Montgomery County loses another corporate HQ to Virginia

There goes another one. Amentum Services, a leading government contractor in the fields of engineering, project management and advanced solutions integration, is moving from Germantown to Chantilly in Fairfax County, Virginia. The latest corporate decision to choose Virginia over Montgomery County will bring 157 new jobs to Fairfax County - good jobs with high pay. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) announced the move in a press release Monday.

According to Youngkin's statement, Virginia competed directly with Maryland to woo Amentum, which has 44,000 employees working in 85 countries around the world. “Fairfax County offers the location, access to decision-makers, and talent pipeline that global providers like Amentum are seeking, and we are proud to welcome the company’s leadership and operations team to Virginia,” Youngkin said. “Amentum joins the ranks of the Commonwealth’s diversified ecosystem of more than 800 corporate headquarters across a broad cross-section of industries.”

“I want to thank and congratulate Amentum for choosing Fairfax County for its home base,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said in statement. “Our long-term investment into making Fairfax County the top choice to locate a global business continues to bear fruit, and I am thrilled that Amentum has chosen to take advantage of what we offer.” 

Amentum is the latest corporation to abandon moribund Montgomery County for Virginia, or choose Virginia over Maryland in a relocation search. It joins Amazon, Northrop Grumman, Volkswagen, Lidl, Hilton Hotels, Intelsat, Corporate Executive Board, Nestle, Lego, and Gerber, to name a few. 

Montgomery County and Maryland have had difficulty even gobbling up the crumbs under Virginia's dinner table. When Youngkin made the surprising decision to reject a Ford Motor Company battery plant recently, Maryland wasn't even a serious contender to grab the jump ball. That fumble apparently happened on the watch of former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and the 2018-2022 Montgomery County Council, as Michigan was quickly named as Ford's backup choice. 

Bank of America to permanently close River Road branch in Bethesda

Bank of America's branch at 5135 River Road in Bethesda has been "temporarily" closed for some time, with no explanation. Now the company says it will make the closure permanent at the end of the day on March 28, 2023. That essentially just covers the ATM services available outside, as the bank itself is still closed.

Bank of America, like PNC, Capital One and several other banks, has been shuttering branches since the pandemic began. BOA hasn't closed as many as the others in our area, though. 

What is the future for this property? As of today, real estate records show it is still owned by a trust of Lawrence Z. Bulman and has not been sold. It's unlikely to redevelop into a high-rise until Montgomery County updates the Westbard sector plan. The last update in 2016 excluded all the properties on River Road, primarily because a majority of land owners there intend to wait for the Purple Line extension to Westbard, when building heights and density allowed will greatly increase.

The Macedonia Baptist Church next door to the bank owns its land. It has been under pressure from developers to sell for years, but has resisted all offers so far. 

Expect to see the smaller properties on River Road be assembled into larger ones when the sector plan is updated in the future. Remember, the Purple Line doesn't have to actually be built for construction to commence on the redevelopment it will allow. Developers at Chevy Chase Lake and along the never-built Corridor Cities Transitway can tell you about that. 

If someone wanted to move forward with a smaller residential or mixed-use building, they could do that now under the current zoning. It would not provide the financial return of waiting for the sector plan update, however. Alternatively, a developer with influence over the Montgomery County Council could use the controversial "minor master plan amendment" process to upzone the site prior to the sector plan revision.

Barring that, in the more-immediate future, another bank could take over the building. The best case scenario would be a fast food restaurant with a drive thru, such as Taco Bell, Shake Shack, Jack in the Box or Burger King. Bethesda may be the only town of its size in America to have only one drive-thru fast food restaurant, the McDonald's near the bank at 5214 River Road.

Another Bethesda developer seeks hotel use, as demand for luxury apartments remains weak

The housing type Montgomery County elected officials and planners insist is the most-needed and most-popular has few takers on the actual real estate market. Developers have been unable to fully lease-up the new rental apartment towers delivered in the post-recession era with traditional tenants paying full freight. Instead, building owners have converted varying numbers of units to hotel, dorm-room, corporate housing and other uses. With hotel uses, some owners have resorted to unofficial airbnb rentals, while the owners of others like The Elm have sought legitimacy by having the County approve an official hotel designation for a set number of apartments. Developer MACAW 100, LLC is now seeking to take the latter approach.

MACAW 100 had previously received approvals for a 12-story residential building with 76 units at 4824 Edgemoor Lane, a property currently occupied by a single-family home. Now it is requesting amendments to its Preliminary and Site plans that would increase the total number of units to 111, but designate up to 65 of them as hotel rooms. Montgomery County planning staff asked the applicant to refer to the hotel rooms as "Short-Term Residential Rentals" (STRRs), which are regulated more like airbnbs than traditional hotel rooms. 

