SHA says no traffic signal warranted for WES senior housing at Landy Lane & River Road in Bethesda

The Maryland State Highway Administration has completed an analysis of the intersection of River Road and Landy Lane in Bethesda, and says a traffic signal is not needed there at this time. That decision comes as a long-delayed senior housing project on Landy arrives at the Montgomery County Planning Board this Thursday.

Yes, senior housing. It appears that Sheridan Development is going forward with its original age-restricted housing plan, likely because River Road was not urbanized in the Westbard sector plan passed earlier this year by the County Council. Therefore, the Washington Episcopal School site did not receive the urban densities that Equity One and Capital Properties enjoy under the plan. 

My analysis: The signal studies were delayed just long enough to find out if the sector plan would allow a higher-profit, denser, non-age-restricted tower on the site. It did not in May, and - boom - here we have the signal study, and the project is speeding forward as senior housing after all.

If successful, the proposal will split the WES site into two lots, one remaining with the school, and the other becoming the Sheridan project site.

The Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights, representing communities around the WES site, has pressed for both the traffic signal, and keeping vehicle access open from both River Road and Little Falls Parkway. WES, in contrast, wants to gate its access points to secure the school campus. That scenario would likely lead to cut-through traffic in Kenwood and Somerset, neighbors have warned.

Planning staff is recommending that the Landy Lane access to the campus be open during morning and evening "peak periods" for student drop-off and pick-up. They acknowledge that SHA is the only entity that can greenlight (pun intended) a traffic signal on River Road. But they are suggesting the Board make a Phase 2 traffic study a requirement for WES, and that they force the school to "contribute to its installation."

A forest conservation study shows that 3 specimen trees will be removed for construction of the senior housing building, which will have 121 residential units. Originally 97' despite towering over adjacent Kenwood homes, the cruisin'-for-a-term-limits-bruisin' County Council thumbed their noses at Kenwood, and gave the project yet another tiny bonus boost in height through the sector plan. It will be interesting to see what the results on the term limits ballot question will be in the Kenwood voting precinct in November.

The original building design;
compare to new design at top

Note also that the design of the building has radically changed from the original rendering, losing the nifty Watergate-esque curves on the right side of the facade, and taking on a much boxier form. Boo. But perhaps appropriate, being located near a self storage building that screams "WE SELL BOXES," part of the County Council's sad legacy of neglect in the 20816 zip code.

Planning staff is recommending approval of the project.

Renderings via Montgomery County Planning Department

Developer seeks yet another delay on Washington Episcopal School high-rise in Bethesda

A developer whose high-rise building project at the Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda has already been delayed multiple times is seeking yet another extension. The excuse? The same as was given almost a year ago: a traffic signal warrant analysis for the intersection of Landy Lane and River Road.

Unbelievably, planning staff are recommending the Montgomery County Planning Board grant the extension at its meeting tomorrow. You've got to be kidding me - you had a year to complete a traffic signal study, and you couldn't do it?

In theory, developers have to move forward with a project with some reasonable wiggle room for extensions because, eventually, the conditions under which it was approved may no longer exist. The real reason for the multiple delays of this now-100' tall tower appears to be that the developer wants to convert this senior housing project to non-age-restricted housing. Why else would they claim they cannot complete a basic traffic study, and repeatedly stall until the Westbard sector plan changed?

Switching from senior to all-ages by itself totally blows aside all of the calculations made at the time of approval on the impact of this project on roads and schools.

The Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights opposed the extension in a letter to planners, noting that the project has now been pending for eight years. They also recalled the Planning Board stating that the last extension would be the last such delay granted.

Finally, the CCCFH is urging the developer and planners to ensure that a site plan is submitted for the project, as required by law, saying that the extension should provide them ample time to get it done.

