The Washingtonian Center is one of Gaithersburg’s most popular destinations.

“We all know this is a great place to live, work, learn and play,” said Mayor Sidney Katz. “But it’s encouraging when our efforts are recognized and validated by those outside of the community.”

The magazine’s website noted: “Gaithersburg’s ability to attract start-up companies has allowed it to rebound from the recession better than many other places.”

Both the mayor and City Council member Ryan Spiegel were interviewed by the magazine several weeks ago during research for the article. Spiegel said he was not surprised by the news because he believes Gaithersburg offers “cutting edge approaches on everything from green building to affordable housing to smart growth development, as well as award-winning schools, parks and programs and a great location close to Washington and Baltimore.”

This is not the first time the city has made the list. Gaithersburg was included on the magazine’s “best places to live” list in 2008 and 2005. This year, the magazine identifies Eden Prairie, Minn., as the country’s “best” place to live, saying it is “family-friendly” and has a “dynamite economy.”

The economy also was a factor in Gaithersburg’s ranking.

“It’s nice to see the magazine focusing this time on the economic advantages for businesses and families to locate in Gaithersburg,” said Spiegel. “Our proximity to many government and private sector job centers, our fostering of high quality jobs in health care and biotech fields via our accelerator and other incentives … are some of the reasons why Gaithersburg is poised to benefit quickly and continuously as the economy recovers.”

Although Gaithersburg is ranked higher on the list than neighboring Rockville, which is listed at number 31, Katz said he considers this a regional award and many groups, including Montgomery County, are all deserving of the recognition.

Spiegel agrees. “The more that the entire region is recognized as a great place, the more it boosts all the cities and counties within the region,” said Spiegel.

“I was so excited to hear about Gaithersburg’s ranking,” said city resident Amy Howell of Lakelands. “Of course, to me it is closer to number one!”

Howell said she and her husband often pat themselves on the back for choosing Gaithersburg in which to raise their son, Perry.

“We’ve been quite happy with the schools, and we love the tightness of the community,” said Howell. “To raise an only child in such a warm and active community has been a blessing.”

“I love living in Kentlands, and I appreciate living in the city of Gaithersburg,” said city resident Robyn Renas. “I moved to Gaithersburg in 1994, not imagining that I would stay. The proximity to the Potomac River ecosystem, the agricultural reserve and to Washington, D.C., makes our little corner of 20878 a great place to stay.”

Katz said there is still more work to do to keep Gaithersburg great, and Renas agrees.

“My hope is for a renaissance of sorts to take hold of the other zip codes of Gaithersburg, especially the Olde Towne portion, so that we climb the rungs to one of the top five slots in the future,” Renas said.

The August issue of the magazine is now available on newsstands.

For more information online, http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/top100/.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is currently conducting an environmental assessment of the CCT alternative alignments requested by the city of Gaithersburg and Montgomery County.

More meetings are planned this fall when the MTA will conduct public hearings with the hope to submit a locally preferred alternative for the nearly 16-mile route to the transportation secretary and Governor Martin O’Malley by the end of the year. The alternative alignments would still begin at Shady Grove Metro Station and would include additional stops at Crown Farm, Kentlands, the Life Sciences Center area and the Great Seneca Science Corridor. Phase 1 would end at the Metropolitan Grove Station with longer-range plans to extend the route all the way up to Comsat in Germantown.

Proposed alternate alignments would bring the route to the south side of Great Seneca Highway from Muddy Branch Road, traveling past Lakelands Boulevard at grade level, passing the condominiums at Kentlands Bluff, and making a stop at a station located near the present location of Lowes at the intersection of Main Street and Great Seneca.

The locally preferred alternative would need approval to move into the preliminary engineering phase, said Rick Kiegel, project manager with MTA during an informational meeting at the Lakelands Clubhouse.

Lakelands resident Ned McGowan had plenty of questions for Kiegel including how sound buffers will be placed and what the impact will be on trees in the wooded preserve along Great Seneca.

McGowan pushed for the meeting and believes it’s important to keep asking questions. “We need the community to get up to speed,” he said.