22 units will be designated "co-living" units. This means they will have several bedrooms leased by individuals or couples, who will all share the common kitchen, living and bathroom areas of the apartment.

With 111 units, the applicant will provide 45 parking spaces, the minimum required by Montgomery County at this location. That is because of the proximity of the site to the Metropolitan public parking garage, which is located diagonally across the street. Interestingly, when the project was approved for 76 units, the plans included 65 parking spaces. One short-term parking space will be provided for deliveries and ridesharing pick-ups and drop-offs. 54 long-term bicycle parking spaces will also be provided.

Residents of adjacent residential buildings have submitted letters and emails to the County Planning Department, raising several concerns about the revisions to the project. These include traffic circulation, the proposed location of the building's garage entrance, the minimal setbacks from the property line for the building's footprint, the lack of space between the building and next-door neighbor The Chase, skepticism over the adequacy of the drop-off parking space, the lack of new public meetings for the community prior to the upcoming public hearing on the proposal, the fact that the new traffic measurement numbers are showing only two additional vehicle trips for the 111-unit building than had been estimated for the 76-unit building, and proposed windows that will face The Chase.

The Montgomery County Planning Board will review the amendment requests at its Thursday, March 9, 2023 meeting. Planning staff are recommending approval of the amendments with conditions. 

Despite promises by the Montgomery County Council and Planning Board over the last two decades, apartment rents in Bethesda have continued to rise, not fall, as thousands of new units are built. There is very little demand for such expensive apartments, leading developers to find new uses such as hotel rooms. Much like the $2+ million duplexes and $1 million condos that will result from the controversial Thrive 2050 County master plan, the reality of Montgomery County's developer-enriching buildapalooza growth policies doesn't match up with the "deeply-affordable," "missing middle," and increasingly-desperate race-baiting hype that surrounds it. 

The new rental housing - when tenants can be found - is for the well-off, and the privileged business traveler and tourist. If you live downtown - especially in or near a new apartment building - you're probably familiar by now with that Bethesda post-recession phenomenon, the luggage-on-wheels brigade: the folks you see walking into the lobbies of new apartment towers pulling a rolling suitcase behind them. 

Renderings via Montgomery County Planning Department

Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown Road apartment tower project tops out in Bethesda (Photos)

Hometown Bethesda firms Washington Property Company and Clark Construction celebrated the topping out of WPC's Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown Road apartment tower development this past Friday. "Topping out" refers to the successful placement of the final beam atop a structure, and is traditionally marked by a celebration among the construction team and development partners. 

Clark has poured 14,500 cubic yards of concrete, and installed 2000 tons of rebar, at the construction site so far, WPC said.  The Solaire 7607 will house 198 residential units, 1500 square feet of retail space, and a four-and-a-half level underground parking garage. A late-2023 delivery is anticipated for the project.

How did they get here? Here's a look at the construction progress over the last two months, in chronological order:

Top 3 photos courtesy Washington Property Company
Construction photos: Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row

Shoppers, business owners, workers feeling impact of Westbard Avenue closure

The sudden closure of Westbard Avenue at Ridgefield Road in Bethesda continues to generate controversy. Business owners in the Westwood Shopping Center have reported a major drop in customer traffic since the February 20 shutdown, which has left only one roundabout way for even nearby residents to reach the center, via Massachusetts Avenue. Some have reported a 25% drop in customers, and as much as a 50% drop during the once-busy lunch hour. Signs supporting an online petition to reopen Westbard have been posted in several windows of the mostly small, family-owned businesses at the strip center, such as the Westwood Barber Shop.

Workers who drive also now have extra hoops to jump through to reach or leave the shopping center. Others who use transit have already been forced to walk through a dark and desolate warzone of construction to reach River Road on foot since the lowest block of Ridgefield was closed last summer.

One regular patron of the shopping center told me he has switched from Starbucks to McDonald's on River Road for his morning coffee since the shutdown. Another said it is easier to drive to Whole Foods Market, Talbert's or 7-Eleven on River Road from his residence, than to go all the way around to Giant using the remaining detour available.

A number of drivers are making their own detour, using Kirkwood Drive and the Church of the Little Flower property as a shortcut from River Road to Massachusetts Avenue. This is not a new route, but one resident who has used it for years said she found herself amid a small funeral procession-like caravan of vehicles taking it one recent evening. Cut-through traffic continues to relocate itself as more roads close, just as the barricading of Westbard Avenue at River Road last summer shifted it onto Ridgefield Road, which led Ridgefield residents to seek the latest Westbard closure in the first place. The cars that have been deviling Ridgefield homeowners are now rerouting themselves onto Kirkwood, Springfield Drive and Cromwell Drive, the latter two of which are primary walking routes for students at Wood Acres Elementary School.

