MoCo Planners Ponder Move to Wheaton

Talk about walking the walk; Montgomery County planners may promote the redevelopment of Wheaton they have been pushing by moving their own headquarters to downtown Wheaton.
The county council approved a redevelopment plan last month that would build a new 150,000 square foot headquarters for M-NCPPC at Grandview Avenue, Reedie Drive, and Triangle Lane, a site now used as a surface parking lot.  The project would be financed by the county's Capital Improvements Plan.

Financing sunk the planning department's previous attempt at building a new headquarters - the now-defunct SilverPlace.  First conceptualized back in 2006, SilverPlace was to include 300 residential units, lush public greenspaces (below right), and the planning headquarters on 3.24 acres.  Details were exhaustively worked out in conjunction with community members, only to falter when it came time for the county council to approve the financing plan.

"On SilverPlace, we worked very hard with the community," recalls Dan Hertz, project manager at Montgomery County Department of Parks, who worked on the project.  ""We wanted to respect concerns about an office building next to an existing neighborhood.  The plan we came up with called for two wings; a low-rise next to the existing community, and then a taller component facing Crown Plaza.  But we were going to fund it by borrowing money with certificates of participation (COPs), which had to be authorized by the county council.  But there was concern about the recession, so it didn't get the votes."


With the economy kinda sorta turning around now, has there been any talk of reviving SilverPlace?

"No," says Hertz.  "The county has been really encouraging us to go into Wheaton."  And this time, the financing plan is structured differently, in such a way that the county council might find more much more palatable.  "This new plan would be funded with general obligation bonds, which is like the county itself is taking on the debt."

Wheaton, which has lagged behind the rest of MoCo despite a surplus of developable real estate and the presence of a metro station, has seen a major wave of redevelopment as of late.  There were virtually no residential units in downtown Wheaton near the metro station before 2004; now there are nearly 700, with many more in the pipeline, from Patriot Realty's Safeway/residential project on Reedie to Washington Property Company's 221 units on the former site of the First Baptist Church of Wheaton, to B.F. Saul's Wheaton Triangle project that could potentially bring a million square feet of office/retail/hotel space to the area.


Wheaton, MD real estate development news

The Monty: St. Elmo's Spire

According to sources close to the project, developer Monty LLC's planned-17-story, mixed-use building, The Monty, located at St. Elmo and Fairmont Avenues in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, may witness development activity within the next few months.

Robert Kronneberg, Lead Reviewer for the Montgomery County Planning Commission, confirms that the site plan for the project was approved last July, with final plans approved just this past February, finalizing all county reviews needed for the project. So if the details of the design are finalized and the site plan has been approved, does that mean building permits are on the horizon?

According to the architects at SK&I, the "owner is working on getting financing like anyone else," but they are "hoping to break ground by September or October of this year." Kronnenberg says Hillerson has sent consultants to meet with Planning Board staff "to look at the streetscape requirements," but adds carefully that "in terms of any kind of permits that have been submitted for buildings, I don't know that right now."

The SK&I design for The Monty will include up to 200 residential units, 7,700 s.f. of ground floor retail and and 5,500 s.f. of "animated" art experience, according to the artist - when it gets off the ground. Project Manager and Senior SK&I Associate, Marty Towles, says his team was proud to help usher in such a large-scale project in a neighborhood notorious for its abundance of "low-rise" single family homes.

"The design of the building on the 15th floor takes advantage of the views to the south of the city and panoramas over to Rosslyn," says Towles enthusiastically, who adds that planned amenities like The Monty's rooftop pool and sweeping terraces are not currently so easy to come by in Woodmont Triangle.

The owner behind Monty LLC's corporate veil is Robert Hillerson, the same developer whose Limited Liability Corp., Michael LLC, became entangled in a dispute with the Maryland Transit Authority over its Studio Plaza project. Located at the intersection of Georgia and Thayer Avenue in Silver Spring's Business District, Studio Plaza's ambitious plans call for 525 residential units and redevelopment of the public parking lot adjacent to the Purple Line. MTA got wind of the idea and lobbied to keep the lot vacant so it could be used in conjunction with future Purple Line development.

MTA eventually backed off from its parking lot crusade and Studio Plaza finally shows signs of moving forward. But with so many large-scale residential/mixed-use projects downsizing and sputtering to a halt inside the beltway, Hillerson is understandably uneasy when it comes to speculating about potential groundbreaking dates for his Monty project.

