Beaver in Cabin John Creek

Swimming beaver, Cabin John Creek

Last week I saw unmistakable evidence of a beaver in Cabin John Creek.  I decided to try and take a picture of the actual beaver.  It took me a couple of days to do it since beavers are nocturnal and go to bed right around sunrise, but as you can see, I managed. 

When this beaver noticed me it swam upstream for a bit then, with a splash went under water and didn't come back up.  I believe it swam to it's lodge and decided it was bed time.

Beaver stripped branch

Beavers eat the bark off tree branches, so there were branches without bark floating in the water. This is one of the telltale signs of active beavers. 

Beaver Branch closeup

Here's a closer shot of a branch that a beaver has eaten the bark off of. You can see the gnaw marks on it. 

Beaver eaten tree

A beaver stripped some of the bark off this sapling but left it standing.  You can see a few gnaw marks on it.

 

 

 

 

Electric car charging at Cabin John Park

There are now chargers for electric cars at Cabin John Park near Cabin John Ice Rink and Shirley Povich Field.

The chargers are run by Pepco and branded "EVsmart Life, Fully Charged". They don't have the power level on them, and Pepco's website doesn't list it either. I think they are 50 kw DC fast chargers. That may seem like it isn't very powerful, but, I think they are geared for people who are going to be around for a while enjoying the park facilities.  Not only is the ice rink and baseball field (where Bethesda Big Train plays) just across the parking lot, there are also tennis courts and the Cabin John Trail right there.
 

There are two charging pedestals, each one has a CCS plug and a CHAdeMo plug.  You need to use the SWTCH mobile app or RFID card, or call a phone number to start the charger. 

For those of you who want to charge more slowly, or who can't charge with CCS or CHAdeMO, there are also two Level 2 J-1772 chargers available.  The Pepco website lists the cost of the Level 2 chargers at $0.18 per kWh which is a reasonable price. It doesn't give the power of the chargers, but based on the information they do provide, they appear to be 7.25kW chargers. 

There are four parking spots reserved for charging, 2 for the DC fast chargers and 2 for the Level 2 chargers.  The DC fast chargers cost $0.34 per kWh which is cheaper than most fast chargers (but they are also slower than most fast chargers).  Based on information on their website, these fast chargers have a power level of 45kW, but the nameplate capacity is probably 50 kW.

 

 

 

 

Stratton Place luxury homes: cleared land

Construction at Stratton Place

Stratton Place (also called the Andrus Property) will be a relatively small development of luxury homes build between Greentree Road and I-270.  According to the planning board resolution (pdf link), it "proposes eight (8) new lots by subdividing the rear of seven (7) existing lots, for a total of 15 lots, on a total of 5.38 acres of land zoned R-90. Eight (8) houses will be new, six (6) will remain, and one (1) will be demolished and replaced." However, that changed this time last year and all six of the existing houses on Barnett Road have been demolished.  Confusingly, the planning documents are split between multiple folders, one for 2023 and later and at least one for documents before then. Worse, the interactive development finder map only links to the earlier ones.

 Here is the view from Greentree Road looking towards Interstate 270.  On the right some trees remain in the back yards of existing houses.  In the far distance you can see one of two remaining houses on Barnett Rd.  this entire cleared area was heavily wooded with the exception of the far left where there were houses nestled among the trees.

Frontage on Greentree Road

Greentree Road at the Stratton Place development a new road will enter the development here. To the right, not visible, is the Amalyn development.

 I last posted about Stratton Place in October. at that time they were just clearing the (magnifcant) trees from the property.  Since then they have finished that part of the project, torn down some old houses, and re-graded the land. I also posted before work had begun.

From the back of the property

The current grading is still pretty steep, this is looking from the middle/back of the property towards Greentree Road.  In the distance you can see the Amalyn housing development.

Barnett Road

There used to be 8 houses along this road, six were included in the Andrus property and were demolished, only the first house and the last house remain.  New curbs have also been installed.

Tesla Takedown Rockville

 

Recently there have been protests at Tesla Service Centers across the country.  Montgomery County is no exception and there have been ones at both the Rockville and Silver Spring locations.  On Saturday there was another one at the Tesla Service Center on Rockville Pike.  Lots of people were there and they were lining both sides of the street. Many people driving by were honking in encouragement.

Protesters stand along the Maryland Route 355 (Rockville Pike) across the street from a Tesla service center.

I'm not sure how long these protests will continue, but there is another one scheduled for this coming Saturday 11-12, see the link for more details.

