The proposed redevelopment project for the site of the current Auburn Professional Building at 4915-4921 Auburn Avenue in downtown Bethesda is moving to the site plan stage before the Montgomery County Planning Board. Just over a year ago, the developer
promised an "adventurous and progressive design. From the looks of renderings presented at a required pre-submittal public meeting last night, top architectural firm Shalom Baranes Associates has delivered on that promise.
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Design references for the pedestrian
pass-through under the building |
Stacy Silber, the applicant's attorney, told attendees last night that she expects the soon-to-be-filed site plan to come before the Planning Board for approval this fall. Central to the residential building's design is a pass-through right through the center of the building at street level, creating a pedestrian connection between Imagination Stage across the street and the nearby Battery Lane Urban Park. The current three curb cuts will be reduced to one for a safer pedestrian environment.
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| Site plan |
There were no major issues raised by attendees, but once again, current tenants in the existing office building expressed concerns about when exactly they would have to move out. Silber said nothing would happen before the first of next year, but that there was no way to confirm an exact date by which tenants would have to vacate after that.
The proposed design looks like nothing else in the Woodmont Triangle, with varying square and rectangular shapes and heights, offset by an angular four-story wing that juts out as a triangle at street level. That wing is expected to be part of the building's retail/restaurant space. It appears this will be a nice addition to the neighborhood, especially if they can attract a good dining or retail tenant here.
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Map of existing and proposed
pedestrian short-cuts between Del Ray
and Auburn Avenues and
Battery Lane Urban Park |
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Brown diagonal line in image at left
shows planned future Norfolk Avenue
shared street between Veterans Park
and Battery Lane Urban Park |
Looks like a cool project. It will be nice if this becomes an architectural landmark in the Woodmont Triangle. The stepping building design is quite dramatic, and a very nice gesture to the lower scaled houses to the northwest. Lots of very large roof terraces for residents. Combined with the 9 to 11 story Claiborne project, which also has lots of retail in the base, and the renovated park, the NW end of Norfolk could become a very lively place. Maybe a cool triangular tower on the low density Sherwin Williams paint store site would be a nice addition as well. Time to put the woonerf in at this end of Norfolk!
ReplyDeleteThe passthrough seems really useless. Would much prefer they just contribute to the park fund instead of putting barely usable public space on their own property.
ReplyDeleteThe pass through doubles as an access drive for their parking and service area. Making it double as a woonerf, and gives them planning street cred. It does allow the retail storefronts to wrap into the site and expand the amount of transparent glazing and increase visibility.
ReplyDeleteThe pedestrian alleys can become a pleasant and shaded place to stroll if properly lighted and paved. Easy to mess these up with exposed stinky dumpsters and ugly humming transformers. A well done example can be seen at the DC Wharf where a service alley actually is a fun connection between more primary streets. A bit more of a European feel with service truck idling on cool brick paved passages. Much nicer that typical rear loaded service areas that usually face alleys and service drives.
"Maybe a cool triangular tower on the low density Sherwin Williams paint store site would be a nice addition as well."
ReplyDeleteFunny, I was thinking the same. Bethesda's own Flatiron building!
Bethesda does already have some triangular high-rises (Clark building, Landow building) but none are architecturally appealing.
"Woonerf"
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories. :)
Robert Dyer: Westfield unveiled its proposal for a new, urban-style development addition at Montgomery Mall...featuring a Swedish 'woonerf' as a design centerpiece, the plan appears to set the stage for a future transformation of the mall property in the coming decades...The woonerf is a Swedish concept for a 'calming' street, designed to be used simultaneously by pedestrians, cyclists and automobiles, and equipped with 'traffic calming features'.
Anon: "The 'Woonerf,' a Swedish-conceived 'calming street'"
"Woonerf" is a Dutch term, Birdbrain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf
Try travelling outside the USA sometime.
Robert Dyer: "Tell Westfield - they're the ones saying it is Swedish. A successful corporation like Westfield probably has more credibility than an anonymous troll."
Anon: A woonerf (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋoːnɛrf]) is a living street, as originally implemented in the Netherlands and in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium. Techniques include shared space, traffic calming, and low speed limits. Under Article 44 of the Dutch traffic code, motorised traffic in a woonerf or "recreation area" is restricted to walking pace.
Baloney Concrete: I hate to break it to you, Mr. Dyer, but if it's true that the woonerf is Dutch (and not Swedish) then you have filed a False Report, according to a certain group of your readers. (But not me. If that's what Westfield said, then let them have their Swedish street!)
Thanks for the great info on "woonerf". The Bethesda Downtown Plan espouses "complete streets", which seems to mean planning for all modes of transport but without the traffic calming of woonerfs.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I'm not sure that traveling outside the USA is enough to enlighten one about the Dutch rather than Swedish origin of "woonerf". Who knows, there may be people who (a) have gone abroad but (b) remain in culpable ignorance of woonerf's origin.
11:10 AM You're arguing over nonsense.
ReplyDeleteYou don't complain when legacy news outlets just parrot Council talking points with zero analysis or fact checking.
"You don't complain when legacy news outlets just parrot Council talking points with zero analysis or fact checking."
ReplyDeleteThis comment is so stupid I don't know where to start with a response. So you go to "legacy news sites", scan the comments, and assume that because there are none that meet your definition of "analysis and fact-checking", you assume that I am the only one who fails to write such comments? How do you know it's not the other 999,999 residents of Montgomery County who are failing to write such comments? More importantly, who do you imagine that I am?