New retail development proposed for "impossible" Rockville property

Attempts to redevelop a lucrative but hard-to-access piece of land along Rockville Pike have failed for nearly twenty years. Previous proposals for a furniture store and a shopping center on the former gas station site at 900 Rockville Pike stalled, and ultimately went nowhere. Property owner Danshes, LLC is hoping the third time will be the charm. 

Location of the property

A public hearing by the Mayor and Council will be held tonight, July 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM at Rockville City Hall on a proposed amendment to the approved 2006 furniture store project plan. It proposes a 27' tall retail building in lieu of the furniture store, with 4400-square-feet of retail space, and a surface parking lot at the south end of the property. 33% of the property would be green space, and 15% of that would be "public use space." 

Proposed new retail use and parking lot

Of interest to residents, no restaurant tenants would be permitted in the new development without a change-of-use approval, so the new development would be retail-only. And the "unknown" future tenant will be a single retail business, according to a May 2023 letter from the architecture firm designing the proposed retail center.

One of the major obstacles to redeveloping the property after the closure of the gas station was its location. While it is a prime property on one of the busiest commuter routes in Maryland, it is hemmed in on three sides by Edmonston Drive to the north, by the CSX and Metrorail tracks to the east, and by the Edmonston Crossing development to the south. The Edmonston Crossing property includes a popular strip mall and office building.

Questions of ingress and egress, existing and proposed curb cuts, and liability and congestion issues of a shared curb cut with Edmonston Crossing were all controversial in the past. Forcing Edmonston Crossing to bear the full weight of all of the new traffic in and out of 900 Rockville Pike was an issue for the Edmonston Crossing property owner, and new curb cuts onto the Pike or so close to a bridge and busy intersection on Edmonston were opposed by transportation agencies.

The new proposal once again suggests using the existing curb cut for Edmonston Crossing. According to City planning staff, the owner of Edmonston Crossing continues to oppose the impacts of this vehicular access plan. But City staff are currently arguing that their review of "historical records" leads them to conclude that "drivers visiting the subject property can reach the site from the recorded public access easement, which can be accessed from multiple curb cuts [at Edmonston Crossing] south of the subject site." Those curb cuts further south of the Edmonston Crossing property include ones near Taco Bell and Best Buy. However, those vehicles would still ultimately have to travel through the Edmonston Crossing property to reach the easement.

A 2011 Rockville Planning Commission decision, ordered by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, approved the use of Edmonston Crossing's curb cuts over the objection of that property's owner. But the development of the furniture store stalled, and that approval expired.

Jim Whalen of Edmonston Properties LLC and Investment Properties, Inc., the owner of Edmonston Crossing, continues to dispute the view of the applicant and City staff regarding the public access easement. Whalen "argues that a narrow strip of private property separates the public right of way from the public access easement at the northernmost curb cut, granting him the right to exclude visitors to the subject property [900 Rockville Pike] from using that curb cut." the staff report states. In contrast, City staff have countered that the public access easement was a part of previous development approvals dating back more than 50 years.

How did the previous gas station business at 900 Rockville Pike operate with regard to access, you might ask. It had two curb cuts, one onto the Pike, and one onto Edmonston Drive. The two curb cuts that directly access the property have ceased to be viable since that business closed. 

A curb cut on Edmonston Drive was
closed off over a decade ago

A previous curb cut onto Edmonston was ordered closed by transportation officials in the past, the staff report indicates. And the Maryland State Highway Administration has said that the existing curb cut along Rockville Pike is too dangerous, because it is accessible from a right-turn lane on the Pike, and therefore recommends the use of the proposed public access easement instead. It's unclear how that existing right to direct Pike access is not grandfathered in for 900 Rockville Pike, with the result that SHA forces a dispute with the Edmonston Crossing property owner.

This curb cut along the Rockville Pike side of
the property remains in place, but the MDSHA
doesn't want the new development to use it

Access is not the only transportation-related challenge for the 900 Rockville Pike site. The new retail use proposed is smaller than the one proposed in 2016. Part of the reason for the approximately 2000-3000 fewer SF of the new project is the taking of more of the MD 355 right-of-way for a future Bus Rapid Transit line that would pass by the property.

