DOES URBAN LIVING REQUIRE AN URBAN DETOX? - DOWNTOWN BETHESDA LIFESTYLES

NEW BEVERAGE

CLAIMS TO CURE

WHATS AILS THE

NEW URBANIST

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

With all of the conveniences of living in downtown Bethesda - and everyone seemingly having a gym membership - one probably doesn't stop to consider whether urban living affects health.

For anyone who has given it thought, a drink company called Function is marketing a new beverage to you.

Urban Detox contains two "secret" ingredients:  prickly pear extract, and the "smog-scrubbing super-antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine" (what was that rule about ingredients you can't pronounce?).

The company promises it will protect the respiratory system from "particulate airborne pollution."

Oh, and it will also help you "recover from a night on the town."

Not sold yet? It was "created by physicians."  And good for your liver, too.

The official drink of MoCo's urbanizing future is here!

What's the final irony here?  I searched for this at the Bethesda Row Giant, and they didn't have it.  But I found it in the new organic section at the Westbard Giant.  The drink for "city warriors," only available in the suburbs!

I'll drink to that.

I'm sold!  In the cart it goes, and I'm off to the checkout.

What do you think about this drink?  Is there something to those ingredients, or is it just marketing bunk, in  your opinion?

RELIC NIGHTCLUB BUILDING TO BE AUCTIONED OFF

FORECLOSURE FINAL BLOW TO

SHUTTERED BETHESDA 

NIGHTSPOT

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

The saga of the beleagured Relic nightclub will reach an end on Thursday, August 9, at high noon.  At that moment, the small building that houses the club and office space at 4936 Fairmont Avenue will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, on the sidewalk out front.

Apparently, Montgomery County's seizure of the club's liquor license - which forced its indefinite closure - sent the building into foreclosure when the property owner defaulted on the mortgage, according to Craig Haughton and Nina Basu, who have been named substitute trustees of the property.

The 15,000 square foot property continues to house several offices, as you can tell by scanning the lobby directory.

Thinking of placing a bid?  You'll need $100,000 cash or certified funds if you win.

The property has potential for either a long-term investor, or a large developer.  Someone wanting to run a nightclub or restaurant - and who has the capital and patience to wait 5 years for the rebirth of dilapidated and deserted Fairmont Avenue - will be rewarded with a prime spot in the new Old Bethesda.

Developers might be interested in the property, if they can buy adjoining plots to allow for a larger, mixed use development.

Whatever the future of this building, this block of Fairmont is dead, dead, dead right now, and not a street people like to venture down after dark.  Of course, that's because pro-developer tax and planning policies by the county have indirectly forced out many of the street's tenants.  Although Relic has been the source of many complaints, the tearing-up of its liquor license certainly came at a most convenient time.  The shark fins are circling most of the mom-and-pop shops on the most promising avenues across Old Town Bethesda.

So far, nearby residents have been displeased by the project proposed at Fairmont's corner with Norfolk.  A primary complaint is the developer's plan to have an "inactive" street level (i.e. no restaurants or shops to activate the area after business hours).  I share their concerns.  This block is one of the darkest and loneliest at night in town, and the entrance to the street should not be essentially a Berlin Wall.

As I've said many times, with little room to develop downcounty, it is imperative that the Planning Board ensures the most added value from each and every project it approves.  And the maximum height and density within walking distance from Metro in downtown Bethesda.

Otherwise, many of those projects will suffer the same fate as 4936 Fairmont Avenue, in the not-so-distant future.

NEATO VENETO

A PHANTOM CONDO PROJECT

AND THE

MYSTERIOUS FUTURE OF

4901 CORDELL AVENUE

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Cordell Avenue is a tale of two blocks.  The first block, between Old Georgetown Road and Norfolk Avenue, has a number of good restaurants like Tragara and Matuba, but - with the major exception of the Caddies on Cordell patio - can tend to be fairly dead at night.  Once you walk east of Caddies, there just isn't much energy or activity there.

Go to the second block, however, and you have Freddy's Lobster and Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle with outdoor patio buzz, and residents coming and going at Triangle Towers and The Palisades apartments.  It's a lot more welcoming at night.

