EQUITY ONE UNVEILS WESTBARD REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL (PHOTOS)

Equity One is showing the first images of its plans for properties it owns in the Westbard Sector of Bethesda, and previewed them at a media event on Wednesday. This was a somewhat unusual move, to reveal the renderings for reporters instead of at a large community meeting, or pre-submittal public meeting. The firm's Executive VP of Development, Michael Berfield, said he doesn't anticipate having a large meeting like those held last year again, saying that "at some point they become counterproductive." Instead, Berfield said, he is meeting with small groups, such as the Kenwood and Springfield Civic Associations.

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The properties in question include the Westwood Shopping Center, Westwood Center II, Manor Care Springhouse nursing home, 2 Citgo gas stations, Westwood Tower apartments, and Bowlmor Lanes. All but Westwood Tower are shown as being demolished in the renderings. The early draft has specific heights and unit numbers, but those could change depending upon what ends up in the new Westbard Sector Plan, currently being rewritten by the Montgomery County Planning Department.

Let's examine what's in the plan, what might change, and what points of contention there might be with the community:

WHAT'S IN THE PLAN

The heights of the proposed new buildings will range from 50-75', and will total 500-700 new housing units along Westbard Avenue and Ridgefield Road. Most of those will be condos, Berfield said. On the site of the current Westwood Shopping Center, virtually all parking is planned to be in an underground garage. That garage will offer 1100-1200 parking spaces, compared to the 1000 spaces there today. It is unclear if those numbers differentiate between spaces reserved for residents and spaces for retail customers.

Grocery store building on
left, Village Square across
from it

Three 50' retail buildings will front onto Westbard Avenue at the shopping center site, and the middle one will include a "village square" public space at the lower left corner. Behind those will be the townhomes, which are said to be 50', but appear to be as many as four-five stories including roof decks. The retail building nearest Westland Middle School is expected to house the grocery store. Giant is currently the anchor of the shopping center, but Berfield says that many grocery chains have expressed interest in locating there. Loading docks will now be hidden within the new buildings.

Looking at what is today Anglo Dutch and
the parking lot with the ATM kiosk; here
it is New Village Park

The proposal includes more green space than the Westbard Concept Framework Plan presented by county planners last November, with several small parks. These include Triangle Park, which would be across from today's Citgo II and driveway to self-storage, to the left of the proposed grocery store building; the aforementioned Village Square; Green Plaza across the street from the shopping center; and New Village Park, on the portion of today's parking lot where the ATM kiosk is, behind the newer houses at the corner of Ridgefield and Westbard.

Townhomes behind Westbard Ave.
retail; existing Kenwood Place
condos and parking lot at right

A potential library and/or community space is blocked off in the retail building approximately where Anglo Dutch Pools & Toys is located now. Berfield said Equity One remains open to including a new Little Falls Library on their site, but isn't sure that a majority of residents are clamoring for the existing library to be replaced at this point. He said a "library done well...could really serve a lot of different purposes" as a community center. A fountain circle along "The Drive," the street planned to run between the streetside retail and the townhomes, is one of several interior streets and intersections that could be closed to traffic for festivals, food truck rallies and other public gatherings as needed, Berfield said.

Under this draft plan, Westbard Avenue would remain 4 lanes, but curb lanes would have street parking outside of the morning and evening rush hour periods. The new configuration where it meets Ridgefield is designed to both discourage cut-through traffic into the Springfield neighborhood and allow for a larger New Village Park.

One major concern has been the future of the small businesses in the existing retail spaces on Westbard, such as Anglo-Dutch, Westwood Barber Shop, and Westwood Pet Center. Berfield said he doesn't anticipate major rent increases for those independent businesses in the new center. The biggest challenge for them, he predicted, will be the construction process, and relocating them in spots where they can be successful.

Berfield said the project is designed to complement the existing community around it, rather than create a new community. He said Equity One is not going to flip its Westbard properties, but plans to remain in the community for at least 30-40 years. Asked by a reporter if "the New Westwood" was the official branding for the new development, Berfield replied, "We're trying to stay away from a name" at this point.