Staff are recommending approval of the plan amendment, but have attached a list of 21 conditions that it suggests the Mayor and Council mandate for release of the required permits for the project. These include closure of the Rockville Pike curb cut, limiting of all trash or service vehicles to "SU-30 equivalent or smaller" trucks, compliance with all provisions of the WMATA right-of-way and easement requirements at the rear of the property, and termination of any existing City of Rockville right-of-way easements (likely for the service road that was for decades envisioned to one day run alongside the Pike between Twinbrook Parkway and Dodge Street; several segments of this were constructed, but the vision was abandoned in the latest Rockville Pike Plan).

If the Mayor and Council direct City staff to prepare a resolution of approval for the amendment at the conclusion of tonight's public hearing and meeting, they would likely vote on the resolution at their August 5 meeting. Should they not give such instruction to staff, the amendment would be placed on the August 5 agenda for further discussion, postponing any such vote until September 30.

Can the applicant pull it off this time, and successfully redevelop a prime site that at least one Rockville real estate observer declared an "impossible property" after previous attempts fizzled out? Will the owner of Edmonston Crossing take legal action to defend his rights and interests, if the Mayor and Council accept staff's analysis of the access easement and approve the amendment? Stay tuned!

Rockville shopping center owner says plan to redevelop with 760 apts. is a 20-year-vision

The owner of Pike Center at 12137 Rockville Pike gave an overview of the plan to redevelop the shopping center with 760 apartments with ground floor retail last night, but stressed that this is the company's vision for the future, and predicted no demolition or construction would begin until five to seven years from now. Real estate investment trust Kimco Realty of Jericho, New York was founded in 1958, but only acquired Pike Center at the end of 2021, when it obtained the previous owner's portfolio of properties. Greg Reed, VP of Development for Kimco, said the company has new dining tenants in the works for the short term, and already holds a permit for 15,000-square-feet of fit-out construction related to those from Montgomery County. That includes Luna Hall, which will be a multi-tenant food hall, and celebrity chef Jose Garces' Buena Onda Baja Taqueria.

Kimco representatives emphasized that the company holds its properties for the long-term, and doesn't redevelop them to flip in a sale. That's one reason that the residential buildings constructed in the future are expected to be apartments, not condos, as Kimco wants to retain control as sole owner. Last night's meeting was not required, as the company is not filing immediate plans with Montgomery County. When each phase of the redevelopment moves forward in the future, community meetings will be held for public input. 

The Phase 1 building, which is likely to be the one on the south end of the property along Bou Avenue, is expected to be anchored by a grocery tenant. Interior streets, sidepaths along the exterior property lines, and a half-acre park would be constructed. 15% of the apartments would be Moderately-Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), the minimum affordable housing required by Montgomery County. The site is in unincorporated Rockville, and is within a half-mile of the Twinbrook Metro station.

One concern expressed at last night's meeting was the fate of the current Shell station. A member of the family who owns the gas station asked what will happen when the Phase 2 building - which currently includes the Shell site - is constructed. Kimco expects to allow tenants at the center who hold leases up to nine years to run those out. The Shell owner asked if the gas station could be part of the new development, and was told that nothing is set in stone yet about the future plans.

Renderings courtesy Kimco Realty

Montgomery County blocked revival of Rockville retail center; now it could be demolished for apartments

Pike Center has been a fixture at 12137 Rockville Pike for decades, surviving several waves of economic tumult and retail trends, and even boasting a movie theater from 1964 to 1988. When it faced its biggest challenge yet after the 2008 "Great Recession," the shopping center's ownership thought it had found a solution to revitalize the property: welcoming Walmart as its new anchor tenant. The Montgomery County Council stepped in and aggressively blocked the Walmart plan, ultimately deep-sixing the ubiquitous big box store's expansion plans in the County, which would have begun with superstores at Pike Center and in Aspen Hill. Instead of reversing its decline and filling empty storefronts via the incredible foot traffic Walmart would have generated, Pike Center saw some of its longest-standing tenants exit, the most-recent being stalwart Goodyear. Now Pike Center's years may be numbered, as the newest proposal for the property's future would replace the strip mall with a 760-unit apartment development.

