Residents of Bethesda condo building up in arms over Ridgewells expansion proposal

Photo of Ridgewells trash area taken by resident of
The Kenwood and submitted to the
Montgomery County Planning Department

Famed Washington D.C.-area catering company Ridgewells has proposed expanding its facility at 5525 Dorsey Lane in Bethesda to 18,805-square-feet. A filing with Montgomery County, which seeks to combine Ridgewells' current property with an adjacent parcel into a single lot, was to be reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Board this morning at its Wheaton headquarters. However, that agenda item has been converted into an extension request, so that Ridgewells can have an additional two months to review and address complaints submitted by next-door neighbors living in The Kenwood condominium building at 5101 River Road. Planning staff are recommending approval of that extension request.

Virtually every letter, message, or voicemail received by the Montgomery County Planning Department on the proposed expansion cites the same problems: food and cooking odors seeping into the condo units, delivery traffic conflicting with parking and loading bay operations at The Kenwood and Macedonia Baptist Church, and a rodent invasion of The Kenwood that the corresponding residents blame on Ridgewells' trash disposal operations. One letter also mentions that bright lights on the Ridgewells building have forced all residents on the west side of the building to purchase blackout curtains.

"To summarize," one resident of The Kenwood writes, "living next to Ridgewells means the residents of the Kenwood Condo must endure 24/7 noise, truck traffic, food smells, enormous amounts of trash, rats and mice which are attracted to the trash overflow." "Ridgewells is assaulting us with food smells 24/7," another message states. "You cannot be serious in considering approval of them expanding their production into a buffer zone."

A former City of Dallas, Texas Planning Commissioner who moved into The Kenwood a year ago writes that he is "appalled at the multiple Code Violations and lack of enforcement in regard to the operation of a large food manufacturing and distribution center 50 feet away from a Multi Family Building of 300+ residents. From the moment I moved in a year ago, I began writing the Montgomery County government departments in regard to correcting Ridgewells' negligence." 

The former Texan notes that, despite a large sign posted along Clipper Lane between Ridgewells and The Kenwood declaring it a "Noise Sensitive Area" - where a 55dba sound limit must be observed during quiet hours, "all night long after returning from Washington parties the catering trucks are beeping in reverse and then hooked up to refrigeration generators that far exceed decibel standards and are deafening all night long." He also cites the large generators and rooftop fans that operate during the night without noise-reduction shielding, and urges they be relocated to the west side of Ridgewells' property.

Trash piled outside of Ridgewells on Clipper Lane, the former Dallas commissioner adds, "has caused a regular rat problem at The Kenwood Condominiums." He recommends trash operations also be moved to the west side of the catering facility.

This is indeed a clash of titans, as you have a legendary local business that is regularly called upon by the elite of Washington, D.C. for catering services, in conflict with residents of an upscale high-rise that was originally constructed in the late 1960s to serve as a luxury hotel. Two things to watch after the extension period, if it is granted today: First, will the Board approve the Ridgewells request to allow the larger facility, and if it does, is there a way that can be found to allow Ridgewells to expand while using that expansion to address the complaints from The Kenwood?

The Christopher Condominium in Bethesda installs brighter lighting for safety (Photos)

Bethesda, like all of Montgomery County, has been experiencing a surge in crime for the last four years. Over that time, the Montgomery County Council has largely left residents and commercial property owners to fend for themselves against the criminals preying on the community. One approach has been to install brighter lighting around properties, whether they be homes or shopping centers. We've seen this recently at Bethesda Row and at Kenwood Station. The latest is The Christopher Condominium at 4808 Moorland Lane in downtown Bethesda, where brighter lighting has just been added to the entrance staircase on Woodmont Avenue.

Early morning break-in at Kenwood Place condos in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at the Kenwood Place condominiums at 5301 Westbard Circle in Bethesda on the morning of March 31, 2024. The burglary was reported at 6:32 AM that morning. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry. However, police say that there is so far no evidence that anything was stolen from the building. A witness could only describe the suspect to police as being male in gender. 

Assault at Bethesda Park condo complex

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a condominium complex in North Bethesda Saturday night, April 13, 2024. The assault was reported at the Bethesda Park condos in the 12300 block of Braxfield Court at 9:50 PM Saturday. It allegedly occurred in a parking lot at the complex.

Montgomery County condo prices surge 9.7%

Montgomery County condominium prices surged 9.7% from May to June, Axios D.C. reported this morning. Since taking a majority of the seats on the Montgomery County Council in 2002 with the End Gridlock slate, the Montgomery County cartel has assured us that building more housing units will lower prices. Yet, after building thousands and thousands of new units since then, lower rents and housing prices continue to elude Montgomery County homebuyers. 