Another big question is what exactly will the CCT be? Light rail or bus transit? Pointing out pros and cons of both systems, Kiegel said Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is the more economical choice, at least for the capital costs. MTA estimates the capital costs of Light Rail Transit (LRT) for the alternative alignment to be $999.01 for LRT compared to $532.63 million for BRT.

Those numbers didn’t add up for Kentlands resident Ellie Shaw-Belblidia, who said it was an unfair comparison to only include capital costs. “Wouldn’t the operating costs and replacement costs for BRT would be higher?” she asked.

According to Kiegel the average life span of an LRT car is 40 to 50 years with some rebuilding compared to a 10-year average life span for a bus.

Also not factored into the numbers presented at the meeting was the economic impact for both residential and commercial real estate in the area.

Kentlands resident Dick Arkin believes LRT to be the more desirable choice and questioned why economic impact is not factored into the data. “It should be a factor,” he said.

As MTA continues its data gathering, Kiegel said it’s important to note that the project is not yet funded beyond the preliminary engineering phase in FY 2014.

Andy Inkeles, president of the Lakelands Community Association, urged Kentlands and Lakelands residents and homowners’ associations to work together to create a bigger voice that represents what area residents want.

Inkeles said he will reach out to other neighboring communities including Quince Orchard Park, Lakelands Ridge and Washingtonian Woods for future meetings. “This is an election year; we’re powerful and we can have an influence.”

“I was curious about how the city was looking to proceed in the area of economic development,” said Knapp after the meeting. “In particular, I was curious to see what the city was thinking regarding strategy for life sciences and technology development.”

Knapp announced in June that he is not seeking reelection to a third term on the Montgomery County Council. When his term ends this year, Knapp, a biotechnology consultant and former business development executive at Celera, plans to work with the region’s leading biotechnology firms, academic and research institutions, and the finance sector to develop strategies to increase life science activities in the community.

The Gaithersburg work session is the first meeting focused on economic development since city leaders designated $2 million for the top priority in the 2011 fiscal year budget. The city’s strategy is still unfolding but includes a new city staff position focused on economic development and an increased web presence.

Other ideas for spending the economic development fund include marketing and promotion, prospecting and incentives.

“I think it is important for the city and county to leverage each others’ efforts and strategies in life sciences and technology development,” said Knapp.

At the July 12 meeting, the city’s economic development update followed a lengthy discussion about the merits of expanding the city’s Enterprise Zone in Olde Towne.

“I think the concept of expanding the Enterprise Zone is worth considering,” said Knapp. “I believe there are two issues,” he said. “Incenting development within underutilized areas in the city and increasing economic competitiveness for the city within the county. I think each has merit and was very interested in the points raised by the Council members.”

At press time, the Council was split on the subject with Council member Henry Marraffa leading the charge for expansion and Council member Cathy Drzyzgula questioning the possible adverse effect on the current core. Several people testified on behalf of trying to expand the zone, including two developers and a resident. Deputy City Manager Tony Tomasello said staff did not have a formal position on the topic.

“Staff did not come in with a recommendation because we felt that both sides had merit — doing everything reasonably possible to facilitate development in Olde Towne versus focusing incentives on the core of the area,” Tomasello said. “In the end, the Council discussions really mirrored our own.”

The enterprise zone is a local program established by the Maryland General Assembly that provides state and local tax incentives such as real property tax credits, income tax credits and enhanced job creation tax credits to eligible businesses within the zone.

Tomasello said the city needs to decide soon if it will pursue expansion of the zone because of timing issues with the state. He said a formal application must be submitted by October 15, and the expansion request requires prior approval per resolution of both the city and county councils.

When it comes to taking time off or having more money in their wallets, cash is apparently king at Gaithersburg City Hall.

According to City Manager Angel Jones, 226 staffers or 96 percent of the eligible city work force of 236 employees opted to take monetary compensation over extra days off as part of the 2011 employee stipend program.

“No surprises here; I expected most to take it due to increasing costs and no pay raises for two years,” said Jones.