A virtual public meeting has been scheduled for the proposed redevelopment of Pike Center for June 24, 2024 at 6:30 PM. You can call in by phone at 301-715-8592 and use passcode 584842, or join by internet at http://tiny.cc/fpq9yz and use passcode 815 6544 6741. 

The new development proposed by property owner Kimco Realty would have 760 residential units, with 15% Moderately-Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), and up to 90,000 gross floor area of retail and restaurant space. You can't say Pike Center didn't try to stick with retail, as business would have been booming there today if their original Walmart plan hadn't been blocked by the County Council. Now Pike Center will likely be demolished, and the proposed Aspen Hill Walmart site remains an abandoned property a decade later. The shopping centers of Rockville Pike are the largest generator of commercial revenue in the State of Maryland, but that revenue will decline as more and more of them are redeveloped into housing, which generates more new costs than revenue for the County. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Townhouse development proposed at Rockville Metro station

A developer has proposed redeveloping a single-family home property directly across from the Rockville Metro station with eight rowhouses. Under the proposed site plan, 205 Park Road would have five rowhouses facing Park Road, and three facing S. Stonestreet Avenue. A corner of the property would be set aside for resident parking, and trash and recycling receptacles. The applicant, ARCON Limited, says it will provide twelve parking spaces for the eight units proposed, with vehicle access from a new driveway along Park Road.

Current RMD-Infill zoning for the property, which is in the Croydon Park subdivision, permits rowhouse development as a conditional use. The existing single-family home on the site was built in 1941. ARCON Limited has filed an application for a Pre-Application Meeting with the City of Rockville. The required meeting will allow public comment on the proposal, and will be scheduled for a future date. 

Proposed site plan for 205 Park Road in Rockville

Conversion of vacant Rockville office building to housing proposed

Uniwest Management Inc. is seeking to convert a vacant Rockville office building into residential housing. The company has proposed adding three additional floors to the building at 12501 Ardennes Avenue in Twinbrook, for a total of 115' in height. There would be up to 190 residential units in the modified building, as well as existing garage parking that exceeds the City's minimum space number requirement, and the addition of new landscaping and design elements to reflect the residential use. 15% of the residential units would be set aside as Moderately-Priced-Dwelling-Units.

The building was only constructed in 2009, and has a nice curved facade. Unfortunately, the General Services Administration decided not to renew its lease at the property, and it now stands vacant as a result. Uniwest says it has attempted to find new tenants, but has concluded that "there simply is not an office market in this location." It notes that suburban Maryland has the highest office vacancy rate in the region, according to a JLL study. 

Montgomery County has not attracted a single major corporate headquarters in a quarter century. A Planning Commission meeting will be scheduled to review the Revised Site Plan that Uniwest has submitted to the City. 

 Photos courtesy Uniwest

Rockville Mayor & Council to be briefed on plan to replace church with townhomes

Rockville's Mayor and Council will receive a briefing on a proposal to demolish a church in the Twinbrook area of the city, and replace it with a new townhome development, at their meeting tonight, February 12, 2024 at 7:00 PM. Developer Pulte has proposed redeveloping the church property at 5906 Halpine Road with 36 "two-over-two" townhomes. No decision will be made tonight; the briefing is for information purposes only, and to allow the Mayor and Council to comment or provide feedback and suggestions to Pulte.  

At a future date to be determined, the Mayor and Council will hold a public hearing to allow residents and other stakeholders to comment. Then they would schedule a future vote on a resolution for rezoning the property, approving the Project Plan, and authorizing the necessary waivers for a side yard setback and layback slope for the project. 

Nearby residents have raised concerns about overflow parking, and the potential reduction of the setback required. The grade of the church property has also led to worries about drainage impacts from the future townhome site. Some residents of the adjacent townhome community are concerned that the contemporary design of the new townhomes could cast shadows onto their shorter homes. Many who have contacted City staff have also advocated for leaving the trees on the church property in place. Pulte's current plan would do that, and also plant additional trees as part of the new development's landscaping.