When asked about when his project will get off the ground, Hillerson told DCMud that he "would rather not talk about that project for a couple of months. But call me back June 17th." A developer with an exact date in mind for updates? Is that a sign of progress?

The architects are optimistic, and surmise that the developer is merely setting expectations. Towles reiterates that the developer's reticence to talk about the project until June could be a sign that Hillerson "wants to make sure everything's set in stone" before making any public announcements about groundbreaking dates. But since no one else is breaking ground in Woodmont Triangle, despite a surfeit of plans, one can't be too careful.

Silver Spring, Maryland Real Estate Development News

Local Governments Seek to Transform Wheaton Downtown

Ten sites in Wheaton are up for grabs now that Montgomery County, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Metro, a.k.a. the "Public Team" which individually own the properties, has released a request for qualifications for a public-private partnership to develop and transform any one or combination of the ten spaces in the Wheaton Central Business District. The plots total 11.7 acres, all within 1,200 feet of the Wheaton Metro station.

The three land owners are working together to create a constellation of new development to build a "high quality...vibrant community" with increased density that will transform the Wheaton CBD. Projects should be transit oriented, mixed-use developments that create active open space and promote pedestrian-friendly transit. The two-tier process will first rate the developers' "creative vision" and ability, saving project specifics for the second stage of application process.

Housing options should include moderate-income, workforce housing and live-work units such as art studios. The ten lots include both contiguous and stand alone plots. Depending on the owner, the property may be either leased or purchased. Expect a localized price spike, as developers may combine other parcels in their proposals by showing they will have the ability to control adjacent parcels for future development.

The properties are listed in groups, though each can be developed individually. Group A includes a Parking Lot on Price Avenue, a garage on Fern Street and Veterans' Park on Reedie Drive, a total of 2.62 acres. In the case of Veterans' Park, a developer would be required to "identify a replacement location for the park that enhances its impact upon the public realm."

Group B holds the bulk of the space with 8.02 acres, including three Montgomery County-owned parking lots, a Montgomery County Regional Service Center on Reedie Drive and two Metro properties. Concept plans for the Regional Service Center should address replacement locations for the services normally provided by the site.

The Metro offerings include a bus bay on Georgia Avenue and a 1.94-acre garage on Veirs Mill Road. Metro requires any developer with plans for the bus bay to develop an interim site prior to construction and an alternate permanent location for the facility in close proximity. Metro is not seeking replacement of the garage, which connects via a pedestrian bridge to the Westfield Wheaton Mall. However, any developer seeking to "better integrate these facilities with transit oriented development" would need to replace the "existing uses at appropriate levels of functionality," with replacement costs borne by the developer.

That leaves the sole member of Group C, a 1.06 acre Montgomery County-owned parking lot on Blueridge Ave. Despite the tie to Metro, the team is requiring that applicants replace all five parking lots with "appropriate levels of replacement parking/capacity."

Submissions are due March 19th, a pre-submission conference with site tour will be held February 2nd. A short-list of candidates will be released on April 14th, at which time the second phase information will be released.

Wheaton real estate and development news

The Monty Makes (Another) Go of It in Bethesda

The would-be developers Monty, LLC will head back to the Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday, July 2nd to shore up their final site plan for The Monty - a high-rise residential project on a 1-acre lot in Bethesda that currently hosts several vacant storefronts from 4915-4917 Fairmont Avenue and 4914-4918 St. Elmo Avenue in the Woodmont Triangle. Since its initial approval in May 2007, the 17-story residential development has grown (via an update to the developer's plans this past March) from 133 apartments to include "a maximum of 200 units" for a total of 210,188 square feet of new Bethesda real estate. Described by Planning Board staff as "an attractive urban infill redevelopment project,” the project is still planned to subsidize 30 moderately priced dwelling units, 7,700 square feet of ground floor retail and 211 underground garage spaces. One of the Monty’s more interesting flourishes will be the 5,480 square feet of (mandatory) public use space. A so-called “pedestrian promenade” on the building’s south side will include art installation, composed of a chain link backdrop and live bamboo, by artist Dan Steinhilber and the landscape architects of Parker Rodriguez. Once complete, the piece will “provide an animated experience as a person moves through the space” for a quasi-hallucinogenic stroll that would seem more Burning Man than Bethesda (and make it a sure-fire destination for area Zendik pamphleteers. Eew.) SK & I is performing the architectural design for the building. Since the first of this year, both the County’s Transportation and Environmental Planning divisions have both lent their final approval to the re-jiggered development scheme, as have Planning Board staff. Though the developer has not stipulated a final timeline for construction, once complete, it will stand directly across from the site of another Woodmont Triangle high-rise, the also delayed 4900 Fairmont development. The project has been approved in the past, but just might possibly happen this time. 