WHAT MIGHT CHANGE

The heights and density as designated now could easily change, either by more height being granted in the eventual Westbard Sector Plan, or by a requirement for more affordable housing. If the percentage required was higher than the standard 12.5% required by the county, Berfield said the density would have to increase. The grocery store building spot was designated as 80' height by planners last November; Berfield said they are sticking to 50' there for now.

I asked if Bowlmor Lanes could return in the new development. "Bowlmor is a great tenant," he said, and did not entirely rule out having the bowling alley/nightspot remain one in the future.

Berfield also said rooftop restaurant spaces weren't out of the question on Westbard Avenue.

POINTS OF CONTENTION

I think Equity One did respond to some of the concerns raised by the community last fall, specifically in terms of public space, and building heights on the Westwood Shopping Center side of the street. The grocery store building looks a bit higher than the others, though, and the townhomes seem a bit too high, as well. It's a positive that there are more parks than the single Village Green proposed by county planners. That being said, there are no large-scale green spaces appearing in any Westbard Sector proposal so far. While that can't and shouldn't be Equity One's burden to solve alone, I think planners have to determine where such spaces will be, if not along Westbard Avenue, in the plan rewrite.

Where could things be improved in this plan? First, I think having virtually no surface parking is going to displease a lot of people. That is a major change from today's setup. Very few people enjoy driving into a dungeon to park when going to the grocery store or to pick up the dry cleaning. It seems like going to the store to grab a box of milk is going to be much more of an ordeal than it is today, having to navigate narrow streets, jaywalkers and garages.

Unless you own a helicopter, this
is not the view you will have
navigating Westbard Avenue

Second, some of the images are a bit deceptive. The aerial view makes green roofs look like vast green spaces in the development. They are not. The low-flying helicopter view does not accurately reflect the concrete canyon effect that will be created on Westbard at street level. That particularly will be the case as you pass the buildings where the Westwood Tower parking lot and Bowlmor are today. Combined with the Bethesda Row-style design, this is a major change in character for the area.

I also think that the residential buildings along Ridgefield may be too high, particularly the one on the nursing home side. It would seem that garden apartments or houses might be more compatible with the single-family homes next to that site. Right now it seems too urban in character for the entrance to a suburban community. The one on the nursing home site would also loom over Kenwood. Again, 75' is just too high for this location, in my opinion.

The community was very clear about 45' being enough at the charrette in November. Not one single resident got up to speak in favor of the plan, and 250 people attended the meeting. So 75-80' should not be on the table at this point. I would also like to have more details on the proposed buildings across Westbard and along Ridgefield.

Right now, there is no gas station shown for Westbard Avenue. I think the Citgo stations have to be seen as a major amenity for residents, for both gas and quick repairs, like getting a tire leak plugged.  If this is to be a Main Street, every real Main Street in America has at least one gas station. I personally haven't heard anyone complain about having a neighborhood service station. One of these should be kept.

Before any of these individual buildings can be approved, the County is going to have come up with a cap on how many units can be sustained by roads and schools in the Westbard area. If Equity One gets 500-700, how many does that leave for other developers such as Capital Properties or landowners down on River Road? That number needs to be known. The planners cited a potential 1927 units at total buildout of the entire Sector Plan area in November.

Most noticeable, is the cookie-cutter nature of the designs. Yes, that rounded-corner grocery store building has appeared again. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt if these are just placeholder designs for the eventual architecture. But I can't tell right now if I'm on Westbard, at Bethesda Row (minus the arch and Bethesda Lane), University Mall, Crocker Park or any number of other outdoor town centers. I'd like there to be some design elements that leave no question that I'm on Westbard Avenue, a distinctive community.

Ultimately, the school issue will have to be addressed, as well. This plan does not include a school site, and the Little Falls Library site is too small for an elementary school under MCPS standards. The idea of elementary school students sharing facilities with a large middle school doesn't sound very realistic, and certainly not ideal. We also have yet to hear of any ideas from the State Highway Administration for how they will increase capacity on River Road to handle all of the new residents commuting into DC in the morning.

I do think the greater detail provided by Equity One will assist in getting a sense of what the greater sector plan should consist of, as opposed to the colored squares on a map that have been used during the Sector Plan process.

All images courtesy S9 Architecture/Perkins Eastman
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