Regency Centers disclosed that ten apartment units in the plan were being relocated from the Westwood Center II site to the Westwood Shopping Center property. Since that would potentially add over 20 more people to the shopping center site, such a move only heightened concerns about a shortage of parking in the plan. But parking was never discussed at the meeting, nor any other issue ranging from the staging of the Westbard Avenue realignment to the controversy over parking spaces at the shopping center given to the Kenwood Place condominium by covenant decades ago.
Attendees had barely settled in their seats when planners had already adjourned the discussion, and were announcing the schedule for the review of the project going forward. It appeared the substantive discussions had either already been had, or were being postponed for private meetings between planners and the developer, which certainly do not promote transparency in the approval process. Interestingly, every project reviewed at Tuesday's meeting had some sort of substantive discussion except for the Westwood Shopping Center.
17 comments:
"Westwood Shopping Center DRC meeting much ado about nothing"
Like your reports on The Collection?
"Many Westbard-area residents and community leaders took time and gas to drive to the Montgomery County Development Review Committee meeting Tuesday in Silver Spring"
14 miles round-trip. That's 0.5-1 gallon for most cars. Less than $3. What cheapskates.
"Regency Centers disclosed that ten apartment units in the plan were being relocated from the Westwood Center II site to the Westwood Shopping Center property."
Too bad you got scooped on the Claiborne (Steamer's site). Those changes were much more interesting. Just stay in bed next time, Dyer.
Oh my, the horror, 20 more folks might live in a reinvigorated Westbard. They must be insane to consider such an idea. Because of this terrible development, I will be moving to Olney.
20 more residents = 30 more cars, per Robert Dyer's "logic".
The sky is falling! Westbard aka "eden" is going to have a revitalized and busy shopping center so people won't have to drive far off to get to decent shops. The sky is falling on Robert Dyer and his miserable blog.
I saw a comment, also back in 2012, that the Giant's lease expires next year. I wonder if there has been any movement to renew it, or will it go the way of Sears? Maybe our fearless hype-local journalist could find some answers.
I love what Dyer is doing for MoCo!
The meeting was a farce - obviously orchestrated between Regency and planners to check the box and move on. Residents were there in force to monitor whether the vast problems with this development would be addressed. Nope. Move on, nothing to see here.
Can't wait to see Regency attempt to orchestrate around the condo group easements - grab the popcorn for that. I wonder how many townhomes they will lose if KPC tells them to take a hike.
Dyer is now claiming that Shelly Skolnick (R) is part of the Great MoCo Cartel Zombie Mexican Voter Conspiracy, simply because she got more votes than Dyer.
6:45: Shelly Skolnick didn't run in 2010 for Council at-large, dummy.
6:49: 1.9 cars per household, according to the 2010 Census.
6:31: More traffic, more crime, less green space is "invigorating?" LOL
12:51: Giant has already leased a 60000 SF space in the new development - they will be at Westbard for many more years to come.
How does 20 more people living in Westbard equal "more crime"?
8:29: 20 more? More like 1500, and up to 3000+ at full build-out. Yes, more crime.
Where is the "green space" in that shopping center now? More like "asphalt space".
Real life happens....stuns and disappoints Robert Dyer.
Dyer, are you saying that the crime rate will actually increase, or just that the raw number of crimes will increase in proportion to the increase in population?
@12:51: Regency's redevelopment plan is centered around significant pre-leasing, most importantly the Giant anchor lease. Giant has already renewed its lease-- the new store will be ~65,000 square feet. The expansion (~6,000 square feet) represents a new pharmacy-- reportedly the Giant pharmacy will be the only pharmacy at the redeveloped Westbard Center. Equity One originally purchased the Westbard property to capture the significant upside on the Giant lease renewal, as the existing lease is substantially below current market.
For those Bethesdans who hoped that the redeveloped Westbard would offer far more retail variety: Nope. Proposed retail/commercial space at Westbard will be only 6% more than what's there now, while residential space is going up 1470%. Basically, Westbard is getting a lot of apartments and townhomes. But much of the new retail parking will be shared with apartment owners and their guests, so it will be harder for shoppers to park, at least at peak hours.
On the </= 5 minute Development Review Committee meeting: The Development Review Committee submitted numerous and detailed written comments on the Regency Plan, including a flat rejection of the proposed stormwater management plan. Community members submitted a substantial number of comments on diverse elements of the plan, too. Yet the Development Review Committee had no questions for Regency Centers on this proposal for over 800,000 square feet of space over 22 acres. Either the DRC is incompetent or is reluctant to review the Westbard plans in a public forum. County residents are short-changed either way.
My thanks to Robert Dyer for publicizing this travesty of a meeting.
@6:45:
1. Shelly Skolnick is male.
2. In the June 2018 Republican primary for County Council At Large, Robert Dyer came in first, narrowly edging out Skolnick and the other Republican contenders. Because there were only 4 candidates, all will be on the November 2018 ballot. Here's a link to the results.
https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2018/results/primary/gen_results_2018_1_by_county_160.html
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