New Kenwood home hits the market (Photos)

Teardowns have been rare in the elite Kenwood neighborhood in Chevy Chase, but a custom built home that replaced an original Kenwood house is now on the market. 5204 Dorset Avenue will set you back $4.3 miilion dollars, and is being offered by Washington Fine Properties.

The home has 6 bedrooms, a whopping 6 full baths, and 2 half-baths. Despite having plenty of room inside, it still has a backyard large enough to throw the football around. Looks like a tight maneuver to get the Rolls Royce into the garage at that angle, though. First World Problems!

Bethesda man killed in Potomac collision

Bethesda resident Hersh Bhansaly, 25, was one of two men killed when two vehicles collided in Potomac Friday night around 7:55 PM. Bhansaly and fellow backseat passenger Brian Everett Laurence, 25, of Potomac, were pronounced dead at an unidentified local hospital after the 2015 Mercedes CLA45 AMG they were riding in collided with a 2012 Ford Expedition. The vehicles were traveling Oaklyn Drive in opposite directions when they collided at Pleasant Gate Lane, according to Montgomery County police detectives.

The Mercedes' driver, Daniel Alex Epstein, 25, of West Hollywood, California, and an unidentified adult male front-seat passenger, were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Expedition - Addison Leigh Poole, 16, of Derwood - was also transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as were her two female juvenile passengers. Whether the Expedition was a parent's car, or was purchased by the driver, whoever made that decision was very smart - that is one of the safest cars for a kid to drive, and that decision probably saved the lives of everyone inside Friday night.

Police have not yet determined the cause of the collision. Anyone with information regarding this crash is urged to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240.773.6620.

Permitpalooza for Anthropologie/Terrain Cafe construction at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Anthropologie may have set a record for number of permits displayed during construction of a retail business. 12 Montgomery County permits are posted at the construction site of the future retail store and accompanying Terrain Cafe. Included are permits for signs and for construction in the right-of-way. Also, watch out for the Wet Paint, but I'm assuming it has dried by now - those signs have been up for at least several days. Needless to say, it's going to be pretty exciting to see how they transform the old Barnes & Noble space.

Fascino to open at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Fascino, a new boutique selling men's apparel manufactured in Italy, is coming soon to Westfield Montgomery Mall. They just installed some "coming soon" signage promising "Italian appeal." Fascino is in the space recently vacated by CoCo LaRue in the Nordstrom wing of the mall.

18|8 Fine Men's Salon to close in Bethesda

18|8 Fine Men's Salon at 7550 Wisconsin Avenue will close today, March 24, 2018, according to an employee email informing her clients of the impending closure. The salon's website is still up as of this morning.

Club Pilates official grand opening in Bethesda this Saturday

Club Pilates is the latest in a new wave of fitness studios to open in downtown Bethesda over the last few weeks. After soft-opening in February, the studio will be hosting an official grand opening tomorrow, Saturday, March 24, 2018. Club Pilates is located at 4959 Elm Street, formerly home to Ten Thousand Villages.

MoCo Council again tries to sabotage Montrose Parkway East

This week's so-called "compromise" on the Montrose Parkway East project is actually another attempt by the Montgomery County Council to either sabotage, or altogether cancel, the long-delayed highway. Amidst the political pablum of County Executive Ike Leggett's press release, clearly written under duress, was a sentence that did not receive sufficient analysis.

Leggett, who correctly did not want to delay construction of the road at all initially, stated that the one-year delay of the highway would be used to make design changes related to bicycles and pedestrians. He did not specify what those were, or who would approve those changes, and under what public oversight.

What we do know is that developers have wanted to kill the road outright, because it only benefits residents and commuters. It does not help developers, because it is a relief valve, rather than a road that lets developers build more "stuff." Developers want the money from the Montrose Parkway East to go to projects across the County that will allow them to build more stuff, the taxpayers who forked over the highway money be damned.

What we also know, is that several developer tools on the Planning Board have long dreamed of canceling the elevated portion of the parkway over Parklawn, in order to allow developers to build up to the edges of what would be an ordinary urban street. I was able to stop this attempt singlehandedly in 2013, when my testimony changed the votes of several commissioners, who were poised to cancel the grade-separated design for Parklawn at the behest of now-chair Casey Anderson. They also want other sabotage design changes that would similarly increase traffic congestion and lengthen travel time for commuters using the parkway. Such changes would ensure drivers in Rockville, Aspen Hill and other points east of a much-longer trip to and from I-270. Day after day after day.

