Although a public hearing on the site plan must legally be held within 120 days of Toll Brothers' submission of the plan to the County on October 25, 2017, the company says there were too many issues raised by the County Development Review Commission. They cannot address all of these by the previously-scheduled hearing date of February 22, 2018. they said in a letter to planning staff.
Therefore, Toll is seeking a three-month extension, which would postpone the public hearing until May. Planning staff is recommending approval of the extension. The Board will take up the extension request at its January 25 meeting.
Worst thing that could ever have happened in this area of Bethesda. This project, when finished, will cripple the traffic on Fernwood which is already bad. Avoid at all costs. That road was never designed to handle that many cars. Old Georgetown for everything.
ReplyDeleteThere is even worse news coming. In a few years, 3000+ Marriott employees who are used to exiting at Democracy Blvd or Old Georgetown Rd. will have to find their way to downtown Bethesda. Fernwood is the most widely used alternative to Old Georgetown Rd. It's probably inevitable that Fernwood and Greentree roads will have to be widened to handle the flow.
ReplyDelete@7:12; I’m sure quite a few of those Marriott employees will continue to drive, but I expect many others switch to taking the Red line to work when the new HQ opens. As time goes by and staff turns over, even more will opt to take transit.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little confused as to how/ why the Marriott employees will be traversing Fernwood when the HQ moves to downtown Bethesda ? Sounds like you're trying to say the employees LIVE at the current HQ ! If they live elsewhere around the DMV, they will traverse Old G'twn Rd (using 495 or 270 spur exits) or 355. Not seeing how Fernwood is harmed by the relocation of the HQ. But Fernwood will be plenty bad with this WMAL development. And we all know the current Marriott HQ will be re-inhabited by some other company for more traffic.
ReplyDeleteIt's reasonable to assume many if not most current Marriott employees live in locations were the commute to the current location is as convenient as possible.Some, but not many, commute on the Red line. 355, Old Georgetown and River Road would be the main options to get to Downtown Bethesda. Each of those routes is now at or near capacity during morning commute. Fernwood + Greentree is one of very few alternatives - Wilson Lane is another.
ReplyDeleteAt the community meeting last year, the Marriott folks said their employees commute in from all over the place.
ReplyDeleteMany people who work for Marriott will take 270 from the N and get off and drive down Fernwood to work and the reverse on the way back.. The road is already gridlocked(as is Old Georgetown) ...but the planning board could care less..
ReplyDeleteBig update at the Other Place on Redwood’s re-opening. Meanwhile the only thing you’ll find here is #FakeNews
ReplyDelete4:27: No "big update," stooge. The "update" was no update - Redwood is still closed, and there still is no date for it to reopen.
ReplyDeleteToll Brothers project should be indefinitely postponed. The local Stratton/Fernwood community could not be more clear about the damage this project will bring.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-giving-toll-brothers-more-time-to-work-on-their-north-bethesda-development-plan
ReplyDelete