Westbard crime wave prompts civic association letter to Montgomery County officials

An ongoing crime wave surrounding the new Westbard Square development in Bethesda has prompted a letter from an adjacent civic association to Montgomery County officials, and property owner Regency Centers. While the County has been experiencing a persistent wave of violent crime and looting-level shoplifting since the summer of 2020, crime has noticeably increased in the Westbard Avenue area this year. Incidents have included thefts from at least 16 vehicles parked in the Westbard Square garage at 5400 Westbard Avenue since February, and a March 29 shooting that wounded two people outside the Bowlero bowling alley across the street; the shooter(s) remain at large two months later. County officials and police have not commented publicly on the Westbard incidents, the suspects involved, or the status of the investigations.

Increasing community concerns about the crime, and the inaction by the County, have led the Westbard Mews Condominium Association to send a letter to County officials and Regency Centers. The Westbard Mews community, which consists of 36 townhomes, is located just down Westbard Avenue from the Westbard Square development.

The association's letter, a copy of which was obtained by Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row, notes that the recent surge in crime "appears to correlate with the new developments and businesses around Westbard Avenue." "Many of our homeowners have lived in their homes for upwards of 30-40 years, and have gotten accustomed to living in relative safety compared with neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.," the association writes. The incidents of the last several months "have understandably caused great concern among our residents, and highlight the need for increased security presence in the neighborhood."

"We kindly request increased patrolling, and a collaborative effort from local law enforcement and county authorities to address these issues promptly. We are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everyone in our neighborhood, and believe that with your support, we can effectively mitigate these concerns."

The letter also expresses additional concerns relating to traffic safety along Westbard Avenue, and within the Westbard Square development's garage and internal private streets. It notes that the "State Law" sign at the crosswalk meant for use by Westland Middle School students has been knocked off by a vehicle, and now is laying nearby on a sidewalk. The WMCA is requesting traffic calming measures for Westbard Avenue.

Recipients of the WMCA letter include Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada, Regency Centers, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, and other Montgomery County elected officials.

Residents on same page in opposition to draft Westbard Sector Plan - Part I

This will be the first of several articles today, and in the coming days, on yesterday's public hearings on the Westbard Sector Plan.

Residents packed the room Thursday for 2 public hearings on the draft Westbard Sector Plan before the Montgomery County Planning Board. Across hours of individual testimony, they coalesced around several major criticisms of the plan: heights and density are too high, there are no specific solutions in place for school overcrowding and traffic congestion on River Road and Massachusetts Avenue, there aren't enough parks and public facilities being offered, and the vision proposed is out-of-character with the existing neighborhood.

Aside from one potential divisive point - where along River Road access to the future Equity One development on Westbard Avenue should be placed - residents are united on the issues, indicating the flaws are real and opposing arguments have merit. In order to move forward without simply ramming the plan through, changes will have to be made, and questions and dilemmas answered in more detail within the plan language.

Only one resident who favored the plan as-is, by my count, actually lives in a neighborhood directly adjacent to the redevelopment sites. The rest of the residents there find the plan too urban for the low-density suburban area.

"The proposal goes a bit too far," said Lynne Battle of the Westbard Mews community. Buildings could be 75' tall and higher with the many density bonuses available to developers. "This is a residential area," Battle said. "We want it to stay that way. We don't want it to look like a canyon."

Bob Cope, a resident and representative of the Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights, said it was "Planning 101" to ensure that development steps down to 35' townhomes on the Springhouse Manor Care and Park Bethesda sites at the edges of the commercial zone. The current draft shows apartment buildings permitted there.

Virginia Voorhees, a Kenwood resident for over 30 years, asked "Why have you proposed this in an established suburban residential neighborhood without transit?" Frank Anderson of Westwood Mews said of the existing, non-conforming height of the Park Bethesda apartment building, "It's certainly not anything we want more of in our residential neighborhood."

Leeann Tobias, a resident of Springfield, said the proposed heights and density "violate best practices in urban planning. There's nothing green about overdeveloping a site." She proposed reducing heights to 35-55', and 1000 or less residents, less than half of the current proposed number of newcomers. "A scaled-back Westbard Sector Plan is imperative," she said.

Mike Neruda, President of the Kenwood Place condo board, said he supports mixed use, but wants planners to ensure heights on the Westwood Shopping Center property are no higher than Kenwood Place relative to their elevation.