CLICK HERE to take the first step in
shortening your commute

"Design changes" are right out of the Council playbook, and were previously used by Councilmember Roger Berliner to yet again delay the M-83 Highway. M-83 on the master plan alignment was ready to start construction on an up-or-down vote by the Council, after being recommended by both upcounty residents and MCDOT. Berliner, at the behest of developers, threw the project into an unrequired new approval process that included yet another public hearing. M-83, like MPE, is an old road needed decades ago, and won't by itself allow any development that couldn't go forward today.

It's critical we elect a Council that will cancel any sabotage design changes to the Montrose Parkway East, and will begin construction on that project and M-83 immediately.

Bethesda construction update: Gallery II luxury apartment tower (Photos)

The Donohoe Companies' Gallery II remains on track for a late summer 2018 delivery at 4850 Rugby Avenue in Bethesda. An official website for the sister building to the Bethesda-based company's Gallery Bethesda tower is now online. It was created by Vantage Management, which manages both towers.

As you can see, a lot of glass is now in place on the lower half of the tower. Much facade work has been done on the lower levels, as well.

The vision for the ground floor of the building is a greater emphasis on dining and retail that will draw foot traffic to the development, as opposed to the retail in the original Gallery, which is more oriented toward services for residents upstairs. Such tenants will be needed to activate the already-completed plaza public space the two towers will share.

The shared plaza, with lighted
sculptures already in place

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of our amateur-hour Planning Board

City Bikes now open at White Flint Station (Photos)

A new bike shop has opened in the Pike District. City Bikes is now open at 11610 Rockville Pike, in the White Flint Station shopping center. In business since 1988, the regional chain offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on bikes that remain in "like new" condition. City Bikes takes over the space vacated by adult boutique Le Tache last October.

Invisalign to open store at Westfield Montgomery Mall, Spice 6 "coming soon" signage goes up

A new option for current and potential Invisalign patients is coming to Bethesda. Whereas the the clear alternative to traditional braces is usually acquired through an orthodontic office or cosmetic dentistry office, you'll soon be able to go right to the source at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Invisalign is opening its own store on Level 2 of the mall.

In other mall news, remember Spice 6? They have posted "coming soon" signage at their future spot.

Hogan warns of "treacherous" conditions in springtime snowstorm

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an urgent bulletin from Reisterstown warning Marylanders of "treacherous" conditions on roadways during today's springtime snowstorm. The snow is capping off an unusually-chilly March.

“Snow, sleet, and freezing rain falling this evening and overnight could make road conditions treacherous throughout the state. I strongly urge all Marylanders to use common sense, take extreme caution, and avoid travel if possible,” Hogan said. “Keep a close eye on your local weather forecast, and check on family, friends, and neighbors and make sure they are safe throughout this late-season storm.”

Hogan recommended that those who must travel contact friends and family, and let them know where you are going, and when you expect to arrive there. He suggested being cautious when shoveling this heavy, wet snow, and to take frequent breaks to avoid overexertion. Hogan added that it is important to stay hydrated when shoveling outdoors.

The governor suggested stocking your vehicle with "car chargers," and kitty litter or sand, which he said would supply traction to spinning wheels. Hogan also advised residents to keep gadgets charged, and warned residents to never use generators indoors. He cautioned everyone to be prepared for power outages.

Frida Beer Garden now open in Bethesda (Photos)

Frida Beer Garden, which is attached to the new TacoArepa restaurant at 4905 Fairmont Avenue, opened over the weekend. Although I mentioned this in my St. Patrick's Day specials report, I wanted to post some photos of the beer garden space now that it is complete.

New parking added for Home Depot in Bethesda (Photos)

Is it possible to imagine a scenario where parking somewhere in Bethesda actually gets better? It just happened at Home Depot at 7111 Westlake Terrace. Workers have finished demolishing part of the Home Depot Square strip mall there, and have laid down some new asphalt and painted on some parking spaces. The new parking area stands out with the fresh black asphalt color.

bluemercury opens at Pike & Rose, Nando's Peri-Peri touts impending arrival (Photos)

Beauty boutique bluemercury has opened its newest location, at 11885 Grand Park Avenue, at the Pike & Rose development. The store is located in the ground floor of the new Canopy by Hilton hotel and 930 Rose condos.

Meanwhile, in a neighboring space, hot chicken purveyor Nando's Peri-Peri has posted "coming soon" signage.