Silver Spring Scene News Round Up
By Silver Springer • Nov 20th, 2006 • Category: Uncategorized
A Regional Parade
The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade was a bigger and better than ever this year bringing performers from all over the D.C. region and beyond. I even ran into a fellow reader/poster. Photos of the parade will be posted soon. The Parade will be retelevised on Thanksgiving Day on News Channel 8.
Tenant Found
The Maryland Youth Ballet will be filling the 11,800 square foot space above the Ann Taylor Loft and Bombay Co. in the Silver Spring Retail District They gave us a sneak peak at the parade as well.
Worker Dies From Toxic Fumes
A man in his 20s was found unconscious and later pronounced dead after stripping a tub in the Flower Branch Apartments. The toxic fumes and poor ventilation were said to be the causes of death.
Yet, another reason to get rid of old insignificant infrastructure, they do not meet modern health and fire building codes. WJZ
UPDATE: Photos have been added, sorry it took a while.
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It is important to report the news in our area but we should remember that unless we know the facts we are simply spreading rumors and showing our own ignorance. The fact is that the death occurred becuase the deceased was not wearing a respirator that is mandatory equipment for this process. There is nothing inherent to Flower Branch that contributed to the death of this individual. These are the facts surrounding this death. THERE IS A LESSON IN THIS FOR EVERYONE!
the lesson learned is to not employ illegal immigrants who cannot read english.
“the lesson learned is not to emply illegal immigrants”
Someone died asshole!
1) you have no idea if this person was an illegal alien
2) the problem was not his legal status, but that he failed to wear his respirator or follow his company’s very strict safety procedures.
3) despite all this, it is very, very sad that this young person is lost forever and the impact of his loss will affect many people for the rest of their lives.
When is Channel 8 showing the parade tomorrow - my kids would love to see themselves march!
Anonymous said…
It is important to report the news in our area but we should remember that unless we know the facts we are simply spreading rumors and showing our own ignorance. The fact is that the death occurred becuase the deceased was not wearing a respirator that is mandatory equipment for this process. There is nothing inherent to Flower Branch that contributed to the death of this individual. These are the facts surrounding this death. THERE IS A LESSON IN THIS FOR EVERYONE!
11/21/2006 04:29:13 PM
RE: If your saying what I think your saying then you are wrong. They do need to demolish old Buildings that don’t meet the Health and Fire Codes. Thje only reason why you people support the maintaining of old buildings is to punish the people that support new development/revitalization in which you people are totally against which also shows how hateful you people are against economic/business development in Maryland in the name of supporting economic/business wealth in Northern Virginia/DC.
The point made in the original post had nothing to do with a pro or anti-development stance, so I’m not really sure how you could draw those conclusions, especially your tangent on being hateful.
The only point made was that the worker didn’t follow procedure to wear his respirator and open a window, and he suffered the tragic consequences. It was not the fault of the landlord and the building’s age/compliance with current building codes is irrelevent in this situation.
I’m am 100% pro development, but I’m also pragmatic. If, as you propose, “they” tore down every old building or complex that didn’t meet new construction code, you would have to remove 60-70% of the current housing stock in this region. And where are those people supposed to live while we rebuild what will invitably be much more expensive, market rate apartments?
Old, functionally obsolete apartments (with no architectural significance) get torn down and replaced when market demand & jurisdictional conditions support the cost of redevelopment. It’s that simple.
http://tinyurl.com/y68×7z
While the death of the worker may have been his own negligence, I wouldn’t exactly let the Flower Branch Apartments off the hook. They are 60s-70s vernacular sprawling garden style apartments that are not in the best of shape. Was there a suction fan in the bathroom? The Blairs didn’t even have a sprinkler system when a fire set it a blaze back in 2005. The cost to add the sprinkler system was projected to be $20 million. That’s about 1/3 of the cost for a new building with the same amount of units. Will the developer keep the rent at the same level because of the low income residents living there? I bet not. I guess the real question is…should people be even living in such conditions in the first place?
I agree that old housing stock provides shelter for low income residents, but the eventual decline of these kinds of developments end up not being pretty or safe for the most part. This is why Prince George’s County and Gaithersburg are taking the initiative to do something about them (or at least allowing them to be redeveloped).
If anything I’ve learned sometimes “market demand†will avoid certain places for frivolous reasons and jurisdictional codes actually becomes an impediment to economic vitality.
It’s all sort of a “catch-22â€.
Yes, 1/3 the cost of development of the new product…but you forgot to include the two years of construction where there would no to minimal revenue from the “lost” units.
I don’t know exactly how big the Blairs is, but if you take 500 units X $1100/month (avg) X 24 months = $13,200,00. Even when you back out operating expenses, that’s still a ton of change in itself.
Anonymous said…
The point made in the original post had nothing to do with a pro or anti-development stance, so I’m not really sure how you could draw those conclusions, especially your tangent on being hateful.
The only point made was that the worker didn’t follow procedure to wear his respirator and open a window, and he suffered the tragic consequences. It was not the fault of the landlord and the building’s age/compliance with current building codes is irrelevent in this situation.
I’m am 100% pro development, but I’m also pragmatic. If, as you propose, “they” tore down every old building or complex that didn’t meet new construction code, you would have to remove 60-70% of the current housing stock in this region. And where are those people supposed to live while we rebuild what will invitably be much more expensive, market rate apartments?
Old, functionally obsolete apartments (with no architectural significance) get torn down and replaced when market demand & jurisdictional conditions support the cost of redevelopment. It’s that simple.
11/26/2006 09:22:47 PM
RE: You don’t want other people to understand that when you check out development/re-development in Northern Virginia/DC they are not obtaining old buildings and build around it. They tear down the old buildings and re-build it from scratch. My point stands correct that the only reason why you people support the maintaining of old buildings(historic preservation) is to stick it to the people that support new development or urban/suburban revitalization in Maryland. There is nooooo reason to maintain a 80 year old led poison/toxic prone buildings that has been abandond for over 10 years, but only to punish the people that support new development/revtalization on that property.
Great photos of the parade…Silver Springer himself was also spotted at the parade, where he was recognized and complimented for his coverage of Silver Spring news…