Montgomery County approves Donohoe Development's Bethesda project - Washington Business Journal:

sucujovide.wordpress.com
The project, Woodmont was originally scheduled to go befored the planning boardin July, after the county’zs moratorium on residential developments started July 1. “They got all approvalws they needed inon time,” said Joshua coordinator at the county’s developmentg review division who recommended the planning board approve Donohoe’s site plan with some conditions. And though board member Amy Presley referredto Donohoe’sa need to get the approval quickly as “thse elephant in the room,” Sloan said the decisionn wasn’t rushed.
Sloan said the response to the preliminary site plan was overdue because the board had requestexd an extension beyond theusual 90-day review period. The residentiapl moratorium, which would affect Bethesda, Chevyt Chase, Clarksburg and Seneca Valley, was announced by the board June 8. It came afte the board received results of the annualschoolp test, which compares projectef 2014 enrollment figures against classroom capacity in the county’sz public schools. The test showed that the number of studentes enrolled by 2014 was greater than the 120 percent cap set by the Adequatse PublicFacilities Ordinance.
The development limitations, whicj only allow for subdivisions of three or fewer unite or forretirement communities, were established to avoid putting schools over capacity with enrollment from new housing The residential component of Donohoe’s project is actuallgy part of the second and third phasese of development, so its constructiob would likely begin after the ban, if it is lifte next July. The first phase of the developmeng isa 91,612-square-foot, six-story retail and office The 18-story, 462,160-square-foot residential and retaipl component would follow.
Sloan said the residentialo phase was not likely to deliver for another five to six At the time the moratoriumwas set, Donohoe President Peter Gartland said his project would likely make it beforer the board in advance of the moratorium, adding that the county’ s 2009-2011 growth policy conflicted with the development ban. “Thde future of the county is inits walkable, transit-oriented Gartland said, echoing the growth policy’se findings that Montgomery County should focus on infill and transit-oriented, mixed-usre developments. “We have faith the county will solvd this problem because urban areas like Bethesda are where new development should be he said.
The moratorium will likely last untilnext year’sd review unless the identified areas can show a projecterd drop in enrollment or an abilitty to host more students. School expansions may be considered in the fall and woulde be funded byMontgomeryh County’s capital improvements The board approved the project with a 3-2 vote but with severall conditions. The project must achieve a Silver LEED rating and the developerf must adjustheight limitations, building public space and retaikl frontage.
Northwest, Northwood, Paint Branch, Quince Rockville, Wheaton, Walter Johnson, Whitman and Richard Montgomer y were also identified as areas that will be overcrowded by more than 105 percentfin 2014. Developers hoping for subdivision approval in thos areas will have to paya fee.