Archives January 2017

With construction underway and 3 homes already sold this year, now is the best time to discover the luxury awaiting you at 930 Rose.

930 Rose features 99 spacious one-and two-bedroom residences with designer finishes throughout atop the boutique Canopy by Hilton hotel in Pike & Rose. Residents will enjoy a private entrance lobby, full-time concierge services, rooftop terrace and lounge as well as option to opt into the hotel services and amenities.

As you know, Pike & Rose includes Best of Bethesda’s New Restaurant, Summer House, Stella Barra, a luxury movie cinema by iPic Theaters and a host of retail shops helping make the every day even more convenient.

Schedule your private appointment today and discover how you can own this moment before it passes.  Contact the team at 930 Rose at 301.747.3634 or visit their Sales Gallery, open daily from 11am-5pm at 11572 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, MD 20852.

Your help is needed. Give Metro feedback on its proposed FY2018 Operating Budget and the Capital Improvement Plan by taking the WMATA survey

As we discussed last week, Metro has proposed reducing service to White Flint metro, increasing headways during rush hour to eight minutes and during non-rush hour to fifteen minutes. The budget also continues the current practice of ending every other train at Grosvenor. In addition, Metro is considering fare increases.

Now we want to talk about the proposed reductions in bus service. WMATA wants to modify the C8 route by eliminating route segment between Glenmont and White Flint stations.

There are also service cutbacks on bus lines that affect the Pike District/North Bethesda, including the J7 and J9 (I-270 Express) and J 5 (Twinbrook-Silver Spring.) Many people rely on these buses

Advocate against the bus reductions. Take the survey and provide comments by clicking here: Here are some talking points you can use, but as much as you can, please use your own words and style when you write your comments.

WMATA should not eliminate the portion of C8 that goes from Glenmont – White Flint.

Drastic service cutbacks could all too easily launch both a Metro death spiral and a subsequent Pike District death spiral.

Metro enables workers to reach their jobs at the North Bethesda Marriott, NRC, and dozens of other offices and businesses.  It is the reason thousands of people will choose to lease the new apartments being built at Pike and Rose, the Gables, North Bethesda Center, East Village, and Saul Centers and is reflected in the Pike District property values.  It is an essential amenity that attracts businesses to the Pike District and is the foundation of the Pike District economy.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in this area by dozens of property owners and by Montgomery County, and significant additional investment is planned over the next twenty years.

A central tenet of the Pike District/White Flint redevelopment is easy access to transit, primarily Metrorail. In fact, the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan has a non-auto driver mode share (NADMS) requirement of 51% for residents and 50% for employees, which can’t be achieved without Metro.

Transit-oriented development requires frequent, reliable transit. Service reductions to the White Flint metro station are unacceptable.

All red line trains should go to Shady Grove rather than ending every other train at Grosvenor. Weekend headways of thirty minutes are simply untenable.

Please advocate for our metro station. Take the survey and/or comment by February 6th!

From Bethesda Magazine:

Development that includes nearly 6,000 homes could halt without progress on school, transportation projects

Montgomery County planning officials on Thursday debated whether it’s fair to freeze development in the White Flint area if public projects stall.

Under the drafted White Flint 2 Sector Plan, growth would proceed in three phases, but moving through them would require progress on school and transportation improvements.

Montgomery County Planning Board member Norman Dreyfuss said he’s not convinced that’s fair to developers. “We’re throwing in a wrinkle … they can’t iron out,” he said during one of the board’s work sessions on the plan.

The proposed White Flint plan would permit up to 5,938 new homes and nearly 3 million square feet of nonresidential development on 460 acres clustered in a bowtie shape around Rockville Pike and Montrose Road. Developers could build 1,800 homes in both the first and second phases of the plan, with the remaining 2,338 units going up in the final step. Construction of the office and commercial square footage also would be spaced out over the three phases.

But one of the plan’s conditions for moving from the first to second phase is that Montgomery County Public Schools looks at establishing a new elementary school in the Walter Johnson High School cluster and figures out when it would be funded. Progress would also depend on the Maryland Department of Transportation determining whether the area needs a new station for the MARC commuter train.

A local land use attorney objected to these requirements, saying they could cause unnecessary delays in an area that could benefit from revitalization. “It seems like it’s not in the best interests of that part of the county or the county as a whole,” said Francoise Carrier, who was chairman of the Planning Board from 2010 to 2014. She asked the board to reconsider the conditions related to schools and to the MARC station.

