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MONTGOMERYNEWSLETTER
An Independent, Bi-Weekly Newsletter on Real Estate Development
Volume 28, Number 3
Edgewood, NIH
Sign Leases
Edgewood Management has claimed
a sizable block of space at the
‘Summit at Washingtonian.’
The property management company,
now in residence in Germantown,
leased 24,105 square feet at the
193,533 square foot building. Eight
stories high, 9711 Washingtonian
Boulevard is now about 90 percent
leased. The Summit has benefited
from a ‘flight to quality’ in office
space over the last year and a half, as
tenants like Medical Funding
Services, Steben & Company, and
Business Suites gravitated to the
Class A space near the ‘amenityrich’ area otherwise known as Rio.
February 9, 2015
Towering Opportunity
Buyers Sought for WMAL’s Bethesda Property
The sprawling Bethesda property that is home to the WMAL towers is on the market.
CBRE has been retained to sell the nearly 75-acre tract at 7115 Greentree Road, and has
set March 12 as the offering deadline. The offering brochure is a marketing piece full of
words like ‘irreplaceable’ and ‘extraordinary,’ but few would disagree that for this
property, the superlatives apply.
The WMAL tower tract has been in the same hands for 70 years, and except for the
several radio towers has remained blissfully empty, while Bethesda has developed
around it. During that time any developer worth his pro forma’s has taken a run at the
property but until now, the sale sign has never been out. The land is zoned R-90, so the
purely technical yield is over 300 units, but developers suggest it could be built out with
a mix of lot sizes, including towns, to create what one suggests could be a ‘spectacular’
community. It could also be a formidable competitor to the teardown business.
Since the ‘40’s, WMAL’s towers are the only structures that have occupied the
Greentree tract, and where they’ll be relocated is uncertain. Published reports say that
new technologies mean new towers could be located far out of town.
Scott Randolph of Transwestern
represented the landlord, while Bill
Morris of Avison Young brought the
tenant.
Meanwhile, offers are already coming together, say sources, and they’ll surely amount to
tens of millions of dollars. Given the range of units that could be built and the
remarkably high profile of the property, we’re not going to hazard a guess. And as for
comparables, well, there are none.
Elsewhere, NIH grew at The Atrium
at Rock Spring. An expansion by the
feds? Shocking. The agency leased
another 24,167 square feet for just
shy of 10 years at the building,
owned by Meritage Properties and
Goldentree Insite Partners.
Bainbridge Willing to Wait for More Height
For the record, The Atrium also has a
new address. Once 10401 Fernwood
Road, it’ll now show up on your GPS
as 6555 Rock Spring Drive. Merrill
Turnbull and Brent Prossner of
Lincoln Property Company
represented the building owners.
Bainbridge is permit-ready for its apartments on Wisconsin Avenue, and could put a
shovel in the ground soon – but might await the prospect of higher density.
The multi-family developer suggested in a letter to planners recently that it ‘is paying
close attention to what transpires under the ongoing Sector Plan.’ Its 225-unit project is
site plan-approved at 143 feet in building height, but Bainbridge says its land, a former
Exxon a block from the future south entrance to the Metro Station, is ‘ideally positioned
for considerably more density and height.’
Conceptual materials in the Sector Plan suggest that the site could be appropriate for up
to 250 feet high, a level the developer calls ‘certainly a step in the right direction.’ But
Bainbridge has its eye on the 290 feet suggested for properties just across Montgomery
Lane to the north. That height, says the company, would permit an ‘iconic, urban, mixeduse development.’ For that, it’s willing to wait on any digging.
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Montgomery Newsletter
Patient Owner
In Potomac
The new owner of some 30 acres in
Potomac is taking its time deciding
what to do with it.
South Glen Properties LLC, an
affiliate of Sheets Smith Wealth
Management, bought the former Fourth
Presbyterian School and its grounds at
10701 South Glen Road for $4.9
million last fall. It is one of the largest
transfers of land in Potomac in years.
Sheets’ David Gilbert said the firm had
a relationship with the school, and
ended up purchasing it. Fourth
Presbyterian had to close after
enrollments fell and building upkeep
grew. Gilbert said the existing school
buildings need major improvements to
continue to serve that purpose, but said
he has had interest from various
schools. The ground could also be
developed residentially.
“We’re not sure what we’re going to do
right now,” said Gilbert. “It’s a very
attractive property in the middle of
Potomac, and so we have numerous
options.”
An Office Conversion
A new use may be coming to a
Rockville office building – self storage.
The Washington Property Company
(WPC) has submitted a site plan
amendment that would allow it to
convert the 76,494 square foot building
at 4 Research Place to a storage
facility.
