Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Downtown Bethesda's new eyesore (Photos)

The former site of Steamers at 4820 Auburn Avenue is evolving into the Little Lot of Horrors, as plant tentacles are beginning to reach out to pedestrians from the overgrowth of weeds and brush. Such conditions are prime for rats and other vermin to set up shop in, particularly in such close proximity to restaurants. The lot is the future site of The Claiborne condominums.

It took Montgomery County two years to address the Bainbridge Wisconsin lot. Perhaps if the County's regional services director weren't spending time stuffing taxpayer-funded County emails with links to boost profits and traffic for the local small and slightly-failing magazine (2 gratuitous links in yesterday's email alone), these basic matters could be kept on top of.




27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really! An eyesore? It's nature taking back what it owns. That's beautiful. If it hurts your eyes go hang out in a parking garage and breath that fresh air. I might need to stop reading this blog.

Anonymous said...

At this point in Bethesda's wild era of development I feel like the true "eyesore" will actually be the (yet another) big fat condo building that will be going in there. I'm so tired of construction and giant holes and blocked sidewalks and noise that an empty, trash-filled lot almost feels like Narnia.

Anonymous said...

Ya gotta love the green wherever it springs up.

There's no reason to bring up the other site. I guess with all the deleted comments there's not enough kvetching about them so Dyer has to bring it up himself. Sad!

Anonymous said...

This was a Pizza Hut
Now it's all covered with daisies
You got it, you got it

Anonymous said...

A peaceful oasis.

Friends of Woodmont Triangle said...

Looks like the landowner isn't checking on the property. Not good for local residents!

Anonymous said...

Steamers was a much worse eyesore.

As well as that shocking-pink building that used to be Barnes Plumbing.

Anonymous said...

Who owns the site? Shouldn't it be their responsibility to clear the weeds? Why blame the County but not even name the owner/developer?

Anonymous said...

In fact, untended vacant lots do attract mosquitoes, rats and other critters - per the EPA, HUD, Urban Institute among many others. And they accumulate blown trash and debris. If the developer does not tend to the lot or the county does not stay on them as needed, this will be a problem.

Anonymous said...

Anthropologie. Scooped. Enough said. Is it Councilman Reimer's fault that you were too busy reporting on an inconsequential Chinese restaurant closing and missed this whopper?

Anonymous said...

Why are so many relevant comments being taken down?

Anonymous said...

You got scooped again by that "failing magazine " regarding JBGSmith moving to downtown Bethesda. I guess Bethesda and MoCo isn't as "moribund" as you claim it is.

Robert Dyer said...

2:58: No scoop - I got the JBG press release too, just like the small and slightly-failing magazine. Yes, Bethesda is moribund - the builder had to move into their own building to fill it! As good of a sign of a terrible economy as you're going to get, old sport!

12:05: The small and slightly-failing magazine plagiarized the Washington Business Journal, publishing their story 58 minutes later, without citing the Biz Journal as their source. Standard Bethesda Magazine unprofessionalism. No scoop!

How the Biz journal got the story, I am attempting to find out, but I'll rely on official word from Federal Realty rather than simply plagiarize like the magazine. Sad!

Anonymous said...

"Old sport!"

Robert Dyer is the Great Gasbag.

Anonymous said...

Dyer @ 8:33 PM (responding to 12:05 PM): The obvious, and only rational explanation is that Federal Realty sent both Bethesda Magazine and Biz Journals the same press release.

The question you should be asking yourself, is why they didn't bother to send you one.

Anonymous said...

Robert, you need to come to reality and realize there's a reason (or two and they are rather simple) as to why you didn't get the story/press release:

1. You aren't liked. Probably despised and therefore weren't even given the courtesy of getting a copy.

2. You aren't taken seriously.

Robert, how is it that you can call Grapeseed a scoop because you copied and pasted an email, yet someone using a press release on a huge event isn't a scoop?

Robert Dyer said...

10:01: No, Bethesda Magazine wouldn't have waited almost an hour more than the Biz Journal with such a supposedly-big story. It appears the journal posted and the magazine went into action after that. They have less images than the journal's report. I haven't heard the explanation yet of how this was announced, or why I didn't receive the press release, so I'm not going to jump to conclusions right now. We've already seen you lied about the magazine breaking the story; it was the Biz Journal.

3:40: Very simple - a press release is dropped into the lap, whereas only Grapeseed patrons were alerted of the closure announcement, making it a scoop.

I'm definitely "taken seriously" - you wouldn't be getting paid to troll here around the clock by the MoCo cartel if I wasn't.

Anonymous said...

Dyer, your rationale about a scoop is arguably the dumbest thing you've ever typed on this blog. They are one and the same. You cut and paste the article about Grapeseed first! Congrats. But you weren't taken seriously as a journalist so didn't get the JBG or Anthropoligie story. Go on...ask and inquire why you didn't get the press releases. Guarantee both media/PR arms will say...Robert Dyer...who is he... you didn't get them because you aren't a known quantity. You may have a few hundred/thousand readers but you aren't on the level of Biz Journal or Bethesda Magazine.

Robert Dyer said...

4:38: I did get the press release from JBG, and will have my report online shortly. I did not receive an Anthropologie press release, but it's unclear right now who did, versus just copying the Biz Journal. It's currently unknown how that announcement was rolled out. Trust me, I am known at both companies.

Anonymous said...

"I did not receive an Anthropologie press release, but it's unclear right now who did, versus just copying the Biz Journal. It's currently unknown how that announcement was rolled out."

You have no information, but you're willing to make a lot of slanderous assumptions anyway.

Anonymous said...

Spouting off half truths when he has no information is akin to fake news. It's beyond me how Robert can make slanderous comments about multiple news entities without actually having any information. Try looking in to the matter and offering commentary later, Dyer.

Anonymous said...

"I'll rely on official word from Federal Realty"

I'm surprised any developer or business would talk to you if they saw what you post on this blog.

Anonymous said...

I never believe people who say "Trust me"

Roald said...

So, there are some folks in *favor* of an unattended lot with weeds growing out into the sidewalk right of way, mosquito breeding ground and overall eyesore? Lol.
Come on.

Anonymous said...

Comment genocide.
He'll get his pristinely censored comment board.
And lose his readers.
With no idea how analytics work, he'll proclaim increased readership.
The comment section will fill with posts offering plaudits.
Oddly, they'll all have names of Bethesda streets or be pining for old businesses.

Anonymous said...

Roald joins his friends Terp Grad, Tim, Friends of Woodmont Triangle, Elm, Woodmont and Rugby ro say "Attaboy, Dyer!"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hmejo2uyNlI

Anonymous said...

Maybe someone is just breeding snakes?