Sleepy's becomes Mattress Firm in Bethesda (Photos)

The Sleepy's name at 6950 Wisconsin Avenue has fallen victim to the almost-overnight mattress market takeover by Mattress Firm. An even-more classic name in bedding, Mattress Discounters, is going the way of Syms, Luskin's and Levitz. While these developments have been unfolding over the last couple of weeks, the process that brought them here has been in the works for many years.

Sleepy's bought the venerable Mattress Discounters for $11.9 million in 2012. Mattress Firm, in turn, acquired Sleepy's in November 2015 for $780 million. This gave Mattress Firm control of both brands.

Given that none of these stores are exactly targeting the ultra-rich, dropping a well-known brand like Mattress Discounters sounds like marketing suicide. Mattress Firm? Never heard of it. I guess we'll find out in a few years if it made sense. Oh, well, at least Belmont and Bill's Carpet are still around.

SLEEPY'S BUILDING COULD ADD 2 FLOORS ON WISCONSIN AVENUE IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

A second downtown Bethesda landowner is bucking the mixed-use development trend.

An application is before the Montgomery County Planning Board requesting permission to add 2 floors to the Sleepy's mattress store building on Wisconsin Avenue. The store is near the new Bethesda Post Office, and across a public alley from the Strathmore Apartments.

The applicant seeks to retain the surface parking lot, and add an elevator and handicapped van parking space.

Planning Board staff is recommending approval under the condition that the applicant make sidewalk, alley, lighting and parking lot improvements.

This sounds fine to me, but I have 2 small concerns:

The staff's proposal to screen the parking lot from view of the sidewalk, and the apartments in back, does raise safety issues. One of the advantages of roadside surface parking is the ability of passing motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and police to note any criminal activity taking place in such lots.  Given that the lot has been there for years, is it really necessary to "hide" it? I would think shielding the apartments from headlights might make sense. But screening the street side doesn't.

The other concern is that the Planning Board staff report notes stair access from the lot to the alley. And that a lower-level business tenant can be reached from the alley via that staircase. However, a disabled person could not. I'd be interested to know if there is an alternative access method for customers with disabilities.