A proposal to redevelop several older apartment buildings on Battery Lane will be presented at a public meeting scheduled for
Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 7:00 PM at Imagination Stage, located at 4805 Auburn Avenue in Bethesda. The plan would make an even swap of six buildings for six new buildings. It is a controversial plan, as these and the apartments on Bradley Boulevard are among the last remaining naturally-occurring affordable housing in downtown Bethesda.
16 comments:
Way to hold'em accountable Anonymous
Not sure I understand what “naturally-occurring“ affordable housing is. Sounds like some form of fungus...
All kidding aside, it would be nice to see this area enhanced. The Bethesda Downtown Plan allows 120’ to 175’ tall buildings, which can add up to 24’ of height if they exceed the minimum required number of MPDU units. So a district of multiple 14 to 19 high rise buildings could really transform the area, and hopefully support some of the struggling retail and restaurants in the Woodmont Triangle.
It will be interesting how they propose to accommodate existing tenants that currently have some affordable rents.
Images and descriptions of the proposed buildings can be now viewed on the Bethesda Design Advisory Panel website. They are using threee different architects to design five different sites to create a diverse community of mid and high-rise towers. They also note that 50% of the units will be MPDU!
Scroll down to meeting materials to view submitted documents.
https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/communities/area-1/bethesda-downtown-plan/bethesda-downtown-design-advisory-panel/
Sorry, I read the text incorrectly. Of the 477 (affordable but non-MPDU) existing apartments in the 6 four story buildings that will be removed, more than 50% will be replaced with MPDU’s. So at least 238 MPDU’s. If the total project has 20% MPDU’s, that would mean about 1200 total units. This would mean a net gain of about 733 units distributed among the six sites, or about 962 new market rat units and 238 new MPDU’s.
By comparison the proposed Bethesda Market project, with two high-rises flanking Wisconsin and some townhouses is only 620 units, so just les than half the size of the Aldon project. Of course the Battery Lane sites will be developed over 10-15 years. I’m sure the developer wants to get his entitlement before the maximum Bethesda Sector Plan BOZ density is achieved, and the school capacity creates a moritorium.
Sorry, checked again, the total new unit count is 1498 units including 318 MPDU, for a net gain of 1498-477 or 1021 unit. Some buildings have 15% and some have 25% MPDU.Buildings vary from 70' to 180'.
Let's keep in mind that many of the people who currently live on Battery and Bradley will not qualify for MPDUs. They will therefore be forced out of Bethesda. And, no, $2 million Hans Riemer duplex units won't help them stay. And they won't qualify for the Hans Riemer Section 8 units in boarding houses in wealthy neighborhoods, either.
"Let's keep in mind that many of the people who currently live on Battery and Bradley will not qualify for MPDUs."
Why won't they?
"Hans Riemer Section 8 units in boarding houses"
Da fuq is this gibberish, Dyer?
No thoughts of the creation of a much more dense neighborhood along Battery Lane?
To me this seems like Aldon is tying to soak up as much of the BOZ density as possible, and may not really intend to build all 1498 units in the time frame descridbed in their plans. Site plans once approved do not expire. These units, if approved will allocate a ton of housing density that is quite remote from the Metro. I hope this does not deter other developers to get moving and get some move mixed use plans entitled that would added to the walkability of the Woodmont Triangle, and areas closer to the CBD.
On the other hand, having 8 new residential towers flanking Battery Lane might be kind of cool, but without any supporting retail, all of these new residents will be forced to use the new pedestrian walkways to cut south to the more active portions of the Woodmont Triangle, especially along Norfolk. I would think the planning department and DAP should at least require retail at the southwest corner of Woodmont and Battery Lane to anchor the neighborhood. I do appreciate the 318 MPDU’s, and would expect this amount of density will add a healthy amount of money to the park improvement fund.
6:52: Uh, because they make "too much" to qualify, but not enough to pay standard Bethesda rents at newer buildings. My advice would be to drop the faux gangsta talk to be taken more seriously.
7:38: Battery is a more sensible place than Westbard for this. I thought we were nearing the school moratorium for downtown Bethesda even without this project.
Dyer: "Uh, because they make "too much" to qualify [for MPDU]"
Are you sure?
Dyer: "My advice would be to drop the faux gangsta talk to be taken more seriously."
Also Dyer: "Cash me ousside. How bow da?"
Anyway, what exactly is a "Hans Riemer Section 8 unit in a boarding house"?
I like how you feel enough shame that you don't allow comments on your stupid mattress post, yet that shame doesn't stop you from writing the garbage in the first place. It's rather odd.
Let’s be clear: The closure of comments on a post is essentially Mr. Dyer’s way of conceding it’s nothing more than BS arglebargle.
Amazing how he can turn a report on a mattress store into his diatribe on MoCo being a washed-up bedroom community. He is such a talented journalist, he can insert his witty political comments into even the most boring announcement. Pulitzer Prize material me thinks!
Back on topic. Massive Battery Lane development...good, bad, or who cares? Can the Woodmont Triangle handle 1500 or so new residents? So far from transit, the added traffic on Battery Lane, not enough schools, too many high rises, not enough retail, interesting architectural design, or maybe nobody cares.
There are two buses running along Battery Lane - the Bethesda Circulator and the Ride-On 34. So that meets the Everyone-But-Dyer definition of "transit-oriented".
The buildings at the Woodmont end of Battery Lane are within a one-half mile walk of the Medical Center station, and just a few hundred feet beyond a half-mile walk to the Bethesda station.
8:18
Yeah, pretty much.
I've never seen any of the apartments, condos or houses in the Westbard area ever advertised as "walking distance to Metro".
That's part of the reason the apartments are less expensive than downtown Bethesda or Friendship Heights.
Even the most creative realtor knows you can't advertise a Kenwood Place condo as walking distance to Metro.
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