According to Jones, the employees not taking the cash are “employees needing additional leave.”

A stipend of $2,000 for every full-time employee was included in the 2011 fiscal year budget. Jones included a $2,000 stipend in the 2010 budget as well and reports the stats for electing monetary compensation this year were much the same as last year.

“Stipends, like leave, do not commit us to future costs,” said Jones.

According to the employee newsletter, the stipend checks were to be distributed with the July 16 payroll.

Gaithersburg Police Chief Mark Sroka is officially sworn in by Mayor Sidney Katz at City Hall on July 12. The new chief is joined by his wife and daughter.

Sroka Sworn In

With his wife and daughter by his side and new and former colleagues looking on, Mark Sroka was sworn in as Gaithersburg Police Chief on July 12 at City Hall.

Mayor Sidney Katz noted the number of Maryland state troopers who were in Gaithersburg that night specifically to watch Sroka take the oath of office, and Council member Michael Sesma joked after the meeting that he felt very safe during the special meeting.

Sroka comes to Gaithersburg from the Maryland State Police department where he carried a rank of major.

“Clearly there is a lot of respect inside and outside the city for our new chief,” noted City Council member Cathy Drzyzgula on a Town Courier Facebook posting.

After he took the oath of office, Sroka said he was “honored” and “humbled” and promised to give the job his all.

During his first week, he told The Town Courier things were going well and “everyone has been very supportive.”

Kentlands resident Sigrid McCutcheon is a member of the Police Chief’s Advisory Council (PCAC). She met with the chief at the PCAC meeting on July 14 and said he “emphasized openness and transparency of operations and a willingness to listen to the community’s concerns.”

“Chief Sroka seems like a good addition to the city,” McCutcheon said.

Police Patrols Increased Around Transit Center

Gaithersburg Police Chief Mark Sroka, not one week on the job, is directing more police patrols to the Lake Forest Transit Center following the city’s first murder of 2010.

“In reviewing the calls for service in the vicinity of the Lake Forest Transit Center, patrol officers have been directed to make increased patrol checks,” Sroka said. “I will continue to analyze current data and ensure that officers are deployed to those areas where they are most needed and can be most effective.”

Montgomery County police say Marlon Tinnon (23), of an unconfirmed address, was shot at least once at the Lake Forest Transit Center at approximately 10:45 p.m. on July 17. The victim was transported to Shady Grove Hospital where he died of his wounds, police said.

The preliminary investigation, according to police, reveals the suspect approached the victim and the men argued. Police said the suspect then fled the scene after the shooting.

On July 18, police charged 19-year old Travis Wright of Gaithersburg with first degree murder and the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. Wright is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Detention Center.

The idea for the Frederick J. Felton Neighborhood Matching Grant Program originated with City Council member Michael Sesma, who made the formal motion at the July 19 Mayor and Council meeting.

The motion passed unanimously with Mayor Sidney Katz calling it an “excellent idea.”

An emotional Sesma said he wanted to recognize his “good friend,” whom he later described as a “great public servant.”

“Given his commitment to our neighborhoods and our residents it made sense to me that we recognize him in a way that reflected his service,” said Sesma. “He organized the Council in the Communities effort and was always very responsive to citizen and neighborhood concerns, regularly bringing the issues to the attention of the council.”

The matching grant program is available to all homeowner associations, condominium associations, citizens associations, or any group that represents a majority of the residents in any given neighborhood. It began in 1998 to assist groups with neighborhood improvements.

“Since that time, over 100 neighborhood grants have been approved for projects ranging from landscaping enhancements to engineer studies,” said Monica Sanchez, Gaithersburg’s intergovernmental affairs coordinator.

According to Sanchez, $60,000 is designated in this year’s budget for the program and 19 neighborhood matching grant applications have been received to date. She said the 2011 grants will be presented to the Mayor and Council for approval at the August 2 meeting.

“It will be a special pleasure to announce the recipients of the Felton neighborhood grants at our meeting in August,” Sesma said.