One of the "dead spots" is a small building at 4901 Cordell.  Six years ago, it was to be demolished and replaced by a boutique, mixed-use luxury condo building, called The Veneto.

Now, before I go any further, I'd say that there's no reason the existing building couldn't be renovated into a nice set of restaurants and shops.

But the owner and developer was intent on knocking it down for The Veneto.

I had mixed feelings about the Veneto project.  You can check out a nifty little Adobe Flash presentation of The Veneto at the architect's website.

Certainly the design is a lot more upscale than the current structure.

What's nice about it?

Well, it certainly was ambitious for the lot size.  It would really bring the corner of Cordell and Norfolk to life, but only if it had the right restaurants.

It had a clever parking solution in its odd, underground garage configuration.

What don't I like?

The design is still fairly bland.  It's not unique in any way, shape or form despite the claims on the website.  This building could be in Rockville, New York City or Clarendon, and nobody would know the difference or even care.

My biggest beef with The Veneto was its lack of affordable housing.  In addition to getting a free pass from the Planning Board on public-use space and parking minimums, The Veneto was almost the poster child for the infamous Bethesda concept known as the "boutique condo building."

As you can read on the website, there were only going to be 2 condos per floor, and then a sumptuous penthouse atop the building.

According to the planning document I saw, there was not even one affordable unit in the building.  You would think the Planning Board could have insisted on at least dividing one unit into 2 or 3 smaller apartments as MPDUs.

So the bottom line on this project's "value-added" score is pretty low.

The Veneto would definitely improve the neighborhood, by activating at least the corner, and part of two blocks which are currently dead at night.  It would bring light, energy and activity, perhaps like that found on Norfolk near Rock Bottom, Hanaro and BlackFinn today.

But it would add nothing architecturally, nor would it address the need for affordable apartments and condos to attract younger residents to Bethesda.  Strictly for the Daddy Warbucks set.

The bigger question, though, is what is the fate of 4901?

While The Veneto seemed to sail through the Planning Board's cakewalk of an approval process, it was never built.

After years of delay, there are vacant and abandoned storefronts.

Now, even the jewelry store is closing for good.

A sign is offering the existing building for sale or lease, and even suggests the seller will assist in renovating and updating the building.

We can speculate that The Veneto was a casualty of the real estate bubble bursting, especially given its high-end, limited target demographic.  I don't think it's a tragedy, given its many shortcomings.

But having said that, the location could certainly use some life at night, whether it's the existing building, The Veneto, or a more architecturally-imaginative blend of restaurants, market rate apartments and luxury units.

Let's hope a grander yet more value-added concept prevails.

BETHESDA ROW

DEVELOPMENT TO

IMPACT RESIDENTS

OF THE SEASONS,

SACKS SUBDIVISION

Parkmageddon is upon us at Bethesda Row, now that Public Parking Lots 31 and 31A have closed for demolition. But the two luxury residential buildings to rise in their places will most directly impact current residents of The Seasons apartments (pictured above) which border Lot 31A, and homeowners on Leland Street in the neighborhood known as Sacks, which is directly behind Lot 31 (top photo).

Sacks is named after the original landowner, George P. Sacks - now there's some Bethesda history for you!

Both communities have enjoyed fantabulous views of Bethesda Row and downtown Bethesda. But that will be lost for the apartments and homes directly aside the new buildings.

As one can imagine (and is quite obvious from the above photos) there is also going to be quite a bit of noise from the construction site over the next 2+ years. The unique quality of Sacks will be all but lost; up until now, a person walking through the neighborhood could fool themselves they were on a leafy, suburban street miles from the city. At the same time, residents could take a 1 minute walk to all of the downtown excitement at Bethesda Row. Now Sacks will be the literal manifestation of the Roger Lewis cartoon, which showed condo towers looming over a family's backyard barbecue.

