Bethesda Library parking now restricted

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008

Bethesda Library parking now restricted

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Library patrons are now the only drivers allowed to park in the Bethesda Library parking lot, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda.

New parking restrictions took effect in mid-December. Drivers must enter a kiosk in the library’s lobby and punch in the number assigned to their parking space in the library’s parking lot. Parking is validated for two hours. Patrons can extend parking for an additional two hours by re-punching their number at the kiosk.

Parking meters were previously removed from the lot following a 2006 County Council resolution calling for free parking at all county libraries. But without the meters, non-library users began filling the lot, prompting, library patrons to ask for a new method to ensure free parking, while preventing non-library users from taking up spaces.

County parking enforcement patrols can now monitor the lot and issue $50 tickets to cars that are not validated. No cars may park in the library’s lot from 6 to 9 a.m. on any day.

Planning Board to hold hearing on BRAC merger

The county’s Planning Board will listen to public testimony Jan. 10, regarding the upcoming National Naval Medical Center merger project. The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Park and Planning Headquarters Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring.

The federally mandated Base Realignment and Closure project joins parts of Walter Reed Army Medical Center with the National Naval Medical Center on the NNMC campus in Bethesda. The move will add up to 2,500 new employees by 2011 and double to nearly one million the number of visits to the campus each year.

The Planning Board will consider staff recommendations in its response to the Navy’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement released last month. The EIS draft report detailed transportation, socioeconomic and other impacts of the merger on surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

The Planning Board pre-posted a report of staff recommendations on its Web site, www.mn-mncppc.org.