Bethesda construction update: St. Elmo Apartments (Photos)

On the final day of April, let's return to the construction site of the future St. Elmo Apartments development at 4922 St. Elmo Avenue in Bethesda. As you might deduce from the cement mixers parked at street level, concrete is still being poured for the 4-level underground parking garage. The 22-story apartment tower will house 276 luxury apartments, 6000 square feet of ground floor retail, and the aforementioned 220-space parking garage. Developed by Duball, LLC, a Q1 2024 delivery is anticipated.

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival returns May 13-14, 2023

The annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival will return next month, on May 13 and 14, 2023 in downtown Bethesda. Over 100 of the nation's best contemporary artists will display and sell original fine art and crafts along Norfolk, Auburn and Del Ray Avenues in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle neighborhood from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on May 13, and from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on May 14. Admission is free, and you will also find that parking is free in the Auburn-Del Ray Public Parking Garage 36 at 4910 Auburn Avenue.

Neighborhood restaurants - including Bethesda Curry Kitchen, Dog Haus Biergarten and Red Bandana Bakery - will sell food and drinks, and beer and wine for those 21 and older. Music artists performing live will include Sara Jones, The Walkaways, Carley Harvey, Wes Tucker & The Skillets, Eric Scott, Jay Byrd and Jarreau Williams. The festival will be held rain or shine.

The festival is organized by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, and this year's sponsors are Kitchen Saver and The Phoenix Group of Compass. For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660.

Photos courtesy Bethesda Urban Partnership

Strong-arm attempted carjacking in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm carjacking in downtown Bethesda at 7:08 PM on Thursday evening, April 27, 2023. Allison Papson of Fox 5 reports that two men approached a man in the 4800 block of Fairmont Avenue. One of the suspects struck the man in the face, and attempted to carjack his vehicle. The suspects fled on foot without the car, leaving the male victim with minor injuries from the assault. This occurred while it was still daylight, and in the sight of two of the busiest spots in downtown Bethesda, 7-Eleven and Dog Haus Biergarten.

LaserAway opens at Pike & Rose

LaserAway has opened at 926 Rose Avenue, in the ground floor of the Canopy by Hilton hotel at Pike & Rose. This was previously the location of Taylor Gourmet.  LaserAway is a laser hair removal practice with locations in 24 states and the District of Columbia. It also offers botox treatments, tattoo removal, photofacials, dermal fillers, Thermage skin tightening, Coolsculpting fat removal, Clear + Brilliant laser treatments and other skincare services. 

RASA Indian restaurant opens in North Bethesda

RASA, a fast-casual Indian restaurant, has opened at 12033 Rockville Pike in the Montrose Crossing shopping center. The local chain's founders are natives of Montgomery County, but this is their first Maryland location. It replaces Slapfish at the Federal Realty development. RASA is open from 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM seven days a week.

Old Georgetown Road bike lane paint project completed in Bethesda

The Maryland State Highway Administration announced that it has completed a paint project on the new bike lanes along Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. Green paint and striping was applied to the lanes and intersections starting back on April 10. In addition to complaints about the loss of a lane in each direction, more recently, some drivers have raised concerns about new dangers the configuration has created at some intersections (i.e. southbound, between Tuckerman Lane and Democracy Boulevard) and interstate access ramps to the Capital Beltway and I-270.

Photos courtesy Maryland State Highway Administration

Montgomery County now collecting durable medical equipment at Shady Grove Transfer Station

Do you have medical equipment you no longer need, and is just taking up space in your home? Now it can be put to use for less-fortunate residents in need of it. Montgomery County is now collecting durable medical equipment at the Shady Grove Transfer Station at 16101 Frederick Road (MD 355) in Derwood. "Gently-used" wheelchairs, canes, shower chairs, and other commonly-used medical equipment will be accepted, and will be refurbished and donated to residents who need it. The new initiative has been made possible by the Montgomery County Department of the Environment's entry into the Maryland Department of Aging’s Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Re-Use program.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich

“There is an ongoing need for medical equipment in our County,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement. “Many of us have medical equipment in our basements, garages or attics that is no longer used, but is too good to throw away. This program helps our County’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, while providing critical assistance to those in need. I encourage everyone to donate if they have any equipment that can still be used. This program isn’t just helping our planet—it is also helping our neighbors.”