Another attempt to restore Office of the People's Counsel in Montgomery County

Montgomery County's government bodies - Board of Education, Montgomery Parks, the Montgomery County Planning Board, to name three recent examples - are in disarray, and have been embroiled in scandals. Incredibly, while holding oversight power, the County Council has actively chosen to not restore funding for a position that can help hold the County's planning authorities (including the Council itself) more accountable to residents and taxpayers: The Office of the People's Counsel. Never a popular position among the developers who have funded most or all of the councilmembers' campaigns this century, depending upon which Council term is under discussion, the OPC was axed in 2010 when the Council finally had an excuse to do so: a budget crisis of their own making. But in 2023, more than a decade after the "Great Recession" ended, the current Council still voted against restoring funding for the OPC.

Fed-up residents and responsible growth advocates are launching a new attempt to persuade councilmembers - some of whom vowed to fund the OPC, but then betrayed the voters and organizations they made the vow to, once in office - to restore the OPC in the FY-2025 budget. The Montgomery Countryside Alliance, which works to protect rural areas, open space and streams from impacts of overdevelopment, is taking a leadership role by creating an easy form to send a brief message to the County Council in support of funding for the OPC.

For those not familiar, the OPC is (or was!) a land-use attorney who provides free advice and technical information to residents regarding development and land-use issues. Residents, most of whom cannot afford the kind of powerhouse legal representation that developers and the County itself have at their disposal, can therefore be better prepared to defend their interests before the Planning Board, County Council and hearing examiners. The OPC can also point out when the Board or Council is in violation of the rules or breaking the law, which non-land-use-attorney citizens may not be able to recognize their own. Perhaps most importantly, the People's Counsel can represent residents' interests in administrative hearings.

Boosting hopes for the return of this critical County government position is Bill PG/MC 112-24 at the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, which is sponsored by Senator Ben Kramer of Montgomery County. Senator Kramer has also been a leading voice to make the planning process in the County more directly accountable to residents, such as considering proposals to move some aspects of planning under the executive branch of County government. Kramer's bill would fully fund the Office of the People's Counsel in Montgomery County, just as other jurisdictions like Prince George's County have. In other words, Kramer is saying to the Council, "if you won't do it, we will." But, if you don't use this form to send a message to the Council and the full Montgomery County delegation to Annapolis in favor of funding the OPC, they might not!

Rockville Mayor & Council to be briefed on proposed Rockshire Village development tonight

Rockville's Mayor and Council will receive a briefing on the Rockshire Village development plan proposed by local developer EYA at their meeting tonight, December 18, 2023 at 7:00 PM. Approval of the plan would require amending the 1966 Rockshire development plan for this property, a former shopping center located at 2401 Wootton Parkway. 

The proposal under discussion is essentially the same as was first introduced this past spring. 31 single-family homes, 29 3-to-4 story townhomes, and a neighborhood park would be constructed on the property. The amount of commercial and office space proposed has been reduced from 5,500-square-feet to 5,200 SF (the original size proposed last spring was 5000 SF). EYA is also seeking a parking waiver related to the commercial/office portion of the project, as well as a road code waiver for a proposed private alley, which would not comply with a City requirement that any road constructed must either connect to an existing road or end in a cul-de-sac.

Following tonight's briefing, EYA will be asked to revise its plan to address existing concerns about the driveway access from Hurley Avenue, outdated traffic studies being used by EYA, trees, the relocation of a trail near the Korean Presbyterian Church, parking capacity, and pedestrian access to the retail structure from the Carl Henn Millenium Trail that were raised this fall by nearby residents and the Rockville Planning Commission. In addition, the plan revisions would address any new concerns expressed by the Mayor and Council at tonight's meeting.

Rockville bank building to become Take 5, promising "Fastest Oil Change on the Planet"

A vacant bank building at 1470 Rockville Pike will be demolished, and an automobile fluid maintenance facility will be constructed in its place, if a developer's proposal for the site is approved by the City of Rockville. CPC Acquistions, LLC is proposing replace the bank with Take 5, an auto maintenance chain that promises the "Fastest Oil Change on the Planet." Oil changes are typically completed in 10 minutes, the company boasts.

Take 5's business model allows drivers to stay in their car while their oil is changed, and air filters, fluids and wipers are checked and replaced as needed. Take 5 is open early and late seven days a week, and no appointment is required. 

