Holiday Office Closure

The Village Administrative Office and Public Works Department will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2016 in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. As a reminder, the Communications Center and Police Department are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Holiday Trash Schedule

Due to the upcoming Labor Day holiday, the trash collection will slide one day. Please click here to view the modified trash collection schedule.

September 2016 Crier Now Available On-Line

The September 2016 edition of the Crier is now available on-line. Please click here to access the full edition of the September 2016 Crier.

Little Lending Library Needs Children's Books

The Little Lending Libraries at the Village Hall are coming up on their one year anniversary and we are so pleased to have this great program here in our community. The concept behind these libraries is a book-sharing honor system in which neighbors take and leave books of interest for one another.

Unfortunately, the large supply of children’s books that once graced our libraries have been depleted. If you have taken a children’s book from the libraries, we remind you to return them once your little readers have finished enjoying them or leave others in their place. We want all children in the community to be able to walk or bike up to the Hall to check out a new book to enjoy, but our lending libraries will only work if we all agree to take AND leave a book for the next family to enjoy.

We are always looking for donations, so please feel free to donate a book or two today!

Ride On Extends Free Weekday Trips for Seniors and People with Disabilities to Include Saturdays

Ride On’s free fare program for seniors and persons with disabilities will be expanded to include Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning September 3, 2016. Currently, those with a valid ID can ride free on weekdays during the same hours. Fares are half-price at all other times.

“I am delighted we are extending free Ride On to Saturdays for seniors and people with disabilities,” said County Executive Isiah Leggett. “This makes it even easier for people to get where they need to go.”

“The Council recognizes that our seniors and people with disabilities lead busy lives every day, not just weekdays,” said Council President Nancy Floreen. “I’m glad we were able to provide funding for this service expansion.”

“I was pleased during our budget deliberations earlier this year to lead the effort to add funding for free Saturday Ride On service for people with disabilities and seniors,” said Councilmember Roger Berliner. “Seniors are our fastest growing demographic and free Saturday service is one way to enhance their connection to the community.”

To access free or half-price fares, people age 65 and up must show either their Medicare card and photo ID or their Senior SmartTrip card. Senior SmartTrip cards are available at any Montgomery County library for $2 with valid photo ID and proof of age.

People with disabilities who are under age 65 can access free or half-price Ride On fares by using a valid Metro Disability ID Card. All Ride On buses are accessible and more than 90% of County bus stops are accessible; efforts to improve the remaining bus stops are continuing.

Ride On buses connect passengers to their destinations as well as to other transit lines, especially Metrobus and Metrorail. Beginning in September, most Metrobuses in the County also will extend free trips on Saturdays to seniors and people with disabilities from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Passengers can access Metrobus free or half-price fares using the same valid ID used on Ride On.

Please click here for the Ride On schedule.

Planning Staff Report for the Redevelopment Application for the The Collection Chevy Chase (formerly referred to as "Chevy Chase Center")

The Planning Staff has issued its report to the Planning Board for the redevelopment application filed for The Collection Chevy Chase. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2016 and is set to begin at 1:05 p.m. at the Planning Board’s headquarters, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, 20910.

Links to the staff report and related attachments are copied below:

Planning Board Staff’s Report
http://montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2016/documents/82001013Cand82001021ETheCollectionStaffReport.pdf

Attachments (including the Village’s statement, submitted on August 4)
http://montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2016/documents/82001013Cand82001021ETheCollection-AttachmentsforReport.pdf

Residents may submit written statements for consideration by the Planning Board; however, comments must be received in the Chair’s office at least 24 hours in advance of the Planning Board 9/8 hearing, referencing the hearing date and item, to be reviewed by the Board and included in the official record of the hearing. Written comments received within 24 hours before a hearing date will be placed in the file, but will not be considered by the Planning Board or included in the official record.

