate residents and change public attitudes about littering; support cleanup and beautification projects; encourage citizens to start or improve recycling programs; and raise awareness of the problems caused by graffiti. The County’s Department of Transportation has funded KMCB since the mid-1980s. The group welcomes new members and meets informally once a month in Rockville.

Women's History Month Proclamation

It is Gloria Steinem's birthday--an auspicious day for us to honor National Women's History Month at the County Council by presenting a Proclamation to the Montgomery County Commission for Women.

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the courage, foresight and creativity of women of every race, class and ethnic background who have contributed to our county and our country. Today, we took time to remember the many Montgomery County women, including Rachel Carson, mother of the modern environmental movement; Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross; and Emily Edmonson, freed slave and abolitionist, who figure importantly in our local and national history.

To learn more about Montgomery County women in history, check out the Commission for Women’s display in the Rockville Library or visit their history page on the Web.

And since it is her birthday, here's some wisdom from Ms. Steinem, "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."

Kids In Need Distributors Provides Weekend Food

Do you know about this relatively new non-profit organization whose primary focus is to end childhood hunger here in Montgomery County? Kids In Need Distributors provides children who are on the federal Free And Reduced Meal Program with nutritious foods on the weekends, when FARM is not available. Every six weeks, KIND volunteers meet at the store, pick up six weeks worth of food for participating schools and deliver the food to the schools. The schools then arrange to pack the individual bags and give them discretely to the kids every Friday to take home. In just two years, the program has grown from feeding 35 kids in one school to approximately 900 kids in 15 schools. The program is 100 percent volunteer based, with no paid positions at all, so all of donations go directly to the purchase of food for the kids. Stay tuned for an upcoming summer food program, too.

New Program to Attract Technology Sector

Check out Montgomery County's new initiative to support the innovation economy. The MOVE (Make Office Vacancies Extinct) Program is designed to attract life sciences, IT, cybersecurity and green technology businesses to Montgomery County. These are the technology-based sectors critical to the County’s economic future.

The program will reduce Class A and B office vacancies by offering a $4 per square foot rent assistance for year one on new commercial leases of at least three years and at least 2,000 square feet to companies that are newly formed in or relocate to the County.

The innovative MOVE program came out of engagement by the Department of Economic Development with the local real estate sector over the past year. It is a creative and proactive way to attract innovative businesses to the County while reducing Class A and B office vacancies.

The program is capped at 10,000 square feet or $40,000 per company. New company attraction over 10,000 square feet is managed through the County’s Economic Development Fund that awards grants, loans and/or tax credits based on the projected impact of the business. The MOVE program is effective immediately. DED will administer the program using initial funding from its existing FY14 budget.

DED pojects that every $250,000 in rent abatements through the MOVE program will yield about 15 new business formations or attractions in the County, with an estimated 250 to 320 new jobs.

Recommended Budget Transmitted to Council

The County Executive released his Recommended Operating Budget today, and now it is up to the County Council to consider his proposals and approve a final budget at the end of May. We will hold our public hearings on the budget on April 8-10. To sign up to speak call 240-777-7803. If you can't make the hearings, you can also let us know your views by e-mailing county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov. Also, check the Council's Web site for regular budget updates.

Think Green this Spring

The groundhog may be eking out every moment of his six more weeks of winter, but spring is coming, and along with it…gardening and lawn care. As you undertake your beautification projects this spring, I encourage you to consider our water quality, wildlife, pets and children (particularly those with asthma), and please limit your use of pesticides.

Pesticides are defined as substances to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate the effects of any pest ranging from insects, animals and weeds to microorganisms such as fungi, molds, bacteria and viruses. Pesticides are regulated at the federal, state and local level, and they are considered hazardous waste.

Our Department of Environmental Protection has an excellent brochure, Pesticides: Selection, Safe Use and Alternatives, which has some great advice. Among the alternatives:

• Remove sources of food and water in your home.
• Eliminate places where pests may hide inside and outside your home.
• Block pest entry into your home.
• Remove pest breeding sides in your lawn and garden.
• Make sure you take proper care of the plants around your home, lawn and garden.

DEP can also help you create an Integrated Pest Management program using a wide variety of the best available pest management strategies, which are both economical and pose the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment.

