Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Residents appeal to prevent move of Wilson Store building in Bethesda

Chevy Chase and Bethesda residents who contested Montgomery County's decision to allow relocation of the historic Wilson Store (a.k.a. Community Paint and Hardware) at 7250 Wisconsin Avenue to the Board of Appeals are appealing the Board's decision (to not stop the relocation plan) in Montgomery County Circuit Court. A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for August 8.

Despite the ongoing dispute, preparations for the building's move to Middleton Lane began in late April, with some foundation work. Residents are raising concerns about that work, which involved excavation around the building's foundation.
Excavation around the foundation
of the building
Deborah Vollmer, one of the three residents opposing the move, said the removal of pavement around the building's foundation may leave it susceptible to stormwater seeping into or underneath the building. She said they also question whether the contractor has the necessary permits to do the advance work. As I reported March 11, the contractor did request a "foundation permit" from the County.

The County Department of Permitting Services will send an inspector to the site today, to verify that permits are in order, Vollmer said. She called the preliminary work "premature," given that a final legal decision hasn't been handed down yet on the relocation. 

Moving the store was deemed necessary by Carr Properties, which is redeveloping the Apex Building site next door at 7272 Wisconsin. The Wilson Store is the last remaining 19th century building in downtown Bethesda.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Residents are raising concerns..."

Deborah Voldemort... and who else?

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Deborah Vollmer? Seriously? The crazy-ass Chevy Chase Driveway Vigilante? Filer of more superfluous lawsuits than anyone else in history?

Dismiss, Judge. Just dismiss.

Anonymous said...

Has the Parent's Coalition commented on this critical issue?

Anonymous said...

Deborah Vollmer lives in my neighborhood, and is the anti-progress neighbor. In her world we'd still be using candles, she'd be fighting to defend LP record albums, and the we'd still have switchboard operators. Bethesda is going to become more urban, despite the romanticist dream of protecting it's 1960's identity.

Anonymous said...

I am very interested in this purple line story. I thought this was something when I read through Robert's old posts he was all about in his campaign.

Anonymous said...

Vollmer is the queen of wasting time and other resources. She has a great losing streak.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, Vollmer is getting her come-uppance. Remember her driveway dispute with the neighbor who built a new big house next to her? Well, guess what is currently being built on the _other_ side of her house, as well as behind her house? You guessed it! She'll be surrounded by the new large houses she hates so much.

Drive by for a good laugh. Hang a left on the cross-street just before the Lawton Community Center, and it's the second house in. It'll have lots of signs in the yard against this and that.

Anonymous said...

It's a pretty unremarkable building - what am I missing?

I understand it's old, but 19th Century Bethesda is not, to my knowledge, remarkable.

Anonymous said...

Lol thank you for the update. She's nuts and rude.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Interestingly, I recall that this building was moved once before in the 1980's or early '90s when the adjacent Apex building was constructed. A lot of cost and effort has been expended to preserve this structure over the years.