For Immediate Release: Monday, September 26, 2016
Montgomery Council to receive update
on Silver Spring building explosion and fire
Also on Tuesday, Sept. 27: First of two nights of
public hearings on proposed Lyttonsville Sector Plan
Release ID: 16-288ROCKVILLE, Md., September 26, 2016—The Montgomery County Council at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, will receive an update on issues relating to the Aug. 10 explosion and fire at the Flower Branch apartment complex on Arliss Street in Silver Spring. Seven people were killed in blast and ensuing fire and 39 others were injured.
The update will be part of the Council’s weekly general session that will begin at 10:15 a.m. in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.
The Council’s morning session and afternoon sessions, two afternoon public hearings scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., and the first of two nights of public hearings on the proposed Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan that will begin at 7:30 p.m., will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The meeting also will be available via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8 and will be rebroadcast on CCM at 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30.
Among those expected to provide information on the Flower Branch apartment building fire are Earl Stoddard, the director of the County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security; County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein, County Police Chief Thomas Manger; Clarence Snuggs, the County’s director of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs; Uma Ahluwalia, the County’s director of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has taken over the investigation into the cause of the explosion, and Washington Gas also have been invited to attend. There were reports of the smell of leaking gas prior to the explosion.
Several federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the NTSB, investigated the explosion. ATF concluded its field work on Aug. 19, and determined that a natural gas leak in a basement meter room caused the explosion and fire. NTSB then took over the investigation. It is expected to issue a report in nine to 12 months.
Among the information that will be discussed in the briefing are that between Aug. 11 and Sept. 15, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service responded to 24 calls for reported gas leaks in the area around Arliss Street. Two resulted in Washington Gas notification and response. The County’s Department of Permitting Services is coordinating with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) review of post-incident permitted work—including gas lines or fixtures.
At approximately 10:40 a.m., the Council will receive its first overview of the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan, which will be the subject of Council review throughout the fall. A public hearing on the plan will begin Tuesday night and continue to Thursday, Sept. 29. The hearings will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night.
The west Silver Spring community of Lyttonsville-Rosemary Hills has been studied by the County Planning Board since 2012. The sector plan addresses zoning and land use, focusing on the commercial/industrial area along Brookville Road and two proposed Purple Line stations.
The community of Greater Lyttonsville is a collection of distinct residential, industrial and institutional districts. The three areas share a common history, but operate independently. The residential neighborhoods are established and culturally diverse; the industrial area provides critical services to County and the region in a strategic location; and major institutions with employment for military and civilian personnel serve as anchors. The plan area includes retail and multi-unit housing along the 16th Street corridor.
Two Purple Line stations and a Purple Line maintenance facility have been proposed for the Greater Lyttonsville area as part of the future 16-mile light rail route linking Bethesda to New Carrollton. The transit project presents the possibility of connecting the community’s residential, industrial and institutional areas together for the first time, and creating a unifying center in Lyttonsville.
The station areas, however, are perceived by some residents as introducing changes that could diminish the uniqueness of the established districts.
More information on the Greater Lyttonsville Plan can be found at http://tinyurl.com/j83lovy .
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