Protesters stand along the road in front of a Tesla service center.

 

 

 

Another Amalyn housing development update

 

Green houses

Here's another update on the Amalyn housing development in Bethesda, Maryland. When completed there will be over 300 single family houses and townhouses on this 75 acre lot.  Well over half have been completed or are under construction, but there are still a few areas to go. 

Most of the construction is on the south, east, and west edges, the northern and central sections are mostly (but not completely) finished. This is on the site of the old WMAL transmitter towers and abuts I-270 and I-495.

This first photo is on the southern edge along Renita Lane, I-495 is on the other side of the trees. This set of houses is well underway with the walls and roofs up for most of them.

Almost complete houses

 

These houses are also on Renita Lane, directly across the street from the prior photo.  The siding is up and some of the houses are painted.

New houses on Silver Linden St

This area in the south east corner of the development at Silver Linden St and Renita Ln has a mix of completed (with people moved in) and still under construction houses.

Townhouse construction

 

Three sets of townhouses in various stages of construction.  In the foreground you can see the foundations are in, to the right they are finishing up a row of gray townhouses, and in the background another row is under construction, walls and windows are in but siding is not on. This is towards the south west side of the development.

A row of townhouses under construction

 

A row of six townhouses under construction as seen from the rear.  The garage doors are not on but the windows are in.

A few more houses

 

The sales center used to be here, but it has been removed and three hosues are going in. This is on the north west side of the development.

New sound barrier on the outer loop

The new Amalyn housing development in Bethesda is between Interstate 495 and the Interstate 270 spur. This means it gets road noise.  A partial solution is to install a sound wall, and that is what is happening right now on the outer loop of I-495.  Construction on the wall started in June of 2024 and is getting close to being completed.
 

 If you drive along I-495 between Fernwood Road and Greentree Road, you have probably been noticing the construction as it progresses. In places the wall is very close to the road.

This is the current end of the sound wall, next to Greentree Road.

Here at the end of the barrier, it is set a couple of feet below ground level.  Most other parts of it are near the surface.

Here's the wall as seen from the other side of the interstate.  There is an access door in the wall.

They weren't actively working when I was there but the equipment is waiting for them to return.  Greentree Rd is on the right.

 

No Calling your Mother?

 

Have you noticed the Call Your Mother truck at the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Greentree Road is gone?  It isn't on their list of locations either so I don't think it is coming back. Co-incidentally, there is now a location in Platt Park / South Pearl Denver Colorado that looks just like the one that used to be here. 

Downed tree closes Fernwood Rd in Bethesda

 

A large tree fell across Fernwood Road in Bethesda, Maryland today. It completely blocks traffic between Brixton Lane and Tusculum Road.  However, county crews are on the scene clearing it right now.   I expect by the time most people read this the road will be re-opened, but if it isn't, you can go around the area by driving on neighborhood streets.

 Update 5:30 pm.  Road opened a while ago, I just got a chance to take a look.  Aside from some utility wires, no real damage.  Everything is back to normal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sewer Rehab project at Great Falls this week

 

Sewer Rehab project sign

I went to Great Falls (Maryland side) this morning and the person at the gate alerted me to a sewer rehab project going on this week.  Apparently, there is a sanitary sewer line connecting Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. and this week D.C. Water will be drilling some rock cores from a few places just below the Washington Aqueduct dam to help understand the area geology and plan for a replacement of the sewer.

Three of the four places they are drilling are only really visible from the Virginia side, so besides the helicopters, don't expect to see anything aside from an occasional helicopter. 

There is more information at DC Water.

Signs about the sewer rehab project

The sidewalk leading up to Great Falls Tavern has several signs with information about the project.

Off to work

While I was there, this helicoptor delivered two people (Look below the helicopter, by the tree branch) to work on the project.

Icy towpath

The canal towpath at Great Falls was icy.  Be careful and wear sturdy shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

Harden and Weaver Alleys

Those of you who grew up in the DMV might well remember the Harden & Weaver show on WMAL radio.  It was my go-to method of finding out if school was canceled when it snowed.

WMAL used to broadcast from a set of radio towers off of Greentree Road in Bethesda, Maryland.  The site is currently being turned into a housing development by Toll Brothers.  A resident of a nearby resident requested that Harden and Weaver be recognized by naming streets after them.  Toll Brothers agreed and in the Amalyn development there exists both a Harden Alley and a Weaver Alley, directly across the street from each other.