At this location, a 10'-wide shared use path will be constructed along the Pike-facing side of the property in place of the existing sidewalk. An attorney representing the owner of the shopping center next door has expressed concern that vehicles waiting to enter the Take 5 service bays will back up onto the Pike in front of the that property. He also wants more information from CPC about their plans to alter the existing curb cuts that would affect his client's property - including making it difficult for 18-wheelers to enter to make deliveries to restaurants, and how they intend to keep dust from demolition and construction from blowing over to the restaurants in the shopping center. 

Proposed site plan for Take 5

This would be the first Take 5 location in Montgomery County. The fast-growing chain has an existing shop in Bel Air, Maryland. If approved, Take 5 would be another example of the success of the current Rockville Pike plan in maintaining the retail and service uses on the Pike that make it the biggest generator of commercial tax revenue in the entire state.

Prime redevelopment site on the auction block in Rockville Town Center

A property with one of the most-desirable and high-traffic locations in Rockville Town Center will be auctioned off in 28 days. 255 Rockville Pike is currently improved with a three-story office building and heavily-used parking garage. While that would provide a steady income for the winning bidder, the site is also directly across from - and connected to via skybridge - the Rockville Metro station. That means the property is also eligible for a transit-oriented redevelopment at much greater height and density than the current structure.

255 Rockville Pike was once part of the now-demolished Rockville Mall. In recent decades, it was home to Montgomery County government offices. Now that those have been moved to the County's new government building in Wheaton, the vacant building is being put on the auction block. This puts a transit-oriented site on the heavily-traveled MD 355 highway corridor into play on the City of Rockville's economic growth chessboard. The Metro station across the street is not only served by WMATA's Red Line subway trains, but also Maryland's MARC commuter rail, and Amtrak's Washington D.C. to Chicago route trains.

Transwestern, which is marketing the Ten-X Commercial auction, notes that the current building's 12-foot ceilings would also make it a prime candidate for conversion to a biotech facility. It could also be redeveloped as a high-visibility corporate headquarters. Of course, as Montgomery County hasn't attracted a major corporate headquarters in a quarter century, there is also the very real probability of the site being redeveloped as a mixed-use residential tower. Some have long touted the need for more residents in the Town Center, to support the businesses in that struggling area, which the latter use would provide, although others have pointed to parking issues as the primary culprit for the area's empty storefronts.

The City of Rockville's 2040 Comprehensive master plan anticipates that 255 Rockville Pike will indeed be demolished and redeveloped. "It is recommended that the City take an active role in the

redevelopment of this area as a prominent site in Rockville’s downtown," the plan states regarding 255 Rockville Pike. "Redevelopment of this property should contribute to the realization of the Town Center downtown L-shaped ‘spine,’ and incorporate an expanded pedestrian promenade over MD-355 to the Rockville Transit Station."

Such recommendations suggest that the City, which is about to elect a new mayor and City Council, will be heavily engaged in any redevelopment of this property. While this could add to the complexity of building something new here, it's also likely that the new property owner could wrangle some benefits or concessions from the City if it presents a project with the amenities and potential to improve the Town Center/Metro station area's environment, business climate, and pedestrian safety. With such a rare opportunity for new construction at the Rockville Metro station, there should be no shortage of bidders. As the auction listing notes, the site's PD-RCI zoning allows for high-rise construction, but also the most Metro-accessible location for a biotech facility in the I-270 life sciences corridor.

Photos courtesy Transwestern

Toll Brothers proposes redevelopment of Rockville townhome complex into condos

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.

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."

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

Rockville shopping center redevelopment meeting scheduled for August 23

An in-person public meeting has been scheduled to present the latest redevelopment proposal for the Rockshire Village Center in Rockville. Two sessions will be held on August 23, 2023, from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM and from 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM, at the Thomas Farm Community Center at 700 Fallsgrove Drive in Rockville. To register for the meeting, fill out the online form. You can also view the presentation materials for the meeting on developer EYA's website.

