Showing posts with label CarMax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CarMax. Show all posts

Friday, May 21, 2021

Rockville apartment building at future Lidl grocery site to be named after Josiah Henson


New details have come to light about the Lidl grocery store and residential apartment project proposed for the old CarMax property at 15931 Frederick Road in Rockville. The apartment building will be called The Henson at Shady Grove. It is being named for Josiah Henson, whose story inspired the famous novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. 

Lidl has brought in Rockville-based Foundation Housing as a partner to handle development of the apartments. The eight-story Henson will house 200 units, with all units being termed affordable housing. 1, 2 and 3-bedroom units are anticipated to be provided in the building. City leaders have advocated for developers to include such larger units in new multifamily housing. An above-ground, two-level parking deck will also be part of the building.

The Lidl store will include an outdoor, cafe seating area. That seating will be shaded by a canopy. Extensive landscaping is proposed for the grocery store and The Henson.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Financing falls through on Rockville CarMax site apartment project

A project that the City of Rockville annexed land for is now stalled after losing its equity partner. 355 Partners, LLC is now seeking an extension for its approved site plan from the Planning Commission, so it can find a new partner to develop the project. The property is located at 15931 Frederick Road, by the Shady Grove Metro station.

According to a letter to Rockville zoning chief Jim Wasilak from the applicant's attorney, Pat Harris, original equity partner Associated Estates was acquired by development giant Brookfield since the approval and annexation. After reviewing the project, Brookfield decided it didn't like it, and refused to back it.

The 2016 site plan approval expired March 9. 355 Partners is requesting a one-year extension. The Planning Commission will review the request at its April 4 meeting, which will be held at City Hall at 7:00 PM.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Former Rockville councilman decries "awful" campaign tactics

Former Rockville City Councilman Jim Marrinan, who served on the Council from 1991-1999, condemned a last-minute attack mailing that contained false accusations against Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton during Community Forum at last night's Mayor and Council meeting. Saying it was the worst political behavior he had witnessed in 40 years in the City, Marrinan suggested the tactic backfired, as evidenced by Newton's overwhelming victory on Election Day.

Marrinan termed the mailer, sent out by the mayoral campaign of Sima Osdoby and emblazoned with logos of the Team Rockville slate, "awful."

Later at the meeting, the newly-sworn-in Mayor and Council held a public hearing to start the process of annexing the former CarMax property near the Shady Grove Metro station into the City. The site is at 15931 Frederick Road (MD 355).

Councilmember Mark Pierzchala questioned why the street between the CarMax site and the new Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments wasn't being included in the annexation. The street is currently owned by WMATA.

Planning commissioners had criticized the planned apartment building at the site for including no retail to activate the streetscape around it, or reduce driving by residents. They did ultimately recommend the proposed annexation plan.

Attorney Pat Harris, representing the developers 355 Partners, LLC and Frederick Road, LLC on the project at 15931 Frederick Road, said that the high ceilings and windows of the building's ground floor will allow future retail build-out if the retail market improves.

The Mayor and Council also discussed legislative priorities for the upcoming 2016 session of the Maryland General Assembly, such as school construction funding, and scheduling meetings on the topic of parking at Rockville Town Square. Parking problems have been blamed for recent business closures there.

Newton said she would like to include landowner Federal Realty in an upcoming worksession, and take action on the matter before the holiday shopping season gets fully underway. However, last night's scheduling discussion made it unclear that such timely action on the issue would be possible.

Photo courtesy City of Rockville

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

CarMax site annexation plan approved by Rockville Mayor and Council (Photos)

Rockville's Mayor and Council voted unanimously last night to adopt the annexation plan proposed by developers 355 Partners, LLC and Frederick Road, LLC, for a four-acre property at 15931 Frederick Road. The site is adjacent to the Shady Grove Metro station, and next to the new Bainbridge Shady Grove apartments across Frederick Road from King Farm. It was formerly home to a CarMax auto dealership, which has now moved north to Shady Grove Road.

The Rockville Planning Commission recommended the Mayor and Council adopt the plan. Its recommended conditions included capping the height of the future apartment building at 7 stories. Councilmember Tom Moore asked if that made sense for a property by Metro, and whether such a provision would carry over for the site in perpetuity. City Attorney Debra Yerg Daniels said the provision could be limited to the current proposal.

Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton asked how tall the adjacent Bainbridge residential building is. Wilson said it is 6 stories tall. Newton said that made a case for keeping the new building at 7 stories. Wilson said that the Mayor and Council didn't need to adopt any of the Planning Commission recommendations at this juncture, advising that those issues could be ironed out at future stages of the annexation process.

Moore moved to adopt the plan, and revise the fire response data in it to reflect the opening of a new fire station at Shady Grove Road and Darnestown Road. His motion was seconded by Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr. The plan was adopted by a unanimous vote.

A public hearing on the potential annexation will be held on November 16.





Thursday, September 10, 2015

Planning Commission recommends Rockville accept annexation plan for Silverwood/CarMax site

A plot of land in Derwood housing a CarMax dealership is on its way to being incorporated into the City of Rockville. The 4.032 acre site at 15931 Frederick Road is across an access road from the new Bainbridge Shady Grove apartment development, which was already annexed into Rockville from Montgomery County.

Known previously as Silverwood, the site would be the future home of a 425-unit apartment building, with 500 structured parking spaces. No retail or office components have been proposed, despite the potential Mixed-Use Transit District (MXTD) zoning the site would likely be granted, once incorporated into the city.

That lack of mixed uses did not sit well with some on the Rockville Planning Commission last night. Several commissioners expressed concern that, while the site is indeed proximate to the Shady Grove Metro station, it is otherwise isolated along a busy state highway. A lack of complimentary, walkable retail and restaurant development nearby would likely put residents into their cars to drive elsewhere. Commissioner Jack Leiderman said the isolated nature of the site "sort of robs the rationale for higher density." The site is two blocks from the King Farm Village Center shopping center, along King Farm Boulevard.

Ultimately, Commissioner David Hill made a motion to recommend the Mayor and Council accept the applicant's annexation plan, with a notation of concerns and possible conditions.

Hill suggested the city examine the fiscal impact of the project, investigate environmental concerns regarding the site (including monitoring wells), and consider pedestrian safety, by reserving part of the site's public use space for a pedestrian bridge.

He also recommended the Mayor and Council consider the following potential conditions, based upon last night's discussion by the commission:

1. Capping the building's height at 7 stories. A representative of the applicant said last night that such a cap would be acceptable.

2. Requiring retail space. The applicant says its advisors did not find a viable market for retail space in their review of the site, and that such a requirement would reduce the profit margin for the developer.

A third condition, proposed by Chair Don Hadley regarding the question of whether or not MXTD was the appropriate zoning for the site, was rejected as a friendly amendment by Hill.

Commissioner John Tyner seconded Hill's motion.

Following discussion, the commission voted 4-3 to recommend the Mayor and Council accept the annexation plan. Hill, Tyner, and Commissioners Anne Goodman and Gail Sherman voted in favor; Hadley and Commissioners Leiderman and Charles Littlefield were opposed.

A public hearing on the annexation before the Mayor and Council is expected to take place on November 16, 2015.

Commissioners also voted 5-1-1 to give 300 N. Washington Street's 35% parking waiver request a deferral until the September 30 meeting, with Leiderman dissenting and Littlefield abstaining.