Let's not forget that a developer tried to buy the whole Sacks neighborhood just 7 years ago, and extend Bethesda Row to Bradley Boulevard. That case became enshrined in history, as not only an example of the real estate madness of that era, but a warning to all that developers and the politicians they elect know no bounds. And that they will bulldoze suburbia in Montgomery County, if and when they can "change behavior and attitudes" regarding home ownership, backyards, trees, and white picket fences. I think urban living is great, and clearly, more and more people agree every day in the DC area. But so are suburban and rural living, and how boring would it be if Montgomery County lost that variety? Not to mention the environmental damage.

It's also hard to believe that, just a decade ago, residents behind the Giant/Trak Auto (I can hear some of you asking, "What's that?!")/Baskin Robbins shopping center were up in arms about a two-story grocery store and the relatively-short Upstairs at Bethesda Row project. While ridiculously low-density, short, boutique condo buildings near the Bethesda Metro station unbelievably - and foolishly - receive continuous approval from the county council and Planning board, the old "step-down" concerns where urban meets suburban seem to have been tossed out the window.

The fact is, in downtown Bethesda since the late 80s, the only constant has been change, as they say. For some residents near Bethesda Row, change is about to hit home.

FIRST IMAGE OF

CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL

AT-GRADE ALONG

BETHESDA AVENUE

7200 Woodmont Developer Offers to

Construct Trail as Part of Streetscape Improvements

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Just weeks after the Montgomery County Council determined the popular Capital Crescent Trail would be relocated in downtown Bethesda to make way for the Purple Line, a developer has offered to build one section of the new route along Bethesda Avenue.

Friday evening, the Montgomery County Planning Department released the above rendering prepared by developer JBG, incorporating the CCT into its expanded 7200 Woodmont development.

There are no 3-D street scenes to show what the finished trail will look like. This is a preliminary sketch showing the shared-use CCT bike path (running along the bottom of the image, above and parallel to Bethesda Ave.) between Woodmont and Wisconsin Avenues. As such, there is no way to know if the design fits council president Roger Berliner's demand for a "gold standard" at-grade CCT. Of course, no one has yet defined what gold standard means in this case.

Some things that are clear from the illustration and the Planning staff report, are that the trail will have some physical separation from Bethesda Avenue parallel to it. Whether that is a mountable curb, a median or insurmountable barricade is not specified yet.

In terms of safety, there are at least two vehicular curb cuts that will cross the new CCT, certainly more dangerous than the separate tunnel route today. As one of those entries is for the hotel on the property, there will be taxis zipping in and out of there across the CCT.

7200 Woodmont has grown in size. The new project is requesting approval of a 182,950 sq. ft. hotel with 230 rooms, 755,739 sq. ft. of office space, 81,165 sq. ft. of retail, and a 210-unit apartment building, the latter to be located on the current Elm Street parking lot.

Not only does the development stretch from the Woodmont/Bethesda Ave. intersection to that Elm Street site, but now also all the way along Bethesda Avenue to Wisconsin, as you can see in the site plan above.

The plaza at the corner of 355 and Bethesda will be replaced with a building, and JBG will donate some of the property fronting Wisconsin to the state highway's right-of-way. This is partly to facilitate CCT-related safety improvements to that intersection.

The only amenities for the CCT noted right now are landscaping and "terraced seating platforms" along its Bethesda Avenue route.

There are a number of other stipulations. JBG must place a bike wayfaring sign to direct riders near the Woodmont intersection. The CCT will remain open through the tunnel for the duration of the 7200 project construction. JBG must complete the CCT along Bethesda Ave before the county will issue occupancy permits for the ground floor retail on that side. And it must submit the detailed plans for the CCT concept before construction may begin on 7200.

Furthermore, JBG is going to pay over $400,000 for a comprehensive study of constructing the trail between JBG's portion and the original right-of-way beyond the Air Rights Building.

The tallest building in the project will be about 14 stories, by my calculation. This seems too short for a site walking distance to Metro, on the Bethesda Circulator route, and literally above the future Bethesda Row Purple Line station. And there are only 210 apartments, which is too few for a 5 acre project at this site. Sacrificing density here puts more pressure on areas like Westbard where such heights would be inappropriate.

