APRIL FOOLS:

BETHESDA ROW

PARKMAGEDDON

STARTS APRIL 1st

After Yet Another Delay, Bethesda Ave. Parking

Lots Will Close Forever in 34 Days

They really mean it this time, folks! You gotta believe 'em! I mean, they wouldn't give us a date and then call it off, right?

The development project that cried wolf is back. Two mixed-use buildings will be constructed at the intersection of Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues over the next few years. As we've all heard, Lot 31 and its diminutive brother across Woodmont are being destroyed to make room for luxe condo palace The Darcy and its sibling across the way.

Nearly 300 parking spaces will be lost for almost 3 years at Bethesda Row. As you also know, eventually, we'll regain those spaces and more within the new development's public-private parking garage.

In the meantime, this is really going to hurt business at Bethesda Row. Aside from offering free valet parking, there is little businesses can do. Given that the county owned the lots, this was poor planning. The sites should not have been developed without constructing a new garage or lot nearby first. Yet here we are nearing a virtual Parkmageddon at Bethesda Row.

After several delays, Montgomery County has officially announced that the two lots will close "on or about April 1." I asked county spokeswoman Esther Bowring why the developers had stalled again. "It's my understanding that the paperwork has taken longer than expected," she said.

So reset your Doomsday Clocks again for a parking experience 300% more fun than we have now, coming April 1.