PLANNERS' LATEST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BETHESDA INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY CAMPUS ON SANGAMORE RD. (PHOTOS)

Montgomery County planners have drawn up suggestions for improving a proposed pedestrian bridge  at the Intelligence Community Campus (ICC-B), part of a large expansion of the facilities well underway at the Sangamore Road site. This is the latest in a series of recommendations the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is voluntarily soliciting from the Planning Department on the project. The significance of that, is the fact that local officials do not have the same level of control over federal projects as they do private ones.

A pedestrian bridge and walkway that will connect a parking garage with the Centrum Building has been reviewed by planners, and they have made several suggestions to improve the design. Among them are matching the bridge columns and railing architecture with that of the columns of the pedestrian walkway between Erskine Hall and the Centrum Building, match the bridge's girder to the panels of that walkway, choose a "naturalistic" color other than the proposed gray for the exteriors of three campus buildings, and using porus materials for the walkway rather than the proposed concrete.

Planners say the DIA has responded to previous community concerns regarding the planned covered walkway, and are suggesting using a "discrete" covering, or placing shelters along the route.

In addition, planners are submitting more general comments on landscaping for the campus. They are recommending native ground covers and shrubs along the walkway, a 10-foot buffer of river rock and gravel along the western security fence to protect National Park Service forest outside of it, and DIA acceptance of stormwater runoff recommendations made by the National Capital Planning Commission now, and in the future.

There will be security cameras every 150' around the perimeter, and light poles which will only be activated during an emergency. A green screen of Bignonia capreolata will cloak the PEPCO substation. Plantings along Sangamore Road are designed to provide "filtered views" of the campus from the outside, rather than hide the facilities. They will include deciduous and coniferous trees, shrubs and ground covers. Exhibits outside the perimeter along Sangamore for public viewing will feature the "chronology of the site development and interpretive record of the significant contributions of the cartographic research and production professions housed at the site from 1942-present."

Demolition of the existing Emory Building and Central Energy Plant will take place later this year. And while the main entrance will remain on Sangamore Road at Sentinel Drive, it will loop around inside the perimeter to avoid traffic backups onto the public road while employees drive through security checkpoints.

Planning staff are recommending approval of the recommendations, and transmittal to the DIA. Personally, I believe the redesign will be an improvement over the previous configuration. One of the new structures at the front along Sangamore looms over the top of the Shops at Sumner Place a bit more than I had expected, but that is a shopping center as opposed to a backyard.

Images via Montgomery County Planning Department

UNCLE SAM REFINES DESIGN OF SANGAMORE RD. INTELLIGENCE CAMPUS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Images of a future Bethesda homeland security site have been unveiled by the U.S. Government, in response to feedback on the initial blueprints. The Montgomery County Planning Board will examine refined designs for the future federal intelligence campus, at 4600 Sangamore Road, at its January 30 meeting. County planners are recommending approval of the new renderings for transmittal to the National Capital Planning Commission, which has oversight of the project.

A refinement of the initial designs was sought in response to both community concerns, and the environmentally-sensitive location of the project, at the former Geospatial Intelligence Agency campus. The updated designs take into consideration the cosmetic appearance of several structures, as they appear from both the adjacent residential neighborhood, and from the Potomac River below.

Overall, the project aims to balance a return of the site to its origins as a scenic river bluff, and the significant expansion of personnel. The federal agencies in charge of the project are the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

I love the fantastic aerial photo of the river running behind the campus. Clark Construction has been in charge of the current construction phase, reconfiguring the high-security entrance and parking, and construction of the new Centrum building. The ultimate expansion will be a huge boon to businesses and restaurants in the Shops at Sumner Place, located directly across the street from the campus. Click images to enlarge for more detail:

LATEST IMAGES OF FUTURE INTELLIGENCE CAMPUS IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The most secure and hardest government target in Bethesda - along with Walter Reed and the NIH - is the future Intelligence Campus on Sangamore Road. Formerly known to locals as "The Mapping Agency," the Geospatial Intelligence Agency at this site has moved to Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

For a variety of reasons - many classified - the federal government chose to maintain the site, and expand it as a massive, 30-acre "intelligence campus," for the Defense Intelligence Agency and others.

