Unpave Paradise, Put up a Park (in Bethesda)

[Anonymous]

A petition is now online that asks the Montgomery County Council to convert four public parking lots into parks. The four lots are on the eastern side of Wisconsin Avenue and serve the Woodmont Triangle / East Bethesda areas (lots 25 and 44) and the Apex Building / Farm Womens Market / Town of Chevy Chase area (lots 24 and 10).
If we don't act now, these lots will follow the same path that lot 31 did: the County will sell the land to a developer and parking will be pushed below ground.
After significant lobbying efforts, some Councilmembers are now working on proposals to fund the inevitable push of parking underground while converting the topside into public parks rather than private development. However, Council President Berliner cautioned that there needs to be broad public support before it moves forward to the full Council.

https://www.change.org/p/montgomery-county-council-don-t-sell-bethesda-s-public-parking-lots-convert-them-to-parks

If you live in the Bethesda area, please consider signing. The Bethesda/Chevy Chase already has so few public green spaces relative to DC.

[Anonymous]

We have enough parks already. And those ones are sterile, featureless, and underutilized.

A Park without a purpose is just a grassy, county owned vacant lot, another place that has to mowed, cleaned, patrolled and secured.

At least a parking lot generates revenue, and offers a place to put your car while you shop at those "brick and mortar" retailers and restaurants we keep being told are the "backbones of our communities, as I keep hearing over and over.

Ask yourself this: when was the last time you did something - ANYTHING- in the middle of a sterile, featureless plot of land in between buildings? Something other than traverse it while going somewhere else? Because THAT describes most urban "parks" in MOGO. At best, they might offer a bench or two, or maybe a tiny playground.

But other than that, they may as well be an empty lot. No water features. No art. No sculpture. No botanical or arboreal features, nothing. Just a patch of grass with a lonely maple tree or two.

That's not a park. We have tons of those already, and don't use the ones we have. We dont need more like it.

We need parkING. Not parks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have enough parks already. And those ones are sterile, featureless, and underutilized.

A Park without a purpose is just a grassy, county owned vacant lot, another place that has to mowed, cleaned, patrolled and secured.

At least a parking lot generates revenue, and offers a place to put your car while you shop at those "brick and mortar" retailers and restaurants we keep being told are the "backbones of our communities, as I keep hearing over and over.

Ask yourself this: when was the last time you did something - ANYTHING- in the middle of a sterile, featureless plot of land in between buildings? Something other than traverse it while going somewhere else? Because THAT describes most urban "parks" in MOGO. At best, they might offer a bench or two, or maybe a tiny playground.

But other than that, they may as well be an empty lot. No water features. No art. No sculpture. No botanical or arboreal features, nothing. Just a patch of grass with a lonely maple tree or two.

That's not a park. We have tons of those already, and don't use the ones we have. We dont need more like it.

We need parkING. Not parks.

I don't know if you work for a developer who has a financial interest in having a parking lot developed, but I think you're the only person I've ever heard of who thinks the Bethesda area has too many parks. Plus, since the features of these proposed parks hasn't been determined, I don't know why you've assumed they'll be featureless because I can't think of any Bethesda land that is termed a park that doesn't have benches, '"arboreal features" or perhaps a small playground. Please cite these "sterile featureless plots of land" that you think are adding no value, because the ones I know are full of kids and the elderly on any given day.

[Anonymous]

NP. Plus, since the county is planning to sell the parking lots, they won't be parking lots anymore.

[Anonymous]

This is a ploy by Chevy Chase to prevent any devleopment over there.

I use the parks all the time in Bethesda since we ahve small children. MoCo needs to fix up the current parks first. Freeland (between Giant and Bethesda Library) has really poor space utilization. The park behind Air Rights is falling apart. Veteran's park is basically all paved over. Battery Park lacks parking.

If they want to do a park properly, take over the Farm Women's Market, integrate it with the parking lot behind it, and reconfigure the combined area as an open space for festivals along with a playground, and community center in the FWM building. I realize the petition is slighly related to that land, but not in the way that's a good use of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a ploy by Chevy Chase to prevent any devleopment over there.

I use the parks all the time in Bethesda since we ahve small children. MoCo needs to fix up the current parks first. Freeland (between Giant and Bethesda Library) has really poor space utilization. The park behind Air Rights is falling apart. Veteran's park is basically all paved over. Battery Park lacks parking.

If they want to do a park properly, take over the Farm Women's Market, integrate it with the parking lot behind it, and reconfigure the combined area as an open space for festivals along with a playground, and community center in the FWM building. I realize the petition is slighly related to that land, but not in the way that's a good use of it.

I'm from Bethesda and not from Chevy Chase, and I want more parks. I don't follow your logic about other parks desperately needing to fix up parks before creating new parks. Battery Park doesn't need parking. It's a block from downtown Bethesda and highly walkable (and on major bus routes, and a few block from the metro.) I don't know what your complaint is about Freeland--it's always crowded, despite your complaint of "poor space utilization." Once those lots get developed, they're not coming back--having more green space is better for the environment and the community. The complainer who wants more parking can take the bus or metro when they go out to dinner, or pay for a parking lot. Lots of parking options there and more being created with the Bethesda Development Plan.

[Anonymous]

Nothing cracks me up more than the Communities not Canyons yard signs in front of the ginormous CC new builds on the edge of downtown Bethesda. Folks, you can't have your cake and eat it too - if you want to live within walking distance of a major hub for shopping/business/restaurants, it's going to have to include some parking for the rest of us too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a ploy by Chevy Chase to prevent any devleopment over there.

I use the parks all the time in Bethesda since we ahve small children. MoCo needs to fix up the current parks first. Freeland (between Giant and Bethesda Library) has really poor space utilization. The park behind Air Rights is falling apart. Veteran's park is basically all paved over. Battery Park lacks parking.

