Discovery Launches STEM Education Initiative

Gov. Martin O’Malley, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and MCPS Superintendent Joshua P. Starr spoke at the launch event at Benjamin Banneker Middle School last week.

Commercial Strip Makeovers in Burtonsville Continue

Two additional properties on the Northern side of Route 198 are part of Montgomery County's facade improvement plan, a county official said.

Two years after a cluster of small businesses in Burtonsville's commercial district received a major facelift as part of a government program to update the look of the neighborhood, more changes are in the pipeline. The building at 15420 Old Columbia Pike, which houses Old Hickory Grille, is in the construction phase of a facade improvement as part of Montgomery County's Department of Housing and Community Affairs plan to financially assist property owners in Burtonsville with updating the look of their buildings. Another building just down the road, Pike Center, which houses Cuba de Ayer and Williams Beer and Wine, has signed on to the program, but construction has not started. The facade improvements are part of a set of recommendations …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

University of Maryland To Cut Shuttle Service to Laurel, Bowie, Burtonsville

Cuts expected to bolster shuttle services to Shady Grove.

It’s the end of the line for the University of Maryland’s shuttle services to Laurel, Bowie and Burtonsville. This week the College Park campus’ Department of Transportation Services announced that routes to the three locations would end Oct. 12 after 10 years in operation, reports college’s student paper, The Diamondback. Ending the routes is expected to save more than $60,000 that will be reallocated to improving efficiency along the Shady Grove route, according to the school’s DOT.  School officials said the cancelled routes suffer from low ridership in comparison to the Shady Grove Route. The Laurel, Bowie, and Burtonsville route was mainly used by staff and the Shady Grove route was mainly used by students, according to The …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Public Hearing, Council Committee Meetings Scheduled for Burtonsville Plan

Suggestions for how to bring commerce and customers back to Burtonsville's businesses is headed for the Montgomery County Council this fall.

Now is the time to speak up about a Burtonsville plan to spruce up the town's central business district, paving the way for more community spaces, foot traffic and business. In coming months, the Burtonsville Neighborhood Plan, a vision for how to bring a sense of community and increase economic vitality to the area, will go before the Montgomery County Council--first in a public hearing, then in a couple of committee meetings and finally a full vote.  Senior Planner Kristin O'Connor began a study in November 2010 to discover ways to revitalize the area, spurred in part by the struggling Burtonsville Crossing shopping center, which continues to lose both tenants and customers.  Haven't been following along? Get caught up on plans for …

• Documents (1)

SaveBurtonsville.com: Property Owners, Planners Spar Over Future of Rural Area

Land owners in Burtonsville want to build townhomes on their property, but the planning board says the land is too important to the area's water supply.

What does Burtonsville need to survive and thrive? If you ask Tom Norris, a resident and land owner, he'll tell you "more housing."  He and a group of others who collectively own an undeveloped 40-acre tract just north of Burtonsville Crossing recently started a petition on Change.org to allow them to build on their land. The petition asks the Montgomery County Council to reject a proposal by planners that continues to outlaw substantial residential development on the acreage. Thirty-two people have signed so far.  "There’s not enough people to support the shopping center, or the shopping centers, both of them are struggling," said Norris.  Kristin O'Connor, senior planner with Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

WATCH: Plans for Burtonsville to Provide 'More Human Connections'

Sidewalks, bike lanes and outdoor gathering spaces will give Burtonsville a sense of community.

Recommendations for improving traffic and creating a more walkable community for Burtonsville are moving through Montgomery County's planning process.  Previously, Kristin O'Connor, senior planner with Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, conducted a study of Burtonsville's commercial district and a rural area just north. O'Connor described the town's main drag, at Route 29 and Route 198, in the planning department's video as "a crossroads and a very vehicular dominated area."  "You've got no pedestrian infrastructure, no sidewalks," she continued. "There aren't any gathering spaces of note that you would want to sit down and have your ice cream and have your cup of coffee. "It just has the roads and the pass-through …

•  3 Comments

Whitney Teal

2:01 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2012

Hey, Diane! yep! zoning changes for the old shopping center are included in the plan -- read more about what we've written about the plans for the commercial district: http://colesville.patch.com/topics/plans-for-burtonsville-18367234   more ›

Praisner Center to Mark 10th Anniversary with Community Celebration

Free event to feature family activities and Taste of Burtonsville; County Executive Leggett to appear.

An all-day community party is on tap next Saturday at the Marilyn J. Praisner Comunity Recreation Center in Burtonsville, in celebration of its 10-Year anniversary.   The celebration is set for next Saturday, May 19, Saturday, May 19, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett is scheduled to kick off the festivities with an opening proclamation commemorating the Center. The event is free and open to the public, with ample free parking available. Music, children's activities, interactive workshops and demonstrations--and food--will be part of the family-oriented day. "We will have face painting, a moon bounce, balloon sculpting, arts and crafts, several things the children can do," said Praisner Center Director Carol Brown. …

• Photos (1)

Bites Nearby: Zest for Ambience at Zen Asian Grill & Sushi

Family-owned restaurant in Burtonsville offers upscale atmosphere and menu.

Walk into the entrance of Zen Asian Grill & Sushi and you know immediately that this is not your typical neighborhood eatery. A replica of a famed Terra Cotta Warrior from China and a glass wall of water greet patrons before they see the modern interior of the restaurant in Burtonsville. "It's cozy. It's a little bit different than your run-of-the-mill, franchised places," said diner Julie Reiner, a Colesville resident. The soaring wood, decorative art and spacious seating are inviting to people looking for an uplifting environment for their dining experience. Reiner has eaten at Zen many times and describes the food as wonderful. "My husband and I are sort of running through the menu. He does the sushi and I do all the other stuff," …

• Photos (12)

Burtonsville Native Has Big-Screen Dreams

Mark Blackman's film "Welcome to Harlem," is based on his experiences moving to New York in 2006, the Washington Post reports.

Burtonsville Church To Provide Holiday Food and Fellowship to the Homeless

A local church will hold a Christmas party for the homeless.

Depression, loneliness and drug abuse: these are all issues that some homeless people face, said Jeremy Tuinstra, pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Burtonsville. A way to help prevent these difficulties is to give these community members something to do during the day, he said. On Christmas day, Covenant will be doing just that. The church will be having a Christmas party for the homeless. This will be the third year that the church has held the party. It officially gets underway at 11:30 a.m. Tuinstra said everyone is welcome to attend the day’s earlier events, including a breakfast buffet at 9 a.m. and a worship service at 10 a.m. Tuinstra said he will transport many to the party himself. At 7 a.m., he plans to pick them up from …

• Photos (1)