QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMING, COUNCILMAN'S ROLE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY LIQUOR SCANDAL

The shocking results of an investigation by News 4's I-Team into the Montgomery County Department have added to the growing public questioning of why the county is in the liquor business to begin with. But the timing of the revelations, and Councilmember Hans Riemer's quickness to grandstand in a later News 4 sit-down appearance, raise questions. What did he know, and when did he know it? And why did this all go public just 48 hours after Election Day?

Riemer has received tremendous publicity in local media for several years regarding changes he has suggested in county and state liquor regulations. None of those reports indicated that Riemer had received a campaign contribution from at least one liquor license attorney. Riemer's initial proposals did not address public concerns such as the inability to purchase beer and wine at grocery stores in the county, but were more related to expanding the number of people eligible to obtain liquor licenses in the county, and being able to serve liquor without food in county establishments. Now, in this latest interview, Riemer is talking about getting the county out of the business altogether. Which I would welcome. In any case, it's been known for some time that the councilman is eager to change liquor regulations.

Fast forward to immediately after the reports aired. Hans Riemer conveniently was the only county councilmember interviewed for the follow-up report. I'm sure Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich or Nancy Floreen or any other number of councilmembers would have something to say about stolen liquor, and county employees allegedly drinking and driving. But they did not appear. No details have been given so far, but the rapid TV appearance suggests that Riemer was known to the reporters prior to the day the reports aired.

So to get back to the question of, "What did they know, and when did they know it," the News 4 report says the I-Team was following the trucks for several weeks. I think what the taxpayers have a right to know is, when was it known that County DLC drivers were allegedly drinking on the job, and stealing and reselling liquor? Before Election Day, or after? When was Hans Riemer alerted to these findings by News 4 - before Election Day, or after?

If the scandal had become public prior to Election Day, it would have been damaging to Mr. Riemer, County Executive Ike Leggett, and any other council incumbent on the ballot, as each one of them has oversight authority over the DLC.

What was the timeline?

MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF LIQUOR CONTROL EMPLOYEES ACCUSED OF STEALING BEER, RESELLING IT

NBC 4's News 4 I-Team alleges that some delivery employees for Montgomery County's Department of Liquor Control have been stealing beer meant to be delivered to county businesses. Their report also accuses some store owners of being in on the scam, which purportedly allowed County-controlled beer to be sold for private profit later by those employees. At least one County Councilmember is calling for an investigation, but hold on a minute - where was the oversight by the Council while the alleged crimes were taking place on their watch? Much like the Silver Spring Transit Center debacle, expect the Council to point fingers at everyone else but themselves, and claim they are victims just like the taxpayers. It's time the press starts asking the Council why they haven't been executing their oversight role in county government.

In the Farm Road case, where multiple Sandy Spring African-American landowners' property rights were violated, the Montgomery County Planning Board was allowed to hire a county political operative, Douglas Bregman, to investigate the scandal. This was somewhat like allowing Richard Nixon to investigate Watergate, as the Planning Department itself is under question in the Farm Road matter.

Bregman also had strong ties to development interests in the county, a conflict of interest for the Farm Road case, in which private developers were involved. Bregman's report was favorable to those who should have been investigated (surprise!), and Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler declined to answer calls to launch a state investigation of the Farm Road case. But, as I exclusively reported here, Bregman had donated $4,000 to Doug Gansler. Oops.

Only Councilmember Marc Elrich has continued to pursue the Farm Road swindle, and the local media dropped the story entirely after Bregman's "report."

County and state politicians have been treating mature adults in Montgomery County like children for years, denying us the right to even buy Bud Light at grocery stores and drug stores. Yet, if these accusations are true, their very own employees have been breaking the law themselves and getting away with it. The "beer skimming" scandal, and the transit center and Farm Road scandals, demand a federal investigation into each.

How convenient is it that we are only hearing about this sensational "beer bust" right after the county elections?