Montgomery County commercial real estate news

Coming Soon(ish): Wheaton Town Square

Spurred on by what they've deemed the "success of Silver Spring redevelopment" and "stagnation" in their own front lawn, Montgomery County's Wheaton Redevelopment Program (WRP) is gearing up to issue a solicitation for offers for a large-scale, mixed-use Town Square project on what is currently a collection of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus bays next to the Wheaton Metro.

"We were hoping [to get the solicitation out] this summer and we think that maybe that's still possible. Once we go the WMATA board, it'll much more realistic to put together a schedule," said WRP Director, Rob Klein.

"We'll go to the community before and show them the elements that we're considering. But, by and large, what we're aiming to do is keep the requirements to a minimum, so that we hire a development team based upon their expertise, their experience, their wherewithal and the creativity they’ve shown with past projects. Then, like Silver Spring, [they'll] work with the stakeholders."

Using recommendations made by the International Downtown Association (IDA) as a model, the WRP is aiming to redevelop the County-owned, triangular site (bounded by Georgia Avenue, Viers Mill Road and Reedie Drive), along with other area parking lots and few select private parcels “that make sense for redevelopment,” via a public-private partnership. Though the ultimate mix of uses won’t be settled upon until a developer is selected, the WRP’s tentative vision sees the Town Square as a new arts and retail destination, ala Silver Spring’s revitalized downtown; part and parcel with that will be a new Metro-centric location for the Wheaton Regional Library.

"[The library] relocation was recommended by the [IDA], instead of proceeding with the renovation of the existing library…If the library comes downtown, the recommendation was that an arts venue be part of it. Another thing we’ve thrown out is possibly an auditorium will be part of it. All that would have to be tied into a massive redevelopment solicitation,” said Klein. The idea of shuttering the current library, however, has drawn the ire of many local residents and a campaign is now underway to preclude the possibility of a move.

Nonetheless, area bibliophiles have plenty of time before their books are due once and for all, as there’s no definitive timeline for the project as it now stands - but not for want of effort by WRP. Program staff will appear before the WMATA board this week to seek a “letter of understanding” from the agency with regard to use of the bus bay parcel.

Furthermore, the Town Square’s fate is linked to that of the Wheaton Sector Plan, first drafted in 1990 and now under revision, that goes before the Montgomery County Planning Board later this summer. According to Klein, changes to the updated Plan will “work in tandem” with the goals of his team, as they select sites for redevelopment, deal with issues like the library and court interest from the development community.

“This [project] is a strange hodgepodge and I have not seen one like it before…This is going to be tricky,” he said.

Planned Community for PG County Line

Bethesda developer The Artery Group will be back before the Montgomery County Planning Board tomorrow afternoon to vie for final approval of a sprawling 314-acre "planned community" at the Prince George’s County line in Burtonsville.

Bounded by Sandy Spring, Greentree and Old Gunpowder Roads, the so-called Fairland Community will bring 365 homes, a community center, public open space, "an extensive trail system," and a new, 11-acre elementary school site intended to divert students from currently overcrowded Burtonsville Elementary. A dramatic metamorphosis from its genesis as a golf-centered townhouse community, the project will include 46 moderately priced dwelling units of affordable townhouse and duplex residences, according to Lisa S. Schwarz, Senior Planning Specialist for the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The rest of the homes on site will be detached, single-family units, to be built in three phases.

The history of the development dates back to 2004, when it was first approved by the Planning Board with a plan calling for a golf course and 400 homes on the Montgomery side of the county line. Despite support from area residents and inroads on a proposed land swap with Montgomery County for construction of the golf course, the project’s encroachment into a neighboring jurisdiction led to a veto from the Prince George’s County Council. With the developer getting a mulligan for the golf plan, tomorrow’s hearing concerns Artery’s recently amended, links-free development scheme; Planning Board staff have already lent their approval to the proposal - a move usually indicative of an impending green light from the Board itself.

