Developers train their eyes on "Eastern Silver Spring" next

The Montgomery County cartel is ready to move on communities in what it has rebranded "Eastern Silver Spring." This is a triangular area of eastern Montgomery County roughly bordered by the Colesville Road corridor to the east, the Capital Beltway to the north, the Prince George's County line to the east, and the City of Takoma Park to the south. It's quite a large area, as master plans go. The desire to upzone is made clear by the logo used by the Montgomery County Planning Department, which shows a hulking Thrive 2050 apartment building looming over a single family home. And the mega upzoning allowed by the long-delayed Purple Line is the purple elephant in the room.

A public meeting has been scheduled for September 4, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at the Long Branch Community Center at 8700 Piney Branch Road regarding how faith-based institutions "can be part of shaping the [Eastern Silver Spring Communities] plan’s vision for housing, equity, public spaces, sustainability, and neighborhood growth." Yes, having learned nothing from the November 2024 election, the Planning Department is still pushing the equity ......... Pay close attention to the description of this meeting, as it portends much for your future if allowed to advance with no restraints. Using the "Eastern Silver Spring" Anger Translator, we can learn that what this really stands for is developers buying up and demolishing churches, and entering into "partnerships" with other houses of worship to acquire land around their buildings for housing construction.

Many wonderful single-family home residential neighborhoods are contained within the plan area. Whether they stay that way partially depends on the outcome of this master plan. Holding a meeting at 6:00 PM suggests the County does not want many of these hardworking and employed residents to attend - or to attend on an empty stomach at best. Remember, if you're not at the table, you're on the menu. You can RSVP online on the meeting announcement website.

Strong-arm robbery in New Hampshire Estates area of Silver Spring

Montgomery County police were called to the scene of a strong-arm robbery in the New Hampshire Estates area of Silver Spring last Friday afternoon. The robbery was reported in the 800 block of University Boulevard E. around 5:47 PM, according to crime data. It occurred outside on the street.

Trump administration declares downtown Wheaton, parts of Silver Spring, White Oak opportunity zones

President Donald Trump speaks with a
business owner during a press briefing on
the Opportunity Zones initiative

The Trump administration has declared downtown Wheaton, two parts of downtown Silver Spring, parts of Long Branch and White Oak, four parts of Gaithersburg - including Montgomery Village, Montgomery College's Germantown campus, and Rockville Pike (between Rockville Town Center and Twinbrook) as Opportunity Zones. Created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Donald Trump, the zones encourage capital investment in underserved communities through federal tax incentives. The designation comes as media and business leaders express increasingly agree that Montgomery County's economy has become moribund.

Wheaton opportunity zone

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said the County will launch an outreach program to notify investors of the new investment opportunities. "Creating the incentive to bring capital into communities that are currently being overlooked is just a tremendous opportunity," Ivanka Trump said at a press conference on the initiative. "And the fact that this was integrated into the tax bill, which is already proving to be so beneficial for people all over this country, is just another element as we start to rebuild those distressed communities." The tax act reduced taxes for 72% of Maryland residents.

Opportunity zones in Montgomery Village
and Gaithersburg

Rockville Pike opportunity zone

Opportunity zones in downtown Silver Spring,
Long Branch and New Hampshire Estates areas

White Oak has two of the
Trump opportunity zones

Photo courtesy WhiteHouse.gov

ROBBERY IN LONG BRANCH, ASSAULT IN TAKOMA PARK + MORE - SILVER SPRING/WHEATON CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across eastern Montgomery County on May 16, according to crime data:

Assault/"other sexual offense." 2800 block Jennings Road (Stephen Knolls).

Vehicle burglary. 8700 block 1st Avenue (downtown Silver Spring).

Vehicle burglary. Spring Street at Georgia Avenue (downtown Silver Spring).

Theft. McDonald's, 2741 University Boulevard (Wheaton).

Vehicle burglary. 8700 block Georgia Avenue (downtown Silver Spring).

Drug arrest. 11200 block Veirs Mill Road.

Theft. 1100 block Fidler Lane (downtown Silver Spring).

Theft. Wheaton Plaza.

Theft. Target at Wheaton Plaza.

Liquor arrest. Cameron Street at Fenton Street (downtown Silver Spring).

Disorderly conduct. The Fillmore (downtown Silver Spring).

