Not long after the Woodmont Avenue block designated as a Bethesda Streatery reopened to traffic after a two-year closure, water utility WSSC is proposing to close the next two blocks for as long as five months. The WSSC needs to replace an aging 60" large valve vault in that area of downtown Bethesda. It has settled on a construction option that will require the closure of Woodmont between Bethesda Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355) for 16 to 22 weeks, and subject nearby residents to water outages of up to 8 hours at a time. Needless to say, residents are not thrilled by this, and have
created a petition asking the WSSC to reconsider the possible options for the project.
Top concerns for residents are lack of access for fire and rescue vehicles, impact on deliveries, possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and unsanitary conditions during extended water outages. It should also be noted that there is an ingress/egress for the Capital Crescent Trail public parking garage on one of those blocks. Should a fire or other emergency occur near the remaining access point, people and their cars could be trapped in the garage. Most of the impacted residents live in the apartment and condo buildings along Woodmont.
The concerns are amplified by the fact that many people work from home these days. There is also the unique configuration of The Darcy and Flats at Bethesda Avenue properties, which are connected to the very deep underground CCT parking garage. The petition mentions potential impacts on building stability, and that would probably extend to the garage, as well. 69 residents have signed the petition as of this morning.