Comments for the Planning Board should be transmitted via e-mail to MCP-Chair@mncppc-mc.org, faxed to Chair Casey Anderson at 301-495-1320, or addressed to: Casey Anderson, Chair, Montgomery County Planning Board, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. Residents are also encouraged to copy the Village office for our file on this matter, c/o Village Manager Shana Davis-Cook at shana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Fall 2016 Paper Shredding: Saturday, September 10, 2016 at James Hubert Blake High School

The Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services' next confidential paper shredding/recycling and clothing/household item reuse collection event is Saturday, September 10, 2016.

This event is free of charge and open to all Montgomery County residents. No businesses, please. There is a limit of 5 small cardboard boxes or paper bags of confidential paper for shredding per vehicle.

It will be canceled for inclement weather.
________________________________________
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Event time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm; all cars must be in line by 2:00 pm
James Hubert Blake High School
300 Norwood Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20905

All paper will be shredded on-site. This is a drive-through event, and we ask you to stay in your vehicle. For everyone’s safety, you will not be able to watch your paper being shredded.

Acceptable paper types for shredding include:

Personal confidential paper such as financial and legal documents, receipts, and tax and medical records
Papers with staples or paper clips
Envelopes with plastic windows

Please do not bring these materials:

Electronic items or multi media materials (DVDs, CDs, tapes, hard drives, or computer disks)
Batteries, flammables, combustibles, binders, or hanging files
Plastic bags or credit cards

Acceptable clothing/household item donation details for September 10 event
Services provided by, and partners in this event are, Office Paper Systems and National Children’s Center, Inc.

Other Fall 2016 dates have not yet been announced. Please click here for more information.

CHANGE OF DATE: The Fall Social

Due to a scheduling conflict, the Fall Social has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 16, 2016 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. in the Village Hall.

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month: Are you Prepared?

The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) reminds residents that September is National Preparedness Month. The theme is “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”

In recognition of the importance of advance planning for emergencies, the County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), the Montgomery County Police Department and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service have collaborated to offer a series of free Community Emergency Preparedness classes on September 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building, on September 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Upcounty Regional Services Center in Germantown and on September 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Public Safety Headquarters in Gaithersburg. For further information and required pre-registration see: https://www.scribd.com/document/322743453/Community-Emergency-Preparedness-Classes.

Throughout the month of September, our community members are urged to take action now to be prepared for eventual emergencies. Planning strategies should be in place for family and pets, as well as the workplace and the greater community.

The following is an easy-to-follow planning guideline:

Stay Informed: Know what kind of hazards you’re susceptible to, and how to get information about emergencies that are occurring in your area. Montgomery County offers Alert Montgomery emergency messaging, which sends emails and texts to your cell phone so that you can be informed about severe weather, traffic disruptions, power outages, and floods, among other events.
Make a plan: Take some time to figure out how you are going to reach your family in times of disaster. Do you have an in-town contact, as well as an out-of-town contact? This is important because it may be easier to reach someone out of town during an emergency because of overloaded phone lines in the affected area. Also have two places to meet your family and loved ones in case you need to evacuate. One outside your home in a safe location, and one outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home. Be sure your plan has considerations for children, older adults, pets, and those with access and functional needs, if needed.
Make a Kit: Think about what you’ll need for basic survival, and make an emergency supply kit to have readily available in case you need to evacuate or shelter in place. Items that should be in your kit include: water, batteries, flashlight, food, clothes and shoes, can opener, hygiene products, medication, and others.
Get Involved: Finally, help others to be prepared, once you have your items and plan ready. Contact older relatives, neighbors, and friends to assist them in getting prepared, and also check on them after an event. Support neighborhood associations that are involved in emergency response, or better yet, join an emergency volunteer association, or get training on CPR and first aid.

Every year, emergencies affect millions of people globally causing injuries, fatalities, economic losses and emotional stress. However, simple emergency planning and preparedness can greatly decrease all of those losses. The information above and more can be found on the OEMHS website: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs/.

Community Invited to Second Meeting on Airbnb's on September 19 at the Planning Department

The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is holding a public meeting on Monday, September 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at its headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) to answer questions and solicit feedback related to the regulation of online-advertised, short-term home rentals, such as Airbnb.