Richard Mathias, president of the Westbard Mews association, said a "village center" would not have buildings like those shown in the plan. He had wondered what Capital Properties would propose for the surface parking lot adjacent to the two Mews townhome communities. After hearing CP's attorney describe the towers they propose to build, Mathias had heard enough. "Well, there it was," he said. "A monster building."

Lloyd Guerci, president of the CCCFH, said that in fairness to the adjacent single-family home residents, Manor Care's former site should be townhomes of 35'.

Kari Irvine of Springfield, who grew up in Wood Acres, noted "this area is already overcrowded, and it does not need 2000 more residents." Her Springfield neighbor, Glen Sutcliffe, argued for capping new units at 750. He said police officers are already strained to the maximum protecting the current population size today.  A third Springfield Civic Association member, Frank Vita, said "this is a settled" neighborhood, and termed the current proposal "overwhelming."

While some County officials have held conversations on school overcrowding solutions, no specific action plan has been put in the plan. In fact, as resident William Outman noted, a promised appendix holding such solutions never materialized in the plan, and the reference to it was ultimately deleted. Outman accurately termed it "a classic case of kicking the can down the road."

Jason Sartori, President of the Wood Acres ES PTA, said "it's a shame to see so little emphasis given to the plan's impact on schools. He urged planners to identify specific solutions in the final plan, and "challenge MCPS for specifics. Families deserve to know the future of our schools."

Sartori contrasted the MCPS prediction that the plan would generate 348 students with the known higher generation rate in the Whitman cluster, which would give you 382 students for Whitman, not including those going to the BCC cluster. Pyle Middle School is of highest concern, Sartori said. Already the largest middle school in the county, and overcapacity, it "simply cannot absorb the students," he said. And there is no land available to build another middle school.

Kristen Khanna, a parent at Westland Middle School where music classes are currently held in the teachers lounge, said "we can't simply wish away the consequences" of the density proposed in the plan on schools.

Small business owners in the Westwood Shopping Center are also seeking more certainty out of the plan. Owners and employees of these businesses are fixtures in the community and known often to generations of residents. Kids who once bought toys at Anglo Dutch are now bringing their kids to the store. They're getting their clothes cleaned at Fashion Craft Cleaners or a haircut at the Westwood Barber Shop.

Darryl Trupp, owner at Fashion Craft, said "we've been part of this community for over 30 years." But the small businesses' leases expire in October-December 2017, and Trupp says landlord Equity One will not discuss leases with them until 6 months before the leases are up. He calculated that 20-25 people at the center will be unemployed if they are forced out, and that owners' retirement money could be threatened by the demise of their shops. Trupp said the merchants also have concerns about parking, traffic flow, staging and the safety of their spaces during the proposed redevelopment.

More topics to come as coverage continues.

FIRST LOOK: MOCO PLANNER'S PROPOSALS FOR KENWOOD PLACE IN WESTBARD SECTOR PLAN UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Senior Urban Designer Paul Mortenson, of the Montgomery County Planning Department Director's office, hosted a discussion with residents of the Kenwood Place condos Friday morning. The primary topic was the property's future borders with Equity One's planned town center, and a potential new elementary school alongside it.

Mortenson took residents' input, and then sketched out a few potential designs for the land around the condo complex's edges. Here is how it would look if left alone, which would likely result in a "double road" (the existing Westbard Circle, paralled by a new Equity One-built road), an outcome that planners and Equity One have said is undesirable:

Concept 2 is a composite that uses one road for both Kenwood Place traffic and "outside" traffic.

Concept 3 shows a greater barrier between the Equity One property and Kenwood Place, while still avoiding a double road at the lower edge of the condo site.

Also shown in Concept 3: A new soccer field for a potential shared site holding the existing Westland Middle School and a new elementary school (on the current Little Falls Library site downhill from there). Mortenson said the current tennis courts could be moved further back, with two of them being eliminated. The windows of residential units on the Westland side of the Equity One site would look down onto the field, increasing safety for pedestrians and field users, Mortenson said. He noted that would preserve the baseball diamond on the Westland site, but would also result in a significant loss of mature trees in that vicinity. Environmental planner Katherine Nelson said she would not recommend cutting down those trees, saying that the plan should instead preserve them under a forest conservation easement.

