A Question for the Planning Board

Jon Weintraub sent the following letter to the Planning Board Chairman about the propose development at 4 Bethesda Metro Center. See the last paragraph for the question referenced in the title.

June 2, 2008

Chairman Royce Hanson
Montgomery County Planning Board
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Re: 4 Bethesda Metro Center Project

Dear Dr. Hanson:

I am a founding member of the Bethesda Citizens Association, an owner and condo board President at 4821 Montgomery Lane in downtown Bethesda, and live within a few blocks of the Bethesda Metro Center. Both my wife and I ride the metro. I am convinced that the proposed 4 Bethesda Metro Center project is a bad idea for several reasons.

It is contrary to the intent of the sector plan which would need to be amended before anything can be done. When I considered moving to Bethesda, I reviewed the sector plan which calls for public open space where this building is being considered. I did my due diligence, let the builder do the same and request an amendment.

Bethesda traffic is already a problem. This project calls for a re-striping of the garage in order to add 400 additional parking spaces. When you add these 400 spaces to the additional spaces planned in the projects already approved for downtown Bethesda, we are talking about more than 2500 spaces to be added in a few years. I thought the goal was to get people out of cars and riding metro. Why is the Planning Board participating in this charade on the public?? A responsible public entity in the county must address the cumulative impact of the increased number of parking spaces on traffic in downtown Bethesda. We are creating our own BRAC traffic jam in downtown Bethesda, and it is of your causing by approving more and more parking!

The Bethesda Metro Center plaza area could be improved, but a looming office building will take away some of our dwindling open space and cut off air and light that currently makes the plaza a pleasant space for community use. We need to increase open space in Bethesda, not lose it. If the developers want to revitalize the plaza by adding a couple of restaurants, they could remodel the existing three-story food court building which they have purposely left fallow!

The Metro Center area was designed to be open at the center with easy passage for pedestrians. A lot of dedicated citizens, business people and developers spent a lot of time on the Citizens Advisory Committee that drafted guidelines for how they wanted this important area of Bethesda to look. The earlier developers followed the rules and were true to the vision for the Center. But, the 4 Bethesda project would destroy that vision.

It is obvious that what is planned is a dramatic change from what Montgomery County citizens want.

When we first heard of this project early this year, the staff recommended against it. Now the latest staff report supports it with flying colors. We would like to know what changed, and respectfully recommend a postponement so our Association, and undoubtedly others that have been following this project, can get some answers.

Sincerely,


Jon Weintraub,
Bethesda Citizens Association