In my opinion, the residential portion should be at least 20 stories. I can't comment on the architecture yet, because we don't really have the full illustrations of the buildings yet. The simplistic rendition in the staff report didn't make it seem very impressive. Let's hope they're more like North Bethesda Market I and II, and less like JBG's Rockville Pike Safeway proposal in terms of architecture.

We need more distinctive buildings that people will associate with Bethesda, not cookie cutter mixed use, Soviet-style apartment blocs.

But the project deserves some leeway, if JBG is going to pick up the tab for a major stretch of the new CCT, because that's money that won't have to come out of the taxpayers' pockets.

So it's a little early to make final judgements, but I wanted to let everybody know about this new Bethesda Row "neighbor," and in particular that there is a surprising twist here in the CCT soap opera with this unexpected - and welcome - offer from JBG.

PROVOCATIVE

NANDO'S PERI-PERI

GRAFFITI STREET ART

MAKES A SPLASH AT

BETHESDA ROW

Bethesda Avenue Art Murals Add Color,

International Ambiance to Garage Entrance

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

What makes great art? There are as many answers as there are people. But one is, art that makes people think or evokes a reaction.

Nando's Peri-Peri has brought its world-famous chicken to Bethesda Row, and now it has added a splash of color to our garage entry with new murals on its side wall. Kudos to Nando's for livening up a dead space.

Designed to evoke spontaneous, rogue street art with touches of artificial graffiti, the pieces also bring an international urban touch to the Row. By which I mean that they don't strongly suggest one particular culture, style, city or country, very appropriate for our very diverse metropolitan area.

There's also a nice contrast with the very formal European design of the Bethesda Lane pedestrian street next door, parallel to this edgy, energetic, contemporary installation at Nando's.

What do you think of the new art at Nando's?

TIME TO "DWELL" ON

WACKY LOCATION

FOR NEW BETHESDA

POST OFFICE

Is 6900 Wisconsin Avenue Really the

Ideal Mail Hub for the Future of Bethesda?

You may have taken note of vague media announcements regarding the closure of Bethesda's post offices, and the "consolidation" of two mail operations into one new location at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue.

But no one is really talking about where that new post office will be, and the consequences of selecting that location.

Now, before we consider that, here's Grandpa, about to head out to mail in his tax return to the IRS. Grandpa lives in a building near the Bethesda Metro Center, and it's going to be quite a walk. So let's give Grandpa a head start here. OK, he's got his coat and hat on. He's picked up the cane. And he's off to the races...6900 Wisconsin Avenue.

While he's staggering along 355, let's consider this building at 6900 Wisconsin Ave. It has a modest parking lot between it and a mattress store. Behind the building is a sort of alleyway, which gives access to the rear garage doors of 6900, as well as some garden apartments.

This alley is accessible from both Leland St./Woodmont Ave, and Bradley Blvd. There is a narrow staircase that runs up to the future post office's surface lot. However, this alley is - by nature - narrow, and not really designed for heavy, bidirectional vehicle traffic. I'm not sure that the 6900 garage is even open to the public, or how many spaces it has.

How's Grandpa doing? He's made it as far as the Apex Building. Getting a little tired. Heading into Regal for a Coke.

Anyway, it's not clear at this point how the 6900 site will handle two post offices' worth of foot and vehicular traffic. The county, the developer, and the Postal Service are not volunteering answers, and the politicians and journalists don't seem too inclined to ask any questions. Maybe they've got a genius solution, but wouldn't it have been a good idea to tell us up front.

All I know is, the 6900 lot has less than half of the spaces the Arlington Rd. post office has. And 355 is a state highway. The current post office is a notorious congestion point on Arlington Road. But it's one of many such points in the Bethesda Row area, and is probably a positive for pedestrian safety on the busy crosswalk ahead of it.

Imagine that volume of traffic now zipping (crawling?) in and out of 6900 during rush hour. Yikes. Assuming they'll put a time limit on the spaces, the ingress and egress is bound to cause dist-ress. Can they allow the public into that garage? Will people illegally park in the alley, and run up the back stairs to mail something?

OK, Grandpa's as far as Starbucks now...