Signs pointing to big changes in already-controversial 8-story tower project off River Rd. in Bethesda

Is the game afoot? After already receiving a 3-month extension from the Montgomery County Planning Board for its senior housing project on the Washington Episcopal School site, Sheridan Development is now asking the Board for an indefinite extension. Considering that the 3-month request was ostensibly to allow more time to complete a traffic study needed for a required traffic light at the intersection of River and Landy Lane, it doesn't sound credible that the study wasn't able to be completed by now.

But that is exactly what Sheridan's attorney, Jody Kline, says in his letter to planning staff. The study still isn't done, WES is conducting its own new traffic circulation study for its campus, and Sheridan, their engineers, and Parks Department staff still have to work out details on a public amenity the project will provide for Capital Crescent Trail users.

Most notably, Kline adds that "it is not clear when all of the work described above can be completed." He therefore is asking for an indefinite extension.

Will the Board take this at face value, or consider the possibility that this is a stalling tactic, to delay the project until after passage of a Sectional Map Amendment in the Westbard Sector Plan process later in 2016? According to attorney Norman Knopf, who represented the surrounding community when Sheridan's senior housing plan for the site was approved in 2008, passage of the SMA could remove the binding elements from the project. Most notably among those elements, was the requirement that the building remain as senior housing.

Without that provision, the building could become a 121-unit luxury residential building for all ages, adding to the 3000 such units that could be added to the "Westbard" area through passage of the new sector plan in 2016. That number shot even higher last Thursday, when the Board added more than 100 additional units to the draft plan, in a 75' building on the low-rise, suburban Little Falls Library site.

Rendering via Montgomery County Planning Department

Old project generating new intrigue in Westbard Sector Plan discussions

Rumors have been swirling that the applicant who has approval for a 97' tall senior housing development on the site of the Washington Episcopal School may be reconsidering the age limitation on that project. Sheridan Development Group had already requested a delay in its project plan review and a site plan amendment. The former was ostensibly to allow more time to complete a traffic study.

But the already-controversial project has gotten even more controversial, as an attorney representing the surrounding neighborhoods has concluded that the Westbard Sector Plan update could strip zoning restrictions agreed to for the project. Most notable among those, is the binding element requiring the building to remain age-restricted. They also include a proposed traffic light for the intersection of River Road and Landy Lane.

Attorney Norman Knopf says that, while the binding elements for the WES project survived last October's zoning code update, they "no longer must be satisfied once the property is subject to a Sectional Map Amendment implementing a master plan." An SMA would be part of the adoption of the new Westbard Sector Plan, the rewrite of which is currently underway. The provision that would allow the binding elements to be stripped is found on page 7-40 of the zoning code.

As such, Knopf said in a letter to the Montgomery County Planning Board, the Board and County Council must ensure language in the new Sector Plan specifies that the Sheridan/WES development site retain PD-28 zoning. Knopf represented 19 citzen associations during the local map amendment process that resulted in the 2008 WES project approval.

Knopf is asking the Board to take up the matter during its Westbard worksession this Thursday, which is expected to be dominated by park and environmental issues, and the naturalization of the Willett Branch stream.

To add to the drama, the WES project is now on the agenda for the December 10 Planning Board meeting.

The WES project proposal currently contains 121 senior housing units, for residents 55-and-older. It will produce an estimated 236 vehicles under the latest FHWA and Census numbers of 1.95 vehicles per household. That number could jump to 276 under the February 2015 study by Experian Automotive, which collects and analyzes automotive data.

At 8-stories, the building would rise high above single-family homes in the adjacent Kenwood neighborhood.

As we've seen before, the Planning Board does its "best work" when residents are busy with holiday shopping, events and travel.

Rendering via Montgomery County Planning Department

Washington Episcopal School senior housing project seeks extension in Bethesda (Photos)

The developer of a controversial, 97' tall senior housing project on the property of the Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda is seeking an extension of the project review period for its project plan, and a site plan amendment. It is asking for a new deadline of December 31 from the Montgomery County Planning Board. The board will take up the matter at its September 3 meeting.

