ADDENDUM AGENDA ITEM #8A April 18,2017 MEMORANDUM. April 17,2017. TO: County Council. (1Jt. Marlene MichaelsOI~enior Legislative Analyst SUBJECT:

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1 ADDENDUM AGENDA ITEM #8A April 18,217 MEMORANDUM April 17,217 TO: ounty ouncil. (1Jt FROM: SUBJET: Marlene MichaelsOIenior Legislative Analyst Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan Staff inadvertently omitted the attached memoranda from the ouncil packet: From ouncil President Berliner and ouncil Vice President Riemer ( 1-2); From ouncilmember EIrich ( 3-9).

2 MONTGOMERY OUNTY OUNIL ROKVILLE, MARYLAND ROGER BERLINER OUNIL PRESIDENT DISTRIT 1 TO: ouncilmembers MEMORANDUM April 7, 217 HANS RIEMER OUNIL VIE-PRESIDENT AT-LARGE FROM: SUBJET: ouncil President Roger Berliner ouncil Vice President Hans Riemer Bethesda Sector Plan Amendments We appreciate all the work ofthe Planning Department and Planning Board in drafting the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan. And we particularly appreciate all the mmunity members and stakeholders who have ntributed to shaping this plan over the last two years. While we had significant ncerns regarding the draft remmended by the Planning Board, we are generally pleased with many ofthe changes suggested by ouncil Staffand adopted by the ouncil's Planning ommittee. That said, we do have some suggestions for how the ouncil can further improve the Plan and ensure that Bethesda will ntinue to be a thriving, inviting place for its residents, workers and visitors for years to me. Many ofthese suggestions reflect minority votes taken by ouncilmember Riemer in the PHED ommittee and positions voiced by ouncil President Berliner throughout the Sector Plan review process. We ask for your support and thank you for your nsideration. I. Ensure that Bethesda has great gathering spaces - including parks, plazas, recreation centers and civic spaces: a. The current draft includes remmendations for the nversion of unty surface parking lots 24, 1 and 25 to parkland/neighborhood greens, but only pictorially. We remmend adding language specifically citing these lots (pp ) and remmend that Lot 44 be included as well. The PHED ommittee remmended that the entire footprint ofthese lots be nverted to parks. We strongly support that remmendation. b. We also remmend language be added to p. 83 ofthe Plan indicating the desire to integrate the ivic Green remmended on the Farm Women's Market property with the new park on Lot 25 in order to create a prominent civic gathering space in this part of Bethesda. c. In referencing the nversion of unty owned surface parking lots mentioned above to parkland/neighborhood greens, we remmend adding language that acknowledges that many businesses are currently served by these surface lots, and their ncerns need to be addressed. The Plan should state that this can be acmplished in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, undergrounding or relocating the existing parking spaces. STELLA B. WERNER OFFIE BUILDING' 1 MARYLAND AVENUE, 6 TIi FLOOR, ROKVILLE, MARYLAND OR , TTY , FAX

3 d. The eastern greenways are a key element of this Plan and serve as important buffers between the Bethesda BD and the adjacent single family neighborhoods. Instead of the three-tiered implementation approach to these greenways with setback and height ranges as proposed in the Plan, we remmend that a 1: 1 ratio method be utilized (pp ), as proposed by BAR. This would allow property owners to build one foot higher for every foot of setback dedicated to the greenway. e. We are grateful for the PHED ommittee's support for remmending a new recreation center in the Plan as ouncil President Berliner suggested in his March 2 memo and for new civic space as discussed by ouncil Vice President Riemer in ommittee. Language should be added to the Plan reflecting the desire for these mmunity facilities (Section 2.8 ommunity Facilities) indicating that the Department of Recreation and the Department of General Services begin exploring viable locations for such facilities. f. Throughout the Bethesda Sector Plan process, the future of the open space at Bethesda Metro enter has received a great deal of attention. We suggest adding language in the Plan stating the desire for this space to beme an active civic gathering space that is more usable, programmable, and inviting. The PHED ommittee remmends language calling for improvements to the Metro bus area and improved access to this area from the plaza, and we strongly support these remmendations. 2. Responsibly plan for future growth by focusing additional development directly around transit and tapering down to the surrounding single family neighborhoods: a. In a minority vote in the PHED ommittee, ouncil Vice President Riemer remmended that the heights of properties along the northeastern portion of Wisnsin Avenue be limited to 9 feet. We endorse this proposal and ask for your support in reducing the heights on these properties directly adjacent to East Bethesda. b. We remmend that property 96 be limited to 7 feet. c. We remmend that the height of property 87 be set at 145 feet as suggested by ouncil Staff and ouncilmember Riemer, rather than the 2 feet remmended by the majority of the PHED ommittee. 3. Page 156 of the Plan remmends that "some sort of advisory group should be created to support the implementation ofthe Sector Plan." It also states that "the formation of any new standing mmittee or advisory group should be initiated by the Board ofthe Bethesda Urban Partnership." We agree wholeheartedly that the creation of an implementation mmittee be formed. The White Flint Sector Plan included the formation of an implementation mmittee that has been quite active and successful since the adoption ofthat plan. The same approach should be utilized with regard to the Bethesda Sector Plan, and the mmittee should be staffed by the Planning Department as is the case in White Flint. We would like language in this section revised to reflect this intention. 4. Given the size of the Bethesda-hevy hase High School property, future expansion of the school's educational facilities and/or playing field space is quite limited, as highlighted by ouncilmember Leventhal at the PHED ommittee worksession. We remmend adding language to Section (Educational Facilities) stating that opportunities for expansion ofb- High School should be explored, including the possibility of acquiring parcels directly adjacent to the school.