At the meeting, planning staff will provide information on short-term rental regulations currently in place in other jurisdictions around the country. Representatives from the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services, County Department of Health and Human Services and County Department of Housing and Community Affairs will be in attendance to answer questions pertaining to this use.

This second meeting is a follow-up to the July 18 community meeting where more than 60 attendees listened to presentations by industry representatives and offered feedback on issues ranging from existing illegal short-term residential rentals to the benefits of allowing this type of use in the County. Of particular concern was the possible impact of short-term residential rentals on residential neighborhoods.

Learn more about short-term residential rentals.

What is a short-term residential rental?

Online services, such as Airbnb, Flipkey, HomeAway and VRBO, connect homeowners and property managers with travelers who seek the amenities of a home for a short-term rental stay. Currently, a short-term residential rental (less than a month, typical of companies like Airbnb) is not allowed in Montgomery County unless the property has been approved for use as a bed and breakfast. However, the County allows a homeowner to rent out a home, or part of a home, for 30 days or longer.

What type of laws are being proposed to regulate short-term rentals?

The County Council is considering expanding the opportunities for short-term tenancy so homeowners can participate in the sharing economy. The Council introduced legislation (ZTA 16-03) in February 2016 to relax the requirements on short-term rentals. As proposed, this new law would allow Airbnb or other, similar short-term residential rentals, but with some limitations. ZTA 16-03 was introduced in conjunction with Bill 2-16, which would update the licensing requirements for all transient housing, including a bed and breakfast.

After holding a public hearing on ZTA 16-03 and Bill 2-16, the County Council requested that the Planning Department reach out to County residents and stakeholders to seek their input regarding the regulation of short-term residential rentals. As part of this effort, staff will study regulations adopted by other jurisdictions locally and nationally that may be helpful in crafting new legislation in Montgomery County.

Once planners have gathered additional information on the topic and received feedback from the public, they will present recommendations to the Planning Board and County Council.

Please click here for additional information.

Montgomery County Council Approves the Westbard Sector Plan

Notice to Property Owners/Interested Parties:

The Montgomery County Council recently approved the Westbard Sector Plan. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Montgomery County Planning Board has submitted to the County Council, for its approval, a Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) that would put into effect any zoning changes recommended in the Plan for your property or properties adjacent to you.

The County Council will hold a public hearing on the SMA on September 20, 2016 at 1:30 p.m., at the Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland. Please let the Council Office know as soon as possible if you plan to offer testimony at the public hearing by signing up online at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/PHSignUp.html or by calling (240) 777-7803.

Whether you do or do not present oral testimony, you are invited to submit written testimony and exhibits for this hearing. Written testimony will be given the same attention as oral testimony. The record on the SMA will close on September 20, 2016.

A memorandum describing the proposed rezoning, and maps depicting the locations of the properties that will be rezoned can be found at: http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/agenda/2016/documents/WestbardSMAStaffReport3.pdf.
An interactive map (searchable by address or location) can be found at: http://mcatlas.org/sma/westbard2016/.

If you have any questions, please call John Marcolin, Planner/Coordinator, M-NCPPC, at (301) 495-4547. He can also be reached by fax at (301) 495-1303 or by e-mail at John.Marcolin@montgomeryplanning.org.

Help Bethesda Fire Department celebrate its 90th Anniversary

Help the Bethesda Fire Department celebrate its 90th Anniversary as it hosts its Annual Open House, Saturday, September 24 from 11:30 to 3:30 pm!

Fun for kids and adults! Ronald McDonald will meet and greet visitors, free food and drink, games; awesome fire people and equipment to meet and see up close. And, maybe some surprises!

Bethesda Fire Department Station #6 is at Wisconsin Avenue and Bradley Boulevard. Hope to see you at our Annual Open House!

Questions? Please contact Ted Rosen at: trosen@bethesdafire.org or 301-652-5602.

Visit us at: www.BethesdaFire.org.