WPC owned the building for years,
renovated it in 2007, and then bought
the note last year. Though older, the
building has I-270 signage, but WPC
wants to ‘repurpose’ it in a market
flush with office space.
February 9, 2015
Consultant Suggesting Lower Fees
A consultant is recommending to the Department of Permitting Services (DPS)
changes that would reduce some of the permit fees.
The work is still one in process, and has not yet gotten the DPS stamp of approval ,
but the recommendations offer the prospect of lower fees for the industry. Growing
concern over some fees last year, including those for four-story townhouses, treated as
commercial by DPS and thus subject to a fee several times higher than their threestory brethren, helped prompt the study. Under the consultants’ recommendation,
those fees would come down.
Overall, the consultant has suggested that DPS go to a per-square foot approach on
commercial permit fees. With a lower fee in place, DPS should then collect a higher
percentage of the fee upfront, and a current fee cap would be removed. The lower fees
would make the revised structure work.
The consultant’s progress so far largely goes to commercial fees, as work continues on
the residential side, where DPS and the consultant are still ‘scrubbing’ the data.
Though work remains, DPS chief Diane Schwartz Jones said the agency held public
sessions last week to engage stakeholders and make the process transparent. As an
enterprise fund, DPS must raise its own revenues, so paramount to the agency is a fee
structure that covers its costs and protects its reserve.
Its revenues dropped after the recession, but beginning in FY 2012, while containing
costs, DPS began to collect higher revenues than expected. Builders argued that
several years of fiscal surpluses meant the agency had to revisit its fees, and the
comprehensive study now underway followed.
DPS’ Jones said she hopes to have the consultant’s final recommendations by July.
Siena Boxed Out on Rockville Storage Plan
In passing a controversial zoning amendment, Rockville’s City Council put up a big
barrier to Siena Corporation’s planned self-storage building on Taft Street.
The Council approved legislation that prohibits self-storage within 250 feet of a public
school in certain zones, effectively blocking Siena’s plan for an E-Z Storage facility in
East Rockville.
Siena had threatened legal action a few weeks before the vote and may have to turn to
that recourse now that the Council has acted. But on the final night, Siena struck a
more conciliatory tone and offered to engage in a work group. “You haven’t heard any
threats of litigation in the last few weeks from us,” said attorney Robert Dalrymple.
Instead, he said, the firm is looking for ‘constructive dialogue.’
But judging from the overall tone of the meeting and the prior one, when the
amendment was introduced, the dialogue is anything but constructive. The issue has
divided the Council, with amendment supporters suggesting that self-storage near a
school creates safety issues. Councilmember Tom Moore has led the opposition,
insisting he hasn’t been shown any data to support that conclusion.
Siena bought the Taft Street property, a former Wonder Bread warehouse, knowing
that self-storage was a by-right use.
2
Montgomery Newsletter
February 9, 2015
Tenants in the
Market:
Boston Properties, Too
Shady Grove Orthopedic. Right next
to the Shady Grove Hospital now, the
medical group is examining options for
about 15,000 square feet. The Walker
Group has the representation.
Two projects in particular would benefit from the change in the way Rockville tests
for school capacity.
Montgomery County. The county is
out looking for a consolidation of
several locations into a single space of
approximately 80,000 square feet.
Sources believe the search has been
whittled to a handful of buildings in the
Rockville area.
Strayer University. The provider of
knowledge is out looking for a location
of about 12,000 feet, to replace its
Rockville quarters. CBRE has the
brokerage.
IBM. One of the company’s three
approximately 15,000 foot
requirements reportedly landed upcounty, but two remain on the hunt.
IBM is consolidating down from a big
presence on Frederick Avenue in
Gaithersburg. CBRE has the brokerage.
Hilti. The construction tool maker is
looking for about 6,000 to 8,000 square
feet in Bethesda. Avison Young is the
broker.
Centrus Energy Corporation. Now
on Rockledge Drive, the company is
touring for 20,000 feet. CRESA is the
broker.
Whole Foods. 40,000 square feet is the
requirement the high-end grocer seeks.
Right now it operates off Security Lane
in Rockville. Avison Young has the
representation.
Habitat for Humanity. The non-profit
that builds houses needs about 20,000
feet for in-county growth. JLL has the
representation.
EYA, AvalonBay After APF Switch
They are builder EYA, with its plans to develop townhouses in Tower Oaks, and
AvalonBay Communities, looking to develop apartments off Twinbrook Road.
