Metro weekend work will close the Rockville Station

Metro will perform major track work over the Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27, 2013. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Monday.

 RED LINE MAJOR TRACK WORK
Free shuttle buses will replace Red Line trains between the Shady Grove and Twinbrook. Two stations – Shady Grove and Rockville – will be closed. Customers using shuttle bus service should add up to 20 minutes to their travel time.

 ORANGE LINE MAJOR TRACK WORK
Free shuttle buses will replace Orange Line trains between the Vienna and Ballston stations. Four stations will be closed: Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church. Customers using express shuttle bus service (Vienna to Ballston only, no intermediate stops) should add up to 25 minutes to their travel time. Customers using the local shuttle buses (all stops) should add up to 40 minutes to their travel time.

Note that Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27.

Free Climate Change Film Sponsored by the Environment Commission Friday Eve and Saturday at City Hall

In the spring of 2005, acclaimed environmental photographer James Balog headed to the Arctic on assignment for National Geographic: to capture images to help tell the story of the Earth’s changing climate. Even with a scientific upbringing, Balog had been a skeptic about climate change. But that first trip north opened his eyes to the biggest story in human history and sparked a challenge within him that would put his career and his very well-being at risk.
As the debate polarizes America and the intensity of natural disasters ramps up globally, Balog battles untested technology in subzero conditions, and comes face to face with his own mortality. It takes years for Balog to see the fruits of his labor. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Chasing Ice depicts a photographer trying to deliver evidence and hope to our carbon-powered planet.

This free film will be shown at the Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, please feel free to bring your family and friends.

Show Times are as follows:
Friday May 24th @ 7:00pm
Saturday May 25th @ 2:00pm & 4:30pm

Rockville Rainscapes Rewards Tree Canopy Rebate Program

In Rockville, residents control the largest percentage of the city’s tree canopy. Promoting and developing a tree canopy helps to reduce stormwater runoff because the extensive root systems of trees allow for collection of large volumes of storm water. In addition, a tree canopy improves air quality, provides wildlife habitat, and can contribute to savings on energy bills through the cooling effect of shade from trees. The program also offers rebates for rain barrels and conservation landscaping.

 

For the most up-to-date information regarding the City of Rockville’s RainScapes program please visit: http://www.rockvillemd.gov/environment/watersheds/rainscapes.html

Who Is Eligible:

• To participate, your residential property must be located in the City of Rockville.
• Projects are not eligible if they are associated with permit approval requirements for new building construction, additions, or renovations.
•  Projects that are partially or completely finished before approval will not qualify for rebates.
• All requirements as outlined below, in the application, and in the Design Criteria and Guidelines for Project Eligibility must be met. All decisions are final and are at the sole discretion of the City of Rockville.

 

Application Process & Requirements

 

1. Submit your a pplication, property owner agreement, and “before” photos for approval.Complete applications should be e-mailed to the RainScapes Coordinator at rainscapes@rockvillemd.gov or mail to 30 Courthouse Square, Rockville MD 20850.
    
2. Receive application approval from RainScapes Coordinator.Wait to receive application approval from the RainScapes Coordinator before beginning the project. Please allow three (3) weeks for processing. Projects must be completed within three (3) months of approval.
    
3. Begin and complete your project.You must retain and submit itemized receipts and/or final invoices for all project costs.  Documented costs must equal or exceed the rebate amount requested. The project must adhere to the most recent Design Criteria and Guidelines for Project Eligibility.
 
4. Final inspection.
   Call or email the City of Rockville RainScapes Coordinator at
   240-314-8877 or rainscapes@rockvillemd.gov to schedule a final inspection. Inspections will generally be scheduled within ten (10) business days. Submit itemized receipts and/or final invoice for all project costs. Photocopies are acceptable. At the final inspection, installation of the project will be verified, and the project area will be photographed.

Planning Commission to Hold Public Hearings on Rockvile Pike Plan

Rockville, Md., Mar. 1 - Rockville's Planning Commission invites the public to provide input on a revised draft plan for the future of a 2-mile portion of the Rockville Pike corridor that is in the City.  

The last public hearing will be held on May 22 during the 7 p.m. Planning Commission meetings at Rockville City Hall. The public is invited to testify at the hearings or to submit written testimony.

Planning Commissioners decided at their meeting on February 13 that, with minor edits, the draft plan was ready for release. Rockville's Pike Plan, Draft for Planning Commission Second Public Hearing, will be available on the City's Web site after March 1 at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockvillespike.

Substantial public input informed the creation of the original draft plan, which was released in December 2010 as an update to the 1989 plan covering the same area. This latest version of the plan includes revisions made in response to public testimony on the December 2010 draft, during a series of Planning Commission work sessions over the last two years.

The plan area is the 2-mile stretch of Rockville Pike between Richard Montgomery Drive (just south of Rockville Town Center) and the southern city limits (just north of Bou Avenue). The plan governs land use and transportation along this core section of the Pike.

The goals for the area include creating a place of pride for the city; improving the experience for drivers, walkers, bicyclists and transit riders; enhancing economic vitality; ensuring that development is supported by sufficient public services and facilities; and adding parks and open space. The latest iteration of Rockville's Pike Plan includes a new cross section for the Pike that allows for the possibility of high capacity transit service.

After the public hearings and following public comment period, the Planning Commission may make further revisions to their draft before sending it on to the Mayor and Council. The Mayor and Council are expected to hold a public hearing and work sessions on the document ahead of adoption later this year.

For more information on the plan visit www.rockvillemd.gov/rockvillespike or contact Cindy Kebba, Planner III, in the Community Planning and Development Services department at ckebba@rockvillemd.gov or 240-314-8233. Chief of Long Range Planning and Redevelopment David Levy is also available to answer questions at dlevy@rockvillemd.gov or 240-314-8272.