Technicians from Maryland DME Re-Use take the donated equipment to a 56,000-square-foot facility located in Cheltenham in Prince George's County. There, it is sanitized, repaired and stored for future distribution. Equipment that is beyond repair will be broken down for parts that are saved and later used, rather than going into the trash.

To find out more about Maryland DME Re-Use, including collection site locations, acceptable donations or how to apply to receive durable medical equipment, go to dme.maryland.gov, call 240-230-8000 or email dme.mdoa@maryland.gov.

Little Falls Parkway permanent road diet illegally approved by Planning Board

The Montgomery County Planning Board voted to approve a permanent road diet for Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue yesterday. All of the commissioners voted in favor except for Shawn Bartley, who abstained. "I'm very torn on my decision here today," Bartley said just prior to the vote. The approval as it stands today is illegal, because the Board did not obtain the required approval of the National Capital Planning Commission before greenlighting the major change to the parkway. That approval is required under the Capper-Cramton Act of 1930, which gave federal jurisdiction over designated parkways in the Washington, D.C. region, including Little Falls Parkway. Montgomery Parks Director Mike Riley said his department intends to seek an after-the-fact approval from the NCPC before beginning construction on the project.

Commissioners who voted to approve did so in opposition to the expressed wishes of not only a majority of the residents in the communities surrounding the parkway, but over the objections of County Executive Marc Elrich; County Councilmember Andrew Friedson, who represents the area where the parkway is location in Bethesda-Chevy Chase; and the elected Mayor of the Town of Somerset, Jeffrey Slavin. While the Planning Board has increasingly voted against residents in recent years, it is virtually unprecedented for the Board to vote against three current elected officials. Slavin opposed the road diet, while Elrich and Friedson asked for the decision to be delayed. Elrich expressed strong skepticism that the road diet was a worthwhile project, particularly in light of the strong community opposition.

The Board vote has tripled-down on the illegality of the parkway road diet. Commissioners are already embroiled in a lawsuit filed by the Kenwood Citizens Association that centers on Montgomery Parks' failure to obtain approval for the temporary road diet from the NCPC. Now the Board has voted to approve a permanent road diet prior to receiving approval from the NCPC, and before resolution of the pending court case.

While the two actions taken on the road diet without NCPC approval represent two of the three illegal aspects of the project, the third illegality is the funding employed. Montgomery Parks did not seek or receive an appropriation of funds for the 2017 temporary road diet from the County Council. Instead, it illegally used money from a trail maintenance fund. That decision became even more controversial this year when residents noted that, while the temporary road diet was constructed, repairs and upgrades needed on the Capital Crescent Trail and Little Falls Trail have not been performed by Montgomery Parks.

Montgomery Parks once again has no intention of getting an official appropriation of funds for the permanent road diet. Riley told Planning Board Acting Chair Jeff Zyontz that Parks will instead illegally use money from a Vision Zero fund, and a Life Cycle Asset Replacement Fund. At a time when the County Council is debating a 10% property tax increase on residents, Montgomery Parks has been allowed to turn its budgeted resources into slush funds.

There are several fronts of intrigue ahead regarding the road diet project. Will the NCPC approve it? What will the outcome of Kenwood's lawsuit be? What will the traffic impact be, especially during rush hours?

And what is the Montgomery County cartel's Ahab-like obsession with urgently getting these two travel lanes away from the public really about? Is it to provide more buildable land for the redevelopment of the Washington Episcopal School campus and Bethesda Pool? Or is it a sneaky way to obtain a right-of-way for the Purple Line extension to Westbard, that will avoid the CCT route through Kenwood? Inquiring minds want to know!

