One of the driving forces behind the upzoning of the Forest Glen Metro area is finally coming to the Montgomery County Planning Board this afternoon. Commissioners will review the Preliminary, Site and Forest Conservation plans for the proposed 9801 Georgia Avenue "The Glen" apartment project. The new development would include up to 390 residential units, up to 5000-square-feet of retail space, and an above-ground parking garage. Developer JLB Realty, LLC would provide a half-acre civic green at the south end of the property, which is across the street from the Forest Glen Metro station. It would also include a cross-block pedestrian route between Georgia Avenue and Woodland Drive, undergrounding of utilities, and the addition of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Georgia and Tilton Drive.
Height and density decisions are a tough call at the site, as it is right at a Metro station, but also will be directly adjacent to single-family homes across the street behind it. The developer says it is limiting the height on the Woodland Drive side of the building to 3 stories, while the Georgia Avenue side may be up to 80' tall.
The number of affordable units that will be provided is only 15%, the minimum required by Montgomery County. JLB is asking for permission to cut down a forest area at the north end of the property, which MoCo Planning staff favors allowing, which would remove 8 out of the 9 trees that would otherwise be illegal to cut down. A sewer line would be relocated to some of the forest site, along with new, native plants and trees, a slim strip also serving as the through-block pedestrian connection.
Residents have objected to the elimination of the forested area - which is located in Forest Glen, after all. Members of the Friends of Sligo Creek informed planners that their assessment of the health of the trees, and of the environmental value of the existing habitat, differs from the negative diagnosis delivered by the developer's tree study.
Neighbors have also expressed concern about vehicular access from the Woodland Drive side of the property, which could add to existing rush hour traffic congestion near the Georgia-Forest Glen Road intersection, and interfere with pedestrians trying to reach the Metro station or nearby schools in the morning. Many drivers are trying to reach the nearby Capital Beltway interchange that is just south of this location. JLB and County planners argue that the new signalized intersection at Georgia and Tilton will relieve some of the existing and future congestion.
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| The forest of Forest Glen |
Planning staff are recommending approval of all three plans with conditions.
Tunnel under Georgia for access to metro?
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteNot as a part of this plan though right? They leave space for it, but aren't responsible for building it now.
DeleteThat's my understanding from the diagram that says "future taking for WMATA tunnel," so a later date. Of course, that's what they said about the Capital Crescent Trail tunnel in Bethesda, so there are never any guarantees!
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