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RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHCI) (“Comstock”), a leading asset manager, developer, and operator of mixed-use and transit-oriented properties in the Washington, D.C. region, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of an 18,150 square foot land parcel located at 41 Maryland Avenue in Rockville, Md. (“Comstock 41”) through a wholly owned subsidiary for $1.5 million. This investment property sits adjacent to a pair of 250-unit luxury residential towers, BLVD Ansel and BLVD Forty-Four, which were acquired by a joint venture of Comstock and an affiliated entity in 2021 and 2022, respectfully.

Comstock 41, currently a surface parking lot, has existing entitlements for at least 117 dwelling units and approximately 11,000 square feet of retail space.

“This strategic, debt-free acquisition of entitled land adjacent to Comstock assets at Rockville Metro Station provides an opportunity to further grow revenue and earnings,” said Christopher Clemente, Comstock’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to working with the City of Rockville to expand our market leading residential presence adjacent to the terminus station on Metro’s Red Line and maximize the positive impact on the Rockville Town Center neighborhood.”

About Comstock

Founded in 1985, Comstock is a leading asset manager, developer, and operator of mixed-use and transit-oriented properties in the Washington, D.C. region. With a managed portfolio comprising approximately 10 million square feet at full build-out and includes stabilized and development assets strategically located at key Metro stations, Comstock is at the forefront of the urban transformation taking place in the fastest growing segments of one of the nation’s best real estate markets. Comstock’s developments include some of the largest and most prominent mixed-use and transit-oriented projects in the mid-Atlantic region, as well as multiple large-scale public-private partnership developments. For more information, please visit Comstock.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release may include "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect," "will," "should," "seeks," or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Comstock specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Raising a family in College Gardens meant Jennifer Weiland could let her children run wild in a quiet, beloved patch of woods where — just five minutes from downtown Rockville — kids fish in a babbling stream, string hammocks among mature trees and build forts from fallen branches.

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The Upper Watts Branch Forest Preserve is “the gem of our area,” said Weiland, president of the College Gardens Civic Association. The green space forms the western border of the neighborhood of about 330 single-family houses situated between Interstate 270 and MD-355.

“It’s just such a blessing for us to have this wild area in the middle of the suburbs,” Weiland said.

Over the years, the community has fought efforts to make even modest changes to the preserve, including several attempts to build paved bike trails. Residents prefer the rugged natural paths marked by signposts and blazes courtesy of the local Scout troop, Weiland said.

The undisturbed quality of what locals refer to as “the woods” speaks to the character of College Gardens as a whole, Weiland said. Despite its proximity to highways and to Rockville’s urban center, the neighborhood has retained its leafy, secluded charm for about half a century.

College Gardens was constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s on what had been a large swath of farmland. Plenty of the original homeowners remain in the neighborhood, said Tom Miner, a retired real estate agent who has lived in College Gardens since 1995.

As some of those original buyers downsized and left the community, young families have been attracted to the neighborhood’s quiet streets, its lack of a homeowners association and its school district, he said.

College Gardens Elementary School is walking distance for all of the neighborhood’s residents.

“In the morning, you see streams of kids and families and dogs walking to school,” Miner said.

And even outside of school hours, the area is a haven for walkers. Before Weiland moved to the neighborhood, she regularly left the immature trees of her nearby community for strolls through College Gardens’ woods and shady streets.

Now Weiland — who moved to College Gardens in 2012 — is used to seeing residents of surrounding neighborhoods drive in, park across the street from her home and unload their children or dogs for walks in the forest preserve.

Nathan Rutledge, who moved to College Gardens with his wife and toddler earlier this year, said the low speed limits and pedestrian-friendly streets were part of what drew him to the community.

Rutledge and his wife had been renting in Bethesda, but were looking for somewhere with less traffic and larger lots. For a while, College Gardens didn’t occur to him.

“I’ve lived in Montgomery County my whole life, and this area wasn’t one that I really had on my radar before,” Rutledge said.

Once he looked into it, though, Rutledge said he quickly felt the neighborhood’s inviting atmosphere.

“It’s an easy place to feel at home,” said longtime resident Diane Fuchs.

Weiland has fond memories of her children and her neighbors’ children building snow forts on days when schools were closed and of watermelon seed-spitting contests at Labor Day picnics. She became so close with one of her neighbors that her children grew up calling the woman “Nana.”

