4702 West Virginia Ave. condo building sketch plan amendment proposed

A sketch plan amendment has been proposed for a condo project seeking approval at 4702 West Virginia Avenue on the edge of downtown Bethesda. Developer Broad Branch is requesting a density increase from 20,000 square feet to 21,500 square feet, including an increase of BOZ density from 14,750 square feet to 16,250 square feet. BOZ density stands for Bethesda Overlay Zone, which is the scheme by which developers can exceed zoning limits in exchange for amenities, payments or by otherwise meeting the criteria laid out in the 2017 Bethesda Downtown sector plan.

Despite the density increase, the building would still contain only 19 units. That is likely because the project was converted from rental apartments to condos at the last minute. Condos need greater square footage to be competitive in the Bethesda market than rental units do.

The amendment and the project's site plan will be reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Board at its May 14, 2020 virtual meeting. Planning staff is recommending approval of both items.

4702 West Virginia Avenue project converted from townhomes to condos in Bethesda

A townhome project proposed for a single-family home on the edge of downtown Bethesda has been revamped as a low-rise condo building. Developer Broad Branch held a public meeting last night to unveil the new plan. Attorney Bob Dalrymple, representing the developer of 4702 West Virginia Avenue, said the new proposal would include 19 units in total.

The units would be a mix of 700 SF 1 bedrooms, 1000 SF 2 bedrooms, and 1300-1700 SF 3 bedrooms. There would be 6-7 units on the ground floor, and 6 units apiece on the floors above. The new design features less elevators than the townhome proposal.

Some of the renderings show a large, green space next to the building. However, that space is currently occupied by another SFH next door at 4700 West Virginia. Dalrymple says the developer is interested in acquiring that property if possible, but that the project will go forward as-is if that does not work out. 4702 West Virginia is adjacent to a Montgomery County public parking lot.

Dalrymple said the developer switched to condos after examining the latest market trends. He expects Broad Branch to file their site plan in the coming weeks, and to have the project in front of the Design Review Panel on October 23, 2019.