Silverblog

The following is a press release from the Montgomery County Planning Board, dated July 12, 2007. —ed.

Resolving an important issue about a parkland easement on the site of the Silver Spring Transit Center—a proposed hub for Metro trains, buses, taxis and bicycles in the community’s downtown—the Montgomery County Planning Board today worked out an agreement with two public works agencies that allows the project to proceed.

The Board, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, owns an easement on a public plaza that they needed to abandon to allow construction of the transit center, slated for Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue at the site of the existing Silver Spring Metro station. Yesterday, the Board agreed to let the county Department of Public Works and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority replace that plaza in exchange for two new parks.

Continue reading "Silver Spring Transit Center to move forward" »

Posted by blogpop at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently, news outlets, including the Voice, have publicized a controversy over a proposed change in parking, that would extend hours that meters are in effect. The county would make more money, and theoretically, there would be more parking turn-over. Merchants in South Silver Spring however, noted that the new parking rules would apply to them, but not to the park garages around Ellsworth Drive. It was as if the county was giving customers one more reason to shop in the central business district instead of spunky South Silver Spring and other small business areas outside the center.

Here's a link to the July 07 Voice article on this issue: www.silverspringvoice.com/archives/copy/2007/07/parkingmeters.html

And after the jump (below) is a letter sent out by John Landis, co-owner of Crisfield and President of the South Silver Spring Merchant Association. In it, Landis outlines the issue from the point of view of small businesses. He also gives information on how to get involved:

Continue reading "Watch the pawkin' metahs" »

Posted by blogpop at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To kick off this new Silver Spring blog, I thought that recent tension over public property in Silver Spring would be fitting.

By now, most Silver Spring residents are surely aware of the controversy that was raised when amateur photographer Chip Py was stopped from taking photographs on Ellsworth Drive. This drew further attention to the fact that the once public thoroughfare is now essentially private, as is all of the "public" space around it (fountain, stairs, tables, etc.). PFA Silver Spring LLC, the company that owns this town center relented regarding photography, but the question is now public: Who owns Silver Spring?

What do you think?

—ed.

The July 2007 Voice is running an article on this topic (Click here to read: www.silverspringvoice.com/archives/copy/2007/07/Who_owns_SS.html).

Further food for thought—this video shot by Silver Spring resident Richard Jaeggi at a July 4 protest: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyJUuUX-De0

Posted by blogpop at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)