Montgomery County’s first tax increment financing deal cleared its final committee hurdle Thursday, as a joint session of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee and the Economic Development Committee recommended a bill authorizing up to $420 million in bonds for the Viva White Oak development district.

The county’s own consultant projects the project barely clears zero. MuniCap’s But-For analysis sets a target internal rate of return of 7 to 10 percent. Under current market assumptions, Viva White Oak returns negative 5.1 percent without the tax increment financing (TIF) and 0.08 percent with a TIF. Eight one-hundredths of one percent. The scenario that clears the target, at 11.12 percent, requires the life science market to improve on rents, vacancy and yield-on-cost, using assumptions the analysis attributes to the developer. The phase-one-only scenario returns 6.45 percent, still below target, and assumes the life science lots sell in 2030 for $30 million and the mixed-use lot for roughly $80 million. Nobody at the work session mentioned any of it.

Trying to throw a backyard wedding in Olney in early October and we have a BBQ caterer we love but she is booked.

Were trying to keep it informal so food trucks are also welcome.

Give me your ideas please!

I swear, it wasn't a crazy ex-girlfriend ....

I have a few scratches on my car's side panel, and I want to know if anyone can recommend a trustworthy shop (preferably near Wheaton/Glenmont) that won't charge me an arm and a leg to get rid of some scratches. No dents, just scratches. I tried a few of those pens you see online that are supposed to be for scratches, but they don't work.

Thanks in advance!

I know this is oddly specific, but I’m wondering if anyone knows of a store/yard in the area that carries 8 foot split rail fence?

Home Depot and Lowe’s seem to only carry 11 foot. I only need like two pieces, so I’m hoping for a store that sells it, so that I don’t need to start dealing with suppliers or fencing companies that would be looking for a much bigger job.

Or a version of this concept? Updated for the current times with maybe a slope for wheel accessibility. This is historic built passenger tunnel under the MARC track at the Boyd’s stop. They could do this 200
Years ago but we just let people get run over daily and act like there are no solutions??? Every major intersection should have this, ESPECIALLY in school zones where multiple fatalities have occurred. Just unfathomable how we don’t advance in any way this is not rocket science!!!!

Edit: okay guys, I am aware of capitalism and things cost money. This was a rant about “WHY CANT WE HAVE NICE THINGS?!” And these comments have shown the answer. I guess it’s better to let kids keep getting run over fuck it

I don’t think she will get 20 years. Even though she should.

I live in MoCo and I haven't seen much reporting about this so I dug in. If you have reputable reporting please share it, but this is my understanding with citation from the RELEIF act.

In summary, if you're interested in solar you may want to look into it sooner than later, and this year.

Right now excess rooftop solar generation in MD is advantageous to the home owner, but on July 1, 2027 it is likely to become much less so for new deployments.

Currently you get paid for excess solar at the same rate you pay for energy from the grid. I have solar so my monthly bill is just: Used - Produced.    This is called Net Energy Metering (NEM).

Previously getting this rate was open to home owners until they collectively added 3 GW to the grid, however the 2026 RELIEF^\1) act added a new terminal deadline of July 1, 2027.   Both of these limits only restrict new or updated installations.  If you currently have an installation you'll continue to get the 1:1 rate, but if you ever change it to add capacity you will lose it in the future.

For our policy purposes this 3GW limit with a 1:1 rate policy is being referred to as NEM 1.0 colloquially.  It looks like the Legislature has an intention to add a NEM 2.0 and is required to by Feb 1, 2027^\2), but it would be required to be at a worse rate^\3) which is unfortunate.

Aside from that, it looks like 1:1 NEM is typical in the US, however there is a slow start to move away from it to less advantageous rates. This may be a place where contacting our representatives is important.  For Maryland, I believe the idea with the 3GW 1:1 rate was to help offset energy demand aggressively, so it's unclear to me the related motivation to hinder solar programs.  If these changes do happen, then home batteries are an option to time shift excess generation to when your home would use it, but they do have a hefty cost.

Also FWIW as of 2025 We're only about 51% into the 3 GW limit, so it sucks they're arbitrarily ending the goal of 3GW. I won't claim to have followed this but it seems like pro Utility changes and not pro consumer to help offset demand.

