Recognizing concerns about recent announcements regarding Rockville Town Center, the Mayor and Council will hold a Town Hall meeting to hear concerns expressed by the community.
The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 in the Buchanan Event Room at VisArts, 155 Gibbs St.
The Mayor and Council have named Deputy City Clerk Sara Taylor‐Ferrell as City Clerk/Director of Council Operations.
Taylor-Ferrell began her career with the City of Rockville as a temp in 1995. She joined the City Clerk’s Office in 1996 and has served in multiple roles in that office.
“Rockville has some important initiatives coming up and I’m excited to get moving on them,” Taylor-Ferrell said. “The work of the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office is an important way for the community to connect to their Mayor and Council.”
The City Clerk’s Office/Director of Council Operations plays a critical role in regulatory compliance, acting as the liaison between the Mayor and Council and the community, and also with city staff and the business community, as well as other local municipalities and county, state and federal government.
Additionally, the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations attends all Mayor and Council meetings, and designated boards and commission meetings; manages the legislative processes requiring action by the Mayor and Council; administers fair and impartial city elections; manages board and commission activities, including appointment notifications, staffing and training for board and commission members; and maintains and preserves the official public record of the Mayor and Council, including oversight of the city’s archives.
The City Clerk/Director of Council Operations can be reached by phone at 240-314-8280 or by email at cityclerk@rockvillemd.gov.
Rockville’s Mayor and Council are asking Gov. Larry Hogan to commit – in writing – to not take homes or breach sound wall boundaries as part of a proposed project to widen Interstates 270 and 495.
In a Sept. 28 letter to Hogan and state transportation officials, the Mayor and Council cited public statements by Hogan and state transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn that no homes will be taken.
“We thank you for these positive statements and for listening to the community’s concerns,” the Mayor and Council wrote.
“We respectfully request that Governor Hogan commit his intentions to writing and place them on the I-270 & I-495 project web site. Additionally, please confirm that the sound walls in place will not be breached.”
The letter follows efforts by the Mayor and Council and by Rockville communities to meet with state officials and to generate comments urging the state to protect neighborhoods abutting I-270.
To learn more and comment on the project, visit https://495-270-p3.com/contact.
A Sept. 28 letter from Rockville’s Mayor and Council to Gov. Larry Hogan and state transportation officials called on Hogan to put in writing the state’s commitment to not take homes or breach sound wall barriers.
Rockville City Police Department officers will join community members for National Coffee with a Cop Day from 8-9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 at Krispy Kreme in the Fallsgrove Village Center, 14919 Shady Grove Road.
Officers will be on hand for informal one-on-one chats with community members – no formal speeches, no agendas and no distractions. Learn more about Coffee with a Cop at coffeewithacop.com.
See photos and video of past Coffee with a Cop events on Rockville’s YouTube page.
Learn more about the RCPD or follow the department on Facebook.
Trick-or-treaters take to Rockville neighborhoods Wednesday, Oct. 31.
There are no set hours for trick-or-treating. The Rockville City Police Department urges drivers to be aware of extra pedestrians in neighborhoods. Homeowners should clear yards and sidewalks of obstacles, keep homes well-lit inside and out, and report any suspicious activity to police.
City police offer these additional tips:
Snow plow crews from the City of Rockville practiced in September for the second annual Snow Road-eo Challenge. Crews from Rockville, which hosts this year’s event on Tuesday, Oct. 9, are looking to avenge a narrow loss to the City of Gaithersburg in last year’s inaugural challenge. The challenge helps crews hone their skills at keeping city streets clear and safe, in preparation for snow season.
Rockville has several fun events in October to let you and your family explore your inner ghouls for Halloween! To register where there’s a course number, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/registration.
Teens, grades 6-10, will experience an evening of fright and fear at Field of Screams, in Olney, for Halloteen, 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. They’ll be put to the test at four terrifying haunted attractions, including trails, a factory and a hayride. Transportation departs from and returns to Thomas Farm Community Center. Teens will have a fast pass and be accompanied by City of Rockville staff. Register with course #5993. The cost is $60 for residents, $65 for nonresidents.
Conceptual rendering of the proposed 220 East Middle Lane project’s south façade.
Applicants for the third and final phase of Rockville Metro Plaza are seeking approval for a mixed-use building consisting of up to 240 apartment units and 8,500 square feet of retail at 220 East Middle Lane.
The project would replace about 201,000 square feet of remaining approved office space with a proposed mixed-use residential and retail building.
Plans for the area include a mix of residential units, with about a third of the units offered with two and three bedrooms. Thirty-six of the 240 units would be maintained as affordable to residents through the city’s Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit program.
Site rendering of proposed King Farm townhomes.
Project applicants are seeking to develop two parcels, at 801 King Farm Blvd. and 1503 Piccard Drive in the Irvington Centre subdivision of King Farm, into 65 residential town homes.
The project would replace unbuilt office space and ground floor retail that was previously approved as part of the King Farm development, and will require site plan approval prior to construction. The change from the originally approved office space to the current town home development was approved by the Mayor and Council through previous resolutions.
The project would transform a surface parking lot and unimproved open area at the west end of King Farm Boulevard into a new residential community, amid existing office and retail uses. Ten of the 65 units would be maintained as affordable housing through the city’s Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit program. A new tot lot would also be created at nearby Terminus Park to serve the area.
Rockville police officers are now better able to maintain communication in emergency situations with the help of new cellphones issued last month.
