Silver Spring Bloggers, Official Spar Over NPR Move

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SILVER SPRING residents hoping their busy Montgomery County hub will draw National Public Radio away from its current Mount Vernon Square-based headquarters in the District are frustrated with members of the Montgomery County Council who they say are anti-development. At-Large Council member Marc Elrich, at left, who says he doesn't want to offer NPR incentives to come to Silver Spring, has found himself in a war of words with local bloggers over the fine points of commercial development.

All this comes before NPR has even announced a short list of areas it might consider for its new headquarters. National Public Radio has outgrown its home near the Washington Convention Center and decided to move to another location in the D.C. area, NPR spokeswoman Andi Sporkin said. Sporkin acknowledged rumors that the company will move somewhere near New York Avenue, Crystal City or downtown Silver Spring, calling them "obvious rumors" because those areas are already home to media organizations. But she said the company won't have a list of possible destinations until the fall.

"We're looking throughout the metro area," Sporkin said. "Contrary to what rumors have been — and it's amazing what people claim they know — we have no list of finalists."

Certainly, Silver Spring fits into the equation.

The city's burgeoning downtown already contains Discovery Communications and the American Film Institute, as well as a recharged retail and entertainment hub. The state and county are expanding Silver Spring's Red Line-accessible transit center as well — an important decision if they're to lure NPR, since Metrorail access is a must-have for NPR's new offices, Sporkin said.

Local blog Silver Spring Scene reported in April that Montgomery County is already courting NPR by offering financial incentives for the company to move to Silver Spring. But some county officials, including Elrich, a member of the county's Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, have debated whether such perks are a good idea.

So bloggers have taken Elrich to task, calling him a NIMBY, among other things. An entry on Silver Spring Scene last month titled "Marc Elrich Wants NPR Out of Silver Spring" quoted him as saying: "I'm always skeptical about how many jobs we bring to Montgomery County."

Visitors to the blog enthusiastic about bringing NPR to Silver Spring had some choice words for the council member. "Marc Elrich is being a jerk," one commenter opined on the posting. "He is protecting the interests of longtime, well-financed homeowners in Silver Spring who complain about traffic, new business development, and the Purple Line," the commenter, who posts under the name IHateYuppies, added.

Elrich soon joined the fray, writing two lengthy comments on the blog entry. "As for the nonsense about development, traffic, NIMBYs and the rest — it's just that, nonsense," Elrich wrote. "This has nothing to do with traffic. No 'NIMBYs' complained about their neighborhoods. This area is planned for development, so development here is not an issue."

Elrich told Express that he is worried about starting a "bidding war" with the District by offering NPR financial incentives to come to Silver Spring. He said such a battle could damage the relationship between D.C. and Montgomery County while generating little new tax revenue for Silver Spring, since most NPR employees would likely stay in their current homes. Elrich said he will try to draw NPR to Silver Spring if the company can't find a suitable location in the District, but would remain wary of offering the company financial incentives.

"There's a lot of evidence that jurisdictions don't always play that game very well — they give up more than they should," Elrich said. "The incentives you do offer have to make sense."

Written by Express contributor Gabe Nelson
Photo by Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post