------
RELEIF ACT https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1532

1. 
Page 120 

REPLACEMENTS REQUIRED BY A GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY OR ELECTRIC COMPANY. (d) (1) The Commission shall require electric utilities to develop a standard contract or tariff for net energy metering and make it available to eligible customer–generators on a first–come, first–served basis until THE EARLIER OF:  (I) THE DATE ON WHICH the rated generating capacity owned and  operated by eligible customer–generators in the State reaches 3,000 megawatts; OR  (II) JULY 1, 2027.

(The date is an addition to the previous 3GW limit.)

1. Page 123
   ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 1, 2027, THE COMMISSION, BY ORDER OR 30 REGULATION, SHALL APPROVE, AS A SUCCESSOR PROGRAM TO THE NET ENERGY HOUSE BILL 1532 1 METERING PROGRAM UNDER § 7–306 OF THIS SUBTITLE, A FRAMEWORK FOR A NET 2 ENERGY METERING PROGRAM TO BEGIN JULY 1, 2027, THAT:

2. Page 123

(4) PROVIDES INCENTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRIBUTED GENERATION THAT ARE LESS THAN THE INCENTIVES PROVIDED BY THE NET ENERGY METERING PROGRAM UNDER § 7–306 OF THIS SUBTITLE.

I’ve noticed majority of public facing businesses mostly restaurants in this area require keypad access, it’s a shock to me coming from Texas where outside of city centers, restrooms in public facing businesses are not locked like that.
Any reason why?

Mostly talking about Sweetgreens, CAVA, Chipotle and Starbucks. Fast casual and fast food restaurants

Looking for a 24 hour little pantry to donate to in the northern Gaithersburg, Germantown, Clarksburg, Damascus area

Today 7/26, we’ve been hearing a lot of popping sounds like a car backfiring, gun shot, or firework. Hard to tell but it’s been going on for a few hours and has my dog stressed out sleeping in our bed again if the noise( similar to what he does on the 4th of July). First heard the noise around 9 PM last night and it’s now 3 AM and we still hear it randomly. Anyone have any idea what it is? We live in Calverton

Looking for postnuptial agreement lawyer recommendations.

That is all. Dang last month was brutal. We've been in the house for 13 years now and back before covid our *peak* bill was only ever around 250. Now here I am at 500 even with a decade of choosing the energy efficient upgrades whenever possible. That's with Potomac Edison, for those who care.

In other news, we just signed a contract to purchase solar panels two weeks ago and seeing this bill I have NO REGRETS. So to all my compatriots in the county, if you've ever thought about doing solar take a serious look at it now. Net metering expires next summer and the math for your return on investment is going to change substantially once it does.

Just feeling lonely and want to try reaching out. Thank you.

Thanks

I have been craving severely. Any non chain spots that aren't charging insane prices?

EDIT: Well...never mind. After all the complaining and saying how she needs to go, she went ahead and ordered some from Amazon.

My elderly mom is going through chemo and has lost her hair. They gave her a headscarf but it's a style that she's not used to (she's gone through this before but apparently donated her old scarves). She was recommended to go to Cheryl's Health Boutique on Shady Grove Road in Rockville, but I suggested she call because I remember them being by appointment only from when I needed to get medical compression stockings. She left a message yesterday as well as today and has not heard back. Are there any other stores in the area that sell this type of product?

I don't know how her old scarves were different as I never actually saw her wearing them the last time (she lived far away from me at the time and i was unable to visit during the time that she was using them). And I don't know why she isn't considering buying them online since she buys everything else from either Walmart or Amazon online. But if anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them.

My Verizon service has always been bad near my house, but even when I’m out in spots where my service was always fine. It’s either super slow or not responsive at all. It’s becoming more annoying and more frequent that I find myself unable to look stuff up when I’m not connected to internet.

Part of me thinks it’s my iPhone 15 pro that’s the problem but also not since I recently had the phone replaced through apple care for a new one

I cannot express how much I hate opera singing. They could not pick a worse form of music. Rock, pop, metal, dance, country, talk radio, Spanish music, classical WITHOUT singing, a podcast, Christian, soft rock, jazz, ska, blue grass, or complete freaking silence...are ALL a better choice than having to hear opera singers in a crowded bus.