Tax Credits Available for Snowstorm-Affected Historic Homes

THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release:

February 22, 2010

For more information, contact:

Valerie Berton

Communications Manager

Montgomery County Planning Department

301/495-4600

Tax Credits Available for Snowstorm-Affected Historic Homes

SILVER SPRING, MD – Owners of historic buildings in Montgomery County are eligible for local tax credits for repairs needed for snowstorm-related damage, historic preservation planners said Monday.

Owners of buildings listed in the county Master Plan for Historic Preservation may apply for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit for repairs to roofs, gutters and the like as long as the work does not alter the look of a building’s exterior features.

To qualify, the cost of the repair work must exceed $1,000. The tax credit, applied toward county property taxes, will equal 10 percent of expenses.

The County Council created the historic preservation tax credit program in 1984. The Historic Preservation Commission reviews tax credit applications, certifies that project work is eligible for tax credits and forwards recommendations to the county Department of Finance for approval. Any unused portion of the tax credit may be carried forward for as many as five years.

For a list of eligible activities, criteria and to download an application form, visit www.montgomeryplanning.org/historic/instructions/taxcredit.shtm or call 301-563-3400.

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Snow Removal Update: What to Expect This Weekend in Montgomery County

For Immediate Release: February 12, 2010

Snow Removal Update:

What to Expect This Weekend in Montgomery County

The two back-to-back blizzards in Montgomery County this week buried our area in more than three-and-one-half feet of snow, and the extreme wind conditions on Wednesday produced snow drifts of up to 16 feet in the upper part of the County. Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has responded to this record storm by mobilizing an unprecedented 1,200 pieces of equipment for snow removal, and crews have been working non-stop for more than a week and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Here’s What DOT Has Done:

• Cleared Primary and Secondary Roads Through Plowing and Snow Removal. Because of the historic amount of snow that must be cleared, DOT is conducting two different snow removal operations. In some areas, crews are plowing snow. In the more urbanized areas where there is inadequate space to pile up plowed snow, DOT is actually removing snow by loading it into dump trucks and hauling it away. This is an extremely time and resource intensive job that will take much longer than typical plowing operations.
• Begun Clearing Neighborhood Streets. Many residents are understandably frustrated by the huge snowfalls and are eager to get out of their neighborhoods and resume their normal activities. Typically, it takes DOT 60 hours after a snowfall ends to clear the County’s roads of a 24-inch snowfall. Yet, just 24 hours after the end of Wednesday’s blizzard, DOT has brought primary and secondary roads to relatively good condition and is already clearing neighborhood streets.
• Ensured Emergency Services are Able to Reach Residents. DOT snow plow operators continue to escort Police, Fire and Rescue and others to ensure they have access to residents who call with an emergency.
• Aided in Getting Power Restored to Residents. DOT snow plows also accompanied PEPCO repair crews to make sure they could get to areas without power.

Here’s What to Expect This Weekend:

· Business District Snow Removal.

Crews will begin removing snow in the business districts in Silver Spring, Wheaton and Bethesda.

· Continue Operations on Neighborhood Streets.

Crews will continue to clear neighborhood streets.

· Return to Remove More Snow from All Roads.

Crews will go back to primary, secondary and neighborhood roads to remove additional snow.

Some Facts to Help Understand DOT’s Operations:

• DOT clears more than 5,000 lane miles of road in Montgomery County.
• The State Highway Administration clears all numbered roads in the County, which includes major arteries, such as Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike, Georgia Avenue, Connecticut Avenue, etc.
• Major municipalities, such as Rockville and Gaithersburg, clear the roads within their jurisdictions.
• DOT’s first priority in clearing roads is to remove snow from emergency routes and primary roads (main and divided highways such as Montrose Road or Norbeck Road).
• Next, secondary roads are cleared, which are the main roads within neighborhoods. Residents may become understandably concerned that their street has been missed when secondary roads just a couple blocks away have been cleared and their road has not. However, all secondary roads must be cleared before any work on residential streets can begin because otherwise, residents driving out of their neighborhoods will have no access to main roads.
• DOT’s policy about clearing roads is that primary and secondary roads are generally cleared to bare pavement. Neighborhood roads are not. Instead, they are made passable.

What Residents Can Do:

• Be patient.
• The county remains under a Snow Emergency Plan, which means there is no parking on roads designated by red and white snow emergency signs.
• Give crews an opportunity to reach neighborhood streets over the next two days.
• Residents may call 240-777-6000 or email highway@montgomerycountymd.gov if they believe their street has been missed.

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Media Contact: Public Information Office, 240-777-6507

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Storm Services Information Update

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Highway Services is managing snow removal operations. Unfortunately, our office has been advised by the County Executivethat snow removal has been delayed and complicated by the extreme weight and volume of snow resulting from this weekend's storm. In some areas, crews are actually removing the snow rather than plowing it aside, because of space limitations.

In addition, we are aware that thousands of residents are still without power. PEPCO and BG&E have notified our office that they are working around the clock and have brought in emergency crews to restore power as soon as possible. In the meantime, the County has opened warming centers at the following locations:

• Rockville High School, at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive
• Schweinhaut Senior Center, at1000 Forest Glen Road inSilver Spring
• The Longwood RecreationCenter, at 19300 Georgia Avenue in Brookeville/Olney

If you need to contact DOT directly, the number is 240-777-6000. If you have a medical emergency or need to report a downed, live wire please dial 9-1-1.

We apologize for the difficulties you are experiencing, and appreciate your patience during this emergency. Please let me know if I can be of additional assistance. You can email me at: Councilmember.Navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov

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