Montgomery Pearl Illustrative Site Plan Available for Review

On October 7, Promark Development held an in-person community meeting to review plans for the redevelopment of the properties located at 4540, 4424, 4400, 4340 and 4338 Montgomery Avenue and 7300 Pearl Street in Bethesda, Maryland (collectively, the "Property"). The Property is located across the Purple Line alignment from Elm Street. OneLife Fitness currently occupies 4400 Montgomery Avenue.

The Property totals approximately 132,000 square feet (3.04 acres) in land area. The zoning designations across the Property vary within the Bethesda Overlay Zone. In the Sketch Plan application, the developer is proposing a mixed-use project with up to 78,000 square feet of commercial uses and up to 625,000 square feet of residential uses.

Below are links to the presentation from the October 7 community meeting and the developer's September 24 presentation to the Planning Department's Bethesda Downtown Plan Design Advisory Panel. Page 5 of the Community Meeting Presentation has a rendering of the development as it would appear to Town residents.

The Applicant will now proceed to file the Sketch Plan application with the Montgomery County Planning Department. An application number will be assigned that allows for convenient tracking of the application as it goes through Planning Department review. The developer intends to file the Sketch Plan by the end of this month. The Planning Department normally takes between 4 and 6 months to review the Sketch Plan before making a recommendation to the Planning Board.

Following the Sketch Plan, the developer will file a more detailed Site Plan with the Planning Department. A Site Plan typically takes at least 6 months to be reviewed and approved. Upon final approval of the Site Plan by the Planning Board, the developer will obtain permits. The developer expects that the Plan review and approval process and the subsequent permitting will take approximately 2 years. It will then take approximately 2 years to construct the project.

The Town Council has asked the Land Use Committee to consider this project, receive and review comments from residents, and make recommendations to the Council regarding positions the Town may wish to take up with the developers and/or the Planning Department during the process.

For more information about the development review process and opportunities to participate, please review this document. You may also send your comments and ideas to the Town Office, which will distribute them to the Land Use Committee and the Town Council. For further information, please contact M-NCPPC at (301) 495-4610 or visit their website at www.montgomeryplanning.org.