Planning Board Chairman Casey Anderson said he sees the need for appropriate project staging.

“Whether it’s fair to the applicants or not, it’s the world we live in,” he said.

However, he added that he’d like MCPS officials to provide more assurance that the school sites identified in the plan will be acceptable. Board members and planning staff suggested engaging in more dialogue with MCPS and perhaps asking them to express in writing their approval for potential school sites designated by the plan.

The next work session on the White Flint plan is scheduled for Feb. 9.

Metro wants feedback on its proposed FY2018 Operating Budget, the Capital Improvement Plan and Federal Grant Applications. One of the easiest ways to advocate for our White Flint station is by taking their survey. Metro has proposed reducing service to White Flint metro, increasing headways during rush hour to eight minutes and during non-rush hour to fifteen minutes. The budget also continues the current practice of ending every other train at Grosvenor. In fact, it is proposed that on weekends, White Flint will see a train only every thirty minutes! In addition, Metro is considering fare increases.

You can take the survey and provide comments by clicking here: Here are some talking points you can use, but as much as you can, please use your own words and style when you write your comment.

Drastic service cutbacks could all too easily launch both a Metro death spiral and a subsequent Pike District death spiral.Metro enables workers to reach their jobs at the North Bethesda Marriott, NRC, and dozens of other offices and businesses.  It is the reason thousands of people will choose to lease the new apartments being built at Pike and Rose, the Gables, North Bethesda Center, East Village, and Saul Centers and is reflected in the Pike District property values.  It is an essential amenity that attracts businesses to the Pike District and is the foundation of the Pike District economy.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in this area by dozens of property owners and by Montgomery County, and significant additional investment is planned over the next twenty years.

A central tenet of the Pike District/White Flint redevelopment is easy access to transit, primarily Metrorail. In fact, the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan has a non-auto driver mode share (NADMS) requirement of 51% for residents and 50% for employees, which can’t be achieved without Metro.

Transit-oriented development requires frequent, reliable transit. Service reduction to the White Flint metro station are unacceptable.

All red line trains should go to Shady Grove rather than ending every other train at Grosvenor. Weekend headways of thirty minutes are untenable.

Advocate for our metro station. Take the survey and/or comment by February 6th!

There will also be metro personnel to take your comments in person at White Flint station Thursday, January 26 from 6:00AM to 10:00AM and at Grosvenor station Thursday, January 26 from 3:30PM to 7:30PM

The MD 355 BRT Corridor Planning Study will conduct two Open Houses in the early part of February.  The project team will present the conceptual alternatives that we have been discussing during recent CAC meetings and seek additional public input before determining which of those alternatives will be refined for more detailed analysis during the next phase of the study.

People are welcome to arrive when most convenient anytime between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm at the locations and dates listed below.

Tuesday, February 7 (Snow date February 14)

Montgomery College – Germantown Campus 20200 Observation Drive

Wednesday, February 8 (Snow date February 13)

Montgomery County Executive Office Building – Cafeteria 101 Monroe Street  Rockville

Maryland 355 Flyer

Did you participate in the women’s march, watch the inauguration, or become moved by the events over the past few days? If this past weekend motivated you to be more active in your community, do whatever your heart tells you in terms of supporting causes and politics.

While Friends of White Flint is purposely and resolutely non-political, getting involved in your community is another way to make a difference. We always need both time and treasure, so if you’re charged up from the march or inauguration, consider getting more involved in Friends of White Flint. You could make a donation, volunteer to work on our Pike District Pedestrian Campaign, attend our meetings, or offer your talents in web design, video production, or advocacy.

Want to learn more about how you can volunteer with Friends of White Flint? Email info@whiteflint.org.

Ike Leggett announced his proposed capital construction budget for FY 2018 and amendments to the six-year, FY 2017-22 capital improvements program. The County Council will consider the proposal over the next few months. It must vote on a new budget by the end of May, which then goes to the County Executive for final approval. The approved budget for FY 2018 goes into effect July 1, 2017.

RECOMMENDED FY18 CAPITAL BUDGET AND AMENDMENTS TO THE FY17-22 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM (CIP)

In between taking about smart growth, transit-oriented development, and walkability, 40 to 50 people sampled the great beer and food at Owens Ordinary last night at the Greater Greater Washington Happy Hour.