Liquor arrest. Georgia Avenue at Bonifant Street (downtown Silver Spring).

Vehicle burglary. Doubletree Hotel (downtown Silver Spring).

Liquor arrest. 8400 block Fenton Street (downtown Silver Spring).

Disorderly conduct. Veterans Plaza (downtown Silver Spring).

Drug arrest. 7700 block Chicago Avenue (downtown Silver Spring).

Assault. 9700 block Hastings Drive (Indian Spring Terrace).

Assault. Unit block of Ritchie Avenue (Takoma Park).

Robbery. 500 block Domer Avenue (Long Branch).

Burglary. 10700 block Venetia Mill Circle (White Oak).

Theft. 3500 block Pear Tree Court (Bel Pre/Aspen Hill).

Assault. 9300 block Piney Branch Road (New Hampshire Avenue Estates).

Vehicle burglary. 11300 block Lockwood Drive (White Oak).

Assault. 1400 block Morningside Drive (Smithville).

ASSAULT ON GRANDVIEW AVE., 2 DRUG ARRESTS BY N.H. ESTATES - SILVER SPRING/WHEATON CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of notable crimes reported across eastern Montgomery County on February 21, according to crime data:

Robbery. 8300 block Colesville Road.

Burglary. 10800 block Georgia Avenue (apparently an apartment).

Drug arrest. Cameron Street and Ramsey Avenue.

Drug arrest. Georgia Avenue and Corwin Drive.

Assault. 11200 block Grandview Avenue (Wheaton).

Drug arrest. 12500 block Veirs Mill Road (Aspen Hill).

Burglary. 4400 block Sigsbee Road.

Drug arrest. 2800 block Sheraton Street (Glenmont).

Drug arrest. University Boulevard E. and Seek Lane. (New Hampshire Estates area).

Drug arrest. Forston Street and University Boulevard E. (New Hampshire Estates area).

Vehicle burglary. 2200 block Bel Pre Road.

Drug arrest. New Hampshire Avenue at Shaw Avenue (Colesville).

Drug arrest. Stewart Lane and April Lane (White Oak).

ROBBERY REPORTED AT HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL - SILVER SPRING/WHEATON CRIME UPDATE

A robbery was reported at Holy Cross Hospital last Friday, according to crime data. There were also several vehicle break-ins along the University Boulevard corridor, near Long Branch, Franklin Knolls, New Hampshire Estates and Takoma Park.

Here's a roundup of other crimes reported across eastern Montgomery County on January 31:

Drug arrest. 3000 block Upton Drive (Wheaton).

Drug arrest. 8600 block 16th Street.

Weapon offense arrest. Veirs Mill Road and Schoolhouse Circle vicinity.

Theft. 8600 block Cameron Street.

Robbery. Wayne Avenue at Ramsey Avenue vicinity.

Theft. 11100 block Veirs Mill Road.

Drug arrest. Westfield Wheaton Plaza.

Theft. Target (Wheaton).

Theft. Macy's (Wheaton).

Liquor arrest. Parking Garage 2 (Silver Spring).

Drug arrest. Georgia Avenue at Colesville Road.

Theft. 8400 block Georgia Avenue.

Robbery. Holy Cross Hospital.

Theft. 11400 block Georgia Avenue.

Liquor arrest. 2300 block University Boulevard.

Liquor arrest. 8100 block Fenton Street.

Assault. 800 block Thayer Avenue.

Assault. Northwood High School.

Liquor arrest. 12300 block Georgia Avenue (Glenmont).

Theft. 100 block Lee Avenue (Takoma Park).

Burglaries (2). Unit block of E. Wayne Avenue.

Drug arrest. 8200 block Houston Court (Takoma Park).

Drug arrest. University Boulevard at Williamsburg Drive vicinity.

Drug arrest. University Boulevard at E. Franklin Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 9000 block Pickwick Village Terrace (Long Branch area).

Vehicle burglary, 6800 block New Hampshire Avenue (Takoma Park).

Vehicle burglary. 9500 block Lawnsberry Terrace (Franklin Knolls).

Vehicle burglary. 700 block Seek Lane (New Hampshire Estates area).

Vehicle burglary. 700 block University Boulevard East (New Hampshire Estates area).

Assault. 14100 block Arctic Avenue.