If they want to do a park properly, take over the Farm Women's Market, integrate it with the parking lot behind it, and reconfigure the combined area as an open space for festivals along with a playground, and community center in the FWM building. I realize the petition is slighly related to that land, but not in the way that's a good use of it.

I live in Bethesda and most people would like fewer strip malls, high rises, shopping centers and parking lots - but that's all we get because the politicians see dollar signs.
Parks would be great. As would ball fields we could all use and any and all recreational activities.

Past a certain point you're so saturated with restaurants and shopping and you lose your community which is what has happened in Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing cracks me up more than the Communities not Canyons yard signs in front of the ginormous CC new builds on the edge of downtown Bethesda. Folks, you can't have your cake and eat it too - if you want to live within walking distance of a major hub for shopping/business/restaurants, it's going to have to include some parking for the rest of us too.

There are parking garages everywhere already and many people moved in before it was a 'major hub' (of what by the way? A major hub of revenue stream ?).

Cities in Virginia like Arlington and Pentagon Cuty combine shopping, restaurants and public transportation with parks, lighted ball fields and other recreational opportunities - because they know what they are doing and they serve their residents (unlike moco now).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing cracks me up more than the Communities not Canyons yard signs in front of the ginormous CC new builds on the edge of downtown Bethesda. Folks, you can't have your cake and eat it too - if you want to live within walking distance of a major hub for shopping/business/restaurants, it's going to have to include some parking for the rest of us too.

I've never seen the signs you mention, and there's plenty of people in high rise apartment buildings in Bethesda who use parks to substitute for the backyards they don't have. Bethesda has a metro stop (soon to have Purple line), bus lines galore, and bike racks in addition to ample parking lots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a ploy by Chevy Chase to prevent any devleopment over there.

I use the parks all the time in Bethesda since we ahve small children. MoCo needs to fix up the current parks first. Freeland (between Giant and Bethesda Library) has really poor space utilization. The park behind Air Rights is falling apart. Veteran's park is basically all paved over. Battery Park lacks parking.

If they want to do a park properly, take over the Farm Women's Market, integrate it with the parking lot behind it, and reconfigure the combined area as an open space for festivals along with a playground, and community center in the FWM building. I realize the petition is slighly related to that land, but not in the way that's a good use of it.

Your ideas have all been suggested to the County, however they are intent on GIVING AWAY development rights without extracting added value for residents. The Freeland Park was identified as "underutilized" in the Bethesda plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing cracks me up more than the Communities not Canyons yard signs in front of the ginormous CC new builds on the edge of downtown Bethesda. Folks, you can't have your cake and eat it too - if you want to live within walking distance of a major hub for shopping/business/restaurants, it's going to have to include some parking for the rest of us too.

There are parking garages everywhere already and many people moved in before it was a 'major hub' (of what by the way? A major hub of revenue stream ?).

Cities in Virginia like Arlington and Pentagon Cuty combine shopping, restaurants and public transportation with parks, lighted ball fields and other recreational opportunities - because they know what they are doing and they serve their residents (unlike moco now).

Let's build underground parking at the Bethesda Library, or at Bethesda Elementary, instead of wasting valuable green space with asphalt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a ploy by Chevy Chase to prevent any devleopment over there.

I use the parks all the time in Bethesda since we ahve small children. MoCo needs to fix up the current parks first. Freeland (between Giant and Bethesda Library) has really poor space utilization. The park behind Air Rights is falling apart. Veteran's park is basically all paved over. Battery Park lacks parking.

If they want to do a park properly, take over the Farm Women's Market, integrate it with the parking lot behind it, and reconfigure the combined area as an open space for festivals along with a playground, and community center in the FWM building. I realize the petition is slighly related to that land, but not in the way that's a good use of it.

I live in Bethesda and most people would like fewer strip malls, high rises, shopping centers and parking lots - but that's all we get because the politicians see dollar signs.
Parks would be great. As would ball fields we could all use and any and all recreational activities.

Past a certain point you're so saturated with restaurants and shopping and you lose your community which is what has happened in Bethesda.

Maybe but unless there's easy parking there's no way I'm patronizing them. I'll stick to amazon and peapod and they will go under. I like PPs idea about using land in an even smarter way to combine parking, festivals, playground, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a ploy by Chevy Chase to prevent any devleopment over there.

I use the parks all the time in Bethesda since we ahve small children. MoCo needs to fix up the current parks first. Freeland (between Giant and Bethesda Library) has really poor space utilization. The park behind Air Rights is falling apart. Veteran's park is basically all paved over. Battery Park lacks parking.

If they want to do a park properly, take over the Farm Women's Market, integrate it with the parking lot behind it, and reconfigure the combined area as an open space for festivals along with a playground, and community center in the FWM building. I realize the petition is slighly related to that land, but not in the way that's a good use of it.

I live in Bethesda and most people would like fewer strip malls, high rises, shopping centers and parking lots - but that's all we get because the politicians see dollar signs.
Parks would be great. As would ball fields we could all use and any and all recreational activities.

Past a certain point you're so saturated with restaurants and shopping and you lose your community which is what has happened in Bethesda.

Maybe but unless there's easy parking there's no way I'm patronizing them. I'll stick to amazon and peapod and they will go under. I like PPs idea about using land in an even smarter way to combine parking, festivals, playground, etc.

Bethesda is getting denser, plenty of people can walk, metro or bike to its downtown core. When I absolutely need to drive in, I can pay for parking--I've not found it difficult to access. You staying home is not going to harm any downtown Bethesda business. Any halfway decent establishment has more customers than it knows what to do with.