Tonight is the Friends of White Flint, Coalition for Smarter Growth, and Greater Greater Washington (GGW) happy hour! You probably read GGW’s blogs and social media posts regularly. So here’s your chance to join them tonight in the Pike District for drinks and conversation with contributors and readers.

The happy hour is Tuesday, January 17 from 6-8 pm at Owen’s Ordinary, located at Pike and Rose at 11820 Trade Street. 

Owen’s Ordinary is a five-minute walk from the White Flint Metro station on the Red Line. Ride On routes 5 and 26 stop one block away on Old Georgetown Road, while routes 42, 46, and 81 stop on nearby Rockville Pike. If you’re biking, you can take the new protected lanes on Woodglen Drive and Nebel Street and see the county’s first protected intersection.

If you’re coming, please RSVP with GGW here.

Please find below our written testimony to the Planning Board on the proposed White Flint 2 plan, written with the insightful input our supporters provided.  The Planning Board is keeping the comment period open for another week and a half, and I strongly encourage you to let them know your thoughts and share your ideas to improve the plan.

Dear Montgomery County Planning Board:

Friends of White Flint is a nonprofit organization composed of residents, businesses, and property owners. We work to ensure the full implementation of the White Flint 1 plan, and soon the White Flint 2 Plan, transforming the Pike District into a walkable, transit-oriented, vibrant community. There is much to like in the proposed White Flint 2 plan, but we have fairly long list of changes we’d like to see.

School Capacity

1.     We are pleased that plan suggests dedicated sites for the elementary school needed in the White Flint area to address school capacity. While we are not advocating for any site in particular, we agree that dedicating sites in the plan is essential to addressing current and future school overcrowding.

Connectivity

2.     We strongly support the connectivity outlined in the plan, especially the bike paths along Randolph Road and Parklawn Drive.  We believe that bicycle and pedestrian connectivity is crucial to the success of this area.

3.     We are, however, quite disappointed that there was no solution to creating a pedestrian-bike path over the railroad tracks to connect White Flint 2 and White Flint 1. We would very much like to see such a connection included in the plan. While we acknowledge there are engineering and other challenges creating a bicycle-pedestrian path over the railroad tracks, we believe that difficulty is not a reason to omit a needed connection from the plan. This pedestrian-bike path should be incorporated into the future MARC station.

4.     To enhance connectivity and encourage walking between White Flint 1 and White Flint 2 area, we would like to see a sidewalk included on the east side of Route 355 along the bridge over Montrose Parkway to connect with the sidewalk that ends in front of Montrose Crossing.

5.     To enhance pedestrian access, we request a crosswalk on the east side of Towne Road at the intersection Montrose Parkway as well as a pedestrian path through the park and ride lot to connect the Monterey Apartments, the Jewish Community Center, and other properties with Rockville Pike.

6.     We support a lighted pedestrian path behind Executive Boulevard near Luxmanor Elementary.

7.     We support the plan’s re-configured intersection at Parklawn Drive and Randolph Road to ease traffic, increase walkability, and provide a better site for the redevelopment of Loehman’s Plaza.

8.     We support the reconfiguration of the intersection of Boiling Brook Road and Rocking Horse Drive. The current intersection is confusing and dangerous for both cars and pedestrians.

9.     We recommend a signalized intersection where the new Rose Avenue intersects at Hoya Street at the Willco property. Both Federal Realty and Willco want this intersection and are willing to fund it. An intersection here is critical to achieving the goal of extending the White Flint 1 street grid into White Flint 2 while providing a much needed mid-block crossing for pedestrians and vehicles.

10.  We suggest the plan more clearly define, with detailed larger illustrations, how the roadways, bikeways, and pedestrian paths will connect with White Flint 1 so that their recommended locations can be better understood.

11.  A MARC station should remain part of the plan.

Office, Business, Industrial, and Residential Space

12.  We very much would like to see more innovative office and residential concepts included in the plan. These might include micro-units, shared housing, and condominiums and apartments that could be used for either residential or office purposes in the same building. These types of creative residential and office buildings are being constructed and leased in other areas in our region. The plan should add language to specifically encourage taking advantage of the Zoning Ordinance’s bonus density for “development that increases the variety and mixture of land uses, types of housing, economic variety and community activities” under Section 4.7.3.D.

