2025 Cascade Update

Meet Attorney Michele Rosenfeld, Interviewed by Laura Apelbaum^* On Behalf of the Committee to Protect Our Mountain

Geraldine Otremba, Cascade Resident, on Behalf of the Committee to Protect Our Mountain

Concerned residents of Cascade have been fighting the granting of a special exception that would allow the building of a Dollar General Market directly across the street from Fort Ritchie on McAfee Road.

Michele Rosenfeld, the attorney representing the community’s efforts to keep the Dollar General from being built, will be the featured speaker at an upcoming Community Meeting on March 9, 2025. All are invited to attend and ask your questions.

In anticipation of the meeting, we interviewed Ms. Rosenfeld about the case.

Question: What is your focus and expertise?

I’m a Maryland attorney, specializing in zoning and land use law. My practice centers on local communities concerned about new development proposed in their neighborhoods. Before starting my private practice, I spent 10 years as the lead attorney for the Montgomery County Planning Board. I frequently work in Frederick and Washington counties, advocating for community groups to help protect them against local government decisions, which may conflict with zoning. I’m committed to ensuring that developers comply with zoning laws to protect the interests of local communities like Cascade.

Question: How long have you been representing the Cascade community’s interests in the “Stop Dollar General” effort?

I started representing the Cascade community’s interests since the first Washington County Zoning Board hearing in 2022. After the board approved the project, we appealed to the Washington County Circuit Court, which sent the case back to the Zoning Board. For the next two years, the case has gone back and forth between the Circuit Court and the Zoning Board. The core issue is whether a Dollar General Market, with a large portion of the store dedicated to general merchandise, is compatible with the community’s Rural Village zoning and whether it meets the criteria of being functionally similar to a grocery store. The case is now pending in the Maryland Appellate Court in Annapolis, and we expect the Court will hear the case this summer.

Question: What is at stake?

The Board’s 2023 approval of the Dollar General Market threatened Cascade’s character, especially given the proximity of historic Fort Ritchie. Now, the stakes are even higher. The latest ruling could weaken Cascade’s Rural Village zoning protections, opening the door to larger commercial development. The community is fighting to keep Cascade’s rural character intact. The upcoming appeal aims to stop that from happening and preserve Cascade’s future. Join us on March 9, 2025, at noon, at a Community Meeting at the Fort Ritchie Community Center, located at 14421 Lake Royer Drive in Cascade, to learn more.