A required pre-submittal virtual public meeting will be held for the site plan of a
condo building proposed for 4824 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda. Developer Acumen has proposed a 12-story, 77-unit condo building with a robotic, automated parking garage underneath. The meeting will be held online on
June 11, 2020 at 7:00 PM at this URL.
This building is the worst so far in Bethesda. The three lanes for its loading dock and garage driveway will intersect the planned two-way bike lane on this side of Woodmont. It’s only 600 feet from Metro but is squeezing in a garage. It will be built right up to the property line with its neighbor to the south, the Chase, and above the base there is inadequate tower separation. If provides zero activation to the sidewalk on either Woodmont or Edgemoor, living up to the long history of lack of activation on this stretch of Woodmont. The Planning Board has already approved the sketch plan, so this public meeting is a bit of a farce.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic location. Easy to Bethesda row and Woodmont triangle being right in the middle and by metro. Robotic parking sounds like a cool way to add garage parking on a small lot. I’ve read some bad stories about maintenance expenses and even software vendors holding cars hostage when the license isn’t renewed. Hope it works out here.
ReplyDeleteShame this area right next to Bethesda metro has gone all residential without any retail frontage to connect the two areas of Bethesda or even give anyone anything to do right off the metro.
Thanks for the heads up on the meeting!
ReplyDeleteThis public community meeting is for final site so the public does indeed have time to weight in on the entitlement, especially regarding the look and feel of architectural facade. The rendering shown is not the current Sketch Plan approved design.The current plans are for a much simpler design that wraps around the corner, sort of like the iconic Flat Iron Building.
One item that is still under contention is the tower separation from the Chase. Currently, the developer proposes a stepped setback that provides more open space and tower separation at the higher floors at the southeast corner.
I agree that the lack of ground floor retail is unfortunate, but this site is so small, it really isn’t possible. The Edgemoor II across the street is the one that really should have been required to include retail along the curved Woodmont Avenue frontage, as a waypoint between the Row and Triangle. Even a small coffee shop or cafe would have been enough.
Most of these residents will rarely drive their cars from this central location, so close to Metro, so close to shops, cafes, retail and grocery stores. You really can’t sell a condo in the DC area without at least one deeded parking space.
Overall I think this is a nice infill project, but I’m glad I don’t own a Chase Condo that faces north. Any reasonable condo buyer should have known that a tall building would eventually be built on that lot, so close to the Metro.
5:15 AM
ReplyDeleteThe other side of The Chase sold well, even with the Edgemoor high rise condos next door blocking much of the view. Something the northside owners need to keep in mind!
This development is targeted to millenials. Wealthy millenials as only those with wealthy parents who can afford to gift part or all of downpayment on a $1,000,000- $1,500,000 condo will be able to purchase a unit there. And it is complete speculation, in my option, to think no one will be using cars. This is anecdotal, of course, but the millenial couples I know living in a downtown area have one spouse/partner taking public transportation and the other drives. In our area, so many jobs in the county and elsewhere are not accessible by public transportation so that even if you live near the metro you drive to work.
ReplyDeleteHaving the lobby on Edgemoor will result in mail trucks, Amazon and other ecommerce trucks, uber/lyft pickup/drop-offs, peapod, service vehicles blocking the one lane on Edgemoor in front of the building. One of the two current lanes will be a two way dedicate bicycle lane so Edgemoor is slated to be reduced to one lane. It is nuts to think a "no standing" sign on Edgemoor will actually shift trucks to stop on Woodmont. Tell that to Amazon and other delivery services. What a great treat for all Bethesda residents who hope to drive east on Edgemoor to Woodmont - no lanes to get there.