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On Rockville Pike, ‘Smart Growth’ Not Yet A Universal Concept

By WTOP Staff

The residents, smart growth advocates, planners and politicians who showed up at a Tuesday event titled “Can we make the suburbs hip?” celebrated the coming transformation of White Flint from car-centric suburban strip malls to vibrant, transit-friendly mixed-use neighborhoods.

County Councilman Hans Riemer (D-At large) of Silver Spring told the gathering that Montgomery County is “on the verge of a golden age” and the massive changes planned around the White Flint Metro station (a projected 14,000 housing units and 13 million square feet of “walkable, urban” development) was the first step in the reimagining of Rockville Pike as a whole, all the way from Friendship Heights to Gaithersburg.

That concept apparently hasn’t made it as far as Montrose Crossing Center, the Pike strip mall a stone’s throw from White Flint near the Rockville city border.

According to NorthFlintVille blogger Ben Harris, two standalone fast food joints are being built in Montrose Crossing. A report in a New Jersey newspaper says one of those new buildings will be filled with a Chick-Fil-A and another pad site is being developed for a TD Bank, precisely the type of “old-suburban” development that runs contrary to the smart growth goals of the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan.

Montrose Crossing Center is not within the borders of the White Flint Sector Plan, what county leaders have labeled a landmark initiative for utilizing the space around a Metro station in a smarter, more efficient way.

Ninety percent of the strip mall, which includes a Giant Food grocery store, Old Navy, Marshall’s, Sport’s Authority and other big box retailers, was purchased by Rockville-based Federal Realty for $127 million earlier this month, according to The Gazette.

The Gazette described Montrose Crossing as “a 357,000-square-foot retail center that sits at the most prominent intersection slated for intense redevelopment between and around the White Flint and Twinbrook Metrorail stops on Rockville Pike in Rockville.”

In a press release, the company’s president and CEO Don Wood called it “a dominant shopping center with very productive tenant sales that has historically competed aggressively with our own Congressional Plaza, Federal Plaza and Mid-Pike Plaza. With the addition of Montrose Crossing, we now have a product on the Pike that will work in terms of focus and merchandising strategy for nearly every retailer.”

Federal Realty is the same company behind the Pike & Rose mixed-use project at the old Mid-Pike Plaza. That project has been celebrated for its village-like design and mix of apartments, condos and office buildings that will bring in a luxury movie theater and other upscale retailers around a town center.

Federal Realty’s plans for Montrose Crossing appear very different.

Crews have begun work on a pad site next to the Old Navy and near the Timpano restaurant.

The shopping center will be one of the subjects of the Planning Department’s White Flint 2 Sector Plan, which is still in its infancy. According to the Planning Department website, one of the Sector Plan’s goals is to, “Recommend land uses to promote new mixed use development in an area where a mix of uses is now limited or prohibited.”

It will also, “Analyze a segment of Rockville Pike that will contribute to its transformation into an urban boulevard.”

The schedule says planners hope to hold a community meeting in winter of 2013.

Pike & Rose rendering via Federal Realty

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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