Rockville’s current test is, unequivocally, tougher than the county’s, and difficult to
pass. A vote is slated for this week on legislation that would bring the City’s test in
line with that of the county, which allows greater congestion, 120 to 110 percent,
before a school is considered overcrowded, and a longer outlook, from two to five
years.
Of the two projects, AvalonBay is the longer suffering. The company owns four acres
at 12720 Twinbrook, next to the Metro, on which it has had a site plan application
pending before the City since 2009. Stymied by a school moratorium and increasingly
the poster child for the kind of economic benefits lost by the present school test, the
240-unit project would generate, according to testimony by AvalonBay’s Jonathan
Cox, ten students. Cox told the Council that if built under a new school test,
AvalonBay could pump into Rockville’s economy half a million dollars a year in
property taxes, new retail shoppers, affordable housing through MPDUs, and school
impact taxes of $1.1 million. Plus $340,000 if a school facilities charge is applied.
EYA’s plans are less specific as it has not submitted anything yet, but it hopes to
develop part of Tower Oaks in a townhouse community, and has likewise been
stymied by the school test.
For its part, Tower Oaks developer Boston Properties also wants the school test
changed, so it can sell the remaining 41 acres of the office park for residential
development.
The company’s Caitlin Shelby testified that Tower Oaks has proven to be no Reston
Town Center. The company bought land in the two projects at about the same time,
but ‘the trajectory of those two sites could not be more different,’ she said. Tower
Oaks has yielded about 380,000 feet of new development, Reston Town Center over
six million. Adding insult to injury, Shelby pointed out that Boston’s Reston projects
are ’99 percent leased.’
“The remaining land we own (at Tower Oaks) is far better suited to residential use,”
she said in closing. But unless the APFS changes, that won’t happen soon.
Petrie Adds to Anchor Lineup at City Place
Petrie Ross Ventures has lined up three new anchors in its makeover of City Place
Mall.
The trio are TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, and Michael’s, all slated to open when the
Annapolis developer completes a wide-ranging cosmetic and merchandising retro-fit.
Petrie’s aim is to solidify City Place, located on Colesville Road just north of Georgia
Avenue, as a middle market destination with an emphasis on fashion. It won’t be
Neiman Marcus, but it won’t be discount either. The three new anchors will join
Burlington Coat Factory and Marshall’s at the 350,000 square foot mall.
3
Montgomery Newsletter
Equity Shapes
The New Westbard
A new Westbard is taking shape on
Equity One’s drawing boards.
The developer has begun showing
redevelopment plans for about 250,000
square feet of retail and 500 to 700
residential units, with the focal point a
town center-style project on the site of
the present Westbard Shopping Center.
Much of the parking would be below
ground.
Equity’s Westbard visions accelerated
the local sector plan and the company
wants to tie the two together. It’s
working with EYA to develop much of
the residential. Early plans show
townhouses, an apartment building and
a condo building, and Equity’s
Michael Berfield said EYA will almost
certainly build the for-sale units.
Whether it would build the rental is
less clear.
Giant Food anchors the current center
and wants to stay, but its lease lapses
in 2019, and Equity has interest from a
variety of grocers to take its place.
Floreen’s MPDU Bill
Nancy Floreen’s impact tax exemption
legislation is back, very nearly as it
was introduced a few years back
The Council member has three cosponsors to her effort this time to
exempt market-rate rental units from
the transportation and school
development impact taxes when a
project consists of at least 25 percent
in MPDUs. Achieving 25 percent
MPDUs is a doubling of the normal
12.5 percent required in new projects.
Floreen pushed a very similar bill in
the past but it never gained any
traction. That however, was a different
council.
February 9, 2015
Towns Sought on Kensington Lots
A Chevy Chase developer wants to use the new ‘townhouse floating zone’ to site
16 lots on Kensington Parkway.
Nova Habitat Inc. submitted the zoning application recently that would change one
and a half acres at 9213 Kensington Parkway from single-family to ‘TF-12’ zoning.
Nova, headed by Edward Novak, has four lots under contract, and argues the lots
were ‘excised’ from the larger Rolling Hills community when the Beltway was
constructed. Thus, says the application, an opportunity exists to create a small
enclave of towns oriented towards Rock Creek Park that Nova-Habitat would call
‘Creekside.’
The townhouse floating zone was created in the zoning rewrite, and it appears that
Nova Habitat is the first to make an application for it. The lots are located just
along the westbound off-ramp from I-495 to Connecticut Avenue, at Glenmoor
Drive.
