The Jimmy John’s sandwich shop at 8710 Cameron St. in Silver Spring has permanently closed “due to coronavirus.” Other than a notice on the doors, the only “announcement” was in response to a customer inquiry on Twitter yesterday.
The Planning Board this morning declined to reconsider its July 2 resolution approving a site plan amendment that proposed a $10 million renovation of the Downtown Silver Spring development. Chairman Casey Anderson noted that the board had received “multiple requests” for reconsideration of the earlier action.
The county’s Department of Health and Human Services closed two more Georgia Avenue businesses in Silver Spring for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. Society Lounge at 8229 Georgia Ave. and Republic Garden at 8402 Georgia were both shut down on Sunday July 12, both for not maintaining social distancing. In addition, both businesses had their licenses suspended.
The Planning Board is scheduled to reconsider its earlier approval of a $10 million renovation plan for Downtown Silver Spring at its meeting Thursday, July 16. The plan includes a proposal to permanently close Ellsworth Drive to vehicular traffic from Fenton Street to just beyond Fountain Plaza, and lay down nontoxic artificial turf to create a “linear urban park.”
The County Council this week approved two special appropriations and introduced a third designed to help businesses and organizations recover from the COVID-19 emergency. The council unanimously okayed $14 million to create the Reopen Montgomery Business Assistance Program. The funds will reimburse county businesses and nonprofit organizations reopening expenses incurred to comply with new state and county health regulations due to the crisis.
Not Your Average Joe’s restaurant in Ellsworth Place has permanently closed, according to an email sent to customers today (July 9) and forwarded to the Source. The message, signed by Peter D’Amelio, the company’s chairman and CEO, reads, “We have truly enjoyed being part of the Silver Spring community.”
Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Andrew Friedson introduced legislation Tuesday that would extend Metro’s existing property tax abatement for 15 years for new high-rise development. Bill 29-20, the “More Housing at Metrorail Stations Act,” would require the Director of Finance to offer a payment in lieu of taxes for a high-rise building constructed by a private developer on property leased from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority at a Metro station.
Kefa Café will leave its location in the Silver Spring Library and open a café in the new Wheaton Library, while Bump ’n Grind will take over the Silver Spring spot. “We have been honored for the past five years to operate the coffee shop located on the grounds of the Silver Spring Library,” said Kefa’s co-owner Lene Tsegay in a statement, “and we are proud to have established a precedent for creating a welcoming and supportive community space for library customers.”
Service on Metro’s Red Line was interrupted by a derailment at the Silver Spring station shortly before 11:30 a.m. A statement posted by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, posted on the organization’s Twitter page, reads, “Preliminary information suggests the eight-car train passed a red signal prior to the derailment.”