Council Approves Ten Mile Creek Master Plan

This week we gave tentative approval to a limited master plan amendment for the Ten Mile Creek area of Clarksburg that stays close to the original density projected in the 1994 Master Plan for the emerging community but takes significant steps to protect the long-term health of the watershed.

We heard from environmental experts of every description and reduced the area available for development significantly in the Ten Mike Creek drainage area in order to protect the long term health of one of Montgomery County's last remaining environmental resources. Nonetheless, potential development opportunities proposed in the 1994 Clarksburg area plan remain possible under our approach, subject to stringent environmental controls. While the area for development is not as much as some might have preferred, the plan's original intent to ensure a successful Town Center is carried through in the amended plan. The Council carefully balanced environmental issues with community sustainability and ensured Clarksburg's continued ability to thrive. For details, see the press release.

Golden Shovel Awards

Did someone you know make your neighborhood safer? Nominate them for a Golden Shovel.
I started the Golden Shovel awards in 2003 to honor residents who lace up their boots to help neighbors shovel out after a snowfall. I'm bringing the awards back this year after a four-year hiatus due to a lack of snow. The awards recognize individuals who go above and beyond in helping clear ice and snow from County sidewalks.

Our seniors, school children, people with disabilities and those who walk to work or use mass transit depend on snow-free sidewalks. This goes beyond convenience--it is a matter of public safety. I certainly hope that residents will nominate for a Golden Shovel those individuals who put the Golden Rule to work. Get the nomination form online or in The Gazette.

Local Nonprofit Leader Named CNN Hero

Congratulations to Mark Bergel from A Wider Circle for being named a 2014 CNN Hero! More than 10,000 individuals from around the world were nominated this year, so for A Wider Circle's work to be honored in this way is absolutely incredible--and well deserved. You may remember Mark and A Wider Circle from the award-winning documentary The Unseen Montgomery, which highlighted the hidden poverty in Montgomery County.

The CNN piece will air several times over the next few days on various CNN networks. You can also watch the video and read the article online.

New Animal Services and Adoption Center Opens Sunday

The new Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center opens to the public for business on Sunday, March 2, at noon. The Center will be operational for walk-in business and animals will be available for viewing and adoption.

The state-of-the-art facility is operated by the Montgomery County Police Department’s Animal Services Division and serves as the County’s only open-admissions animal shelter.
Programs and services offered at the new Center will include: adoptions, lost and found, pet licensing, field services, pet-owner and adopter support and foster and volunteer opportunities – with the anticipation of more program development to come.

Information about the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center:

• Address: 7315 Muncaster Mill Rd., Derwood, MD 20855
• Phone Number: 240.773.5900
• Call 9-1-1 to report an animal emergency
• Call 301-279-8000 to report an animal-related non-emergency
• Hours of Operation:
  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday……………....12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
  Wednesday………………………………………. Closed
  Saturday & Sunday…………………………......... 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
  After hours call 301-279-8000
• Animal Services and Adoption Center Website: Coming Soon. Please visit
  www.facebook.com/mcasac for more information.

Report Potholes Online or by Phone

Recent fluctuations in temperature mean more potholes on our roadways. The Department of Transportation repairs potholes every day of the year except during rain and snow, and you can help MCDOT locate them. Report potholes online or call the MC311 Call Center at 311 or 240-777-0311, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

MCDOT fills potholes on 5,000 lane miles of County-maintained roads. The Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) fills potholes, plows snow and maintains numbered routes in the County, such as Maryland routes 355 or 97. MSHA can be reached at 301-513-7300. In addition, municipalities, such as the cities of Rockville or Gaithersburg, handle their own repairs.

County's Unemployment Rate Drops

Montgomery County's unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in December 2013, according to the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. This is the lowest it has been in five years, when in 2008 it was also 4.1 percent. That's below the Maryland rate of 5.7 percent and is the second lowest in the state after Howard County.

Tomorrow's Public Safety Committee Meeting Postponed

The meeting of the Montgomery County Council’s Public Safety Committee scheduled for Thursday, February 13, has been postponed due to predictions of a severe winter storm approaching the Washington area.

The committee was scheduled to begin its reviews of the Capital Improvements Program requests of the County’s Police Department, the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation and the Fire and Rescue Service. Those worksessions have been rescheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 28.