People like Grandpa, who live near the center of town, or even farther north in "Old Town" Bethesda simply aren't going to be willing and/or able to walk that many blocks. So they are likely to drive, and who could blame them? But Government and developers keep telling us they're going to "get people out of their cars" and make walkable communities. So why are they letting the USPS move to 6900?

It seems these days that there is no adult supervision for politicians and planners. Want to build something without the infrastructure to support it, while you make the profit and the taxpayer picks up the tab? Done. The folks are away, and the bigshots are throwing a party. We don't need a well-planned, underground subway; just throw some surface rail or bus line up so we can build, build, build!

Shouldn't Bethesda's main post office for the next 100 years be centrally-located in the urban core? After all, it is a basic utility everyone uses. You'd think the politicians could have worked out a deal to put the post office in the ground floor of one of these lackluster, boutique buildings they've approved recently, closer to the center of town.

The USPS chose not to reopen in the future development at its current Arlington Rd. site, Dwell Bethesda. There are no pictures of the proposal so far, but the name is already getting things off to a bad start. "Dwell Bethesda?!" And the historic Wisconsin Avenue Post Office, complete with Madonna of the Trail statue, adds no value to the community as a private building for the private profit of Donohoe, the new owner.

But the big problem is that both sites - which together provided walking-distance mail services to all of downtown Bethesda - are closing at once. Forever. And the new location woefully underserves the urban population.

Forget about the farmers market moving; this is the issue Action Committee for Transit should be at least equally concerned about. Farmers markets are informal affairs that can be moved at will, and it is certain to return to Bethesda Row once The Darcy opens.

But the post office is going to be stuck at 6900, way out of walking distance for the average busy person. For many decades. It's just poor planning, but it's probably too late to stop the process now. Just tell us what the plan is. Can the Bethesda Circulator add the Post Office, Safeway and Bradley Shopping Center to its route sometimes? That might be an easy but insufficient fix. Are they going to somehow expand parking, since they've chosen a site beyond walking distance?

And don't say we won't use mail in the future. Unless you know how to squeeze that box of shoes-that-were-the-wrong-size into the USB port, so you can email them back for a refund!

So let's check back on Grandpa. He's finally made it down to the new post office. The sun is going down. He's going in! He's mailing his package! He's coming out! Uh-oh! He's starting to get a chest pain from overexertion. Fortunately, the new post office is convenient to CVS, and Grandpa can get a refill on his heart medication. At least it's convenient for something!

UP IN ARMS ON

THE (URBAN) FARM

Controversy Over Bethesda Farmers Market Move

Still Simmering Despite Successful Opening Day

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

The popular, year-round Bethesda Central Farm Market officially opened its 2012 season on Sunday, at Bethesda Elementary School. Despite it being the first market held away from its original Bethesda Row location on Elm Street, the opening day appeared to have been a success, and featured several new vendors.

But that didn't quiet critics of the move. Last night, transit advocacy group Action Committee for Transit released a statement and photos it says prove the pretense for moving the market given by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation was "a sham."

The official reason was that the pending closure of the section of Woodmont Avenue affected by the Darcy condo project would increase traffic pressure in the Bethesda Row area, requiring the need for Elm Street to be fully open Sunday mornings.

"There is no car traffic on Sunday mornings," said ACT's Ronit Dancis, and the included photo shows a virtually empty block of Elm Street.

In contrast, a second photo shows a jam-packed parking lot at Bethesda ES. ACT says the photo was taken at 9:30 AM, 30 minutes after the market's start. By this point, ACT asserts, the market "ran out of parking."

ACT's primary concerns, that the market is now away from the action, and that the new location encourages automobile travel over walking or biking, remain. They also believe the move has hurt Sunday morning business at Bethesda Row shops.

I think they have a very good point about the business impact. BCFM has always been a good neighbor at Bethesda Row. They have regularly encouraged patrons to stay for brunch at Bethesda Row after the market. Should people be inclined to stay now, they will be closer to restaurants in "Old Town" Bethesda, rather than Bethesda Row. The other problem is that they have to move their car again, rather than just walking around the corner to brunch, in either Old Town or Bethesda Row.