In other Residential:
……The ‘Lodge’ in Chestnut Lodge burned down a few years back. And as the
rest of the Rockville project has been built out with new houses, only grass has
grown on the almost two-acre parcel that was left. Now, JNP Capital Management,
headed by Jim Proakis, has paid $900,000 for the site off West Montgomery
Avenue, and looks to redevelop it. Proakis said the original lodge, a sanitarium
actually, was approved for a conversion to seven condos. The fire put an end to the
proposed conversion but the density remains intact. JNP is studying its site options,
and Proakis said he’ll meet with local residents soon. Whatever the plan, he said,
the density will not increase.
JNP financed the acquisition, made from a partnership headed by Chestnut
developer Timothy Doyle, with a $1.4 million loan from Sandy Spring Bank. Most
of Chestnut Lodge was built out by Michael Harris Homes, which wrapped up with
four single-family closings in 2014 averaging just under $1 million.
…..The Churchill Group is now the owner of 13 lots in Poolesville. By virtue of
a $1.2 million payment, the Rockville builder bought a block of lots at 19420
Fisher Avenue, just on the way out of town. It financed the acquisition with a $5.09
million loan from M&T Bank.
So far, Churchill doesn’t show the community on its website, but when it begins
work, it will have little competition. Kettler Forlines in ‘Brightwell Crossing’ is the
only sizable community in town right now.
……One recent buyer in Foxhall Homes’ Fairview community has a
particularly nice home. Where most of Foxhall’s sales in the Burtonsville twoacre project have averaged just about $750,000, a December buyer closed at $1.07
million. The sale was the highest number Foxhall achieved in Fairview in 2014.
At Presstime: The Washington Property Company parted with the LA Fitness
in Silver Spring for $13.1 million. Excalibur Development is the new owner of the
club, located at 8616 Cameron Street. Key to all the huffing and puffing that goes
on inside the building is that it’s a 48,000 square foot, single tenant net lease.
Greysteel Co. broker the transaction.
4
Montgomery Newsletter
February 9, 2015
GSA Renewals
Prompt Action
An unusual number of GSA leases
around the DC area expire within the
next five years, prompting a coming
federal ‘roundtable’ on how the
government can get the best deals
going forward.
The House of Representative’s
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure will participate with
GSA and reps from some of the largest
agencies in the area to lay out a
program for defining ‘cost-reducing
opportunities’ in the region.
Of the 377 million rentable feet that
GSA owns or leases nationwide, 56
million of that sits right here in the
D.C. region. And of that 56 million, 32
million feet of leases expire within five
years. DOJ, DHS and HHS account for
about half of those local expiring
leases.
It’s those numbers prompting the
roundtable, and the prospect that the
government can use its leverage to
take advantage of a DC leasing
environment that’s still a ‘tenant’s
market.’ Based on the sheer volume of
potential renewals, says a committee
report, “there is a unique opportunity
in the near term to produce real
savings in GSA leases.’ The feds can
improve space utilization rates, reduce
the amount of space leased, and garner
better concessions in coming
negotiations.
Right now, says the report, lease rates
in D.C. and Virginia are about 5.5
percent below their peak, while
Suburban Maryland is 15.1 percent
below the top. Now’s the time, says
the report, for the government to cut its
deals before the market begins
‘swinging back to higher leasing
costs.’
The roundtable is this Wednesday at
the Rayburn House Office Building.
Building Permits Issued
January 21 – February 3, 2015
Bethesda
Michael Harris Development, One Preserve Parkway, #750, Bethesda, Md.,
(703) 848-4920, to build a $250,000 unit at 5518 Alta Vista Road, Bethesda, in
‘Bethesda Mews;’
Inhale Inc., 4938 Hampden Lane, #330, Bethesda, Md. (301) 652-4440, to build
a $250,000 unit at 5804 Linder Lane, Bethesda, in ‘Wyngate;’
Bo-Bud Construction, 9679-C Main Street, Fairfax, Va. (703) 932-2495, to
build a $400,000 unit at 6507 Pyle Road, Bethesda, in ‘Merrimack Park;’
5607 Chesterbrook LLC, 5200 River Road, Building 6, Bethesda, Md. (301)
986-4966, to build a $600,000 unit at 5607 Chesterbrook Road;
Douglas Construction Group, 8429 Fox Run, Potomac, Md. (301) 983-6947, to
build a $310,000 unit at 5603 McKinley Street, Bethesda, in ‘Huntington Terrace;’
Tilden Partners LLC, 6110 Executive Blvd, #430, Rockville, Md. (301) 8646500, to build a $400,000 unit at 5910 Anniston Road, Bethesda;
M&M Builders and Contractors, 8009 Brethren Drive, Gaithersburg, Md.
