Assault reported at Luxmanor Elementary School in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Luxmanor Elementary School at 6201 Tilden Lane in North Bethesda Monday afternoon, November 6, 2023. The assault was reported at the school at 1:00 PM.

Poll: Westbard sector plan has only 3% support among residents; 79% want to keep existing zoning; Luxmanor joins fight

Nearly 80% of residents who
took a Save Westbard poll oppose
the Westbard sector plan

Score another one for the vocal majority. A new survey of residents in neighborhoods affected by the proposed Westbard sector plan rewrite shows again that the community overwhelmingly opposes the plan. 79.3% said they prefer to keep the existing zoning, which would allow the Westwood Shopping Center to redevelop but limit new housing units to 580. Heights would be capped at 50'.

Only 3% said they want the Montgomery County Council to approve the plan, which is expected to be voted on Tuesday. The survey required respondents to provide their name and full address, which ensured the results were representative of actual residents. Other recent "polls" produced by development interests have had responses from outsiders everywhere from the District to the United Kingdom (you can't make this stuff up, folks).

In response to the survey results, Save Westbard, the citizen organization that conducted the survey, wrote to the Council:

"Due to overwhelming opposition by the residents, and as evidenced by the survey results attached hereto, SaveWestbard renews its request that each and every Councilmember reject the proposed Westbard Sector Plan (WSP) when it comes before the Council for a vote tomorrow, May 3rd."

79% of residents said they prefer the Save Westbard organization (which conducted the survey) to represent their interests after Tuesday's Council vote, rather than existing citizen associations. Some opponents of the plan have criticized the endorsement of the "Berliner" amendments to the plan by the Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights, which did not reflect an actual vote by any of the neighborhoods it represents. The changes, which are not yet official, were proposed by Councilmember Roger Berliner. The Berliner Alternative, as he called it, has been soundly rejected by residents, only receiving support from developers and the CCCFH.

73.79% said the sector plan process was "obscure and confusing, dominated by developer interests rather than the affected constituents, and a reproach to the principles of representative government." 66% pledged they were willing to support (financially or by volunteering time) legal action against the Westbard vote.

702 actual, verified residents took the survey. Springfield, Wood Acres, Sumner, Kenwood and Westmoreland Hills were among the most active in taking the poll. Twenty-nine communities participated in all, including Westgate, Mohican Hills, High Point, Crestview, the Town of Somerset, Westbard and Westwood Mews, Green Acres, Spring Hill, Glen Cove, Glen Mar Park, Brookdale, Westhaven, Kenwood Forest and Park Bethesda.

The survey results, as well as the community petition signed by over 200 residents who attended a Save Westbard meeting on April 3, will be hand-delivered to the Council offices this afternoon. Save Westbard's letter concludes by warning the Council that a vote to approve the plan "directly contravenes the will of the people."

Meanwhile, the number of citizen groups across the County backing Westbard residents in their fight against urbanization grew over the weekend. On Friday, the Luxmanor Citizens Association called on the Council to freeze development proposals at Westbard, the WMAL tower site, Rock Spring, Wildwood, and White Flint 2 until adequate public facilities and infrastructure can be provided to support such growth.

Abbe Milstein, President of the LCA, wrote to County officials that Luxmanor has "watched with interest as the County prepares to move ahead with a proposed Westbard sector plan despite overwhelming opposition from residents in that area. We too are dismayed by the County's irresponsible development plans."

Criticizing the County's attempt to urbanize the suburbs, Milstein wrote, "Families in our neighborhood have paid premium prices to live primarily in detached single-family homes on quiet streets under a leafy, tree-covered canopy where our children can attend world-class public schools.  And we’d like it to stay that way.  Recently, however, it seems that our elected representatives and various developers appear to want to take all of that away from us.  Against our will, these forces have apparently decided that our area should be more urban."

In regard to the Council's suggestion that schools such as Walter Johnson and Whitman can be "super-sized" (with no explanation as to where the magic money will come from to do so, by the way), Milstein cites data that indicates large schools negatively impact the quality of education.

Residents and small business owners in Lyttonsville, also facing an urbanization push from the Council and Planning Board, have already joined the Westbard fight. Several marched alongside Bethesda residents in last Tuesday's protest at the Council building in Rockville.

ASSAULT AT BCC HS, THEFT AT BETHESDA METRO + MORE - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on October 22, according to crime data:

Theft. Bethesda Metro station.

Theft. 7200 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Assault. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

Vehicle burglary. 10300 block Grosvenor Place.

Theft. CVS Pharmacy (Wildwood).

Theft. 11400 block Rockville Pike (White Flint).

Burglary. 6200 block Mazwood Road (Luxmanor).

Theft. Nordstrom at Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Theft. Macy's at Westfield Montgomery Mall.

BETHESDA POWER OUTAGE UPDATE

A storm tonight has knocked out power to about 27 Pepco customers in Bethesda. The outages are primarily in the Luxmanor area, off Old Georgetown Road.

The largest outage is in the vicinity of Roseland Drive, and Pepco currently expects to restore power there by 6:00 AM Monday morning. A handful of customers around Tilden Lane will have to wait longer, until 2:00 PM on Monday, according to Pepco's current estimate.

BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on April 24, according to crime data:

Vehicle burglary. 7700 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Liquor arrest. St. Elmo Avenue at Wilson Lane.

Vehicle burglary. 4600 block Highland Avenue (Rosedale Park).

Theft. 6500 block Bradley Boulevard (Hillmead area).

Vehicle burglary. 5000 block Wyandot Court (Glen Echo Heights).

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Theft. Home Depot, 7111 Westlake Terrace.

Theft. 6100 block Roseland Drive (Luxmanor).

2 ASSAULTS IN N. BETHESDA, AUTO BREAK-INS IN GREEN ACRES - BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on April 23, according to crime data:

Theft. 7700 block Norfolk Avenue.

Theft. 7100 block Bethesda Lane (Bethesda Row).

Theft. 4500 block of Cheltenham Drive.

Theft. 8500 block Salem Way (Glenbrook).

Vehicle burglary. 5000 block Greenway Drive (Green Acres).

Drug arrest. Connecticut Avenue at Beach Drive.

Vehicle burglary. 4900 block Westway Drive (Crestview/near Green Acres).

Assault. 6000 block Berkshire Drive (Wildwood Manor).

Theft. 5800 block Nicholson Lane (White Flint).

Assault/"other sexual offense." 6300 block Tilden Lane (Luxmanor).

MORE THEFTS IN MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, OLD GEORGETOWN ROAD CORRIDORS IN BETHESDA - BETHESDA CRIME REPORT

The latest Bethesda crime data includes additional thefts in two corridors already hit during the last 10 days: Massachusetts Avenue and Old Georgetown Road. The number of incidents does not yet equal a crime wave, but is a good reminder to lock doors in these areas.

APRIL 19:

Theft. 6100 block MacArthur Boulevard.

Theft from vehicle. 5800 block Namakagan Road (Sumner).

Theft from vehicle. 4900 block Westway Drive (Green Acres).

Theft from vehicle. 11000 block Rosemont Drive (Luxmanor).

Theft. 10400 block Grosvenor Place.

Burglary. 7900 block Woodmont Avenue.

APRIL 20:

Assault/"other sexual offense." 5100 block Nicholson Lane.

APRIL 21:

Burglary. 4900 block Essex Avenue (Town of Somerset).

Theft. Tommy Joe's.

Theft. Bethesda Row Giant.

Burglary. 6100 block Rudyard Drive (Wildwood area).