TEXAS HAS JOBS, GROWTH, AND...DAVE AND BUSTER'S!

With the demolition-bound White Flint Mall having given Dave and Buster's the boot from Montgomery County 2 weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice this article on the contrasting situation in Texas. Unlike Montgomery County, the Lone Star State is booming with tech and industrial jobs, and is a major destination for millennials seeking employment.

Where we now have no Dave and Buster's, Houston is about to welcome its third D&B in 2015. As suburban areas are again outpacing urban ones in growth nationwide, Houston's newest D&B will be in an indoor mall (that is rapidly-expanding its square footage by 50%), not an urban "town center."

MOCO, DC DON'T MAKE TECH JOBS TOP 25 LIST; VA EXURBS DO

An interesting piece in USA Today on the top 25 tech industry job growth jurisdictions in America ended up making the opposite point of its pro-smart-growth title. Currently-urbanizing Montgomery County failed to make the list, and so did the District, which is ostensibly the model MoCo is now following in regards to development and transportation policies. Not even Arlington or Fairfax are on it. Who in the DC region did make the list?

Exurban Loudoun and Prince William Counties. Neither of which is known for nightlife, transit-oriented urban centers, or other amenities that ostensibly draw "the young and the hip" to urban areas. While the article touts an "urban renaissance," the most recent data shows that urban growth has stalled or is going backwards, and the suburbs are now growing faster than cities. Did you know that, when you are using the internet, 70% of your data is streaming through Loudoun County? If anything, the establishment of Loudoun and Prince William as tech growth centers makes the case for an Outer Beltway even stronger, to manage the workers commuting there. It also again shows the foresight in the planning of the Silver Line through booming-but-squarely-suburban Tysons out to Loudoun.

Another intriguing data point in the study, is the growth rate of non-tech private jobs between 2007-2012. Loudoun (8.7%) and Prince William (6.8%) have had an astounding growth rate, only behind the Texas Miracle of Denton County (11.9%) and Kings County, NY (11.2%).

The success of DC's exurbs - listed alongside New York City, San Francisco and other major urban employment centers on this Top 25 - proves the point again that all of the alcohol, nightlife and high-density development in the world won't assure economic development nor job growth. No one would consider Loudoun or Prince William a hot nightlife spot. Yet both are among the 25 most attractive places to skilled tech workers. That's because they have the companies - and most importantly, the jobs. Conversely, think about Las Vegas. Vegas has arguably the best nightlife in America. But young workers are not flocking to Vegas, because it doesn't have the corporate headquarters and jobs.

Jobs are the biggest draw for college graduates, making economic development - and the attraction of major firms with high-wage jobs - far more critical than high-density development or nightlife. That also includes considering what else Loudoun and Prince William are doing right, that Montgomery County isn't.

BETHESDA ARTS CENTER - CAN AND SHOULD THIS PROJECT BE DONE?

The proposal for a new Bethesda Arts Center on the square block defined by Wisconsin, Fairmont, Woodmont, and Norfolk Avenues is certainly an intriguing one. A residential building would sit atop a black box theatre, dance studio, and artist spaces. Outside, would be a park-plaza gathering space. There are, however, quite a few issues that should be considered, before any major taxpayer-funded effort is made towards the project.

Most obvious is the challenge of assembling an entire square block of land from several landowners. Reportedly, Union Hardware and at least one other landowner are on board. But EagleBank and 7-Eleven are not, to this point. If taxpayer dollars are to be expended for a project led by a private developer, what amount of the land purchase will be made with public funds, and where will those funds come from? Do landowners have any incentive to take less than market value? And, given that at real market value, a square block near Bethesda Metro is literally worth a fortune, how could the county afford to pay said value?

Secondly, this project would have a tremendous impact on Fairmont Plaza, which directly faces the site across Fairmont Avenue. A handful of Fairmont Plaza residents I've spoken to (and I in no way am claiming they represent a majority opinion in Fairmont Plaza) tell me they've heard nothing about this project, and have been contacted by neither the private parties involved, nor the county. Such communication needs to happen sooner rather than later.