(301) 580-8013, to build a $500,000 unit at 9313 Singleton Drive, Bethesda;
Sandy Spring Builders LLC, 4705 West Virginia Avenue, Bethesda, Md. (301)
913-5995, to build a $750,000 unit at 7612 Denton Road, Bethesda;
Castlewood Consulting, 4825 Bethesda Avenue, #306, Bethesda, Md. (301)
347-1627, to build a $205,000 unit at 8206 Thoreau Drive, Bethesda;
Castlewood Consulting, (301) 347-1627, to build a $205,000 unit at 5824
Plainview Road, Bethesda;
Other Locations
Sterling Custom Homes, 10801 Fox Hunt Lane, Potomac, Md. 20854, (301)
657-6699, to build a $250,000 unit at 3701 Lawrence Avenue, Kensington;
Custom Elegant Homes, c/o Jay Bhalla, 3521 McLean Avenue, Fairfax, Va.,
(202) 498-5755, to build a $500,000 unit at 10525 Tulip Lane, Rockville, in
‘Horizon Hill;’
NVR Inc., 555 Quince Orchard Road, #240, Gaithersburg, Md. (301) 258-0002,
to build six 175,000 units in ‘Clarksburg Village,’ at:
 22368 Winding Woods Way;
 22367 Bright Sky Drive;
 22805 Glacier Lily Drive;
 22468 Castle Oak Road;
 22355 Winding Woods Way;
 22364 Winding Woods Way;
Patrick Keating, Builder, 4800 Waverly Avenue, Garrett Park, Md., (301) 9491706, to build a $700,000 unit at 4417 Stanford Street, Chevy Chase;
Sterling Collection, 11117 Smokey Quartz Lane, Potomac, Md. (202) 365-3995,
to build a $200,000 unit at 3309 Decatur Avenue, Kensington;
Winchester Homes, 6905 Rockledge Drive, #800, Bethesda, Md. (301) 8034800, to build a $300,000 unit at 13249 Redspire Drive, Silver Spring, in ‘Poplar
Run;’
Winchester Homes, to build a $300,000 unit at 16708 Heartwood Drive,
Rockville, Md. in ‘Preserve at Rock Creek;’
Richmond American Homes, 6210 Old Dobbin Lane, #190, Columbia, Md.
(410) 312-2817, to build a $175,000 unit at 18412 Hickory Meadows Drive, Olney,
in ‘Olney Springs;’
Beazer Homes, 8965 Guilford Road, #290, Columbia, Md. 21046, (443) 5396261, to build a $150,000 unit at 4210 Corams Lane, Burtonsville, in ‘Bentley
Park;’
5
Montgomery Newsletter
February 9, 2015
Aegis Construction, 1010 Wayne Avenue, #200, Silver
Spring, Md. 20910, (240) 880-4433, to build a $216,423 fitout of 7,187 square feet at the same address;
Adam Crain, 231 Upshur Street, NW, Washington, Dc,
20011, (540) 818-5087, to build a $150,000 fit-out for
Massage Envy Spa, at 18208 Village Center Drive, Olney;
Minkoff Company, 11716 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville,
Md. 20705, (301) 652-3711, to build a $300,000 community
center repair, at 3661 Turbridge Drive, Burtonsville;
Townhouse Permits Issued
Beazer Homes, (443) 539-6261, to build eight $90,000
townhouses on Longford Glen Drive, Germantown, in
‘Germantown Park;’
NVR Inc., to build five $95,000 units on Bright Sky Drive,
Clarksburg, in ‘Clarksburg Village;’
Commercial Permits Issued
January 21 – February 3, 2015
City of Rockville Permits Issued
Fishers Lane LLC, 4445 Willard Avenue, #400, Chevy
Chase, Md. 20815, (240) 333-3757, to build a $4.08 million
cafeteria at 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville;
Fishers Lane LLC, 4445 Willard Avenue, #400, Chevy
Chase, Md. 20815, (240) 333-3757, to build a fit-out of
620,240 square feet at 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville;
Washington Property Company, 4719 Hampden Lane,
3rd Floor, Bethesda, Md. 20814, (240) 482-8107, to build a
$30.4 million mixed-use apartment building at 7100
Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda;
Jersey Mike’s Subs, 75 Beatrice Street, LaVale, Md.,
(202) 556-1511, to build a $150,000 restaurant fit-out at
2800 University Blvd, Silver Spring;
Federal Realty Investment Trust, 1626 E. Jefferson
Street, Rockville, Md. 20852, (301) 998-8100, to build
$230,000 in exterior alterations at 12055 Rockville Pike,
Rockville;
John Kelly, 9901 Belward Campus Drive, Rockville, Md.,