New soccer field to left of
Westbard Circle

NEW WESTBARD SECTOR PLAN IDEAS: UNDERGROUND PARKING, NEW ROAD, NEW TRAIL, NEW LITTLE FALLS LIBRARY? (PHOTOS)

Day 1 of the week-long Charette process for the Westbard Sector Plan was an eventful one Monday, with several new ideas coming to the fore. Among the most intriguing - and in some cases, controversial - were proposals for a new road between Westbard Avenue and River Road, a new trail alongside Willets Branch Stream, and a new site for Little Falls Library. The day concluded with a mapping session with all stakeholders at Walt Whitman High School. Here's a recap:

Project head John Marcolin
leads the 10:00 AM
walking tour of the Westbard
Sector area

Environmental planner
Marco Fuster discusses
options for restoring
Willets Branch Stream
(flowing below the sidewalk
area pictured along River Road)

Near the former WDCA 20
TV station building, with one
segment of a potential new
road right-of-way visible
alongside the Capital Crescent
Trail at left-of-center

Monday morning began with a meeting between Montgomery County Planning staff and representatives of the Kenwood Place condos. Between that meeting, and later comments by condo owners at the Whitman meeting, several themes and concerns emerged for Kenwood Place residents, whose property directly borders the Westwood Shopping Center. Many Kenwood Place residents would like their property to become a gated community, sealed off from public access - possibly literally, by a fence. They would prefer that heights of residential buildings on the shopping center site, and nearby, be capped at 40', and that adjacent properties be substantially set-back from their site. Retail and restaurants should serve local residents, with no national chains, in their opinion.

Two main points of contention regarding Kenwood Place going forward are whether or not Westbard Circle will be sealed off to the public, and a new public road on Equity One's Westwood Shopping Center property be built parallel to it; and a possible pedestrian/vehicle access point into the future Equity One development via an existing cul-de-sac on Jordan Road. County planners and Equity One seem to concur that a single road would be preferable between the two developments, for stormwater management reasons primarily for the latter. There seem to be mixed opinions on the Jordan cut-through at Kenwood Place. One point on their "list" was a concern about cut-through traffic via Jordan Road. But at least one Kenwood Place resident later felt that such a Jordan access point could assist in achieving the gated community concept. Such a connection into Jordan Road was strongly denounced by a resident who lives in that cul-de-sac, who noted that 16 children live nearby and play in that space, and that neighbors host gatherings there, such as a Halloween bonfire. Concerns about safety and lighting of such a connection were also raised.

Walking tour continues
on Westbard Avenue

Next up was a walking tour of the Westbard Sector. At the start, Project Manager John Marcolin wanted to make clear that the Planning Department was paying market rate for its temporary space in Westwood Center II, where most of the meetings were held, to avoid any sense that it was being favored or influenced by landlord Equity One. Marcolin cited the River Road McDonald's property as the only one to execute the boulevard concept and frontage envisioned in the 1982 Westbard Sector Plan. Some of the current flaws in streetscape design and stormwater management were highlighted, and there was even some background on Westwood Tower from the Housing Opportunities Commission.

Planners gave a 10th floor
overview of a proposed new
road that would run
behind the Park Bethesda

Without a doubt, the biggest news of the day was a potential new road connecting Westbard Avenue to River Road. Using a County-owned right-of-way that runs alongside the Capital Crescent Trail, and a second County R.O.W. along Crown Street, planners suggested that a new road could be constructed to run from the current end of Crown Street to the trail bridge by McDonald's at River Road. A traffic signal would be installed there, and cars would be able to continue across into a new road in the Landy Lane/Washington Episcopal School area, ultimately reaching a signaled intersection on Little Falls Parkway. Current landowners such as EuroMotorcars Volvo would have to contribute small parcels to facilitate construction of the road, which planners believe could divert cut-through traffic away from a slowed-down "Main Street" on Equity One's stretch of Westbard Avenue. Planner Marc DeOcampo said that WES could be urged to accept the new roadway when its residential development plan comes back before the Planning Board.

Some property would have
to be acquired to complete
the new road

Sketch map of proposed
Westbard bypass via
Crown Street, and
crossing River Road
into Washington Episcopal
School area to Little Falls Parkway

Impact of new road on
EuroMotorcars property

Initially concerned about the implications for their site, representatives for EuroMotorcars eventually warmed to the idea, as it would provide exposure for their auto repair facility that is currently hidden from busy River Road.

