Monday, March 04, 2019

Westwood Shopping Center redevelopment review by Planning Board set for March 14

"HOC7" protesters to make
first court appearance today
in cemetery case

The Montgomery County Planning Board will review the Regency Centers preliminary and site plans for the redevelopment of the Westwood Shopping Center on Westbard Avenue in Bethesda on March 14, beginning at 11:00 AM at 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. Planning staff are recommending approval of both plans, with conditions.

In related Westbard news, the first four members of the "HOC7" protesters will make their first court appearance this morning in Rockville. The protesters were arrested while engaging in a peaceful protest at the monthly meeting of the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission.

The defendants appearing before the court today are Marsha Coleman-Adebayo of Bethesda; Lynn Pekkanen of Bethesda; Tim Willard of Bethesda; and Mary Rooker of Takoma Park. They are being represented by the law firm of Baker and McKenzie.

Late last week, longtime Montgomery County attorney and activist Robin Ficker - who has already been engaged in the crusade to preserve and memorialize the desecrated Moses African Cemetery on the grounds of Westwood Tower - released a statement condemning Montgomery County's recent effort to displace Macedonia Baptist Church as the only contemporary party to the cemetery that remains in 2019.

“Why should Montgomery County Parks and Planning, that facilitated the desecration of this cemetery in the first place, become the custodian of these souls when the only surviving cultural institution from the River Road African Community—Macedonia Baptist Church—is the embodiment of the effort that stopped the County from putting a parking lot on top of Moses Cemetery?" Ficker said. "The County has continued to ‘play’ these good people and to deny Macedonia’s sweat and blood equity. Why does the County continue to deny blacks the right to land ownership and custodianship of their ancestors?”

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

The alleged cemetery land was owned by a Black benevolent society that sold it more than 50 years ago. Blame them, not the latest owner, for any desecration. If the alleged cemetery was so important, the benevolent society would not have sold it.

Anonymous said...

Will BtB and his band of merry men be crashing a certain planning board meeting soon?

Anonymous said...

Looks like Ms. Coleman-Adebayo was the only African-American among the five people who were arrested.

Anna said...

So...he deleted and closed comments because I mentioned HE had been the one to talk up homicides.
I called him a baby and told him I'd keep putting up the stats until he del;eted his own post.

So...comments closed.

"Wah-wah-wah. Someone called me out on my lie. (stomping feet) I'll get them back. I'll DELETE their comment and call them names. That way I win." - Dyer

Anna said...

Information is not your enemy.

Robert Dyer said...

6:28: You violated the comment policy, and those comments were deleted. Crime is up, I know it hurts that your pro-criminal Council is called on the carpet.

Anna said...

And Ice Cube did "F*** The Police"
Not Ice-T.

Anna said...

You were talking about homicides before I posted.
I was responding to your post.

Anna said...

And there IS NO COMMENT POLICY.

People have asked to see it for as long as I can remember. Before I ever posted. Back when I only read from time to time.

You have NEVER complied.

Robert Dyer said...

6:32: No, you out of nowhere as "Anonymous" suddenly posted a fake stat about homicide totals. I responded and said it was off-topic. You then, as "Anna," posted a whole set of homicide statistics. The article is not about homicide!

Anonymous said...

Back on topic, have you all had a chance to review the revised renderings of the proposed project? Although certainly not as diverse and nuanced as Bethesda Row, the renderings portray a nice group of three and four story mixed use buildings with some nicely scaled retail in the base. The new townhouse plan seems a bit less barrack-like, with shorter streets and less repetition. The multi-family on the non-Giant building seems OK, but certainly just sort of blends in. The architecture seems substantial, if a bit bland, but it does seem to create a nice walkable low scaled urban neighborhood. Some nice paving features, lighting, seating areas along both Westbard, and the internal streets. The admittedly small central green space seems to be flanked by some nicely scaled retail. The jewel building seems a little bland for what is described as a focal point on the green space.

Putting the Giant on the third floor does allow a set of fine grained shops at the ground level, and a nice bit of office in the middle.

This meeting is to approve the site plan for the west side, but supposedly is also to review the preliminary plan for the east side, except for the contentious HOC parcel. I have not been able to locate any new drawings for the east side, so I don’t really know what is currently proposed. I’m not sure if the bowling alley is part of the preliminary plan.

Perhaps Robert can locate the renderings for the west side, and any new preliminary plans for the east side, and post them here so we can all comment.

Anonymous said...

Why shut down the free bike story? I sort of like that idea. It isn't a lot of fun to walk in the mall unless you're old which I'm not. I hate gyms. This is a cool idea

Anonymous said...

Interesting blog with good info about development. but PLEASE delete all the comments by trolls. No one has an inalienable right to post nasty remarks on someone else's blog. They are welcome to start their own blog -- but probably no one would read it. I see why so many blogs have eliminated the comment section. Even ZeroHedge [notorious for vicious comments] has discontinued its comment section

Anonymous said...

7:55 AM Many have started their own blogs. All have failed.

"I can see Bethesda from my front porch in Arlington"

Anonymous said...

10:38 AM was triggered by "Arlington"

Anna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robert Dyer said...

5:24: Bethesda Now indeed failed, and folded. Their social media followers were purchased for something like a dollar by Bethesda Magazine. That's the definition of failure. When you are a success, you get acquired for a big sum, and that sum is touted in the deal.

Anna said...

Gloating over someone's failure? What a bully. "Slander is the only way some have of feeling close to accomplishment."

What goes around comes around.

Anonymous said...

"When you are a success, you get acquired for a big sum, and that sum is touted in the deal."

So how come you never cite any numbers for readers or revenue for your blog?

Anonymous said...

"Bethesda Now indeed failed, and folded. Their social media followers were purchased for something like a dollar by Bethesda Magazine."

Previously you claimed that the entire enterprise was bought for (exactly) one dollar.

Anonymous said...

"Their social media followers were purchased for something like a dollar by Bethesda Magazine."

Assuming, for the sake of argument, that is actually true, that would mean that even the "failed" Bethesda Now had 50 times as many readers as you.

Robert Dyer said...

6:46: Bethesda Now bought those followers for $13,000 from Twitter. Nice try. Bethesda Magazine got a steal in obtaining them on the cheap after Now folded. Hardly a success for Bethesda Now. It's gone.

6:00: I was attacked, and you again focus on my defense rather than the attacker.

Anonymous said...

How would one buy Facebook followers from Twitter?

That makes no sense.

Robert Dyer said...

3:53: They bought Twitter followers from Twitter for $13000. They also paid to be promoted on Facebook to get followers there. Nice try.

Anna said...

It a normal business sale to include goodwill items such as client lists or followers.
And businesses pay for website promotion.

Nothing to see here...everyday occurrences...move along.

Once again, your envy is palpable.