(240) 268-5400, to build a $250,000 fit-out at 9901 Belward
Campus Drive, Rockville;
Monogram Residential, 5800 Granite Parkway, #1000,
Plano, Tx., 75024, (240) 965-7696, to build a $200,000
pedestrian walkway at 9300 Corporate Blvd, Rockville;
Host Hotels & Resorts, 6903 Rockledge Drive, #1500,
Bethesda, Md. 20817, (240) 744-1000, to build a $400,000
fit-out of 11,738 square feet at the same address;
Brookfield Office Properties, 250 Vessey Street, 15th
Floor, New York, NY, (703) 419-0470, to build a $450,000
fit-out at 7475 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda;
Sunrise Senior Living, 7900 Westpark Drive, #T-900,
McLean, Va. 22102, (703) 273-7500, to build a $378,000
renovation at 19310 Club House Road, Gaithersburg;
Tiffany Gee, 2 Chevy Chase Circle, #560, Chevy Chase,
Md. 20815, (301) 654-2292, to build a $93,225 interior demo
and fit-out for shell, at 5471 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy
Chase;
John Moriarty Associates, 1005 N. Glebe Road,
Arlington, Va. 22201, (703) 928-1838, to build a $900,000
fit-out at 9708 Medical Center Drive, Gaithersburg;
Mo Gadalla, 20457 Seneca Meadows Parkway,
Germantown, Md. 20876, (240) 344-6649, to build a
$612,000 fit-out of 9,800 square feet for a daycare at 15895
Gaither Drive, Gaithersburg;
Coakley & Williams, (301) 963-5000, to build a $341,000
fit-out for WFT Engineering, at 1801 Research Blvd;
DPR Construction, (703) 795-8322, to build a $150,000
fit-out for Novartis, at 1700 Rockville Pike;
Washington Group, (703) 237-9596, to build $116,000 in
systems furniture, at 2277 Research Blvd;
Korth Construction, (301) 921-9500, to build a $190,800
fit-out for Dragga, Hannon, Hessler & Wills, at 111
Rockville Pike;
Deerfield Construction, (301) 947-4701, to build a
$115,000 fit-out for Hendall Inc., at 1803 Research Blvd;
Rockville Applications of Note
STP2015-00242 – 1380 Piccard Drive. Request change of
use to 203 senior housing units. Zoned MXE. Improved with
existing all-suites hotel. Located at 1380 Piccard Drive,
Rockville. Appl: Potomac Hospitality Service, 1660 L Street,
NW, Washington, DC, c/o Conrad Cafritz, (202) 251-6160.
STP2015-00246 – 4 Research Place. Minor site plan
amendment for conversion of office building to self-storage.
Zoned MXE. 5.4 acres. Building is 76,429 square feet.
Located at 4 Research Place, Rockville. Appl: WPC
Management LLC, 4719 Hampden Lane, #300, Bethesda,
Md. 20814. (240) 482-8116.
STP2015-00243 – Stanford Grill at Tower Oaks.
Conversion of 8,071 square feet of office space to restaurant
in existing building. Zoned PD-TO. Located at 2000 Tower
Oaks Boulevard, Rockville. Appl: Tower Oaks Restaurant
Holdings, 10500 Little Patuxent Parkway, #770, Columbia,
Md. 21044. (410) 884-0220.
6
Montgomery Newsletter
February 9, 2015
Pre-Preliminary Plans Submitted
New Zoning Applications
7-20150080 – Saul Centers White Flint West. Zoned
CR4.0. 5.48 acres. Propose three buildings with 715 multifamily units, 178,500 square feet office, 24,000 square feet
retail. Located along the west side of Rockville Pike between
Nicholson Lane and Marinelli Road, North Bethesda. Appl:
Saul Holdings LP, c/o Saul Centers, 7501 Wisconsin
Avenue, #1500E, Rockville, Md. 20814. (301) 986-6122.
7-20150070 – Seneca Farms. Zoned RC. 136.6 acres.
Propose 27 single-family lots. Located on Seneca Road, 900
feet northeast of Springfield Road, Darnestown. Appl:
Charles Jamison, Seneca Farms LLC, 6028 Dickerson Road,
Dickerson, Md. 20842. (301) 831-1024.
H-101 – Nova Habitat Inc. Request R-90 to TF-12
(Townhouse Floating Zone). 1.41 acres. Located at 9213
Kensington Parkway, at Glenmoor Drive, Kensington. Lots 1
-3 and part of 4 in ‘Rolling Hills.’ Propose 16 townhouse
units. Appl: Nova Habitat, c/o Edward Novak, 7220 Chestnut
Street, Chevy Chase, Md. 20815. (301) 656-5901.