13.  We suggest that the White Flint 2 plan include language to encourage new small businesses, such as an incubator. The plan should add language to specifically encourage the retention of locally owned small businesses.  Emphasis should be added to refer to the density points under Zoning Code Section 4.7.3.D.7, regarding “Small Business Opportunities: Up to 20 points for providing on-site space for small, neighborhood-oriented businesses.”

14.  We would like to see the plan encourage traditional and innovative senior housing options.

15.  We endorse keeping light industrial space in the White Flint 2 area but would support plans to change the light industrial space in and around Randolph Hills Shopping Center to a flexible, mixed-use, higher density, residential-commercial zoning.

16.  While we appreciate the need to have some light industrial space in the down-county area, we would like the Planning Board to consider creating a flexible mixed use zone around the Nicholson Court area as it is quite close to metro. We support the request for Oxford Square to have a density of 1.0 F.A.R to increase the stock of low and mid-rise residential units.

Affordable Housing

17.  Apartments that are designated market rate affordable housing will eventually become obsolete. They also lack any MPDUs, ADA accessibility, modern fire code protection, storm water management systems, or forest conservation measures A large portion of housing costs are related to utilities.  As these “market rate affordable” units further decline and are not modernized, these costs will increase.  Additionally, nothing is better at reducing housing costs than increasing supply. Therefore, we do not support the plan’s recommendation to effectively under-zone specific properties because they are currently providing market rate affordable housing.  The law of unintended consequences is immutable. Zoning should permit the economically feasible redevelopment of older residential properties so that a variety of housing types can be part of the mix of properties in White Flint 2. This would also permit more MPDUs and hopefully units in a variety of sizes.

18.  The plan discusses preserving affordable housing through the use of tax credits and other financing tools, but it does not explain them in any detail. The plan should describe such vehicles so the Council may evaluate their efficacy.

Public Space

19.  We applaud the plan’s goal to create 12 acres of public space. However, we would like to see innovative public space that meets the needs of residents, not just the creation of small contemplative plazas or athletic fields that people from other parts of the county would drive to White Flint to use.

Staging and Implementation

20.  Regarding Implementation Phase 1 recommendations, we request that you eliminate the MDOT study as a staging requirement.  Merely conducting a study does not add density nor does it provide any concrete infrastructure improvement.

21.  The approved White Flint 1 Plan and the proposed White Flint 2 Plan both recommend a shuttle system.  We think that Pike District businesses, residents and commuters would all benefit from implementation of a circulator system at the earliest practicable date.   A dedicated and branded circulator system would greatly enhance the visibility the Pike District.  To expedite implementation, the circulator feasibility and planning study could be undertaken in 2017, and a circulator system could be in operation in time for new development in the approved White Flint 2 plan area.

22.  The Non-Auto Driver Mode Share (NADMS) goals are a key mechanism for controlling traffic congestion and promoting pedestrian-friendly connectivity and walkability in the Pike District.  However, the White Flint 2 Plan recommends lower NADMS goals than the White Flint 1 Plan:

Phase 1            Phase 2           Phase 3

NADMS          NADMS          NADMS

White Flint 1 (approved)              34%                 42%                 50%

White Flint 2 (draft)                      27%                 35%                42%

We can understand why White Flint 2 areas east of the CSX tracks might have lower NADMS goals. However, those portions in the western part of the White Flint 2 area that are just as close to Rockville Pike and metro as properties in the White Flint 1 area should have the same NADMS goals as the White Flint 1 plan area.

23.  Finally, there must be greater clarification how White Flint 1 and White Flint 2 will work together for the betterment of both. For example, the plan must articulate how the improvements made possible by the special White Flint 1 taxing district, improvements that impact White Flint 2, will be funded so that it is equitable to all parties in both White Flint 1 and 2, including the community.  The plan must also delineate how development of White Flint 1 and White Flint 2 properties will be coordinated so that the Pike District is developed in the fastest and most successful way possible.

In particular, if development is “locked” in White Flint 1 due to any of the staging requirements not being met, will it also be “locked” in White Flint 2?  If not, will it be possible to justify the redevelopment of properties further from metro while closer proximity properties are unable to proceed?

Because we represent all facets of the community and because the nearly 2,000 Friends of White Flint supporters live, work, and play in the Pike District, we hope that you will include our suggestions in the final White Flint 2 Sector Plan.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Amy Ginsburg, Executive Director