Let's check on the progress of the Westbard Square development at 5400 Westbard Avenue in Bethesda. You can see some very detailed brick facade work now on large areas of the future Giant building, which will also house office space and additional ground-level storefronts. But below those photos, you'll also see images from another part of the work going on around the closed block of Ridgefield Road at River Road, where Westbard is being realigned to connect directly with River. Maybe one of our resident construction experts can tell us in the comments what is happening with those large, barrel-shaped steel coils they are in the process of burying on the site of the future EYA townhomes. All businesses - including the current Giant store - remain open at the Westwood Shopping Center during the construction.
Those things are storm water retention structures to contain excess runoff also known as E & S, erosion and sediment control.
ReplyDeleteThose look like they are catch basins that will be part of a stormwater management system. You can see the inlets near the top. They're probably sitting over a lot of gravel meant to help dissipate the water.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have an idea of how thisbwill impact property values? Inthink a noce increase given it could be a destination locstion
ReplyDeleteSo much nicer than what was there before. What was all that controversy about, anyway? Glad that no Ancestors were disturbed.
ReplyDelete6:23 - What’s the controversy? Extremely poor traffic management. Signage was - and is - a joke. Some neighborhoods got preferential treatment - others did not. I contacted Friedson’s office about the traffic problems and was told “Oh, that’s the contractor’s responsibility “.
DeleteMr. Friedson’s office is only partially correct. The contractor is responsible for managing a traffic control plan, but it is MDOT who dictates and approves the traffic control plan.
DeleteWestbard is currently one of the ugliest parts of the county so, yes, the more that's demoed/redeveloped the better it'll be for surrounding property values.
ReplyDelete@5:01 You need to speak(sic) clearly.
ReplyDeleteHey 4:02 as long as we're assigning blame let's not leave out the truly moronic and/or scofflaw behavior of a good percentage of the drivers around here. Even after months of closure and three signs indicating no access to River Rd. 50-100 drivers per day still drive down Westbard past Ridgefield only to have to turn around and drive back. Signs prohibiting trucks over 10,000 lbs are and were routinely ignored as are the Local Traffic Only signs. The roads around here are filled with the pigheaded and inconsiderate.
ReplyDeleteProperty values in the Westbard would be fine regardless of whether the shopping center was redeveloped. It was due for a refresh but was this the best plan? Probably not. You still have Giant and presumably Starbucks returns. More housing units were squeezed in, but that doesn't impact the $2 million homes in the surrounding neighborhoods. Quality of life may decrease with more traffic.
ReplyDeleteIf the county could seize the Kenwood Country Club to build affordable housing, that would be a true game changer. A true city could arise from a golf course that doesn't benefit the wider community.
"The roads around here are filled with the pigheaded and inconsiderate."
ReplyDeleteThose words are so very true.
"If the county could seize the Kenwood Country Club to build affordable housing,"
These words are disturbing. Perhaps the county should seize YOUR home and property, your car and bank account o benefit the wider community- now that would be a game changer. Tsk tsk.