Can someone explain why we need an undemocratic business improvement district in Silver Spring?

[Anonymous]

Why do we need to give wealthy property owners taxing power and the ability to decide how to market Silver Spring? I know people here aren't fans of Will Jaws do but what's wrong with his idea of doing an urban district corporation with a more balanced board? It's good enough for Bethesda.

By Stephanie Lai

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/07/29/business-improvement-district-montgomery-county/

[Anonymous]

If you are like the DC densifiers, you love giving money to big developers. That IS the point. Then later these developers can hire you, or finance an election or some way scratch your back. Density wins and developers make money.

[Anonymous]

The money doesn't go to developers, it goes to an organization that supports the property owners and residents of the area. The BIDs in DC have been, for the most part, wildly successful and worth every penny thrown in.

Clean Teams
Events
Transportation improvements
collective and individual marketing

And so much more. As a DC person, I have been hearing about the promise of Silver Spring for decades. It has always been on the cusp of being a really successful area. But it isn't.

[Anonymous]

Silver Spring would be better off incorporating as a city. As a city it would have more control over land use and transportation decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring would be better off incorporating as a city. As a city it would have more control over land use and transportation decisions.

No, it wouldn't. It would be incorporated, but it would not have planning authority, authority over the big roads, or authority over RideOn, Metrobus, Metro, and the Purple Line.

To say nothing of the issue of what is and isn't "Silver Spring"...

[Anonymous]

I agree, OP. It’s capitalism run amok. I live in Bethesda, and already I’m not too happy with the pace of development there compared to the public school capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I agree, OP. It’s capitalism run amok. I live in Bethesda, and already I’m not too happy with the pace of development there compared to the public school capacity.

How, specifically, is it capitalism run amok, to give businesses the authority to tax themselves for marketing efforts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring would be better off incorporating as a city. As a city it would have more control over land use and transportation decisions.

No, it wouldn't. It would be incorporated, but it would not have planning authority, authority over the big roads, or authority over RideOn, Metrobus, Metro, and the Purple Line.

To say nothing of the issue of what is and isn't "Silver Spring"...

NP. What are you talking about? As a city, Silver Spring would indeed have planning authority and could collaborate with WMATA and Montgomery County -- when necessary -- on transit projects and transit services. It would own/maintain local streets and have greater authority to work with the state on streetscape and other improvements to state highways that pass through its jurisdiction.

I imagine that if a City of Silver Spring ever came into being, it would not encompass all of the current areas that have a Silver Spring postal address. This would be similar to Falls Church, VA, and Fairfax, VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring would be better off incorporating as a city. As a city it would have more control over land use and transportation decisions.

No, it wouldn't. It would be incorporated, but it would not have planning authority, authority over the big roads, or authority over RideOn, Metrobus, Metro, and the Purple Line.

To say nothing of the issue of what is and isn't "Silver Spring"...

NP. What are you talking about? As a city, Silver Spring would indeed have planning authority and could collaborate with WMATA and Montgomery County -- when necessary -- on transit projects and transit services. It would own/maintain local streets and have greater authority to work with the state on streetscape and other improvements to state highways that pass through its jurisdiction.

I imagine that if a City of Silver Spring ever came into being, it would not encompass all of the current areas that have a Silver Spring postal address. This would be similar to Falls Church, VA, and Fairfax, VA.

Nope. Whatever the boundaries of an incorporated Silver Spring, M-NCPPC would retain authority over planning, WSSC would retain authority over water and sewer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring would be better off incorporating as a city. As a city it would have more control over land use and transportation decisions.

No, it wouldn't. It would be incorporated, but it would not have planning authority, authority over the big roads, or authority over RideOn, Metrobus, Metro, and the Purple Line.

To say nothing of the issue of what is and isn't "Silver Spring"...

NP. What are you talking about? As a city, Silver Spring would indeed have planning authority and could collaborate with WMATA and Montgomery County -- when necessary -- on transit projects and transit services. It would own/maintain local streets and have greater authority to work with the state on streetscape and other improvements to state highways that pass through its jurisdiction.

I imagine that if a City of Silver Spring ever came into being, it would not encompass all of the current areas that have a Silver Spring postal address. This would be similar to Falls Church, VA, and Fairfax, VA.

Nope. Whatever the boundaries of an incorporated Silver Spring, M-NCPPC would retain authority over planning, WSSC would retain authority over water and sewer.

So, what does the Rockville Planning Department do?

[Anonymous]

Because your business district has been dying for over 5 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So, what does the Rockville Planning Department do?

Rockville, Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, and Poolesville all have planning authority because they were incorporated before M-NCPPC was given planning authority over Montgomery County and Prince George's County. The City of Silver Spring would be incorporated afterwards.

https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2005/g28/7-105.html

"(b) Except as provided by agreement under this section, neither the Commission nor the Montgomery County Planning Board nor the district council may exercise any planning or zoning power or jurisdiction within any municipal corporation that existed as of June 1, 1957, as provided under subsection (a) of this section. A municipality that incorporates after June 1, 1957 may not exercise planning, zoning, or subdivision power unless expressly provided for in this article."

Poolesville also has authority over its water and sewer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because your business district has been dying for over 5 years?

OP here - yes I think it would be great to bring more business here, but there is a lot of research on BIDs and how they are a giveaway to the wealthy. What I love about downtown SS is not the chains but the small Ethiopian, Colombian, Haitian, etc businesses that have been a lifeline to us during the pandemic. I understand they will not be represented and that's a real problem for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree, OP. It’s capitalism run amok. I live in Bethesda, and already I’m not too happy with the pace of development there compared to the public school capacity.

How, specifically, is it capitalism run amok, to give businesses the authority to tax themselves for marketing efforts?

Representation is based on land holdings. The BID has the authority to tax themselves and others who don’t have a reasonable chance at equal representation. I thought we agreed a long time ago that everyone’s vote should count the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because your business district has been dying for over 5 years?

OP here - yes I think it would be great to bring more business here, but there is a lot of research on BIDs and how they are a giveaway to the wealthy. What I love about downtown SS is not the chains but the small Ethiopian, Colombian, Haitian, etc businesses that have been a lifeline to us during the pandemic. I understand they will not be represented and that's a real problem for me.

How is it a giveaway to the wealthy?

It is a self-taxing mechanism to collectively market the area and take care of other tasks that the County should be, but isn't doing. Where do the wealthy benefit?