The Fairland Community is precisely the kind of large-scale development Artery typically pursues in the metro area's far-outlying suburbs. In conjunction with Clark Capital Realty, they were responsible for The Pinnacle, a $55 million, 328-unit garden apartment complex in Germantown. The developer is also currently working on Arora Hills, another 1330-unit “neo-traditional” planned community in Clarksburg, with Beazer Homes and NVR.

Dual MoCo Apartments Headed for Approval

Two long-gestating residential projects - The Monty in Bethesda and Bonifant Plaza in Silver Spring - will (finally) be cleared for approval by the Montgomery County Planning Board at their scheduled March 12^th meeting. Together, they'll signal the MPBD’s largest residential approval of the new year and contribute nearly 300 new residential units to the county.

Located between Fairmont and St. Elmo’s Avenues in the Woodmont Triangle area of Bethesda, the 17-story (!), SK&I-designed Monty will usurp the present two and three-story storefronts on site, only to replace them with up to 200 residential units, 7,700 square feet of ground floor retail and a 5,500 square foot public plaza. Developer Monty, LLC - who received previously received Board approval in early 2008 to nearly double the number of units contained in the project at the expense of once expansive floorplans - will dedicate 20 the said apartments to affordable housing.

Meanwhile, in Silver Spring, developer Theo Margas’ Bonifant Plaza project will be moving ahead with its planned 115,000 square foot, AR Meyer & Associates design. Sporting 72 rental apartments – 9 of which will be affordable – Bonifant Plaza will stand on the so-named Bonifant Street – a site, coincidentally, within earshot of the MCPB offices in downtown Silver Spring. Margas told DCmud in January that the meeting will be “only for the budget plan” for the Bonifant, but expects the approval to solidify a timeline for the project, which has been in development since at least 2006.

As of this writing, both projects have been earmarked for approval by MCPB staff – an opinion that the Board itself rarely dissents against.

Bonafide New Residential for Silver Spring

There's yet another residential project in the works for downtown Silver Spring. Independent developer Theo Margas hopes to deliver his Bonifant Plaza project to so-named Bonifant Street in the heart of the suburban city's Central Business District. Since filing plans with the Montgomery County Planning Board more than two years ago, progress on the Bonifant has been slow coming due to traffic issues - but that's something that could begin to turn around as early as next month.

Located on an unaddressed parcel within a stone's throw (approximately 135 feet) of Georgia Avenue, the Bonifant Plaza would measure in at roughly 115,000 square feet and sport new 72 new rental apartments with the same number of private parking spaces. (As required by Montgomery County statutes, 12.5% of those units must be devoted to affordable housing – which amounts to 9 sacrificial units for the developer.) The 9-story project is being designed Silver Spring-based architects AR Meyers & Associates and, though current plans don’t include a retail component, Margas has still not discounted an alternative that would allow him to service the heavily trafficked Silver Spring corridor. “The zoning…doesn’t allow for ground floor retail,” he says. “If for some reason that changes, then we would pursue putting ground floor retail in. But at this point there’s no retail in the designs for the project.”

Per recommendations made by Planning Board staff and the Maryland Department of Transportation, Bonifant Plaza has been on hold pending a design adjustment of the of alleys intended to service the new building. At one point, there had been concerns that the recently resolved issue of Purple Line’s prospective route could also impact the site, but with both matters now headed towards a speedy resolution, the project will return before the Board next month. ““[That meeting is] only for the budget plan, and we still have the site plan,” says Margas. “We’re not going to be at [the final] stage until sometime after budget approval.” Meanwhile, Margas concedes that a final timeline and cost analysis for the Bonifant project will be contingent on the next phase of the approval process, but seems confident that 2009 will be the year that Bonifant Plaza joins its fellow Silver Spring CBD projects – like SilverPlace, 1050 Ripley, the Adele, 8227 Fenton, and 8711 Georgia – on the docket of County-approved developments.

Light Rail Locked for the Purple Line

In keeping with last month's staff report, the Montgomery County Planning Board endorsed light rail as the preferred mode of Purple Line transport in a 4-1 vote yesterday afternoon, decidedly nixing the prospect of a rapid bus transit alternative. The vote came at the end of two-session round of public testimony that drew nearly 50 speakers and hundreds of pieces of correspondence - many of them supporters of the embattled Capital Crescent Trail that shadows the Purple Line's proposed 16-mile route from Bethesda to New Carrollton.