Lush opens temporary location at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The tenant musical chairs game continues at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Lush has opened a temporary store location at the mall. The cruelty-free and ethically-sourced bath, bodycare, skincare and haircare boutique will be here while construction is completed on its new space. It looks pretty posh for a pop-up shop. Find the temporary Lush store next to 2 the 9s, on Level 2 of the mall.

Nordstrom reducing window displays "to lessen our environmental impact" at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Nordstrom at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda says it is increasing its efforts to be more environmentally-sensitive. One step it is now taking "to lessen our environmental impact" is to reduce the number of window displays. At one window inside the mall, trash is now part of the display. "This display was partially sourced from our store's recyclable waste," a sign explains. 

This is apparently such a new development that there has not even been any company-wide announcement or press release about it yet. The window display initiative does not appear on the chain's environmental sustainability webpage. It's certainly an unusual tack for an upscale department store.

New details on The Grove restaurant, opening soon at Cabin John Village in Potomac

I have some more information on The Grove, the new restaurant concept from the Common Plate Hospitality Group opening soon at 7747 Tuckerman Lane, at Cabin John Village in Potomac. The Grove's cuisine will be Belgian-inspired. The team opening the restaurant includes the partners behind the popular Mason Social in Alexandria, Chad Sparrow and Larry Walston, Jr. 

Common Plate and Guapo's veteran Jorge Figueredo will be The Grove's general manager. The Grove's operating hours will be 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM Sunday - Thursday, and 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. Lahinch Tavern and Grill was the previous tenant in the 4473-square-foot space.

Giant limiting self-checkout to 20 items or less, due to "a significant increase in crime"

The other shoe has dropped in Giant's changes to its self-checkout system, and it's landed directly on the shopper's head. Self-checkout will now be limited to 20 items or less, due to "a significant increase in crime and theft that we and many other retailers are experiencing across our market area," Giant President Ira Kress said in a message to customers. He said the new limit, along with the weighing scale recently added to the self-checkout units, will "mitigate the impact of theft to our business."

Under the new system, parents shopping for large families, or anyone who prefers to get their shopping out of the way once a week, will essentially be forced to go through the traditional checkout lines. However, Giant has tended to shut those down as the evening goes on, angering customers who were averse to self-checkout machines. Kress did not specify if Giant will now keep cashiers at the old checkout lines until closing at stores. But he did acknowledge what will be a major impact on many Giant customers.

"We know that these changes may cause some inconvenience or be disruptive to the experience you are used to," Kress said, "and I assure you we are making these changes out of necessity to prioritize the safety of our associates and customers." A shoplifter was recently caught on video assaulting a security guard at the Bethesda Row Giant store. Corporate policy appeared to limit the guard's ability to escalate his response; even after being struck in the face, he could only plaintively continue to ask the shoplifter to show him a receipt. 

Once again, we see how the failure of our elected officials to respond to increasing crime - one of the most basic responsibilities of their offices - creates negative impacts for the law-abiding residents of our community. It's interesting that business leaders will admit crime is increasing, and is a major problem, before our elected officials will.

Spicy McNuggets, Spicy McCrispy return; Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry debuts at McDonald's in Bethesda

McDonald's has new, limited-time only menu items in Montgomery County, whether you are seeking something hot or cold. The fast food chain's popular Spicy Chicken McNuggets return for a third time. Also back for an encore are the Spicy McCrispy and Spicy Deluxe McCrispy chicken sandwiches. And for the first time, McDonald's is offering a Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry. It combines vanilla soft-serve ice cream with "strawberry flavored clusters," and shortbread cookies. 

Maryland taxpayers to sink $166M into Baltimore Harborplace scheme

It's deja vu all over again in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. A great gem - a doorstep to the city, if you will! - has somehow fallen into disrepair. But it's not up to the property owner, nor the elected officials who've run the city it's the doorstep to the whole time, to sacrifice for a solution. No, it's you, the hardworking taxpayer of Maryland who must step in, and share your hard-earned dollars with very wealthy developers. Stop me if you've heard this before. 