The bottom line is that the initial plan sprung on the community last summer to shut down Ridgefield at River has been a disaster, as predicted. Realistically, only truck traffic can be hassled by police officers - when they are available. There is no way to enforce "local traffic only" without a "papers please" checkpoint, which is why such signs are simply ignored. Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road never shut down during a grade-separation project far more complex than the Westbard Avenue realignment, just one example of road construction best practices nationwide, which can reduce the unprecedented impacts that Westbard-area residents have been forced to endure for the last nine months.

New trash cans at Norfolk Avenue Streetery in Bethesda (Photos)

New trash cans recently appeared at the Norfolk Avenue Streetery between St. Elmo And Cordell Avenues in Bethesda. They are a different, more modern-looking model than the standard can found around downtown Bethesda. Slightly smaller in capacity, they also are not yet labeled with Bethesda Urban Partnership graphics. It's not clear if their design will assist in curbing downtown Bethesda's pandemic-era pest issues.

Westbard Giant cutting back hours

The Giant grocery store at 5400 Westbard Avenue at the Westwood Shopping Center in Bethesda is reducing its late night hours. Starting tonight, February 26, 2023, the store will close at 10:00 PM on Sunday nights, and 11:00 PM Monday - Saturday nights. Up until today, the store closed at midnight six days a week, and at 11:00 PM on Sundays. The change mirrors the reduced hours that begin tonight at the Bethesda Row Giant.

Montgomery County continues to go backwards, instead of forward into the future. One might have imagined in the past that shopping would become more convenient, not less, as time goes on. Perhaps the blue laws are going to make a comeback. The great irony is that life is becoming more convenient in the exurbs and rural areas than here. Walmart is open 24 hours in most "flyover" areas of the country. Who's laughing now?

Reduced hours and 4-day workweeks are great for the corporations, but not so much for workers. If you make $20 an hour five days a week, that's $100 less a week when the store closes an hour earlier. Most people don't need late-night or 24-hour shopping on a nightly basis, but it can be a Godsend from time to time. "Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven."

Paint Nail Bar signs lease at 8001 Woodmont in Bethesda

The last available ground floor retail space has been filled at the 8001 Woodmont apartment tower in Bethesda. Paint Nail Bar has signed a lease for the vacant storefront. Construction is about to begin inside the space, as you can see below. Paint Nail Bar joins anchor tenant Trader Joe's, Orangetheory Fitness, and Dryy dry cleaners at the JBG Smith property.

Paint Nail Bar was founded in 2014 by Mark and Michele Schlossberg. What sets it apart from many nail salons is the fume and odor-free environment, nail care products chosen to avoid toxic ingredients, and a heightened focus on cleanliness. All implements are sterilized in a hospital-grade autoclave after use, and remain in a sealed envelope until your appointment begins. Files and buffers are only used once and discarded, and LED lamps are used for gel manicures instead of UV. Instead of whirlpool pedicure thrones that harbor bacteria in their systems, ceramic pedicure basins are employed and cleaned after each use. 

Vuori opening store at Bethesda Row

Vuori will open its first Washington, D.C.-area store at Bethesda Row. It will occupy the space recently vacated by BiBiBop Asian Grill at 4820 Bethesda Avenue. The coastal California-inspired performance apparel retailer offers athleisure clothing for men and women. 

Founded in Encinitas by Joe Kudla in 2014, the company espouses ethical manufacturing and environmental sustainablity goals. All suppliers are required to agree to the Vuori Code of Conduct, which requires fair labor practices, a safe and healthy work environment, and environmentally sensitive manufacturing processes. Vuori's own sustainability policy has five areas of focus: product materials, waste reduction, a 100% carbon footprint offset, social responsibility, and community leadership.

Celebrities sporting Vuori apparel include Louisiana State University gymnast and TikTok star Olivia Dunne, Liam Hemsworth, Anna Kendrick and Harry Styles. Interior fit-out of the new Bethesda Row store will begin soon.

Photo courtesy Vuori Clothing

Signage installed at LaserAway at Pike & Rose

The permanent sign has been installed at LaserAway, opening soon at 926 Rose Avenue, in the ground floor of the Canopy by Hilton hotel at Pike & Rose. This was previously the location of Taylor Gourmet.  LaserAway is a laser hair removal practice with locations in 24 states and the District of Columbia. It also offers botox treatments, tattoo removal, photofacials, dermal fillers, Thermage skin tightening, Coolsculpting fat removal, Clear + Brilliant laser treatments and other skincare services. 

