Music hall clears zoning hurdle
The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday, Oct. 7, approved a Zoning Text Amendment and a Subdivision Regulation Amendment that will clear the way for arts and entertainment uses—and that will allow nationally known music promoter Live Nation to establish a Fillmore music hall as part of the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring.
Next week, the Council will formally make its recommendation on the deal negotiated between County Executive Isiah Leggett and Live Nation. A straw vote on the deal showed the Council in favor by a 7-2 margin. It is expected that that the Fillmore, which will host music, live entertainment and community uses, will open in 2011 on the site of the former J.C. Penney store.
Zoning Text Amendment 08-15 and Subdivision Regulation Amendment 08-03 that were approved today relate to changes needed to allow developers to provide space for arts and entertainment before construction of their main project. Those amendments needed approval before the County could formally address a tentative deal negotiated between County Executive Leggett, Live Nation and the Lee Development Group. The Lee Development Group has agreed to donate land it owned in downtown Silver Spring to become the home of the Fillmore, in exchange for special development considerations in regard to an adjacent piece of land it owns.
The Zoning Text Amendment passed by a 7-2 vote, with Council President Mike Knapp, Council Vice President Phil Andrews and Councilmembers Valerie Ervin, Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Don Praisner and Duchy Trachtenberg in favor. Councilmembers Roger Berliner and Marc Elrich voted against.
Subdivision Regulation Amendment 08-03 was approved unanimously.
Councilmembers Knapp, Andrews, Ervin, Floreen, Leventhal, Praisner and Trachtenberg indicated in the later straw vote that they would be in favor of recommending the deal that will be considered by the Council on Oct. 14.
Press statement courtesy of Montgomery County Council.
8 responses to “Music hall clears zoning hurdle”
October 8, 2008 at 9:11 am
HELL YEAH!!!
October 8, 2008 at 9:16 am
Good.
October 8, 2008 at 9:39 am
Good news!
October 8, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Meanwhile, Ike Leggett says to the Montgomery public school teachers, “Sorry, no raises for you this year.”
I love it when tax dollar money gives priority to concert halls over the education budget.
October 9, 2008 at 8:54 am
Glad to see it is going to happen!! It will add a lot to the area.
October 9, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I worry that this deal creates loopholes that could haunt us for years to come. I hope I’m wrong. I hope $ start going into this country’s manufacturing base. I hope we start rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and preserving our existing housing — instead of whacking anything small-scale or middle-class and replacing it with something big and expensive.
October 10, 2008 at 10:49 am
LMH,
Exactly! We have municipalities spending so much tax dollars on building arenas, stadiums, concert halls etc. What about our roads, our rail systems, and affordable housing? The basic stuff, you know.
October 11, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Somehow will be very surprised if this still moves forward. If banks are withholding credit how can any construction happen anyhow?
Holler back