That brings me to a third point, because it directly affects Fairmont Plaza residents. Currently, the 7-Eleven store does three things. It is an amenity for nearby residents and workers. It activates that block of Fairmont Avenue 24 hours a day, with continuous foot traffic. And that relates to the third thing 7-Eleven does - it brings an element of safety to pedestrians and residents of Fairmont Plaza. While the EagleBank property is dead after business hours, there is activity around the clock at 7-Eleven. And police and fire vehicles often stop at, or by, the 7-Eleven. Should redevelopment of the site occur, based on the very general sketch provided, Fairmont Plaza could end up across from a wall, or an empty park late at night. Both of which would represent a drop in safety in that area.

Point number four is an extension of that. Namely, will the range of uses proposed for the arts center activate the affected streets at night? How late will this black box theatre operate? What is the market for it? What will be at street level all around the square block? We hear about vibrant streets, and activating streetscapes. But quite a few projects approved by the county are not providing that, and many so-called proponents of vibrant streets are not stopping those projects from being approved. We need to be consistent in design principles. Imagination Stage is a great venue, but it is often dead at night along that block. So a performance theatre alone may not achieve the goal of activating the streetscape. And a limited-hours park won't, either, after dark. At the same time, a loud gathering space would be far noisier than the current 7-Eleven. A recent boom in bank branches, and other projects with business-hours-only activity, has left some downtown residents disappointed. So, we need to consider the greater impacts of whatever is proposed for this site on nearby residents.

The sketch also shows a building on the current site of the 24-hour CVS across Wisconsin Avenue. If that is what planners imagine, could we be taking one of the few 24-hour hotspots in Montgomery County (with 7-Eleven, CVS and Tastee Diner) and turning it into a dead zone at night?

Speaking of theaters, there are several formal and informal theaters currently operating in Bethesda. Will the black box theatre compliment those, or compete with them for the same audience?

Given the nature of black box theaters, is the size and scope of such a massive public-private undertaking justified for such a spartan facility, which could in theory be located anywhere in the Woodmont Triangle? Is this a way for a developer to get a sweetheart price, for-profit project on a lucrative site, while providing - in relative terms - low-cost public amenities?

Should we wait to find out the fate of the Apex Building first? The demolition of the Apex Building to facilitate the Purple Line station would also destroy the Regal Cinemas, a vital revenue engine for nearby restaurants and businesses. One obvious impediment to a replacement cineplex is the significant square footage needed for such a facility. Could this square-block site be a potential location for a new cineplex? Such a cineplex would bring more private investment money into the proposed deal, while still retaining many of the proposed benefits of the arts center plan. There's no reason the black box theatre or dance studios could not still be housed in the building, because cineplexes are often partially or entirely underground.

Is this the prime spot for a large gathering space? Based on the sketches shown, it appears it would have less square footage of outdoor public gathering space than the plaza at Bethesda Metro Center. Yet, I am hearing more detail about this project, than about what we will do to restore public gathering at the Metro. Reactivating the Metro Center plaza would be less expensive than this project, so we shouldn't use public gathering space as a major justification for the arts center.

Beyond that, several projects are providing public space entirely through private investment. These include the public plazas at the Gallery Bethesda and Bainbridge Bethesda apartments, and the JBG project on the other side of Fairmont Plaza. So there is more public space on the way. But none of those, nor the arts center proposal, include any significant additional parkland beyond the traditional pocket or urban park.

What will the height and density of the project be? The building shown in the planning department sketch looks awfully squat for an urban location near Metro.

Finally, what is the proposed parking plan for the facility? Would it have an underground garage for both residents and patrons of the arts facilities?

Again, I have not formed a final opinion about the Bethesda Arts Center proposal. What I do think, is that we need substantive community discussion on the above points and others, before we start committing public funds to a project of this scope. Please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below.