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

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The project, Woodmont Central, was originally scheduled to go befores the planning boardin July, after the county’s moratorium on residential developments startedr July 1. “They got all approvals they neededx inon time,” said Joshua coordinator at the county’s development review divisiomn who recommended the planning board approve Donohoe’s site plan with some conditions. And though boards member Amy Presley referredto Donohoe’s need to get the approvaol quickly as “the elephant in the room,” Sloan said the decision wasn’t rushed.
Sloan said the response to the preliminary site plan was overduer because the board had requested an extension beyond theusualo 90-day review period. The residential which would affect Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Clarksburg and Senecaw Valley, was announced by the boarf June 8. It came after the board received results of the annualschool test, whicb compares projected 2014 enrollment figures against classroom capacitg in the county’s public The test showed that the number of students enrollerd by 2014 was greater than the 120 percent cap set by the Adequats Public Facilities Ordinance.
The developmentr limitations, which only allow for subdivisions of thred or fewer units or forretirement communities, were established to avoid puttinv schools over capacity with enrollment from new housing The residential component of Donohoe’s project is actually part of the seconds and third phases of so its construction would likely begin after the ban, if it is lifte next July. The first phase of the development isa six-story retail and office building. The 462,160-square-foot residential and retail componentwould follow. Sloan said the residentiakl phase was not likely to deliver for anothetr five tosix years.
At the time the moratorium was set, Donohos President Peter Gartland said his project woulr likely make it befor the board in advance of the adding thatthe county’s 2009-2011 growth policuy conflicted with the development ban. “Ther future of the county is inits transit-oriented areas,” Gartland said, echoing the growth policy’s findingz that Montgomery County should focus on infill and transit-oriented, mixed-use “We have faith the county will solve this problen because urban areas like Bethesda are wherer new development should be channeled,” he The moratorium will likely last until next year’s review unless the identified areas can show a projectesd drop in enrollment or an ability to host more School expansions may be considerefd in the fall and woulf be funded by Montgomery County’s capital improvements program.
The boards approved the project witha 3-2 vote but with several The project must achieve a Silvef LEED rating and the develope must adjust height limitations, buildinbg setbacks, public space and retail frontage. Northwest, Northwood, Paint Quince Orchard, Rockville, Walter Johnson, Whitman and Richard Montgomery were also identifieds as areas that will be overcrowded by more than 105 percentin 2014. Developers hopinyg for subdivision approval in those areas will have to paya fee.