The six-acre College Gardens Park has a playground, a pond, picnic tables and sports fields. In nearby Woodley Gardens — on the other side of the forest preserve — there’s a pool where College Gardens children compete on the swim team each summer.

The neighborhood garden club is popular among adults.

Fuchs, whose College Gardens home served as the family hub as her grandchildren grew up, is part of a team working to help older residents remain in their houses as they age.

She is helping launch a chapter of The Village Movement, a group of independent nonprofits across the country that create networks of community support.

Once the College Gardens Village is off the ground, Fuchs said, residents will be able to sign up through a centralized system for tasks such as driving older neighbors to doctor’s appointments or shoveling driveways.

“You know the phrase it takes a village to raise a family?” Fuchs said. “Well, it also takes a village to keep people stable and healthy and in their own homes.”

Living there: As of Nov. 20, 10 houses had sold in College Gardens in 2023, with an average price of about $807,000, said Long and Foster real estate agent Audrey Romano. The least expensive was a four-bedroom, 2½ bathroom house that went for $725,000. The most expensive was a five-bedroom, 3½ bathroom house that sold for $950,000.

The housing inventory in the neighborhood is “extremely low,” Romano said. There were no houses on the market as of Nov. 20.

Schools: College Gardens Elementary School, Julius West Middle School and Richard Montgomery High School.

Transit: The Rockville Metro Station is about two miles away. Montgomery County’s Ride-On bus route No. 45, which can transport residents to the Rockville and Twinbrook stations, has stops in and around the neighborhood. Bikers and walkers can take advantage of the Carl Henn Millennium Trail, an 11-mile multiuse path that borders College Gardens in its loop around Rockville.

Updated at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday

MARYLAND — Heavy rain, a flash flooding threat and wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour pounded much of Maryland on Tuesday, leaving more than 34,000 utility customers without power.

The site PowerOutage.US said that 34,892 Maryland customers were offline as of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Anne Arundel County had the most outages, with almost 9,000.

A flood warning went into effect late Tuesday afternoon until 5 a.m. Wednesday for parts of central and northern Maryland, the National Weather Service said. The city of Baltimore, plus Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George's, Montgomery and Baltimore counties are covered by the flood warning.

The warning means flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone ares is imminent or occurring, the NWS said. Between 2 and 3 inches of rain had fallen late Tuesday night with minor rainfall still possible in the warned area.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Communities likely to see flooding include: Baltimore, Columbia, Bowie, Severn, Pikesville, College Park, Crofton, Middle River, Greenbelt, Langley Park, Beltsville, Elkridge, Riviera Beach, Bladensburg, Ellicott City, Baltimore-Washington Airport, the University of Maryland and Glen Burnie.

A flood warning was in effect until 11:30 p.m. Tuesday for portions of the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, plus parts of Northern Virginia, the NWS said.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning, which will be in effect 4 p.m. on Tuesday to 10 p.m. on Wednesday in Maryland, Virginia and the District. Low-lying areas may see up to a half-a-foot of flooding. Coastal areas may see one to two feet of water accumulating due to tidal flooding.

Rain is expected throughout the day and into the evening across Maryland, with possible accumulations of three-quarters to 1 inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The agency has issued a flood watch from 1 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday morning. Rainfall totals of between 1.5 to 3 inches are expected, with localized amounts up to 4 inches possible.

An east wind of 11 to 16 mph will increase to 21 to 26 mph in the afternoon. A high wind warning will be in effect from 3 p.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday for parts of Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Harford counties. The NWS said southeast winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are expected.

Temperatures on Tuesday were expected to remain well above freezing, with a high of 58 and a low of 43, according to NWS.

Rain is expected to taper off on Wednesday, which will be mostly sunny with a high temperature of 50 degrees, according to the NWS forecast. High winds will continue throughout the day, with gusts of up to 40 mph possible.

"Numerous roads may be closed. Low-lying property including homes, businesses, and some critical infrastructure may be inundated. Some shoreline erosion may occur." the weather service said.

The flood watch is in effect due to the storm gathers a great deal of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and then drops it over the mid-Atlantic, according to AccuWeather.