“The purpose of the session is to consult with counsel, staff, and other individuals about pending or potential litigation and to consider the acquisition of real property for a public purpose and matters directly related thereto,” according to an announcement posted on the city’s Web site.

No other information was available.

On its website, CNN/Money magazine notes that “Gaithersburg’s ability to attract start-up companies has allowed it to rebound from the recession better than many other places.”

“It’s nice to see the magazine focusing this time on the economic advantages for businesses and families to locate in Gaithersburg,” said City Council member Ryan Spiegel.

Gaithersburg was included on the magazine’s “best places to live” list in 2008 and 2005.

This year’s number one best place to live is Eden Prairie, Minnesota, according to the CNN Money website, and another Maryland city, Columbia/Ellicott City, follows at number two. The city of Rockville is ranked 31 on the 2010 list.

A joint work session on economic development and the city’s enterprise zone is scheduled for July 12 at City Hall.

Deputy City Manager Tony Tomasello said the enterprise zone discussion will focus on the status of current projects and prospects for expansion in Olde Towne. He said the economic development work session will focus on expanding the city’s tool box and improving the city’s economic development web presence, etc. He is also expected to discuss expanding the city’s contract with CoStar so officials can be alerted to office leases that may be expiring in the city limits, etc. At press time, Tomasello said the office vacancy rate was somewhere between 12 and 13 percent, which he said is lower than it has been recently but higher than it had been when the rate hovered near 5 or 6 percent.

Although he is not predicting a big turnout, he said, local merchants should attend this meeting because decisions will be made that affect the city’s business community.

“Traditionally, the business community is fairly silent on policy issues,” Tomasello said.

Kentlands Downtown Partnership (KDP) President Paula Ross will be there, and she encourages other business owners to attend. Ross wants some of the money in this year’s economic development fund to be earmarked for implementing Kentlands charrette initiatives.

“There is a $2 million fund … without any parameters on it. We need to hold them accountable to spend that money wisely and not to forget about the charrette here that they spent a quarter of a million [dollars] to conduct but next to nothing so far in implementation,” Ross said. “Some of the $2 million fund needs to address the charrette and marketing all commercial districts in the city, including ours, and some needs to address the city’s larger need for a real economic development authority.”

The July 12 work session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Council chambers at Gaithersburg City Hall. Look for background information for the discussion to be uploaded on the city’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

A skateboarder shows off his skills at the Lakelands skate spot, which officially opened last month. Skateboarders are required to wear helmets at the skate spots.

The long-awaited skate spots opened late last month at Lakelands Park (1368 Main Street) and Diamond Farm Park (857 Quince Orchard Boulevard), and from the look and sounds of the skateboarding action, both spots are already popular with local teens.

An official sign unveiling ceremony for the spots was held on June 29 at Lakelands Park.

At the event, Gaithersburg’s Youth Services Director Tim Smith brought some yellow helmets for kids to borrow if they wanted to skate because helmets are required for safety at the city’s skate sites.

Several teen members of the Skate Spot Ad Hoc Committee, who helped lobby for the new amenities, were handed scissors by city staffers at the ceremony so they could cut the official green city ribbon wrapped around the skate spot sign. The skaters were joined by Council members Jud Ashman and Cathy Drzyzgula, parents, other residents and two city staffers.

The youngest members of the city’s Skate Spot Ad Hoc Committee also have the honor of seeing their names on the official skate spot sign. The youth include: Issac Gerendasy, Taylor Moore, Grant Norwood, Spencer Nystrom, Drew Thompson, Peter Turley and Matt Wagner.

During her closing remarks, Parks, Recreation and Culture Director Michele Potter said the skate spots are a real example of how youth can get involved in local government and make something happen.

Ashman told the skaters to enjoy the spots and use them well so they can help make the case for the next one.

Although the spots are open for skating, Smith said more improvements are in the works for this fall, including plantings around both skate areas and a piece of art at the Diamond Farm Park spot.

In October 2009, the City Council approved a resolution earmarking $90,000 for construction of the skate spots.