Board Chairman Royce Hanson cited light rail's proclivity for speedier transport, greater passenger capacity, longer 50 to 60 year lifespan and compatibility with existing Metro and MARC systems as benefits of the selection. Despite any advantages, the new light rail will cost millions more than bus service; current projections predict that the cost of the project could rise as high as $1.6 billion.

Preliminary engineering for the Purple Line is scheduled to begin this August, although work on the line itself won’t begin before 2012, at the earliest. At present, the project’s next stop is a Montgomery County Council committee meeting on January 22^nd, which will then be followed by a full public session on January 27^th.

Maryland commercial real estate news

Purple Line Panel Says Light Rail

In a staff report released this morning, staff of the Montgomery County Planning Board collectively endorsed a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system for the passionately deliberated Purple Line. - the public transit system designed to run from Bethesda to New Carrollton, better connecting suburban Maryland to the Metro system. A contingent of Montgomery County residents had been lobbying for a bus route instead - reasoning any such rail system would be detrimental to the Capital Crescent and Georgetown Branch trail systems that shadow the Purple Line’s proposed New Carrollton-Bethesda route.

The staff decision comes after a review of a preliminary Environmental Impact Statement concerning the Purple Line and its effect on the neighboring trails. Included in the short three-page document is an outline for trail infrastructural improvements, such as a connection to Rock Creek Park, improved road crossings, retaining walls and signage, pedestrian safety measures and even the construction of a new, biker-friendly public plaza at the Line’s proposed Woodmont East terminus.

The Purple Line’s next stop is a hearing with Planning Board itself on January 8^th, where, according to today’s report, four separate votes will be cast: one reaffirming support for LRT, a second for “alignment and design options,” a third to be included in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and a fourth concerning “further actions for the Montgomery County government.”

The Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee will then hear arguments from both sides of the matter on January 22^nd. Both panels are expected to also fall in favor of LRT – a method of transport that already counts Montgomery County Executive Isiah Legget and the Prince George’s County Council among its many supporters, as well as trail advocates Montgomery Bicycle Advocates and Coalition for the Capitol Crescent Trail, and environmentalist Sierra Club. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has yet to publicly confirm his support for LRT, but is expected to make a definitive statement in the coming months. At present, the projected cost of implementing the Purple Line is roughly $1.2 billion.

Washington DC commercial real estate news

The Adele Approved in Silver Spring

As expected, Fenton Street Development's mixed-use project in downtown Silver Spring, the Adele, was approved by the Montgomery County Planning Board this afternoon. The development at 8620 Fenton Street will add 96 units of housing - including 15 affordable - 18,200 square feet of office space and 15,020 square feet of retail to the Silver Spring Central Business District. The project is being designed by the SK&I Architectural Design Group and expected to open for business in 2011.

Silver Spring real estate development news

Holladay In for Bethesda

Development of Bethesda's Edgemoor district has been been surprisingly stop-start given its location between the Metro and a thriving town center. But the Holladay Corporation is throwing their hat in the ring, adding to the chorus of developers intending correct to that malady. Alongside projects such as 4917 Hampden Lane, Edgemoor at Arlington North and City Homes of Edgemoor, the self-referential Holladay at Edgemoor will deliver 48 condominiums to the intersection of Montgomery Lane and West Lane - dead center between Bethesda's two main retail areas and just a block from the Bethesda Metro.

Located on a flatiron-shaped, half-acre parcel next to the Chase at Bethesda, the six-story building project will occupy three lots that currently host three office space-converted colonial homes. Comprised mainly of conventional flats, Holladay will also build 4 two-story townhouses on the building’s east side, fronting along Montgomery Lane. Of the units contained in the 71,343 square foot development, 6 units have been earmarked for affordable housing. The residences will all sit atop a 77-space underground parking garage – a measure designed, no doubt, to relieve overcrowding in one of Montgomery County’s most parking-challenged areas. Holladay has taken on Bethesda-based architects, SK&I, to design the project.

The project comes in with especially low density for a Metro site, with 30% open space, and an approved maximum density of 2.5 FAR, the multiplier of buildable space relative to lot size. Of that, 10% will dedicated to publicly accessible areas, while the remaining 20% will go towards "active and passive recreation space" for residents.