Condo prices have gotten so exorbitant in condo-construction-crazy Washington, D.C., Axios D.C. reported, that units there are now sitting long on the market because only a small segment of buyers can afford them. It will be interesting to see if the increasing value of condos will spur builders to convert any of their future planned developments from rental apartments to condos. We saw a lot of quick flipping back and forth in the construction years right after the "Great Recession," in places like downtown Bethesda. For example, just during its construction phase alone, the 7770 Norfolk development went from rental to condos and then back to rental apartments.

Bethesda condo burglar caught in the act

An alleged repeat offender is off the street for now, after breaking into the Crescent Plaza condominium building at 7111 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda one too many times. The burglary suspect has allegedly pried a door open at the property more than once in the past, making off with everything from bicycles to mail. As such, a warrant had been sworn out for his arrest. 

Montgomery County police were finally able to serve that warrant in person last Thursday night, when the suspect who can't quit Crescent Plaza made his latest visit, a resident reports. According to the management of Crescent Plaza, the suspect is being held without bond, having allegedly also burglarized the nearby Flats at Bethesda Avenue and the Solaire Bethesda in the recent past. Now about that door...you're only as strong as your weakest link!

22 car windows smashed in Bethesda condo garage theft rampage

Two suspects got inside the private parking garage of the Edgemoor Condominium at 4821 Montgomery Lane in Bethesda in the early morning hours of March 25, 2023, and proceeded to smash windows on 22 vehicles, according to residents and a police report on the incident. Other vehicles that were unlocked were rummaged through by the suspects. The suspected motive was to steal property from inside the vehicles, but a total accounting of what was taken and its total value has not been tabulated as of today. 

Montgomery County police were called to the scene around 2:01 AM that morning by the garage attendant employed by the Edgemoor. He told responding officers that, while sitting next to the garage entrance, he heard several loud crashes on the lower levels of the garage. One of the suspects then walked up from the level below, and continued past the attendant to exit the garage. It's unclear how or when the second suspect exited the garage, or how the men got past the garage attendant to enter the facility in the first place. 

After going down the ramp to investigate what had made the noise, the attendant noticed that multiple vehicles had broken windows. Police believe a screwdriver or similar object was used to break the glass, based upon investigation of the damage.

As more officers arrived at the scene, a new call came in from a parking garage on Elm Street. Two vehicles there had smashed windows, and officer who wrote the report states that the description they have from those thefts matches that of the Edgemoor suspect. Another victim in the 5200 block of Hampden Lane later called police to report that the driver's side window of their SUV had been smashed at 3:07 AM.

One suspect is described as a "light complexion" male in his late 20s or early 30s, approximately 5'2" in height, and weighing around 150 pounds. He was wearing a mask, all-black clothing, and black gloves, and a backpack on his back. He was videotaped by the Edgemoor's security cameras, and by other cameras in downtown Bethesda. He remains at large as of this writing. 

There is no description of the second suspect in the Edgemoor thefts, but the suspect in the nearby Hampden Lane incident is described as a male wearing a black jacket, and carrying a blue umbrella. He, too, remains at large.

If you have any information that can assist police in solving this case, call the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Protected sidewalk erected in front of Lionsgate condos in Bethesda

A protective canopy has been constructed over the sidewalk in front of the Lionsgate condos at 7710 Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. Maintenance work on the building exterior requires this to be done. Scaffolding and other materials are visible on the plaza outside the condos.

Future site of The Claiborne condos in downtown Bethesda cleared (Photos)

After more than five years as a small jungle of an overgrown lot, the property at 4820 Auburn Avenue in Bethesda has finally been cleared. Formerly home to Steamers seafood restaurant, the parcel is one of several assembled for the future site of The Claiborne condo development. That project has been stalled since 2016. There were signs once again of it moving forward late this past spring, and perhaps the clearing of a lot is another. Just another indication of how our Montgomery County Councilmembers are very unfamiliar with the streets of Bethesda they are grossly overpaid to represent.

Amor Studios leases ground floor retail space at Cheval Bethesda

The long search for a ground floor retail tenant at the Cheval Bethesda ultra-luxury condo tower is finally over. Amor Studios has leased the space at 4964 Fairmont Avenue, which has been on the market since the building opened about four years ago. A new marketing campaign for the space was launched this past January. Founded by Kellye and Dennis Amor, Amor Studios will lease salon suites to independent stylists. 

Having wealthy potential clients directly upstairs, and street-view windows in most of the salon suites to attract passerby attention, are among the advantages here for stylists seeking to grow their clientele base. Amor Studios is expected to open in November 2022.

The Claiborne project moving forward, but needs a new site plan approval after time expires

The Claiborne, an oft-delayed luxury condominium development in the works since 2016 at 4820 Auburn Avenue in downtown Bethesda, is once again moving forward as I reported yesterday. There are two new details to report this morning, however. First, the project's site plan approval from three years ago has expired, because the developer did not pull the building permit from Montgomery County within the required time limit under the Bethesda Overlay Zone guidelines. So the developer must now resubmit, and receive a new approval of, the site plan before it can proceed with construction.