4 " J --."-'.', I_/, r- ',',,.' "'!'"I'''' MONTGOMERY OUNTY OUNIL ROKVILLE. MARYLAND MAR ELRIH OUNILMEMBER AT-LARGE MEMORANDUM April 14, 217 TO: SUBJET: ouncilmembers Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan: I appreciate and generally support the remmendations made by ouncilmembers Berliner and Riemer in their April 7th memorandum, which address some of my ncerns about the PHED ommittee's remmendations for the Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan. And while I agree with most of their remmendations for reduced building heights, I believe there should be further reductions on some properties to mitigate the massing and shadowing effects on nearby residential areas and on public spaces. This is of particular ncern in East Bethesda because of the proximity of residential neighborhoods to mmercial properties along Wisnsin Avenue where significant increases in heights are being proposed. I note that the May 215 Planning Staff Draft stated that buildings should step back and provide separation "to ensure the design allows for light and air, and reduces shadows cast into public spaces" (page 96). This carries through to the Planning Board Draft, which states that designs should allow "access to light and air, and reduce impact of shadows on the public realm" (page 75). Here are my suggested height reductions, as well as some general mments - and to aid in visualizing the heights, I am attaching pages from a July 2, 215 Planning Staff document ntaining photographs of building heights in Bethesda.. 1. Property #87, the Acura dealership at 7725 Wisnsin Avenue (between Middleton and heltenham). urrently zoned H-9 T; Planning Board remmendation 25'; PHED ommittee remmendation 2'; Berliner/Riemer remmendation 145'; my remmendation 11'. Reasons: reduce the shadow effect on the heltenham Drive Urban Park, which is immediately across heltenham; increase mpatibility with the townhouses immediately behind this property on Tilbury Street and with the nearby Whitney, which is 11'. 2. Property #88, VS and other retail at Wisnsin Avenue (between hase and heltenham). urrently zoned H-75 T; Planning Board remmendation 25'; PHED ommittee 145'. These properties should be added to the Berliner/Riemer list of properties directly adjacent to East Bethesda with a height of 9'. They abut low-rise multi-family units and single family homes in R-6 neighborhoods, and heltenham Drive and hase Avenue are very narrow streets. 3. Property #89, Midas shop on heltenham Drive. The Planning Board and PHED ommittee support a height of 9'. This property is immediately adjacent to heltenham Drive Urban Park and should be limited to a height of 7',

5 4. Properties #78-#79, Avondale Street. This is another very narrow street, and it is also a dead-end street with difficult entry onto Wisnsin Avenue. These properties are currently zoned R-l and are built out with duplex and low-rise multi-family affordable housing (including HO units); Planning staff remmended retaining R-l zoning, which has a maximum height of 4'; Planning Board and PHED ommittee remmend R zoning with a height of 7'. None of these properties is along Wisnsin Avenue. We should try to preserve the existing affordable housing, either by retaining the R-l zoning or by zoning to a maximum height of 45'. 5. Property #12, GNRW. urrently split-zoned with R H-9 T and RN H-35. ouncil staff remmended a unified zone with a height of 9', while the PHED ommittee remmended 12' as requested in a letter from Franise arrier, which suggested that a height of 12' would more likely lead to a form of redevelopment that would ntribute to expansion of the Battery Lane Urban Park. Ms. arrier also wrote that the property uld be mapped to 12' on the ndition that 25% MPDUs would be provided, otherwise the height would be limited to 9'. I support the ouncil staff remmendation of 9'; if the full ouncil supports the PHED ommittee remmendation of 12', it should be as outlined in Ms. arrier's letter, i.e. 12' if it includes 25% MPDUs, otherwise 9'. 6. Properties #63 - #66, immediately north of Marriott. These are currently zoned H-12 T; Planning Board remmends 25' on and 29' on 66. PHED ommittee is remmending 225' on #65 and 66. I would like to have a full ouncil discussion about how tall these buildings can be without diluting the "signature" height of the Marriott property. 7. Woodmont Triangle properties near Wisnsin Avenue. Many of these properties were zoned to 145' in the Wood mont Triangle Sector Plan Amendment. Planning Board remmends that some of the heights be increased to ' and PHED ommittee ncurred in some instances. I support ouncil staff remmendations for 175'. I am also ncerned about the lack of public spaces in this area. Regarding property #16, B Rescue Squad, currently zoned R-6, the Rescue Squad has arranged to sell a significant portion of their 91, square feet to allow development of an apartment building (remmended for H-9'), using the funds from the sale to rebuild the Rescue Squad on a significantly reduced footprint on the site. I believe the ouncil needs a definitive assessment from MFRS as to whether reserving about one-third of the current lot size will allow for rebuilding a new station that will acmmodate all existing personnel, equipment, and apparatus, including two rescue squads, a fleet of EMS transport units, mmand and utility vehicles, a future ALS chase unit, and adequate parking and mmunity space. The properties along and near Battery Lane (map #s 1-15) currently offer some of the best and most affordable market-rate housing in the area. I note that ouncil staff is remmending heights ranging from 5-11', with many in the 5' range. To the extent that these heights will enurage retention of the existing market-rate affordable housing, I support them. Thank you for nsidering my remmendations.

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