The Holladay at Edgemoor was initially denied by the County Planning Board back in April, due to a zoning conflict with the neighboring Villages of Bethesda at the corner of Arlington Road and Edgemoor Lane. After a short round of retooling, the developer rectified their design and the project approved the following month. According to Sami Kirkdil of SK&I, construction is expected to commence in 2010.

Silver Spring's Adele Likely to Get OK This Week

Montgomery County looks ready to approve the Adele, a 96-unit building in the Easley subdivision of downtown Silver Spring. Fenton Street Development LLC (FSD) - a partnership between the Freeman Group and Bloom Builders - will bring a new 9-story, mixed-use project to the intersection of Thayer Avenue and Fenton Street if the team receives final approval from the Montgomery Planning Board (MPD) at a hearing this Thursday.

The Adele would stand at the current site of an auto repair shop at 8260 Fenton Street. The SK&I-designed plans on hand call for 96 units - either apartments or condos - 18,200 square feet of office, and 15,020 square feet of retail stacked atop each other on a half-acre parcel. Fifteen of the apartments and/or condos on site will be reserved as affordable-rate MPDUs – a requirement that sets the Adele apart from other nearby, similarly-scaled (and not yet built) Silver Spring residential projects such 814 Thayer and Moda Vista. Additionally, the development team is throwing in an ever-popular green roof and a public plaza on the northeastern corner (to be furnished with “streetscape improvements” at their own cost) to sweeten the deal.

FSD initially received concept approval for the Adele back in 2006. Since that time, the developer has made some not so minor changes in order to get full authorization, like axing 3-stories off the building’s proposed height. But having received concept approval on its first try and having been signed off by MPD staff, an affirmative decree from the Board seems likely.

That would be just the latest in a string of MPD approvals for downtown Silver Spring. In addition to 814 Thayer and Moda Vista, nearby projects include 8711 Georgia, 8227 Fenton Street and, of course, the MPD’s own new headquarters/residential development, SilverPlace are all within spitting distance of the Easely subdivision. The Adele is scheduled to join its new neighbors by mid-2011.

SilverPlace Splits with Developer, Forges Ahead

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's (M-NCPPC) new headquarters - tentatively titled SilverPlace - has incurred a few shake-ups over the past few months, but is otherwise inching toward fruition in the center of the Silver Spring Central Business District. While plans for the site have grown much more specific since DCMud last reported on the development, one major detail has done a volte face: the Montgomery Planning Board (MPB) has nixed a 2006 proposal by SilverPlace LLC that had served as the development's template until last month. A press release issued by the County stipulates that the "Planning Board and SilverPlace LLC were unable to reach agreement on key terms, such as land pricing."

In the same session that the deal was declared kaput, the MPB also clarified their intentions for a new mixed-use headquarters. First and foremost, it will be built before any proposed residential component. Secondly, it will consolidate all staff offices, whereas they currently operate no less than four buildings for the same purpose. Thirdly, it will meet the standard for LEED gold certification. Lastly, the project will eventually be mixed-use with residential and infrastructure components that mesh seamlessly with the Silver Spring suburbs surrounding the parcel at 8787 Georgia Avenue. Of most import to the development community, however, is the MPB’s plan to “reduce the public cost of the project by selling part of the property to a private developer” – a plan which is sure to irk Harrison Development, Spaulding and Slye, and Bozzuto Group, the firms behind the SilverPlace moniker. It has also been further asserted that the housing component will include a minimum of 30% affordable and AMI housing. 

Dan Hertz of the M-NCPPC told DCMud that the County is not actively seeking out proposals from other developers at this time, but will be “going to our board on December 4th and going over the timeline with them on that day. It depends on the market and our ability to make progress on the office building portion.” The project is also expected to receive a budget appropriation from the County Council in December. The MPB will be holding a Community Meeting at their current headquarters this Wednesday, November 19th at 7:30 to brief the public on the recent changes incurred during the development process. The MPB had still been acting in concert with the SilverPlace LLC as recently as June, when they jointly participated in a week-long community design workshop. Despite Silverplace LLC’s departure, the site is still expected to develop into 300 new units of housing and public park/garden featuring an array of “mature oak trees.”

