Springhouse Battery Lane proposes modifications to its building (Photos)

The Springhouse Manor Care senior living facility at 4925 Battery Lane is seeking permission from the Montgomery County Planning Board to modify its existing building. Attorneys Stacy Silber and Elizabeth Rogers with Lerch, Early & Brewer, representing the applicant, have also asked for a modification of the parking requirements for the downtown Bethesda site, to bring them more in line with the updated zoning code.

Plans to update the building for the benefit of residents include a porte-cochère canopy that would extend over the drop-off area at the entrance to the building. Silber and Rogers say the canopy would not only serve the practical purpose of sheltering residents from the elements, but also activate the streetscape in front of the property. The entrance itself will also be realigned and updated.

A covered porch would also be added to the southeast corner of the building.

Finally, a new bay of balconies would be added to the western side of the building, which would serve both the care function of the property, and the leisure use by residents.

The architect hired by Springhouse is John Maisto of BKV Group, and VIKA is the engineering and landscape engineering firm on the project.

Overgrown lawn at vacant nursing home in Bethesda gets mowed

The increasingly-poorly manicured grounds at the former Manor Care Springhouse at Westwood nursing home on Ridgefield Road have finally been addressed by a landscaping crew. Landlord Equity One released its first public statement yesterday on the neglect, which I reported on last Wednesday.

Statement from Equity One regarding
the poor condition of the Manor Care
site in recent weeks on
Facebook Wednesday

Apparently, Manor Care still has landscaping responsibilities through June, despite having vacated the premises late last year. And Manor Care was delinquent in mowing the lawns and other landscaping duties. That failure led to a growing public relations problem for Equity One, which has extensive redevelopment plans that require community support.

Somebody finally took charge and got the mowers running.

Vacant nursing home property starting to decline in Bethesda (Photos)

When planners talked about adding green space in the Westbard Sector Plan rewrite, they probably didn't have this in mind. The former Manor Care Springhouse nursing home already earned the dubious distinction of being a vacant building in the 20816 zip code late last year - a virtually-unheard-of situation in a neighborhood of $1-2 million homes.

Nearby residents were already wary of potential crime activity taking advantage of the empty building and grounds. But recently landscaping upkeep seems to have ceased, adding to the problem - and potentially attracting new ones.

In contrast to the meticulous maintenance of the landscaping around Equity One's commercial properties across the street, and at single-family homes along Westbard, the nursing home is now standing out for the wrong reasons.

Looking toward Ridgefield Road
along Westbard Avenue

Weeds are overtaking the rapidly-rising grass, and shrubbery is not being trimmed as before. It's unclear why the same landscaping crew maintaining the Equity One properties across the street doesn't have this on the list.

Equity One has done an excellent job of upgrading safety at Westwood Center II and the Westwood Shopping Center, particularly with new lighting. Hopefully it can address this issue soon - it's not likely to earn points with residents in the development process ahead by allowing the nursing home property to deteriorate like this.

Looking toward River Road
from Ridgefield Road in
front of the vacant nursing home

SPRINGHOUSE OF WESTWOOD NURSING HOME TO CLOSE, FIRST DOMINO TO FALL IN WESTBARD REDEVELOPMENT

We've been hearing that the redevelopment of the Westwood Complex is several years off, especially given that the Westbard Sector Plan rewrite is only in the earliest stage. But the first major move on the game board is taking place now. I received a tip that the Manor Care Springhouse of Westwood assisted living residence at 5101 Ridgefield Road will close its doors this Friday. To confirm this, I contacted Manor Care yesterday. Ken Connelly, Director of Marketing Development for Manor Care, confirmed that the nursing home will close before the end of the year, but has yet to confirm Friday as a closing date. Connelly has not yet responded to a follow-up message. However, in his original response, he said the closure is "due to the re-development of the land in which Springhouse of Westwood is located."

Last night around 9:00 PM, all rooms appeared darkened on the Ridgefield Road side, with lights only on at entrances and windows on the ends of hallways. One light appeared to be on at the back of the building, and a car was parked by a door in the driveway.

I invited property owner Equity One to comment, but have received no response to my inquiries as of this writing. Equity One owns the Westwood Complex, which also includes the Westwood Shopping Center, Westwood Center II, two Citgo gas stations, Westwood Tower apartments, and the Bowlmor Lanes bowling alley. All are expected to be redeveloped in the coming decade.

What does this mean? I am hopeful to get further details from Equity One, and will bring that information to you as soon as I receive it. I followed up with Equity One's PR firm, as well, but also have not yet heard back as of this writing.

In the absence of such information, one can only speculate - and that speculation is quite troubling.

We are now facing the real potential of having a large abandoned building and grounds in a residential neighborhood for an extended period of time. That's not something you often - if ever - find in the 20816 zip code. I think most people assumed Manor Care would be allowed to continue to operate the home beyond its 2015 lease expiration, until Equity One and partner EYA were prepared to redevelop the site. Unless they have a secret project plan they've been discussing, and the public has been lied to at recent meetings held by the developers and county, this site will either be a vacant building or empty field (if the building were to be demolished) for at least several years. That has great potential for crime activity on the abandoned property, which would impact nearby residents. It could be a hangout, with plenty of places for people to hide at night. What would they do? Put a huge fence around it? That would only make an unacceptable situation seem even more ugly.

This site is likely to become an EYA luxury townhome development, if they and partner Equity One have their way. However, the development process of Montgomery County is lengthy. Nothing can be built without going through a long public process, even under the current zoning for the site.

Personally, I think the closure is a shame. Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods found the Springhouse facility a good way to keep relatives close to home, and the nursing home has been a "good neighbor." The building is still usable, and could easily be retrofitted for senior housing, of which there is a shortage in Montgomery County. Absent that, the most appropriate use of the land would be as single-family homes, the housing type that directly abuts the nursing home property. It could also figure into the green space equation in the overall Westbard-area redevelopment. Early missteps on that could rival the planning blunder of the Hoyt property decision, which has already preemptively hobbled any effort to extend a green stormwater buffer around the stream that flows through there.

What's up with this closure, and why won't anyone involved share the details of what is going on? I don't think keeping residents in the dark is good PR in the larger redevelopment process in Westbard. The Springhouse property is a gateway to the community, and its status is of great interest to that community.