Removal of development cap in downtown Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

There is no effort to revitalize any business community. The only growth this county has is the meager housing growth. The market for those housing units is mostly people who can’t afford to live closer to their jobs in DC and NOVA. We would have more housing growth if we had more jobs. MOCO has had surplus labor for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

You can keep repeating this lie about Bethesda and SS on this board but it doesn't make it true. The office vacancy rate is about 20% in Bethesda and Silver Spring. Besides, the developers know best if the demand is there. The simple fact is that Bethesda and Silver Spring are doing well right now, as the endless construction indicates, despite all the Nova folks trying to convince people otherwise.

For context, the office vacancy rate in Arlington is an astounding 27%. Sorry that Nova is doing so terribly right now.

https://cw-gbl-gws-prod.azureedge.net/-/media/cw/marketbeat-pdfs/2024/q3/us-reports/office/northern-virginia-office-marketbeat.pdf?rev=31c54ca548cf4b3c99fdd449eaecd39c

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

There is no effort to revitalize any business community. The only growth this county has is the meager housing growth. The market for those housing units is mostly people who can’t afford to live closer to their jobs in DC and NOVA. We would have more housing growth if we had more jobs. MOCO has had surplus labor for a long time.

Or can and are just avoiding all the daily crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

You can keep repeating this lie about Bethesda and SS on this board but it doesn't make it true. The office vacancy rate is about 20% in Bethesda and Silver Spring. Besides, the developers know best if the demand is there. The simple fact is that Bethesda and Silver Spring are doing well right now, as the endless construction indicates, despite all the Nova folks trying to convince people otherwise.

For context, the office vacancy rate in Arlington is an astounding 27%. Sorry that Nova is doing so terribly right now.

https://cw-gbl-gws-prod.azureedge.net/-/media/cw/marketbeat-pdfs/2024/q3/us-reports/office/northern-virginia-office-marketbeat.pdf?rev=31c54ca548cf4b3c99fdd449eaecd39c

Good point about Arlington. All of the jobs are moving to suburban office parks in Reston along the Dulles Toll Road/Silver Line. Looks like the apetite for employers to experience “urbanism” is on the wane. Which makes sense why Moco is pushing it. Moco always pushed the last fad instead of looking forward strategically to what the future market is interested in. Hence why they are pushing “missing middle” now when the fad is long dead and over.

If they were smart, and they are not, they would be pushing to add HOT lanes to the beltway and 270 and supporting town center style developments with direct freeway access.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

You can keep repeating this lie about Bethesda and SS on this board but it doesn't make it true. The office vacancy rate is about 20% in Bethesda and Silver Spring. Besides, the developers know best if the demand is there. The simple fact is that Bethesda and Silver Spring are doing well right now, as the endless construction indicates, despite all the Nova folks trying to convince people otherwise.

For context, the office vacancy rate in Arlington is an astounding 27%. Sorry that Nova is doing so terribly right now.

https://cw-gbl-gws-prod.azureedge.net/-/media/cw/marketbeat-pdfs/2024/q3/us-reports/office/northern-virginia-office-marketbeat.pdf?rev=31c54ca548cf4b3c99fdd449eaecd39c

Good point about Arlington. All of the jobs are moving to suburban office parks in Reston along the Dulles Toll Road/Silver Line. Looks like the apetite for employers to experience “urbanism” is on the wane. Which makes sense why Moco is pushing it. Moco always pushed the last fad instead of looking forward strategically to what the future market is interested in. Hence why they are pushing “missing middle” now when the fad is long dead and over.

If they were smart, and they are not, they would be pushing to add HOT lanes to the beltway and 270 and supporting town center style developments with direct freeway access.

Absolutely. What everyone really, really wants is more time in their cars, driving places. Nothing makes people happier than more time in the car. That's why everyone behind the wheel is always so smiling, relaxed, patient, and polite. And at public meetings, so many people stand up to talk about how much they enjoy their long daily car commutes. Another thing everyone loves is living near big roads. Civic associations right and left are contacting their elected officials to ask for highways to be built right through their communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s good to see the county promising more parks and pedestrian improvements. But the county has built none of the promised parks from 2017 and they don’t seem to have met their goal of reducing car trips. It sure would be nice if the YIMBYs held the county to account to deliver on their promises but they never do.

They already played that game. The promised more parks. They bought the land. Then the sold the land to a developer.
https://moco360.media/2022/12/14/county-parks-department-hoping-to-sell-land-parcel-use-new-location-for-downtown-bethesda-park/

People should stop being fooled by these people. PP calls them liars and I think that’s true.