Real Estate Transactions of Note
JBG/Crown Retail I, LLC, 4445 Willard Avenue, #400,
Chevy Chase, Md., 20815, to RPAI Gaithersburg
Downtown Crown, LLC, 2021 Spring Road, #200, Oak
Brook, Il., 60523. Retail Units A and B in ‘Crown
Commercial Condominium.’ Improved with 111,384 square
feet retail space. Tax ID: 09-03702454 and 03702476. Liber
49728, page 444. Deed date: January 8, 2015. Purchase
price: $63,648,849.
JBG/Crown Retail II, LLC, 4445 Willard Avenue,
#400, Chevy Chase, Md., 20815, to RPAI Gaithersburg
Downtown Crown, LLC, 2021 Spring Road, #200, Oak
Brook, Il., 60523. Seven lots and two parcels in ‘Crown
Farm.’ Improved with 152,404 square feet retail space. Tax
ID; 09-03702317 et al. Liber 49728, page 452. Deed date:
January 8, 2015. Purchase price: $99,135,932.
David H. Bowman, for Black Dog Receiver LLC to 227
East Diamond LLC. Parcel A in ‘J.A. Belt’s Addition to
Gaithersburg.’ Located at 227 E. Diamond Avenue,
Gaithersburg, Md. Lot is 5,628 square feet. Improved with
9,200 square foot restaurant. Zoned Commercial. Tax ID; 0902622152. Liber 49743, page 250. Deed date: December 31,
2014. Purchase price: $1,000,000.
Lot 31 Public Garage Statutory Trust, c/o Douglas
Firstenberg, Stonebridge Carras Associates, to Montgomery
County, Maryland. Public Garage Unit in ‘Lot 31 Project
Condominium.’ Tax ID: 07-03705880. Liber 49694, page
205. Deed date: January 16, 2015. Purchase price:
$33,171,500.
Pocahontas 40 LLC, 20449 Watkins Meadow Drive,
Germantown, Md. 20876, to Fall Creek III, LLC, c/o
Ruppert Properties, LLC, 23601 Laytonsville Road,
Laytonsville, Md. 20882. Located on Hawkins Creamery
Road, Laytonsville, Md. 40.6 acres. Tax ID: 01-03279094.
Liber 49724, page 313. Deed date: December 30, 2014.
Purchase price: $325,000.
Mason Island LLC to State of Maryland. Three islands
in the Potomac River, including Mason Island, totaling 273
acres. Liber 49713, page 111. Deed date: December 15,
2014. Purchase price: $800,000.
Preliminary Plans Approved
January 29 and February 5, 2015
1-20120250 – Chestnut Ridge. Zoned RMX-2 and RMX2C. 1.4 acres. 1 outlot and one lot. Propose 9,980 square feet
retail/office. Located on the north side of Route 118 opposite
Bowman Mill Drive (and at end of Waters Road),
Germantown. Appl: MSQ LLC, c/o Morton Taubman, 1201
15th Street, NW, #200, Washington DC, 20005. (202) 3479090.
Record Plats Approved
January 29 and February 5, 2015
2-20141230 – Fari Estates. Zoned R-90. 7 lots. Located
on the south side of East Randolph Road, 900 feet east of
Fairland Road. Appl: Susan Chang, Everlakes LLC, c/o
Design Engineering, (301) 258-1173, ext. 102.
2-20141490 – Damascus Hills. Zoned RE-2C. 1 lot.
Located on the south side of Damascus Road, approximately
3800 feet east of Woodfield Road, Damascus. Appl: Edward
Echard, 20312 Mallet Hill Court, Germantown, Md. 20876.
(202) 438-5045.
2-20150120 – Mill Creek South. Zoned R-90. 2 singlefamily lots. Located at the northern end of Bounding Bend
Court, off Amity Drive, Gaithersburg. Appl: Robert
Cunningham, c/o Site Solutions, (301) 540-2001.
2-20140600 and 2-20140920 – Decoverly Hall. Zoned
CR-2. 2 lots. Lots are 5.3 and1.6 acres. Propose apartments.
Located in the northwest quadrant of Diamondback Drive
and Key West Avenue, Rockville. Appl: Danac, at (301)
657-2600, or Camden USA, 1420 Springhill Road, McLean,
Va. (703) 556-5766.
2-20150480 – Glen Echo Heights. Zoned R-90. 1 lot.