"A general 1-3 inches of rain alone that falls on the saturated ground from prior storms back through December is enough to lead to rapid flooding in poor drainage areas and along small streams," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

The following school systems in Maryland will be closing early on Tuesday due to the inclement weather:

Here is the seven-day forecast for the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area from the National Weather Service:

Tuesday: Rain. High near 58. Windy, with an east wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Rain, mainly before 1am. Low around 43. Windy, with a southeast wind 23 to 28 mph becoming southwest 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. West wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 52. Southwest wind 5 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Friday: Rain after 1pm. High near 55. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: Rain, mainly before 1am. Low around 43. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Windy.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Windy.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

M.L.King Day: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

ROCKVILLE, MD — While most of the holiday-focus is getting ready for Christmas Day, it may be wise to make your plans and reservations ASAP for New Year's Eve on Sunday, Dec. 31.

Get in touch with nature on Happy Noon Year's Eve at Meadowside Nature Center, which is located at 5100 Meadowside Lane in Rockville. Bring your favorite drink to toast the new year from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., on Sunday, Dec. 31, A small snack will be provided.

Countdown to midnight at Twin Valley Distillers' New Year's Eve Party. Doors open at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 1029 E. Gude Drive in Rockville.

Here is a look at some additional events happening in and around Rockville:

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you have any New Year's celebrations you'd like to be added to this list, email all the details to rockville@patch.com.

In the United States, one of the most popular New Year’s Eve traditions is the dropping of the giant ball in New York City’s Times Square. Other U.S. cities have adopted iterations of the ball drop — the Chick Drop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the giant Potato Drop in Boise, Idaho, for example.

The end of one year and beginning of another is often celebrated with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish folk song whose title roughly translates to “days gone by,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica and History.com.

The history of New Year’s resolutions dates back 8,000 years to ancient Babylonians, who would make promises to return borrowed objects and pay outstanding debts at the beginning of the new year, in mid-March when they planted their crops.

According to legend, if they kept their word, pagan gods would grant them favor in the coming year. If they broke the promise, they would fall out of God’s favor, according to a history of New Year’s resolutions compiled by North Hampton Community College New Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Many secular New Year’s resolutions focus on imagining new, improved versions of ourselves.

The failure rate of New Year’s resolutions is about 80 percent, according to U.S. News & World Report. There are myriad reasons, but a big one is they’re made out of remorse — for gaining weight, for example — and aren’t accompanied by a shift in attitude and a plan to meet the stress and discomfort of changing a habit or condition.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Montgomery County officials will be holding a public hearing on Feb. 27 on a proposed change to zoning codes that would allow churches to build both townhouses and apartment buildings on their property as a way to increase the supply of affordable housing in the county.

County officials believe that letting churches build housing on spare land will increase the county’s housing supply at a time when affordable housing is becoming harder to find.

The proposed zoning change plan is called Facilitating Affordable Inclusive Transformational Housing, or FAITH. Montgomery County Council Vice President Kate Stewart told WTOP that the idea is part of a national movement called “Yes in God's Back Yard,” a movement similar to the YIMBYs, or Yes In My Back Yard, a twist on NIMBY or “Not In My Back Yard.”

NIMBYs have a reputation for fighting various types of residential, commercial and industrial development in their communities, while YIMBYs, whose goals often align with developers, use the acronym to sound inclusive and appealing.

Across the Potomac in Arlington, YIMBYs worked with faith groups to convince local leaders to adopt a new zoning policy called Missing Middle that eliminated single-family zoning in the Virginia jurisdiction and allowed developers to build town homes, duplexes and small apartment buildings on the former single-family lots and then sell the new housing units at market rates.

At this time, Montgomery County officials are not prepared to adopt a zoning policy as radical as what Arlington approved a year ago.

The current zoning proposal under consideration in Montgomery County would allow churches that have a parking lot or land that they no longer need to build both market rate and affordable housing on their land. The zoning change could keep the churches financially solvent and help address the county's need for more affordable housing.

Current county codes restrict the building of apartments or townhouses in areas of the county where many churches are located.

The zoning change proposal would lift zoning restrictions for churches and other religious institutions, as long as between 30 percent and 50 percent of the units proposed on the property would be for affordable housing. Affordable housing limits the prices for households earning between 30 percent and 60 percent below the area median income.

"It basically removes barriers to having faith institutions move forward in their mission in helping the county address affordable housing issues, and do it more quickly," Council Vice President Kate Stewart told 7News. "We want to make sure by making it easier to build this type of housing, whether it's for rental or homeownership, that it is also increasing the number of affordable units in our community."

The Montgomery County Council has scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, Feb. 27 in the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville to discuss the proposal.

Stewart is hoping the council will vote on the bill in March. Of the 11 members of the council, 10 have signed on as co-sponsors.