County's Winter Weather Tips

Winter weather is expected, with predictions of heavy snowfall beginning Wednesday night and continuing through Thursday. The best way for residents to receive timely severe weather and emergency notifications directly to cell phones and/or email addresses is from Alert Montgomery.

Montgomery County officials offer residents the following tips for preparing for and dealing with severe weather:

Preparing for the Storm

Emergency preparations should include having enough food, water, medication (if needed) and batteries to last two to three days. Make sure portable radios, smoke detectors and flashlights are working properly. Keep a fresh supply of extra batteries on hand, along with a basic first aid kit and a non-electric can opener.

Check with neighbors who may require special assistance to see if they need help in stocking up on supplies or medications, and call them during the storm.

If possible, park vehicles in driveways or off the street. When parking on-street, pull close to the curb on the even numbered side of the street to clear the way for snowplows.

Be sure your vehicle is ready to drive after the storm by filling the gas tank; checking tires to make sure they have an adequate tread and are fully inflated; checking oil, antifreeze and windshield washer fluid levels; and ensuring windshield wipers, lights, flashing hazard lights, exhaust system, heater, brakes and defroster are all working properly. Keep a windshield scraper and small broom in the car for ice and snow removal, and a small sack of sand or kitty litter to improve wheel traction.

If driving during the storm is unavoidable, put together a separate disaster supply kit for the trunk of the car that includes:

• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Flares
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Dry clothing, mittens, socks, and a wool cap
• Newspapers for insulation
• Plastic bags
• Canned fruit, nuts or high energy “munchies”
• Bottles of water
• A small shovel, a pocket knife, and small tools --pliers, a wrench and screwdriver
• Jumper cables
• First aid kit and necessary medications
• Brightly colored cloth to tie to the vehicle antenna.

During the Storm

During the storm, residents are urged to travel only if absolutely necessary and to stay indoors. If traveling is hazardous, residents should be prepared to shelter in place.

Residents concerned about the safety and well-being of children, elderly individuals or adults with disabilities should call the County’s Crisis Center at 240-777-4000.

In the event of a power outage, avoid using candles or outdoor grills indoors, to prevent the risk of a fire.

For downed trees on public property, residents should call 3-1-1 (or 240-777-0311 from a cell phone). To report trees that have fallen on utility lines, contact local utility companies. Contact information is available on the County's website. “Hot” or sparking wires, especially those across roadways, should be reported by calling 9-1-1.

After the Storm

In the event of power outages, treat intersections with non-working traffic signals as four-way stops. If your home is without power, contact your utility company: PEPCO, 877-737-2662; BG&E, 877-778-2222; or FirstEnergy/Potomac Edison, 1-800-255-3443.

Exercise caution when shoveling snow. Try to shovel snow into the yard rather than into the street. Cold weather puts an extra strain on the body. Individuals with heart disease or high blood pressure should follow their doctor’s advice about shoveling snow or performing other hard work in the cold. Avoid overexertion. Heart attacks from shoveling heavy snow are a leading cause of deaths during winter.

When going outdoors, dress warmly and stay dry. Adults and children should wear a hat, scarf or knit mask to cover face and mouth; sleeves that are snug at the wrists, mittens (warmer than gloves), a water-resistant coat and boots, and several layers of loose-fitting clothes.

Serious health problems such as hypothermia and frostbite can result from prolonged exposure to the cold. Watch for loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose. Signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. Residents should get medical attention immediately if symptoms are present.

Do not attempt to drive if you are not comfortable driving on icy or snowy roads. When preparing to drive, be sure to thoroughly clear the snow from the entire car – including roofs, windshields, trunks and hoods – to ensure visibility and prevent snow from blowing onto surrounding cars. When driving, do not speed and be sure to leave plenty of space between your car and the one in front of you. Avoid pulling out in front of other vehicles, and do not slow down before going up a hill.

For timely severe weather and emergency notifications, go to https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov and sign up for Alert Montgomery. Warnings and emergency updates will be sent directly to your cell phone and/or email address. The service is free, but text charges may apply, so check with your cell phone carrier before selecting text alerts. Information is also available on the County’s website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/snow.