EuroMotorcars discusses
its River Road site with
planner Marc DeOcampo

But it will be a hard sell for Westbard Mews, and some residents of that townhome community were not pleased by the news. Kenwood residents at the charette seemed to favor it as one of several mechanisms to reduce the cut-through traffic that plagues that neighborhood. What seems like a fresh and innovative solution could ultimately divide individual communities who are otherwise united in opposition to urban-style density and massing at Westbard. I have to commend planners for coming up with this concept, as I was not aware that this was even an option. I think more feedback of residents directly impacted by it will be needed before green-lighting this, however. I suspect there will be a lot of outrage about the idea in Westbard Mews, and understandably so. My first reaction was, great idea. The next thing I thought was that Westbard Mews residents are going to go into orbit when they hear about this.

Willets Branch Stream

One proposal would restore
the stream to its natural state,
and add a path alongside

Less controversial, but - in my opinion - positive, was a proposal to daylight the channelized and tunneled sections of Willets Branch Stream and add a trail alongside it. This could potentially create a narrow park through the current industrial area and, done the right way, could be an asset similar to Carroll Creek in downtown Frederick, if not as large in scale. Such a linear park could also facilitate small park areas along it, where plaques or memorials to the history of the Georgetown Branch Railroad, or the lost historic African-American community along River Road could be placed.

Also new was planners' proposal to move Little Falls Library from its current site into the "town center" of Equity One's property on Westbard Avenue. Rockville Town Square's library configuration was cited as an example, although I've heard mixed opinions from commercial real estate folks and Rockville residents about the success of placing the Rockville Library there. It's worth exploring, but it's unclear if Equity One would be willing to delete that much potential retail/residential square footage for a library. Equity One's Michael Berfield did seem willing to consider that and other requests for public amenities on Monday.

Equity One makes its
presentation to planners
Monday

Berfield and Equity One's architect fleshed out a few more details of their potential redevelopment concept yesterday. They reaffirmed their previously-stated goal of creating a "Main Street" for retail along Westbard Avenue. Townhomes are the proposed use for the Manor Care Springhouse at Westwood (apparently now vacant) site and for the parts of the Westwood Shopping Center that border existing residential uses. Berfield proposed 2-story retail along the Westbard Avenue side of the property, potentially placing the site's grocery store on the second floor, while leaving smaller street-level spaces for diverse and "quirky" retail and dining. He said Equity One is "all about the retail," but stressed that there would be no retail tenants that would make Westbard a regional destination. Nothing here would draw people from far distances, or be different from what you would already find in nearby communities in the region, Berfield said. Of course, taken to the extreme, that would seem to work against creating a distinctive sense of place for the Westbard area. I don't think residents would want a cookie-cutter mix of "the salad place," the Chipotle, and "the cupcake shop" one finds at so many town centers. Equally or more important, the architecture needs to be unique enough that one only identifies it with Westbard.

Parking was discussed, and Berfield's suggestion for now is that parking will be primarily in a one-level, underground garage. I wouldn't want to totally dismiss that before seeing what else the eventual plan has to offer, but I personally don't feel garage parking is appropriate for the Westbard area. For the same reason that structures should not have a "wall" effect that blocks existing sight lines to the forested character of the surrounding neighborhoods, I don't think concrete surroundings are necessarily appropriate for a suburban community.

There is also the potential that the demolition of Westwood Center II, which sounded inevitable from Equity One's presentation Monday, would allow Ridgefield Road to be shifted onto that site, and away from its existing intersection at Westbard Avenue. This would ostensibly divert outside traffic trying to reach the Equity One development away from the Springfield neighborhood on the 2nd block of Ridgefield and upward. One would hope it would also facilitate more stream buffer around Willets Branch there, and a better turning scenario for tractor trailers coming off of River Road.

While promising "low-rise" multifamily housing on parts of the current Westwood Shopping Center site, Berfield pledged to "go taller" on the other side of Westbard, citing examples of 10-15 story projects elsewhere.

At no point in the day did I ever hear about office space. In order to achieve "smart growth," it is necessary to have workplaces near residential housing. Is there a plan to add office space to reduce the number of commuters generated by the new residential growth here?

Kenwood Civic Association
meeting with planners Monday

Kenwood itself was adamant that building heights along River Road be capped, with no exceptions for amenities or parcel collection.