Are we talking about Union Station in Washington, D.C.? No, it's the Harborplace development in Baltimore. But both now share a special pedigree. These properties have failed...twice. And each time, the taxpayer has involuntarily-volunteered to pick up the tab for "renewal" and "rejuvenation." 

You can't entirely blame the political machines of Charm City and the District of Columbia. They know both cities are more transient than most in America. And both are rapidly gentrifying African-American residents out of their homes and neighborhoods, to make room for more luxury condos for rich, white people. Why, you probably haven't lived here long enough to realize this isn't the first time the city's gemstone was tarnished.

Except, some of us have. I remember when Union Station and the Inner Harbor were said to be in desperate need of revitalization. Some years, and many more taxpayer dollars later, we were told the effort was successful. Shops! Restaurants! Gleaming and new!

Three decades pass.

And suddenly, it's happened again.

Union Station and Harborplace are derelict! They're outdated and have fallen behind the times! Nobody goes there anymore! Wealthy development firms are standing by to save the day, but...they're going to need your help. So they're going to cut us in on the deal? We'll earn a dividend for the tax dollars we're putting up, just like the other investors?

Oh, no. And your investment is not optional. We just rammed it through in Annapolis. The taxpayers of Maryland - yes, even you in the hinterlands, are going to fork over $166 million. And Baltimore City residents, many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck, get to hand over an additional $1 million.

Why are Union Station and Harborplace "derelict and underperforming?" The tenants! Well, wait a minute. Union Station has Shake Shack, Pret-a-Manger, Au Bon Pain and CAVA, names about as hip as train station commercial retail can get. Tourist-driven Harborplace has tourist traps like UNO Chicago Grill, Johnny Rockets and Hooters - it even has The Cheesecake Factory, for Pete's sake! What else would you want to eat by the water? 

Want local, small businesses instead? Charge a rent they can afford for the empty storefronts. 

Well, it's not the tenants or the times, you see. Why don't people want to go to Harborplace or Union Station?

It's that the D.C. government let crime and the homeless take over Union Station. Columbus Circle at sunrise can resemble a giant bedroom, as the least-fortunate of Washington awake from slumber among scurrying rats and trash. Baltimore City let crime run rampant in the Inner Harbor, with tourists often the target. At some point, elected officials have to be held accountable. This is a novel idea in Washington and Baltimore.

$166 million? You could put 415 homeless people into permanent homes in the D.C. area, and even more in Baltimore, for that amount. It could be a not-insubstantial down payment on building the Red Line, especially the Dollar General version of the Red Line pols are cynically trying to pass off on West Baltimore these days. "By the time the buses start running, those voters will have been gentrified out of there, anyway," elected officials must figure. Imagine the parks you could build. Or schools that actually have air conditioning!!

But a better recipient than the general public has been found - wealthy and well-financed developers. The public involuntarily gives generously. Buildings are demolished. New ones rise in their place. The property is sold. Profits are made. Elected officials fail to execute their basic functions to provide a strong business climate, maintain city infrastructure and ensure public safety. 

And the cycle starts over again. We've seen this here in Montgomery County, where a greedy mall buyer along with County officials allowing crime to get out of control led to the demise of Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg. As long as our elected officials get away with directing our money to their developer sugar daddies, we'll see it again.

Inner Harbor crime:

"Inner Harbor Mayhem"

"Death at Baltimore's Inner Harbor"

"Dangerous at night"

"3 people robbed at gunpoint in Inner Harbor"

"New Jersey family attacked at Baltimore's Inner Harbor"

"If this is what a Saturday night at the Harbor is going to be like, we will not be going there"

Bethesda native named Afghanistan/Pakistan bureau chief at New York Times

Bethesda native Christina Goldbaum, a New York Times reporter, has been named Afghanistan/Pakistan bureau chief for the newspaper. She has reported from that region for the Times for several years, and previously from Africa, earning bylines in numerous publications. Goldbaum has received several awards, including the Livingston Award for International Reporting, the National Press Club's Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence, and the Frontline Club’s Print Journalism Award. She is a graduate of St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, and Tufts University.