Jody Kline, the applicant's attorney, says the developer needs more time to complete a traffic signal study at the intersection of River Road and Landy Lane. That proposed traffic signal has been part of the project plan since it was approved by a previous Planning Board in 2008. Kline says the study cannot begin until mid-September. They also need to prepare a Warrant Study, which then must be reviewed and approved by the Maryland State Highway Administration.

Proposed location of a
new traffic signal at
River Road and Landy Lane

The traffic signal itself is controversial, because it would be the fourth light in that single 5200 block of River Road. And three of those four lights would all be clumped between Ridgefield Road and the Capital Crescent Trail bridge. The upside of allowing a more direct pedestrian and bicycle crossing alternative (to walking all the way around and over the trail bridge) has to be weighed against further slowing already-congested rush hour traffic on River Road.

Traffic signal overkill?
In this photo illustration I created,
the gold stars show how close
the 3 traffic signals would be;
a fourth is less than half-a-block
east of Landy Lane at
Little Falls Parkway

New development being planned through the Westbard Sector Plan rewrite places even more pressure on making a wise decision about this traffic light.

More controversial is the height of the building, which will be 8 stories in close proximity to single-family homes in Kenwood. While the developer, Sheridan Development Company, has the benefit of an existing approval for the project, 8 stories conforms to neither the new zoning code, nor to the heights proposed in the draft Westbard Sector Plan.

The WES project will contain 121 senior housing units, for residents 55-and-older. While it will not burden crowded local schools, it will produce an estimated 236 vehicles under the latest FHWA and Census numbers of 1.95 vehicles per household. That number could jump to 276 under the February 2015 study by Experian Automotive, which collects and analyzes automotive data.

Transit is poor in the River Road/Westbard area, with no direct access to downtown Bethesda.

Planning staff is recommending approval of the extension.

There are several other Bethesda items on the agenda for September 3:

The Lauren ultra-luxury condo project is seeking a Site Plan Amendment to relocate a bench, alter landscaping plans, and relocate a transformer on the site. That bench was determined to be a "pedestrian hazard" in its original location by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services.

Staff is recommending approval of this request, as well.

Finally, the extension Douglas Development is seeking for its 8008 Wisconsin project is on the agenda. According to Douglas' attorney, Emily Vaias, the applicant needs more time to complete a noise study, and would like to simultaneously file the site plan and preliminary project plan findings.

Once again, staff is recommending approval of this request.

Top rendering via Sheridan Development Company
/Montgomery County Planning Department

Photo: Robert Dyer

8-story senior housing project moving forward in Westbard area of Bethesda (Photo)

An 8-story apartment building for seniors 55 and older in Bethesda is headed to the Montgomery County Development Review Committee. Located on the property of the Washington Episcopal School at Landy Lane off of River Road, the building will house 121 apartments or condominiums, and stand at 97'. It is being developed by Bethesda-based Sheridan Development.

Sited next to a WES athletic field, senior housing will prevent the project from impacting already-overcrowded schools in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster. It is decidedly urban in character, however. In fact, it is far taller than the heights now being proposed by planners for River Road, which many feel are too high as it is. The only tall buildings in the area are non-compliant with current zoning, and therefore grandfathered in. This building literally looks like something in downtown Bethesda, only there's no Metro station in the Westbard area.

The project also put the cart before the horse, much like the EYA townhomes off Little Falls Parkway.  A zoning change to allow the residential use on the school site was approved back in 2008 by the Planning Board. Both decisions were rushed through by the Planning Board, but only now is the larger Westbard Sector's future being discussed in the sector plan rewrite. Before any comprehensive discussion or decision could be made about what land uses the community would prefer or find appropriate, here are two residential uses randomly plopped down on the map. Their placement will indeed bias future decisions in favor of residential use, which is of course what developers want.

Having said that, the rendering of the building looks better than I expected, and the project obviously will be of financial benefit to the private school.

Rendering courtesy of Sheridan Development
via Montgomery County Planning Department
All rights reserved