Posts by Dan Reed — Regional Policy Director
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Can a parking deck be “green”? New Glenmont garage isn’t
County Executive Ike Leggett calls the new garage at the Glenmont Metro a “boon to transit and a boon to the environment.” A truly “green” garage at a transit station would make room for people, not just cars. Last week, Montgomery County officials cut the ribbon on the new parking facility, located on the west side of Georgia Avenue at Glenallan Avenue. Keep reading…
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Montgomery County loses out by losing Rollin Stanley
Yesterday, Montgomery County planning director Rollin Stanley announced his resignation. He will take a “much bigger job” in another city. While he was an outspoken and controversial public figure, he had great ideas for the county. And despite claims to the contrary, he created a more open and transparent planning department. Stanley was appointed planning… Keep reading…
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College for sale
Are you looking to buy a college? After four decades in the Hillandale section of Montgomery County, the National Labor College announced that they will sell its campus this summer, reports the Gazette. The college, located at New Hampshire Avenue and the Beltway, was previously a Catholic school before the AFL-CIO bought the property in 1974, seeking a permanent place to educate… Keep reading…
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Wheaton’s limits may also be its strength
On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council unanimously turned down a plan by County Executive Ike Leggett to rebuild a portion of downtown Wheaton, favoring an alternate plan instead. Residents who supported Leggett’s plan are frustrated at the defeat, but this wasn’t the best path for redevelopment in Wheaton. In recent months, Leggett and the council have disagreed… Keep reading…
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Dueling proposals leave Wheaton’s future uncertain
Next Tuesday, the Montgomery County Council will choose a development proposal that it hopes will jump-start revitalization in downtown Wheaton. Two competing proposals have emerged from County Executive Ike Leggett and the council for several publicly-owned properties in the area, both of which include significant office space. Leggett’s proposal is larger… Keep reading…
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“Green Day” urbanism gets people excited for the real thing
People sometimes complain that “New Urbanist” or “town center” developments like Downtown Silver Spring are fake and sterile. But these projects are to urbanism as Green Day is to punk rock. They may not be “authentic,” but if done well, they can get people to seek out the “real stuff” later on. That’s what happened… Keep reading…
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Liquor laws, lacking nightlife hurt Silver Spring bars
Last weekend, Piratz Tavern, a pirate-themed bar in downtown Silver Spring, received a makeover from the TV show Bar Rescue and re-opened as a more conventional hangout dubbed Corporate Bar & Grill. While host Jon Taffer and many customers say it failed because of bad food and poor service, there are other factors that sunk this ship. For starters, Montgomery County makes… Keep reading…
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Sometimes, it’s okay for progressives to embrace progress
Takoma Park has long been known for civic activism, dating back to the freeway fighters who stopped I-95 and I-270 from cutting through the area 40 years ago. But that culture of resistance to change could prevent the community from allowing positive improvements to take place. Writing in Utne Reader, the same publication that once called Montgomery County the “Most Enlightened… Keep reading…
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Montgomery needs to retain young residents
MoCo planning director Rollin Stanley recently posted a video with some findings his staff made in the 2010 Census. To be honest, it doesn’t look good for Montgomery County: closing businesses, high housing prices, and an aging population. Keep reading…
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Do-it-yourself culture makes our community stronger
Great communities come from the shared local culture of its residents. But as the City Paper notes this week in an article on local rock schools, we don’t always make it easy for kids to participate. In the story, a teenage band from Bethesda called The Black Sparks are thwarted in their attempt to organize a concert series in a local community center: Erickson helped… Keep reading…