The DIA has been working with nearby residents on a variety of concerns: traffic, noise, stormwater runoff, height and visual appearance of buildings, and a controversial parking garage.

This site will remain a primarily automobile-oriented workplace. There is excellent Ride On bus access literally at the front door. But the bus schedule and hours are limited, and the time factor will keep many in their cars.

It is surprising, given the massive personnel boost this site will generate in the coming years, that neither the county nor the federal government are even talking about an obvious transit solution: the still-intact Georgetown-Glen Echo streetcar right-of-way. The former streetcar line passes by the campus in between MacArthur Boulevard and the Clara Barton Parkway.

With the District planning a streetcar line between Union Station and Georgetown University, thereby making a direct link to the Glen Echo ROW, well... duh!

Doesn't it make a lot of sense to be working on that?

The streetcar could also serve the large and rapidly-growing Sibley Hospital campus, which is building an entirely new hospital, and has completed a large physicians office building.

The basic concept of the new Intelligence Campus design will be to turn the current sea of asphalt, and (post 9/11) fortress appearance, into a well-manicured campus with a natural, green setting.

Based on these images, I think they've done a very good job. What an improvement over the existing design.

Currently, a crane is looming over the site, and the sidewalk on Sangamore is closed to pedestrians. One structure is rising, but the overall transformation of the space between the buildings and street will occur much later in the project.

What goes on at this site?

Top secret. Ostensibly, it was a mapping and satellite imaging site years ago. Having said that, the facility once had its own railroad spur off of the Baltimore & Ohio Georgetown Branch Railroad (now the Capital Crescent Trail). Those must have been some heavy maps, right?

My favorite image among these is the one that shows the Potomac River flowing by in the background. What a spectacular view. You'd have to use a helicopter to get a view like that.

This project has been recommended for approval by planning board staff, and action is expected at today's meeting.

I have to commend the DIA, NCPC, and many other agencies and local residents who have worked on this. On paper, at least, it looks like the federal agencies have gone the extra mile to make this work.

Ultimately, I think most people realize what an important site this is in protecting the country, and are willing to be fairly understanding about the various impacts the site will have.

BETHESDA MARKET PLANNING TO OPEN NEXT WEEK AT SUMNER PLACE

Bethesda Market owner Vijay Mhera tells me their grand opening is now scheduled for late next week. The exact date will be announced as the opening approaches.

As you know, this all-new market is opening in the space that previously housed the original Bethesda Market until 2011, at the Shops at Sumner Place on Sangamore Road.

Mhera says the new market will offer craft beers, fine wine, freshly-prepared deli sandwiches, and will be using premium Boar's Head deli meats.  He adds that customers will also enjoy many tastings at the store, to help familiarize them with the high-quality product lines the market will carry.

There's a lot of excitement about the market opening among nearby residents, who have had to drive way out of the neighborhood to buy beer and wine for the last year.  It will also be a new lunch option for employees at the federal intelligence campus across the street.

Stay tuned for the exact opening date.

BETHESDA MARKET SOON TO REOPEN AT SHOPS AT SUMNER PLACE

The new Bethesda Market is getting pretty close to opening in the space that housed the old Bethesda Market, in the Shops at Sumner Place.

Remember my report on the liquor license application, which listed "Bethesda Market" as the name of the future beer, wine and deli market?  The new ownership confirms that they are indeed keeping the Bethesda Market name, which is well known in the community.

Why is this big news for residents of Sumner, Fort Sumner, and Glen Echo Heights?

Because they have gone for over a year without a beer and wine retailer in their neighborhood.  Many residents, most especially those living in the apartment complexes surrounding Sumner Place, will be able to take a short walk over to the market for beer and wine.

Another target audience is across the street: employees of the intelligence campus on Sangamore Road, whose numbers will only increase in the coming years.

Bethesda Market is also remembered as a host of many beer and wine tastings, another welcome option in the neighborhood.

Last night, a lighted Budweiser and St. Pauli Girl sign were installed on the storefront windows, above the window covering.

A third sign will interest the unemployed in Bethesda: one on the front that read, "Hiring!"