• Patricia M. Murret writes, New commercial properties must go ‘green’ in Gaithersburg:

    City leaders have raised the bar for commercial developers in Gaithersburg, requiring that large buildings meet higher energy-efficient standards and have more eco-friendly features, such as geo-thermal windows or landscaped roofs.

  • Sebastian Montes writes, City rejects Asbury’s offer of public green space:

    Negotiations between the City of Gaithersburg and Asbury Methodist Village to set aside a small plot of green space for public use have collapsed, and Asbury is moving ahead with a 4,400-foot metal fence that will enclose its 130-acre Gaithersburg campus.

    “They wouldn’t lease us the land, and they’d have us pay all the expenses,” including insurance, maintenance and the cost of moving the fence in the future, said City Councilwoman Cathy Drzyzgula, a longtime Olde Towne resident. “And they wouldn’t put anything in writing that anyone could use the field.”

  • Patricia M. Murret writes, Talks delayed for future of fairgrounds:

    Gaithersburg city officials have postponed a public planning process for the future of the Montgomery County fairgrounds, saying that the forum scheduled for fall will take place in February.

  • Patricia M. Murret writes, Of Note Around Gaithersburg:
    • Housing stipend OK’d for Gaithersburg staff
    • Hispanic Heritage Month
    • Wye site sale
    • Lobbyist maintains foothold