4820 Auburn, LLC intends to file the same site plan that was approved before, and barring an objection by a new member of the Montgomery County Planning Board or other unforeseen event, that approval should be a formality at this point. If approved as expected, then, the site plan will once again include up to 84 condo units, of which 15% will be affordable MPDUs, and up to 5000 square feet of retail space. Building height will remain at 110' at the north side, stepping down to 90' at the southern end.

"The Leaf Illusion" mural proposed
for the south side of the building

One new change is the proposed mural for the south side of the building. It now features a concept for artist interpretation, which the applicant calls "The Leaf Illusion." The heat-wrapped vinyl mural would be 30'x50' in size, and feature two children sitting on a fern branch. A fern is a native plant to Bethesda, and the public art piece therefore "ties Claiborne back into the surrounding community," design company Swatchroom says. The surreal image also reflects "The Claiborne's themes: fresh, wellness, energy," the firm suggests.

Renderings courtesy SK+I Architecture/Swatchroom

The Claiborne is back on in downtown Bethesda

One of the four epically-delayed development projects from the last decade in downtown Bethesda is making yet another comeback attempt. I've just been informed that The Claiborne, a boutique condo building proposed for 4820 Auburn Avenue way back in 2016, is back on again. The project has taken so long, that the condominium market does not have the steam it had six years ago, if the recent lack of condo project proposals is any indication.

Future site of The Claiborne at 
Auburn and Norfolk Avenues

After plan revisions, and many starts and stops, a half-hearted attempt at demolition of the remaining retail structures on the site briefly began in 2020. Since then, the buildings have remained frozen in time, and the rest of the vacant lot that once belonged to Steamers has continued to be an overgrown eyesore in the Woodmont Triangle. Of other projects to experience major delays in downtown Bethesda, 8001 Woodmont has been completed, the St. Elmo Apartments are in the early phase of construction, and 8008 Wisconsin remains in development hell.

A look back at the early years of the Kenwood Place condos in Bethesda (Photos)

The Kenwood Place condominiums remain one of the best-kept secrets in multifamily housing in Bethesda. Pricing has usually been lower here at 5301 Westbard Circle than in downtown Bethesda, and the units are far more spacious than almost anything downtown. The initial advertising touted "condos as big as a house."

Check out this wacky map that was used in early marketing of the property. It looks like Kenwood Place is a block away from all of the prime, upscale shopping that is hard to find in today's Friendship Heights: Woodward & Lothrop, Lord & Taylor and Mazza Gallerie - a big R.I.P. to all three. The map even shows Ward Circle and Nebraska Avenue! Scale was clearly an issue here. Location, location, location!

Then there was this controversial marketing campaign, "Should people over forty own a condominium?" This was apparently a hot topic at the time. So were those outfits! The ad copy sets the scene familiar to Kenwood Place residents and neighbors in that "prestigious neighborhood." Navigate the "long winding driveway" in your town car, to the "grande entrance portico, stately lobby...verdant gardens and picturesque swimming pool."

Kenwood Place was converted to condominiums in 1981. The mortgage rate that year was a far cry from recent times, that's for sure. Rates have changed, but Kenwood Place is here to stay. Its next door neighbor, the Westwood Shopping Center, is undergoing a major transformation into the Westbard Square mixed-use development, with a new Giant, new retail, rental apartments and townhomes. Whether it's big units for lower prices, or Springfield residents wanting to use that dang back gate to get to the Giant, some things never change at Kenwood Place!

Nature reclaims site of the future Claiborne condos in Bethesda (Photos)

The Claiborne condominium project has experienced major changes and epic delays in its journey from blueprint to eventual construction. Most of its future site at 4820 Auburn Avenue has reverted to its natural state, while the rest is still occupied by vacant Norfolk Avenue storefronts that were cleared out before the latest holdup. The overgrown area was once home to Steamers (the concrete steps in the above photo are one of the few elements of that restaurant left). Listen carefully, and you may hear the call of the wild!

Demolition for The Claiborne condos picking up again (Photos)

The epic history of The Claiborne condominiums in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle continues to be slowly written, one painstaking page at a time. This project has been in the works since 2016. A demolition process for the structures that remained on the lot after Steamers was razed in 2017 has been dragging on since last September. It appears an interior demolition is now underway inside the former Thelo Greek Grill space at 8009 Norfolk Avenue. Turtle power!

Lionsgate lions ready for Christmas (Photos)

The lions out in front of the Lionsgate condo buildings are ready for Christmas. Each one has been adorned with a large wreath around its neck. It will be interesting to see in this unusual year how holiday displays at residential buildings will change, if at all. Lionsgate always does something. Triangle Towers and The Palisades usually have the most elaborate decorations and lights out front. Let's see who wins the lights and display contest this year.

Work begins on construction of The Claiborne in Bethesda

After years of expectation, work has now officially begun on The Claiborne, a boutique luxury condo building that will rise at 4820 Auburn Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Excavation began Tuesday at the site. There are still some vacant buildings left to be demolished.