SPRINGHOUSE OF WESTWOOD NURSING HOME TO CLOSE, FIRST DOMINO TO FALL IN WESTBARD REDEVELOPMENT

We've been hearing that the redevelopment of the Westwood Complex is several years off, especially given that the Westbard Sector Plan rewrite is only in the earliest stage. But the first major move on the game board is taking place now. I received a tip that the Manor Care Springhouse of Westwood assisted living residence at 5101 Ridgefield Road will close its doors this Friday. To confirm this, I contacted Manor Care yesterday. Ken Connelly, Director of Marketing Development for Manor Care, confirmed that the nursing home will close before the end of the year, but has yet to confirm Friday as a closing date. Connelly has not yet responded to a follow-up message. However, in his original response, he said the closure is "due to the re-development of the land in which Springhouse of Westwood is located."

Last night around 9:00 PM, all rooms appeared darkened on the Ridgefield Road side, with lights only on at entrances and windows on the ends of hallways. One light appeared to be on at the back of the building, and a car was parked by a door in the driveway.

I invited property owner Equity One to comment, but have received no response to my inquiries as of this writing. Equity One owns the Westwood Complex, which also includes the Westwood Shopping Center, Westwood Center II, two Citgo gas stations, Westwood Tower apartments, and the Bowlmor Lanes bowling alley. All are expected to be redeveloped in the coming decade.

What does this mean? I am hopeful to get further details from Equity One, and will bring that information to you as soon as I receive it. I followed up with Equity One's PR firm, as well, but also have not yet heard back as of this writing.

In the absence of such information, one can only speculate - and that speculation is quite troubling.

We are now facing the real potential of having a large abandoned building and grounds in a residential neighborhood for an extended period of time. That's not something you often - if ever - find in the 20816 zip code. I think most people assumed Manor Care would be allowed to continue to operate the home beyond its 2015 lease expiration, until Equity One and partner EYA were prepared to redevelop the site. Unless they have a secret project plan they've been discussing, and the public has been lied to at recent meetings held by the developers and county, this site will either be a vacant building or empty field (if the building were to be demolished) for at least several years. That has great potential for crime activity on the abandoned property, which would impact nearby residents. It could be a hangout, with plenty of places for people to hide at night. What would they do? Put a huge fence around it? That would only make an unacceptable situation seem even more ugly.

This site is likely to become an EYA luxury townhome development, if they and partner Equity One have their way. However, the development process of Montgomery County is lengthy. Nothing can be built without going through a long public process, even under the current zoning for the site.

Personally, I think the closure is a shame. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods found the Springhouse facility a good way to keep relatives close to home, and the nursing home has been a "good neighbor." The building is still usable, and could easily be retrofitted for senior housing, of which there is a shortage in Montgomery County. Absent that, the most appropriate use of the land would be as single-family homes, the housing type that directly abuts the nursing home property. It could also figure into the green space equation in the overall Westbard-area redevelopment. Early missteps on that could rival the planning blunder of the Hoyt property decision, which has already preemptively hobbled any effort to extend a green stormwater buffer around the stream that flows through there.

What's up with this closure, and why won't anyone involved share the details of what is going on? I don't think keeping residents in the dark is good PR in the larger redevelopment process in Westbard. The Springhouse property is a gateway to the community, and its status is of great interest to that community.