Located on the west side of Walhonding Road, 700 feet north
of Scioto Road, Bethesda. Appl: Jason M. Mackey, c/o
Castlewood Consulting, (301) 347-1627.
(Continued on Page 8)
7
Montgomery Newsletter
February 9, 2015
Real Estate Transactions (from. 7)
RESIDENTIAL
VII Crown Farm Owner LLC, 10740 Parkridge Blvd.,
#110, Reston, Va. 20191, to Pulte Home Corporation,
10600 Arrowhead Drive, #225, Fairfax, Va. 22030. Lots 2 –
10 (Block D) in ‘Crown.’ Townhouse lots. Located on
Crown Park Avenue, Gaithersburg, Md. Tax ID: 0903741581 et al. Liber 49695, page 33. Deed date: December
29, 2014. Purchase price: $2,206,710.
VII Crown Farm Owner LLC, 10740 Parkridge Blvd.,
#110, Reston, Va. 20191, to KB Home Maryland LLC,
10800 Parkridge Blvd, #120, Reston, Va. 20191. Lots 22, 26,
27 and 31 – 35 (Block L) in ‘Crown.’ Located on Baldwin
Street, Gaithersburg, Md. Townhouse lots. Tax ID: 0903703106 et al. Liber 49695, page 59. Deed date: December
23, 2014. Purchase price: $2,718,027.
Clarksburg Village LC, c/o Elm Street Development, to
NVR Inc. Lot 28 (Block GG) in ‘Clarksburg Village.’
Located at 22375 Sweetspire Drive, Clarksburg, Md. Lot is
4,766 square feet. Unimproved. Tax ID: 02-03739678. Liber
49695, page 195. Deed date: December 8, 2014. Purchase
price: $187,950.
Beazer Homes Corp. to CLKBG, LLC, c/o NVR Inc.
Lot 7 (Block WW) in ‘Clarksburg Village.’ Located at 22650
Shining Harness Street, Clarksburg, Md. Lot is 4,200 square
feet. Unimproved. Tax ID: 02-03722268. Liber 49696, page
293. Deed date: December 23, 2014. Purchase price:
$175,000.
Anna F. Vinci Slaysman to Churchill Classics LLC, 5
Choke Cherry Road, #360, Rockville, Md. 20850. Lots 1, 3,
and 4 - 13 in ‘Vinci’s Addition to Poolesville.’ Located at
19420 Fisher Avenue, Poolesville, Md. 20837. 11.5 acres.
Tax ID: 03-00039085. Liber 49714, page 287. Deed date:
January 8, 2015. Purchase price: $1,200,000. Deed of Trust:
$5.09 million, M&T Bank.
Jeremy Bambara to American Signature Properties
LLC, 5283 Corporate Drive, #300, Frederick, Md. 21703.
Lot 11 (Block C) in ‘Kensington Trace.’ Located at 4305
Warner Street, Kensington, Md. 20895. Lot is 7,006 square
feet. Improved with house (built 1948). Tax ID: 1301437243. Liber 49723, page 23. Deed date: December 10,
2014. Purchase price: $475,000.
Peter E. Bowers to 4417 Stanford Street LLC, c/o
Patrick Keating, Builder, PO Box 88, Garrett Park, Md.
20896. Lot 19 (Block C) in ‘Section 8, Chevy Chase.’
Located at 4417 Stanford Street, Chevy Chase, Md. 20815.
Lot is 7,350 square feet. Improved with house (built 1923).
Tax ID: 07-00470127. Liber 49726, page 138. Deed date:
October 24, 2014. Purchase price: $875,000. Deed of Trust:
$1.43 million, Capital Bank.
Chestnut Lodge Properties Inc., c/o Timothy R. Doyle,
to JNP Chestnut Lodge LLC, c/o James Proakis, 2428 39th
Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20007. Parcel I (Block A) in
‘Chestnut Lodge.’ Located at 500 W. Montgomery Avenue,
Rockville, Md. Parcel is 71,510 square feet. Zoned
Residential. Tax ID: 04-03594801. Liber 49728, page 59.
Deed date: December 30, 2014. Purchase price: $900,000.
Deed of Trust: $1.43 million, Sandy Spring Bank.
Builder Sales of Note
Castlebuilt Bethesda LLC, c/o Douglas Todd Wood, to
Amir Sarkarzadeh et al. Lot 24 (Block 4) in ‘Bradmoor.’
Located at 6008 Roosevelt Street, Bethesda, Md. 20817. Lot
is 8,786 square feet. Improved with new house. Tax ID: 0700584760. Liber 49693, page 103. Deed date: December 19,
2014. Purchase price: $1,845,000.
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