Airbag theft wave in Chevy Chase

There has been a rash of airbag thefts in Chevy Chase over the last week. According to police and reader accounts, vehicles were broken into on several streets in order to obtain the valuable airbags. Multiple airbags were stolen from vehicles on Hillandale Road on February 16, and from at least two cars on Chevy Chase Drive yesterday morning. At least two airbags were stolen in the 6900 block of Strathmore Street yesterday morning, as well.

Also yesterday in Chevy Chase, unspecified auto parts - likely airbags - were stolen from a vehicle in the 8500 block of Freyman Drive, and an entire vehicle was stolen on that block to cap things off. This was in addition to the carjacking on Chevy Chase Drive earlier this week, in which the elderly victim was injured by the thief.

What can you do to protect your vehicle from airbag thieves? The best thing is to put your car in the garage, but that isn't an option for many people. Montgomery County police recommend installing or activating a car alarm system, parking in a well-lit spot, and using anti-theft devices that fit across the steering wheel. Hondas and Toyotas have the most sought-after airbags. 

Photo courtesy The Club

Springfield residents divided over closure of Westbard Avenue at Ridgefield Road in Bethesda

The closure of Westbard Avenue at Ridgefield Road in Bethesda earlier this week has proved to be a divisive issue in the Springfield neighborhood. Residents of the lower blocks of Ridgefield had been dealing with heavy cut-through traffic, including large trucks, since the lowest block of the street was closed at River Road last summer. In recent months, some had asked for the unauthorized detour to be terminated by creating a cul-de-sac at the Ridgefield-Westbard intersection. A few weeks ago, Montgomery County announced the closure, which Westbard developer Regency Centers said would last until September, when the realignment of Westbard Avenue is completed.

But as cut-through traffic has now shifted over to Springfield Drive and Cromwell Drive between River Road and Massachusetts Avenue, other residents in that part of the community are calling for Westbard to be reopened at Ridgefield. An online petition has been created to that end, and has 276 signatures as of this writing. In addition to cut-through traffic, supporters of the petition say that they are being blocked from accessing the businesses along Westbard Avenue. Customer traffic to the family-owned small businesses in the Westwood Shopping Center has dropped 25-50% since the road closure February 20, a petition update reports. The petition also notes that school buses and emergency vehicles can no longer travel between Ridgefield and Westbard.

Armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in downtown Bethesda this past Sunday afternoon, February 19, 2023. The broad-daylight carjacking was reported in the 4800 block of Fairmont Avenue at 3:40 PM. 7-Eleven and the Fairmont Plaza condominium building are located along that block. 

An elderly man was assaulted and carjacked two days later on Chevy Chase Drive. Police have now confirmed the man suffered minor injuries in the attack, in which his 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen.

Unannounced blasting in Westbard area of Bethesda

Around 1:47 PM yesterday, horns sounded in the Westbard area of Bethesda. Moments later, explosives were detonated, shaking the ground and rattling nearby homes and businesses. That was followed by an all-clear horn. This was presumably related to the Westbard Avenue realignment project, as that is the only project of the scale that would require blasting in the area, but that is not confirmed. The explosions took the community by surprise, as whoever detonated the charges did not issue a public announcement beforehand. Neither did Montgomery County.

The vibrations of these blasts can damage nearby properties, and the parties involved can be held liable for such damages. As such, the surrounding property owners must be notified in advance of such blasting. When the Fourth Presbyterian Church at 5500 River Road required blasting for their addition, they advised the community of this in advance. It's not unusual to blast during large-scale construction excavation in Bethesda, as the soil is known to be very rocky here. What is unusual, is for residents to suddenly hear and feel a blast they were given no warning of.

Will more blasting be heard around Westbard today or in coming days? We don't know, because there's been no public announcement. 

Bethesda Row Giant cutting back hours again

The great collapse of Bethesda's nighttime economy continues. At least three downtown Bethesda 24-hour grocery stores decided to begin closing at night over the last decade. One of them, the Giant at Bethesda Row, is now reducing operating hours even further. Instead of closing at midnight as it does now, the store will close at 11:00 PM, effective Sunday, February 26, 2023. 

Farrow & Ball opens at Bethesda Row

Farrow & Ball has opened its new Bethesda Row showroom at 7118 Bethesda Lane, next to Simon Pearce and The Shade Store. Operating in Dorset, England since 1946, Farrow & Ball has developed an international reputation for wall coverings of rich color and the highest-quality materials. The showroom offers sales, color consultations, and decorating inspiration and advice. This is one of many recent additions that have increasingly made Bethesda Row a one-stop shop for home decor and interior design, from furniture to accessories and even house plants.