But I also think the Old-New Bethesda dynamic is really the central issue here. As I mentioned Sunday, sure, the new spot is relatively inconvenient for Bethesda Row residents and visitors. However, the vast majority of apartments and condos are actually in Old Town Bethesda. So that should encourage a greater number of walkers than before.

At the same time, two other factors disfavor the new site: it is not just off the Capital Crescent Trail for morning bike riders and joggers, and the Bethesda Circulator doesn't have Sunday hours.

Would I prefer the market was back at Elm St.? Of course. But we won't know the full impact of the Woodmont closure until it happens - about 60 days from now. At that point, the traffic volume and patterns should be studied. If the impact is minimal, perhaps the county will reconsider the matter.

There are also other factors, such as emergency vehicle access in case of a fire, that are part of the MCDOT's judgement. They'd also need to consider the traffic level up through 1:00, which increases as the day goes on.

Finally, if the goal here is promoting environmentally-friendly policies and local, sustainable farming, I believe having more attendees would outweigh the desire for less cars.

First, we need to establish if there really are more cars, or if we're simply seeing all the cars that used to be hidden in the public garages and lots at Bethesda Row crammed into one place.

Second, I am sure that BCFM can tell us if market sales increase or decline.

So let's say we found there are more people driving, but that sales are markedly up. Isn't the environmental impact of that - in the grand scheme of things - inconsequential? And the greater impact - more people eating local, fresh produce; improving their health; and keeping farms going, rather than having them snapped up by developers, who pollute watersheds with construction runoff - more important than how we travel there?

Certainly, I would encourage all of those who can to make the walk; it's not that far. And ACT should continue to be engaged on the issue. They have made several good points that should be debated. Ultimately, once the street closure takes effect, it is not beyond possibility that the market could move back. If not, perhaps MCDOT can give a fuller reasoning of why that is, so patrons will be understanding that the inconvenience is unavoidable.

Until then, please continue to voice your opinions here in the comments, or directly to BCFM.

Do you think it's positive that the market is closer to a majority of residential buildings in downtown Bethesda at the new location? Is it bad if more people drive if farmers receive more income? Is it a dealbreaker for you if the market is further from the action at Bethesda Row? Did you attend the market this past Sunday? If so, how was your experience? Better, worse? If the parking lot is jammed, will that encourage people to walk?

I think everyone is prepared to adjust to the circumstances. Part of urban living is big projects like The Darcy getting built, and people adapting to constant change. And it's also about people having the freedom to voice their opinions, and effect change themselves.

This is a healthy dialogue. In the meantime, let's all try to remember the positive goals of supporting local farmers, and enjoying a healthier lifestyle at the market on Sundays, 9:00-1:00! Wherever it is.

HO HUM:

BETHESDA'S LATEST

GATEWAY CONDO

PROJECT FAILS TO

IMPRESS

Following years of delay, the Trillium condo project at the northern gateway of downtown Bethesda has been altered yet again.

The long-empty site has its latest plan, and it leaves much to be desired. First, the proposed building is smaller and far shorter than it should be, within walking distance to Metro. Density in that spot shouldn't be the maximum because that walk to Metro is not a short one.

Second, the design is decidedly ho hum. A cross between a hospital and a cookie cutter office office building, the Trillium is poised to be the latest gateway property to disappoint.

At the south entrance to town, you are confronted with Staples. This was a chance to do something bold. When arriving in Bethesda, you should be greeted by bold architecture, glass, steel and innovative design. Maybe an 8 story fountain.

Instead, we're getting this bland, utilitarian and squat commercial style building. To top it off, the C-shaped courtyard design faces drivers entering Bethesda, from the plans I've examined.

The vague promise of a grocery store that will draw people to the site suggests one name: Wegmans. But will it really be Wegmans, or Harris Teeter, which the same developer has contracted with in one of its DC projects? I will say that getting Wegmans would go a long way to compensate for the underwhelming design.

It's not too late to come up with an alternative. The Planning Board needs to stop trying to throw up skyscrapers in residential neighborhoods, and start trying to build them in downtown Bethesda instead. And it's time to start rejecting the same old, cookie cutter designs every other town is using.

The building that stands at the gateway to Bethesda ought to represent Bethesda.