Downtown Bethesda Work Session Scheduled by County Committee

From Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, is scheduled to hold its first worksession on the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan that proposes to make significant changes to the area regarding future redevelopment. At this meeting, the committee will be introduced to some of the key concepts and strategies that have been recommended by the County Planning Board.

The PHED Committee, which is chaired by Nancy Floreen and includes Councilmembers George Leventhal and Hans Riemer, will meet in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting will be will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM), which can be viewed on Cable Channels 996 (high definition) and 6 (standard definition) on Comcast; Channels 1056 (HD) and 6 (SD) on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon. The sessions also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8 .

Bethesda is a 451-acre area with 10,000 residents and some of the County's largest employers. Downtown Bethesda has transformed over the past 30 years into an urban area with numerous restaurants, shops and entertainment choices. The plan defines development recommendations in Downtown Bethesda for the next 20 years.

The four main goals of the sector plan address:

• Economic competitiveness. The combination of new development, public amenities and proximity to transit is expected to attract businesses and visitors from throughout the region.
• Parks and open spaces. The plan recommends the creation of several new parks in the planning area.
• Affordable housing. Includes recommendations to preserve some of the existing market rate affordable housing and create an increased percentage of Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) on certain properties.
• Environmental innovation. Would result in improved stormwater management, sidewalks and bicycle routes. It also includes significant new requirements for energy-efficient buildings in an area designated as the "high-performance" area.

Under existing zoning, 13.7 million square feet of commercial space is allowable. Under the proposed revised zoning, 16.5 million square feet would be allowed.

There are currently 8,896 dwelling units in multi-family units in Downtown Bethesda. Under current zoning, the number of those units could increase to 13,422. The proposed plan would increase that number to 17,351.
The plan recommends significant increases in height for many properties.

The plan assumes that most commercial properties will not build to the full potential allowed by zoning. The plan is unique in its recommendation to limit and sell additional density, which would be forfeited if the property owner does not develop within a certain amount of time.

The Planning Department staff has said that the proposed increases would allow additional growth and economic development in Bethesda, while keeping the area in balance for schools and transportation.

More information on the proposed sector plan is available at http://tinyurl.com/h6xngpx .

At 9:30 a.m. in the Third Floor Conference Room, the Public Safety Committee, which is chaired by Marc Elrich and includes Councilmembers Tom Hucker and Sidney Katz, will be updated on the Animal Services and Adoption Center in Derwood.

In 2016, total animal intake at the center was 5,608, slightly lower than in 2015 (5,840). While intake and outcome numbers have remained fairly steady, the average shelter population has increased fairly significantly from 2015.

Shelter population hit a high of 484 in October 2016, and the yearly average is 361, an 18 percent increase from 2015. Adoptions dipped slightly, from 2,028 in 2015 to 1,975 in 2016.

More information on the Animal Services and Adoption Center is available at http://tinyurl.com/gty4bbf

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