Rendering courtesy EYA

Loehmann's Plaza redevelopment proposed in Rockville

The owner of Loehmann's Plaza at 5926 Randolph Road is proposing a long-term redevelopment of the shopping center property. Rosenfeld Investments, LLC has proposed a first phase of redevelopment that will add 84 townhomes to the property, very similar to what was completed recently at Cabin John Village in Potomac. A future stage would see the entire property redeveloped with nearly 600 more housing units in the form of apartments, as well as 50,000-square-feet of retail and a pedestrian woonerf street designed to be shared by pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists.

Existing shopping center

Proposed Phase 1 redevelopment with
townhomes at left and right

Rockville church could be replaced with townhomes

A Rockville church could be demolished to make way for 38 "two-over-two" townhome-style condominums, if approved by the Rockville Planning Commission and Mayor and Council. Developer Pulte has proposed the project for the Twinbrook Community Church property at 5906 Halpine Road. The 65,580-square-foot property currently holds a church building and a daycare center. 

Pulte says that the church is going to vacate and sell the property to them because of declining attendance at worship services, and "economic forces." It is seeking to rezone the R-60 property to RMD-15 or MXD, under the Rockville 2040 master plan recommendations. A preliminary traffic study shows that the townhomes will generate 45 fewer morning automobile trips, and 40 fewer evening trips, than the current church and daycare.

The existing church architecture is quite nice, and the new use will certainly change the character of that corner, which is directly across from single-family homes. However, the church property is on other sides surrounded by multifamily developments: Kanso Twinbrook, The Alaire, and Cambridge Walk. It is less than 1000 feet from the Twinbrook Metro station. The Rockville Development Review Committee will review Pulte's application at its July 26, 2023 meeting, and the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the project at a future date to be scheduled.

Rockville Planning Commission to review site plan for new biotech development along I-270

There's a rare bit of good news on the high-wage employment front in Montgomery County, and not surprisingly, it's coming to us once again from the biotech sector of the economy. 2 Research Place, LLC (a shell company that appears to be an entity of Soltesz) has proposed a seven-story life sciences building for 2 Research Place in Rockville, along I-270. The development would include a six-story above-ground parking garage with 400 parking spaces, and a park. An existing office building and parking lot on the 2.82-acre property would be demolished.

Existing site as seen from I-270

The office building will be placed on the side of the property that fronts I-270, to take advantage of the visibility to the 250,000 cars that pass by the site on the interstate each day. This prominent vista will  "promote Rockville as the center for life science uses," the applicant's attorney, Pat Harris, writes in a letter to planning staff.  The building is being designed as a state-of-the-art research office building, with floorplates and ceiling heights scaled to the ideal measurements for laboratory uses as much as office use. 

I-270 is also figuring prominently in the office building's design. Its long facade facing the highway will be "sheathed in an iconic, high-performance glass and metal façade system with variable panel shapes and spacings that amplify the feeling of movement, making a strong connection to the high-speed passersby," Harris writes. Alas, there are no high-quality renderings of the proposed architectural design available as of this writing, only the totally-uninspiring placeholder diagrams shown here.

Proposed site plan

The applicant is going above-and-beyond on several fronts. 100 more parking spaces than the 300 required by the City will be provided in the garage. And the development would include 12,267 square feet of public use space, essentially double the amount required by the City for a project of this size and use.

Office building rear with lobby entrance at left,
and loading docks at right

Side view of office building

The other side view

A centrally-placed large, central lawn will provide a park-like setting with seating. It will be placed in front of the rear of the office building and the parking garage. Auto traffic will circulate around it between the office, garage and main driveway access. A separate patio space with landscaping is also proposed for an area between the office building and the garage. The applicant is proposing a 4' sidewalk to connect the office building with Research Place, but is seeking a waiver to allow the sidewalk to be a foot narrower than the 5' required by the City.

Parking garage

The applicant is seeking a second waiver regarding the rooftop of the office building. Due to the specialized equipment required for life science research uses, the applicant is seeking permission to have more of the roof area dedicated to such equipment, and for the setback from the roof edge to be less than required under current City code. A 19'-high screen is proposed to hide the equipment from view.

Planning staff are recommending approval of the Site Plan, with conditions. The Rockville Planning Commission will review the plan at its meeting tonight, June 28, 2023 at 7:00 PM.