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The Future of Lakeforest

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Dear Friends,

The planned redevelopment of Lakeforest Mall creates a great opportunity to bring this area of Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village much-needed recreation space that's accessible to everyone in the community. We've been working over the past few months with local nonprofit and community leaders to discuss this potential with County and City of Gaithersburg officials.

Last week, I spearheaded a letter with five of my Council colleagues who represent Gaithersburg and adjacent neighborhoods to the developer of Lakeforest requesting the project include an indoor recreation facility.

Look for more information soon on a community listening session we'll be hosting to get more community feedback about the need for a recreation facility and the specific programming and services residents would like to see provided.

Lakeforest Mall site and area map, via City of Gaithersburg

If you have insight into service gaps and needed facilities in your community, reach out to us at councilmember.luedtke@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Meeting the Highest Policing Standards

Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones speaks with Councilmember Luedtke. Click to watch video.

Achieving accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) requires a significant commitment to the highest standards of police training, community policing, and best practices across the board - from the crime lab, to communications, to investigations, to community programs.

Montgomery County Police first achieved CALEA accreditation 30 years ago and the department has kept it since. To mark three decades of this work, we visited with the people in the Department dedicated to training, education, and maintaining these standards.

Preserving and Maintaining Rustic Roads

An example of one of Montgomery County's Rustic Roads, via Montgomery Planning

I'm excited about the progress the Council made in our recent approval of the County's Rustic Roads Master Plan.

Rustic Roads share certain characteristics of more rural roadways and are an important reminder of the County's agricultural history. They also can make for great scenic routes.

Many of these roads are in the County's Agricultural Reserve. To support farming for future generations, we must make these roads safe and functional for all users - including those moving around on large agricultural equipment. During the Rustic Roads Master Plan process, the Council set up dedicated and routine maintenance projects for Rustic Roads for the first time. This is a big step that should improve our ability to preserve this unique aspect of our County.

It's Almost Fair Time!

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is back starting Friday until Aug. 19 at the fair grounds in Gaithersburg. Enjoy the food, rides, and the best our agricultural community has to offer at this amazing annual tradition. More info here.