I mean, it's not like they are giving away Bethesda park land to a wealthy homeowner who bought a smaller house next door to them and wanted to convert 3400+ sf of public right-of-way for the park to their own personal ownership so they more easily could construct a pool of their liking in its place.

Oh, wait...

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17690&meta_id=186971

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s good to see the county promising more parks and pedestrian improvements. But the county has built none of the promised parks from 2017 and they don’t seem to have met their goal of reducing car trips. It sure would be nice if the YIMBYs held the county to account to deliver on their promises but they never do.

They already played that game. The promised more parks. They bought the land. Then the sold the land to a developer.
https://moco360.media/2022/12/14/county-parks-department-hoping-to-sell-land-parcel-use-new-location-for-downtown-bethesda-park/

People should stop being fooled by these people. PP calls them liars and I think that’s true.

I mean, it's not like they are giving away Bethesda park land to a wealthy homeowner who bought a smaller house next door to them and wanted to convert 3400+ sf of public right-of-way for the park to their own personal ownership so they more easily could construct a pool of their liking in its place.

Oh, wait...

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17690&meta_id=186971

That's not park land. What would you have wanted the county to do instead with this unused right-of-way? Widening the access to the park would have been nice, I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s good to see the county promising more parks and pedestrian improvements. But the county has built none of the promised parks from 2017 and they don’t seem to have met their goal of reducing car trips. It sure would be nice if the YIMBYs held the county to account to deliver on their promises but they never do.

They already played that game. The promised more parks. They bought the land. Then the sold the land to a developer.
https://moco360.media/2022/12/14/county-parks-department-hoping-to-sell-land-parcel-use-new-location-for-downtown-bethesda-park/

People should stop being fooled by these people. PP calls them liars and I think that’s true.

I mean, it's not like they are giving away Bethesda park land to a wealthy homeowner who bought a smaller house next door to them and wanted to convert 3400+ sf of public right-of-way for the park to their own personal ownership so they more easily could construct a pool of their liking in its place.

Oh, wait...

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17690&meta_id=186971

Does Planning authorize you to post while at work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Sad to think it will look more like Rosslyn in the future.

Except there are no businesses to support the buildings. Montgomery County has done a terrible job of attracting businesses to the county

Also, what about DTSS? Why no effort to revitalize that business community?!

You can keep repeating this lie about Bethesda and SS on this board but it doesn't make it true. The office vacancy rate is about 20% in Bethesda and Silver Spring. Besides, the developers know best if the demand is there. The simple fact is that Bethesda and Silver Spring are doing well right now, as the endless construction indicates, despite all the Nova folks trying to convince people otherwise.

For context, the office vacancy rate in Arlington is an astounding 27%. Sorry that Nova is doing so terribly right now.

https://cw-gbl-gws-prod.azureedge.net/-/media/cw/marketbeat-pdfs/2024/q3/us-reports/office/northern-virginia-office-marketbeat.pdf?rev=31c54ca548cf4b3c99fdd449eaecd39c

Good point about Arlington. All of the jobs are moving to suburban office parks in Reston along the Dulles Toll Road/Silver Line. Looks like the apetite for employers to experience “urbanism” is on the wane. Which makes sense why Moco is pushing it. Moco always pushed the last fad instead of looking forward strategically to what the future market is interested in. Hence why they are pushing “missing middle” now when the fad is long dead and over.

If they were smart, and they are not, they would be pushing to add HOT lanes to the beltway and 270 and supporting town center style developments with direct freeway access.

Absolutely. What everyone really, really wants is more time in their cars, driving places. Nothing makes people happier than more time in the car. That's why everyone behind the wheel is always so smiling, relaxed, patient, and polite. And at public meetings, so many people stand up to talk about how much they enjoy their long daily car commutes. Another thing everyone loves is living near big roads. Civic associations right and left are contacting their elected officials to ask for highways to be built right through their communities.

Actually yes, that’s exactly what people want because that’s exactly what they are choosing to do. You’re pretty detached from the world around you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s good to see the county promising more parks and pedestrian improvements. But the county has built none of the promised parks from 2017 and they don’t seem to have met their goal of reducing car trips. It sure would be nice if the YIMBYs held the county to account to deliver on their promises but they never do.

