CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR BANK ON DOWNTOWN BETHESDA GAS STATION SITE

A redevelopment of the Shell gas station at 7628 Old Georgetown Road now has the green light from Montgomery County. A construction permit has been added by the county for the future TD Bank building there.

The project did not generate controversy when it passed through the development process. But it has generated some negative reaction among commenters on my blog - and from me - for contradicting virtually every precept of urban planning in modern cities. As well as for being totally inconsistent with the prevailing use of the properties around it. The site will be dead after bank hours, the block will be lonelier for pedestrians at night, and the potential of a plot steps away from Metro is lost. Particularly if the gas station site could be combined with adjoining property. Not to mention the real crisis of having an insufficient ratio of gas stations-to-drivers in a growing Bethesda.

Consider the Norfolk-Cordell II building as a contrast to this plan. A small site, but jam-packed with Smashburger, Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins, and a rooftop nightlife spot - Roof Bethesda. With an open glass facade, the building activates that corner, and generates activity in the neighborhood at all hours.

7628 OLD GEORGETOWN ROAD DEVELOPMENT UPDATE - BETHESDA SHELL STATION/TD BANK

A representative for the developer of the Bethesda Shell station site at 7628 Old Georgetown Road says a Stormwater Management Plan has been filed with Montgomery County. They are waiting to hear back from the county to move forward in the development process.

Once the county officially accepts their stormwater plan, they can file a site plan. Once the site plan is filed, groundbreaking on the new TD Bank branch building will take place approximately 15 months later, the representative said Tuesday.

Rendering courtesy Core/Bohler, All rights reserved:

FIRST IMAGES OF TD BANK BUILDING TO REPLACE BETHESDA SHELL STATION (PHOTOS)

Attendees at a public meeting last night got the first look at the bank building proposed for the current Shell station at the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda.

A small TD Bank branch, with automated drive-thru aisles, would take the place of both the Shell and a small Moorland Lane office structure.

A representative for the project said no blasting would be required, and that vehicular trips in-and-out of the bank would be fewer than the current gas station generates. The branch will be open 7-days-a-week.

Entrances and exits will be on the Moorland and Woodmont sides of the property. The project would also improve the streetscape with landscaping, lighting and brick sidewalk pavers, to replace the existing white concrete. Curb cuts on the Old Georgetown side would be closed permanently.

There will be 9 customer parking spaces behind the building, and the bank will sport a green roof. Environmental remediation will be conducted, along with removal of the site's underground fuel tanks.

The project plan is expected to be filed this summer.

It was said that the site is designated for small scale use. Considering the proximity of the site to Metro, and to tall buildings, that is surprising to hear.

There are 4 potential issues here:

1. Density is low for a site within throwing distance of a subway station. The representative said the site is too small for a building. But, the fact is, 3 other Bethesda gas stations are jamming buildings onto their sites in the next 12-24 months. Punting on low density here shifts the population burden to non-urban areas like Westbard, Sangamore, Long Branch and Woodley Gardens. That makes little planning sense.

2. This is an automobile-oriented project in what we're told is a walkable community. If we were going to be contradictory to the county's stated development goals, why not have something of use to a greater number of residents like a drive-thru Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell, etc.?

3. This site will be dead at night, even in contrast to the activity currently generated by the Shell station after dark. The Metropolitan is already a Berlin Wall. Lionsgate is dead on the first floor at night. So, this bank would essentially seal the fate of this intersection as a dead zone for pedestrians at night. Again, this contradicts everything the county has told us about "smart" growth.

4. We're running out of gas stations, even as the number of cars and people increases. With Sunoco closing in the future, we'll be down to 3 gas stations. Aside from sure gas shortages during weather events, can you imagine what the prices will be at those gas stations?

Renderings: Core/Bohler. All Rights Reserved.