Bethesda self-storage project moving forward again

A self-storage building approved by Montgomery County in December 2017 has yet to be built at 5204 River Road. While the auto maintenance facility on that property located behind the River Road McDonald's was torn down soon after the approval, the project has stalled for nearly two-and-a-half years. Now the developer is reviving the plans, but is seeking to amend the approved site plan.

Three key changes have been proposed by the applicant, Bethesda Self Storage:

1. A reduction in the setback for the front of the building, from 33' to 20'
2. A reduction of the rear setback from 19' down to 16'
3. Confirmation of a parcel donation to Montgomery County of 4792 SF

There were actually two land issues involved with the self storage proposal in 2017. First, is the applicant's role in transforming Outlet Road into a pedestrian path (this is the road that runs along the back retaining wall behind the McDonald's property, and was also a funeral procession route from Macedonia Baptist Church to the Moses African Cemetery on the Westwood Tower site).

Second, the applicant was to donate a parcel of property to Montgomery County Parks that is known to be part of the cemetery. Unknown, and of concern to the church and community advocates, is whether any bodies may have been intentionally or mistakenly buried or reburied within the footprint of the proposed self-storage building. No one has ever excavated the site yet, so that remains unknown. Those concerns were dismissed by the Montgomery County Planning Board in 2017, despite protests at the meeting, as were concerns about stormwater management.

One condition of approval for the site plan amendments will be the applicant making a "good faith effort" to convince McDonald's to construct an ADA-compliant ramp from its property down to Outlet Road. The Outlet Road path is conceived as a walking route to a future linear park along the Willett Branch stream.

A public hearing on the proposed amendments is tentatively scheduled for August 20, 2020. As we all know, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, everything is very tentative right now.