Developer Toll Brothers has proposed redeveloping a commercial townhouse complex at 622 Hungerford Drive (MD 355) at the north end of the Rockville Town Center area into a 2-over-2 condo complex. That style of building gives the visual appearance of 4-story townhouses, but inside, each townhome is actually two apartment units stacked one over the other. The proposed plan would include 48 condo units, with a maximum height below the city's zoning limit of 65' on this site. 15% of the property would be allocated to open space, under City of Rockville guidelines.
Each unit of the development, which would retain the Washington Square branding of the current townhome property, would have 2 parking spaces. There would also be 7 overflow parking spaces for guests. A central plaza, and a landscaped green space area at the south end of the property, would fulfill the open space requirements. The southbound slip lane to N. Washington Street by the U.S. Post Office would remain in place under the current proposal.
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| Current state of the property, looking north |
The College Square condominium association has expressed concerns about potential parking issues spilling over from the new development. Toll Brothers' attorney, Pat Harris, said that sales contract would specify that no parking is allowed on Ivy League lane. College Square is also concerned about the potential of owners at the future Washington Square development renting out their units. A Toll Brothers representative stated "our intention is that there would not be rentals [allowed] here."
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| Proposed configuration |
After Toll Brothers submits its plans to the City of Rockville, a public hearing will be scheduled before the Rockville Planning Commission.
Images 1, 2 & 4 courtesy Toll Brothers
This is stupid. So where do visitors park. No one will follow the rule and no one will enforce it.
ReplyDeleteThis practice is in play at the Ivy League Lane towns, and they aggressively enforce it, especially along the access drives leading into the community. "So where do visitors park"? Not in my backyard says Ivy League, and not his problem, nor should he care.
DeleteOnly being accessible via southbound Hungerford is really unfortunate. In an ideal world, this would be accessible via Ivy League Lane instead, but I believe that's privately owned by the HOA that's already complaining about this project.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad that poorly maintained post office isn't included in the redevelopment, either. Then access could at least occur via Martins Ln. and the project would be much more cohesive rather than just being surrounded by seas of parking lots.
103 parking spaces for 48 condos and NIMBYs still whine. That's some peak comedy right there.
ReplyDeleteProbably overpriced and parking for 7 guests. Brilliant. More loss of brain matter, congestion and greed .
ReplyDeleteI look out on this from my office window every day. This would be welcome development over the impervious surface and the ugly, poorly maintained commercial townhouses. It seems to me that the developer has planned adequate parking -- 2 spots for every unit, plus additional spaces.
ReplyDeleteThe USPS would have to relinquish the post office and the neighboring surface parking lot for those lots to be redeveloped.
Woulda, shoulda, coulda, but can't. USPS ain't going nowhere any time soon.
DeleteIf you get one of these, watch out for it, Toll Brother's construction and the materials they use is not the best.
ReplyDelete