They already played that game. The promised more parks. They bought the land. Then the sold the land to a developer.
https://moco360.media/2022/12/14/county-parks-department-hoping-to-sell-land-parcel-use-new-location-for-downtown-bethesda-park/

People should stop being fooled by these people. PP calls them liars and I think that’s true.

I mean, it's not like they are giving away Bethesda park land to a wealthy homeowner who bought a smaller house next door to them and wanted to convert 3400+ sf of public right-of-way for the park to their own personal ownership so they more easily could construct a pool of their liking in its place.

Oh, wait...

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17690&meta_id=186971

That's not park land. What would you have wanted the county to do instead with this unused right-of-way? Widening the access to the park would have been nice, I agree.

I think most would consider undeveloped public land that provides access to the park as part of the park.

Bocce? Shuffleboard? Batting cage? Exercise stations? Bike racks?

Plenty of passible public uses and not needed for access -- the owner of the two houses is planning to demolish the smaller one next to the park in favor of a pool.

And so much for dedication to "attainable" housing, there...one less SFH in the county inventory.

What is the land value of an acte in Bethesda? Half a million? A million?

I bet the county coffers and those needing funds from it could have benefitted from a negotiated sale of the land for some tens of thousands of dollars instead of a giveaway to someone who has the financial wherewithal not only to own in Bethesda, but also purchase the neighboring single family home.

[Anonymous]

We definitely need to be more business friendly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s good to see the county promising more parks and pedestrian improvements. But the county has built none of the promised parks from 2017 and they don’t seem to have met their goal of reducing car trips. It sure would be nice if the YIMBYs held the county to account to deliver on their promises but they never do.

They already played that game. The promised more parks. They bought the land. Then the sold the land to a developer.
https://moco360.media/2022/12/14/county-parks-department-hoping-to-sell-land-parcel-use-new-location-for-downtown-bethesda-park/

People should stop being fooled by these people. PP calls them liars and I think that’s true.

I mean, it's not like they are giving away Bethesda park land to a wealthy homeowner who bought a smaller house next door to them and wanted to convert 3400+ sf of public right-of-way for the park to their own personal ownership so they more easily could construct a pool of their liking in its place.

Oh, wait...

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17690&meta_id=186971

Does Planning authorize you to post while at work?

Wrong side, there. The post is pointing out hypocrisy in the system, not defending it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s good to see the county promising more parks and pedestrian improvements. But the county has built none of the promised parks from 2017 and they don’t seem to have met their goal of reducing car trips. It sure would be nice if the YIMBYs held the county to account to deliver on their promises but they never do.

They already played that game. The promised more parks. They bought the land. Then the sold the land to a developer.
https://moco360.media/2022/12/14/county-parks-department-hoping-to-sell-land-parcel-use-new-location-for-downtown-bethesda-park/

People should stop being fooled by these people. PP calls them liars and I think that’s true.

I mean, it's not like they are giving away Bethesda park land to a wealthy homeowner who bought a smaller house next door to them and wanted to convert 3400+ sf of public right-of-way for the park to their own personal ownership so they more easily could construct a pool of their liking in its place.

Oh, wait...

https://montgomerycountymd.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=169&clip_id=17690&meta_id=186971

That's not park land. What would you have wanted the county to do instead with this unused right-of-way? Widening the access to the park would have been nice, I agree.

I think most would consider undeveloped public land that provides access to the park as part of the park.

Bocce? Shuffleboard? Batting cage? Exercise stations? Bike racks?

Plenty of passible public uses and not needed for access -- the owner of the two houses is planning to demolish the smaller one next to the park in favor of a pool.

And so much for dedication to "attainable" housing, there...one less SFH in the county inventory.

What is the land value of an acte in Bethesda? Half a million? A million?

I bet the county coffers and those needing funds from it could have benefitted from a negotiated sale of the land for some tens of thousands of dollars instead of a giveaway to someone who has the financial wherewithal not only to own in Bethesda, but also purchase the neighboring single family home.

It was literally not park land. Parks didn't own it. Parks had nothing to do with it. It was county-owned right-of-way. At least now the owners are paying property taxes on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build baby build.

That said, who would want to live in a mega skyrise in Bethesda of all places.

Not everything has to be for you.

If nobody wants to live in a tall building in downtown Bethesda, i.e., if there's no demand, then the developers won't build tall buildings in downtown Bethesda.

Who though? I honestly have no idea who the target buyers are.

That's ok. Unless you are a developer, or a realtor I suppose, you don't have to have any idea who the target buyers are.

Not my problem when the buildings have sky high vacancy after Trump and co. gut MoCo.