gaithersblog.net

An ongoing concern about early morning alcohol sales has Gaithersburg looking at putting a lid on the practice.

Residents have long claimed a slew of indecent behavior such as public urination and littering in the Olde Towne area is the result of beer sales that begin as early as 6 a.m. at one convenience store.

In lieu of pursuing state legislation, the city has discussed with the county board of license commissioners limiting sales hours through liquor licenses issued in specific areas, Assistant City Manager Fred Felton said.

My understanding is that the 7-11 in question, in the Duvall Center, is the only beer and wine outlet in a fairly wide area that begins alcohol sales that early in the morning. This has the effect of bringing many people to that location who otherwise have no reason to be there; in many cases they will buy single beers, drink them in the nearby neighborhood, and toss the empties into front yards, sometimes even stashing an extra for later in the bushes of a private home. Sometimes they proceed on to their jobs — or homes if they are coming off the night shift — and sometimes they find a place in the area to hang out or take a nap. If opening times for beer outlets were more uniform, many of these people would likely patronize stores closer to their homes or jobs. It is also fairly obvious why the 7-11 would be reluctant to help with voluntary restrictions, as these early sales are drawing customers from a much wider area than would be typical for a neighborhood convenience store.

The county’s planned day-laborer center off Shady Grove Road is set for a public hearing before the Planning Board Thursday, and has been recommended for approval by planning staff.

The plan is to set up two 60-foot trailers side-by-side on a half-acre lot in a county-owned cluster of industrial operations along Crabbs Branch Way, more than half a mile from the nearest home.

While the task force recommended that a center is better than doing nothing, it also set strict criteria for where a center is suitable — which Cathy Drzyzgula, a task force member and neighbor to the current informal gathering spot in Olde Towne — says the proposed site meets.

She is also hopeful that Leggett’s plan can draw broad support from people looking for practical solutions — a sentiment she feels has gotten lost in the fray of emotion and controversy.

‘‘[T]his choice represents a middle path, since it pleases neither extreme, but instead the larger share of people who hold moderate views on the issue,” she wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette. ‘‘It will help the workers, without putting an undue burden on a particular residential area. … It is easy when looking at an issue to try and define ‘the two sides,’ but in this case the middle is just as important as the extremes.”

The Gaithersburg teenager was attacked at about 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 by a group of unknown people wearing masks, county police spokeswoman Officer Melanie Hadley said Tuesday. She did not know where on his body or how many times he was stabbed.

The time and place of this incident would appear to make this the same incident as the first one in my earlier report here.

Residents at a forum last week said it is important to have a bilingual, technology-savvy city police chief take control of the city’s force when long-time chief Mary Ann Viverette retires in May.

Though most said the new chief should have prior leadership experience and a knack for communication, there was no clear majority on whether the candidate should be selected from the city’s current ranks or from outside the department.