Silver Spring real estate development news

The Clarksburg Quagmire

If you don't know where Clarksburg is now, you can say you heard of it here first. Next week, the Montgomery County Planning Board (MCPB) will undertake a two session review of plans for, and potential approval of, the Clarksburg Town Center (CTC) that would see 1,213 units of housing dropped 35 miles northwest of the District.

The CTC is described by its developer, Newland Communities, as "a New American Classic Town" - one that was essentially dropped wholesale into a rural community when Phase I was undertaken in 2001 and brought approximately 1400 new residents to the area. Phase II, however, is a different animal. And despite the body blows to the real estate market and the general tanking of the "suburban town center" concept, the developer plans to see it through.

Aside from rental and homeownership housing, the linchpin of new development on the 270-acre parcel will be the retail hub. It will feature shopping, dining, a pharmacy, a grocery store (initially planned to be a Giant, but Newland has since parted ways with the retail developer behind the deal, Regency Centers) and the requisite parking – all amenities which are currently lacking in CTC’s present state. Extra perks also include the construction of a new public library, an outdoor amphitheater, a new 1,200 square foot recreation center, and, lastly - for that small town touch - a memorial in tribute to the town’s founding family, the Clarksburgs. Designs are being handled by Torti Gallas and Partners.

Over the past five years, Newland, the Clarksburg Town Center Advisory Committee (CTCAC) and the MCPB have found themselves locked in a long and tedious stalemate – one that seems on the verge of breaking with next week’s decision.

While plans for the development stretch back 13 years, Newland stepped up in 2003 when it purchased the completed Phase I project from original developer, Terrabrook – after the initial Phase II plans had received the go-ahead from the County. Come summer 2004, CTCAC brought apprehensions about setback and height regulations before the Board, which subsequently held a string of violation hearings that stretched on for more than a year.

Eventually, the Office of Legislative Oversight was called in to review the case and identify exactly what was causing the protracted delays – and wound up faulting the MCPB itself in a surprising twist. According to their report, the Board had “sent confusing and mixed messages to the community, and failed to carry out a timely, thorough fact-based investigation.” Moreover, even the Montgomery County system was partially to blame as the CTC project was “subject to a regulatory process that lacked predictability and reliability” and “underlying ambiguities in the County’s laws.” The end result of the findings was a landmark for the Montgomery County regulatory system – since 2005, the County Council has had much stricter oversight of MCPB activities.

With that debacle finally settled, a final set of plans comes before the Board on November 6^th and Newland is betting its chips on this hearing. Just weeks ago, Newland sent current CTC residents postcard mailers expressing the need for their support if the project is to get approval.

And it appears that it will. County staff have already conditionally approved the plan, and while the developer has yet to make a total figure for the cost of the development public, County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett has recommended a $15.5 million allotment of county funds that would go towards improvement of the local infrastructure and construction of the library. Bozzuto, Craftstar, Miller & Smith, NVHomes, and Porten Homes have already been selected as builders for the massive undertaking.

Funding Time for Silver Place

Today, the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) sat together with the County Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development committee, to discuss a two-stage financial package for funding SilverPlace. The County Council Committee voted 3-0 in favor of funding the first stage, a set of design charrettes that will facilitate community input for the overall design. The second half of the finance package will fund final design and construction of the project - MNCPCC is requesting $4.9 million in total funding from the county for its interest in the property.

If all goes according to plan, the first design 'charrette' - a roundtable discussion, to you and me - should begin this Spring. MNCPCC expects the community input stage to last until the end of the year, when they would request the second stage of funding. According to MNCPCC, "The design phase could take up to 10 months." Our guesswork indicates the final design could be submitted as late as 2009.

Silver place, located at 8787 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, will be a mixed use project (see prior post) encompassing a nine-story, 150,000-s.f. office tower, which will house the new 120,000-s.f. MNCPPC headquarters, and a residential component housing 358 units, 91 of which will be rental units - the remainder will sold as condos. Preliminary plans also call for some retail and copious public gathering space. Currently, the site houses a large surface parking lot and the current, three-story, MNCPCC headquarters, which has become so overcrowded that the organization needs to rent out suites for its staff. Developers will build the new project in phases so that planning staffers won't be out of a home until their new one is finished.

Torti Gallas is designing the master plan for the site, working alongside a group of development firms, who appropriately call themselves SilverPlace LLC: a combination of Harrison Development, Spaulding and Slye, and Bozzuto Group.