COUNTY HALTS NEW BUILDING
Montgomery County officials froze most new construction in the county July 18, following a Montgomery County Planning Board ruling earlier this month that hundreds of new homes in Clarksburg were build in violation of height and setback requirements.
Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan and Planning Board Chairman Derick Berlage halted the issuance of new building permits in zones requiring site plans--including most new developments and subdivisions.
During the freeze, Park and Planning will verify developer compliance with height and setback requirements on several existing projects. Duncan and Berlage also announced a plan to improve the site plan review and inspection process, including the hiring of additional zoning enforcement staff. The new hirings will be funded through a hike in developer permit application fees.
There are currently more than 190 building permit applications pending with the Department of Permitting Services that will be affected by the freeze. Applicants will be required to submit more detailed plans with evidence of compliance with height and setback rules.
Under the decision yesterday, projects already under construction will not be affected.
Four County Councilmembers--Michael Subin (D-At Large), Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), Howard Denis (R-1) and Mike Knapp (D-2)--introduced a more stringent moratorium yesterday, which they will vote on next week. Under that legislation, DPS would not issue new building permits for buildings requiring site plans and would issue stop work orders for projects where permits have been issued but construction has not begun.
The moratorium would take effect immediately and last until Nov. 1. Projects could proceed during the moratorium only following a report signed by the planning board chair and the director of DPS, and a 15-day review period by the council.
On July 8, the Planning Board found 433 height violations and 102 setback violations in townhouse construction in Clarksburg Town Center, sparking calls for a review of the county's development review process.
The Planing Board will consider possible sanctions against the Clarksburg builders July 28.
"VOICES OF THE RIVER" AT LOCKHOUSE 8
An eco-historian will discuss connection between the Potomac River and the people who have lived along its banks since the 1500s in a talk entitled "Potomac River Stories: Pigs, Pearls and Piracy."
The talk Sunday, July 24 at 5 p.m. at the Lockhouse 8 River Center is part of the Potomac Conservancy’s "Voices of the River" series.
Programs at the newly opened Lockhouse 8 River Center are free and open to the public. For directions, www.potomac.org/directions/lock8-minnies.html.
FARM TOUR THIS WEEKEND
Montgomery County will host its 16th annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24 with several farms and the King Barn Dairy "Mooseum" open to the public.
Picking peaches, blackberries, and flowers, live music storytelling, pony rides, hay rides and more will be part of the celebration.
This year’s Farm Tour is a part of the 25th Anniversary celebration of Montgomery County’s 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve, a 93,000-acre farmland and open space preservation program.
To view the 2005 Farm Tour and Harvest Sale brochure and map, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/agservices.
CELEBRATING AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
Rob Guttenberg will play a concert at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act on Thursday, July 28, 6-7 p.m.
Guttenberg received a grant last year from the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology to record a four-song CD. With songs entitled “FDR in a Wheelchair” and “Bomb in the Brain,” Guttenberg intends the songs to be used in middle-school and high-school curriculums to raise awareness about disabilities and the needs of those with disabilities. It includes introductory material and examples of questions that students might ask the teachers about the material. “The music is for your entertainment,” Guttenberg said. “I hope you’ll do the hard work of exploring your attitudes [on those with disabilities.]”