Ultimately, most groups at the nighttime session repeatedly said that they couldn't find sample photos in the sets provided that showed the lower density and height they preferred. Comments strongly reflected a word cloud Marcolin displayed at the outset. The biggest words were SCHOOLS, TRAFFIC, and RIVER ROAD. Long-term MCPS planner Bruce Crispell made an appearance to take questions from frustrated parents of children in already-overcrowed schools.

Using markers, trace paper, maps
and tape, stakeholders tried
to reach a consensus at tables
throughout the room last night

Participants could choose from
these height and density options

Getting set to start

My group's map when nearly
finished

Concerned parent asks MCPS
long-term planner Bruce Crispell
about overcrowding in the
Wood Acres/Pyle/Whitman cluster

I was at a table with a smart group of residents who were able to lay out a lot of what the community wants in principle. I don't know if planners will be able to interpret everything we pasted on there. For example, a photo of Bethesda Lane was posted to show the concept of an iconic public space, rather than as a marker for building heights on Westbard. I pasted a sample photo of modern, single-family homes on the spot where the Manor Care is now. That would seem to be more consistent with the adjoining single-family homes, while remaining profitable (lots seem to be far smaller today) and respecting the lack of space in existing schools. I also suggested keeping one full-serve Citgo station on Westbard to serve the community, particularly senior citizens who regularly use that option. One other important point would be that the type of restaurant attracted can often be determined by the square footage of the space. So to get a sit-down restaurant (as opposed to a carry out), you need a certain minimum square footage to attract that type of tenant. I hope that Equity One will design its spaces accordingly, as there are no sit-down, family restaurants in the Westbard area currently.

At the charette, this was the
closest example I could
find for an appropriate height
for multi-family housing
on Westbard Avenue

Stay tuned for more on the Westbard Sector Plan this week.

THIEVES PROWLING WESTBARD AREA OF BETHESDA

BACK-TO-BACK THEFTS

MAKE LOCKING DOORS

A MUST

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Two thefts on back-to-back nights along Westbard Avenue in Bethesda suggest thieves are trolling the area for easy loot.

A theft from a parked vehicle was reported Monday in the 5100 block of Westbard Avenue.  That would be the Westbard Mews townhome complex, to be more precise.

On Wednesday, a theft was reported in the 5300 block of Westbard Circle, which consists entirely of the Kenwood Place condominiums.

Residents of the Westbard area would be well-advised to remove valuables from their vehicles, and to lock car, home and apartment doors.

BETHESDA / NW DC

CRIME WAVE UPDATE

Ski Mask Gang Stays Underground Yet

Another Week; Lights On or Off on Westbard?

Another fairly uneventful week in the ongoing search for the Ski Mask Gang. First, Montgomery County Police confirmed that the Willard Avenue robbery last week does not fit the masked trio. There was only one robber, and he is identified as a white male. So there is a lone robber out there, too, now.

Second, masked robbers were in the news in western Montgomery County. A white truck with 2 masked armed robbers has rammed vehicles to simulate an accident, then robbed the victim when he or she gets out to exchange information. MCPD reminds you to remain in your vehicle and call police if you are involved in a suspicious "accident" like this.

No relevant crimes in the MCPD report. The following crimes were reported by SpotCrime:

Assault, 5600 block of Wisconsin Ave./Somerset Terrace, Chevy Chase Village, 4/16/12

- This, like the Willard Ave. incident, is in the Ski Mask Gang's territory. They last struck in Montgomery County just south of there on Wisconsin in February. But not enough information here to implicate the SMG.

Robbery, 36th St. and Porter St. NW DC, 4/15/12.

- Kind of far from Friendship Heights, Tenleytown and Van Ness. No mention of guns, masks or multiple assailants. Verdict: Not the SMG.

There were a couple of robberies on Benton St. NW earlier this week; the only suspect is listed as a 60 year old man. Doesn't exactly sound like the SMG.

The search continues!

Meanwhile, in the ongoing saga of the Westwood Shopping Center, owner Capital Properties has now turned all of the parking lot lights back on. They did this one other time during the period since February during which large portions of the lot have been left dark at night. And then they went off again. So we can't be sure if CP will leave them on. But they can be sure I will keep readers posted if they take the irresponsible action of turning them off again! It has been bad public relations for Capital Properties to put shoppers at risk by turning off the lights where Park Bethesda and Westbard Mews residents walk over to the Giant and Rite Aid.