Council to review plan to buy property for new downtown Bethesda park
The Montgomery County Council is scheduled to review a proposal at its meeting Tuesday to purchase two properties near Bethesda Row that total about 0.4 acres from the developer Federal Realty for $8.5 million. The county plans to use the land to build an urban park next to Landmark Theatres and the future site of the Bethesda Purple Line station. The council plans to vote on the proposal Dec. 5.
On Tuesday afternoon, the council will review local bills being proposed by the county’s state delegation for the 2018 General Assembly session. Those bills include a proposal to enable the county’s Department of Liquor Control to open alcohol stores inside grocery store buildings, a bill to examine pay for the county’s Board of Education members and a bill that would eliminate a tax exemption for country clubs in the county.
Baker, Leggett to sign Purple Line agreement
Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker and Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett are scheduled Tuesday morning to sign an agreement to promote equitable development along the Purple Line’s route through the two counties. The agreement is designed to promote local businesses, build the labor market, support sustainable communities and ensue housing choices for all, according to a press release about the event.
The signing of the community development agreement is scheduled to take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at The Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park.
School board to continue work on Richard Montgomery cluster’s elementary school boundaries
The county’s Board of Education will discuss plans Monday evening to assign students to a new elementary school scheduled to open in the Richard Montgomery cluster in September. The board is reviewing five proposals to change school assignments for certain neighborhoods in the Rockville area high school cluster to reduce overcrowding when the new school opens.
Some proposals have generated controversy in the community because of the distribution of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, an indicator of poverty. A group of parents has expressed concerns that the distribution is not equitable. The board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. for the boundary discussion Monday in Rockville.
A Wider Circle to collect items in Chevy Chase View
The Town of Chevy Chase View partnered with the local charity A Wider Circle to collect home furnishings Thursday that the nonprofit will later provide to families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Workers with A Wider Circle will drive through the town on Thursday to make collections. The town recommends calling the nonprofit at 301-608-3504 to schedule a pickup.
A Wider Circle accepts items such as beds, dressers, tables, chairs, dishes, pots, pans and other home goods.
50-degree days continue
Mild days are expected all week. Sunny highs in the mid- to upper-50s are predicted for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with nighttime lows dropping to around 35 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Thursday is expected to be mostly sunny with a high near 54 and a chance of showers at night with a nighttime low predicted around 42 degrees. A sunny day is predicted Friday, as well, with a high near 53 and a low around 35 at night.