Photo courtesy The New York Times Company

Rat-hunting dogs tackle downtown Bethesda's pest problem

A rat-hunting dog with a red
LED collar sniffs around
trash cans on Woodmont Avenue

Rat-hunting dogs are hitting the streets of downtown Bethesda, the latest tactic to confront a persisting pest problem. A team of dogs with human handlers deploys to sniff out the trail of the dastardly fiends, so they can be rounded up. Areas of concentration include landscaping and trash receptacles. The handler will lift a public trash can so the dog can sniff underneath. Dogs wear LED collars.

The handler lifts the trash can,
so the dog can search underneath

The notable increase in rats and roaches scurrying about the streets and alleyways downtown after the 2020 pandemic lockdown seemed to reach a peak last summer. An increase in outdoor dining - including closed streets set up as "Streatery" dining areas, combined with decreased human activity during the nightime hours, seemed to attract more vermin. Other persisting factors in the surge include the collapse of the "nighttime economy," which has turned the downtown area into a dead zone after 9 or 10 PM at night, dog owners who don't pick up their animals' waste, and numerous excavations for construction projects. 

Sneak peek: Capo Deli opening soon in Potomac (Photos)

Another day means another look at yet one more great dining addition to Cabin John Village in Potomac. Today, we're taking a sneak peek inside Capo Deli, opening soon at 7731 Tuckerman Lane. Founded by former Brickside Food & Drink co-owners Brian Vasile and Andy Seligman, the local Italian deli chain now has three locations in the region: Shaw and Western Market in Washington, D.C., and Tysons. 

Capo came to most people's attention via mass media coverage of its adult Capri Sun "Fauci Pouchy" cocktail early in the pandemic lockdown of 2020. It's still on the cocktail menu. A modest list of classic Italian dishes join an extensive selection of sandwiches - and, yes, cannoli is on the dessert menu.

Golden House restaurant reopens interior lobby in Bethesda

You can now go inside Golden House again at 8100 Wisconsin Avenue. The Chinese carry-out restaurant closed its indoor counter and waiting area early in the pandemic lockdown of 2020, switching operations to a takeout window at the rear of the historic building. Now the door is unlocked again, and you can wait inside for your order. Golden House operates out of one of the few remaining Little Tavern hamburger houses in the D.C. region.

Pickpocket incident at Montgomery Mall

Watch your wallet at the mall. Montgomery County police were called to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda the evening of April 18, 2023, after a pickpocketing incident there. The theft was reported at 9:47 PM at the mall.

Tree down on Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda

Gusty winds during a thunderstorm this afternoon have toppled a tree onto Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda. The tree is blocking the southbound lanes between Dorset Avenue and River Road. Northbound lanes are open, but watch for drivers maneuvering around the tree into the northbound side.

Indecent exposure in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to an indecent exposure incident in downtown Bethesda yesterday morning. The incident was reported in the 7200 block of Wisconsin Avenue at 9:35 AM Friday.

Lane closure on River Road in Bethesda April 24

The right lane of westbound River Road will be closed west of Willard Avenue (heading toward Little Falls Parkway) on Monday, April 24, 2023, according to an electronic sign posted by a Maryland State Highway Administration. It will be closed between 4:30 PM and 8:30 PM. Like the low-information electronic messages posted by SHA these days, neither an end point (i.e. the cross street where the lane will reopen again) nor a reason for the closure is given.

Mazza Gallerie demolition underway in Friendship Heights (Photos)

Demolition of Mazza Gallerie mall at 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW is now underway. This demolition won't be like that of White Flint Mall last decade, nor of Lakeforest Mall next year, however. Property owner Tishman Speyer is demolishing the top levels of the mall, but will retain a base of the retail pavilion and the existing underground parking garage. It will then build 7-story-tall residential building with 325 apartments on top of that base, and include a substantial 25,000 square feet of ground level retail and restaurant space. The demolition process appears to be a very methodical one so far.