Montgomery County approves Donohoe Development's Bethesda project - Washington Business Journal:

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The project, Woodmont Central, was originally schedulec to go before the planning boarddin July, after the county’s moratoriunm on residential developments started July 1. “They got all approvalsw they needed inon time,” said Joshusa Sloan, coordinator at the county’s developmen t review division who recommendede the planning board approve Donohoe’ s site plan with some conditions. And thougy board member Amy Presley referredto Donohoe’s need to get the approval quickly as “the elephant in the Sloan said the decision wasn’t rushed.
Sloan said the planners’ responsse to the preliminary site plan was overdue because the boardd had requested an extension beyond theusuapl 90-day review period. The residential moratorium, whichh would affect Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Clarksburg and Seneca was announced by the boardJune 8. It came aftet the board received results of the annuaschool test, which comparesd projected 2014 enrollment figures againstt classroom capacity in the county’s public schools. The test showecd that the number of students enrolled by 2014 was greatetr than the 120 percent cap set by the Adequatew PublicFacilities Ordinance.
The development limitations, whic only allow for subdivisions of three or fewedr units or forretirement communities, were established to avoidf putting schools over capacity with enrollment from new housingb projects. The residential component of Donohoe’s projecr is actually part of the second and third phaseszof development, so its construction would likely begih after the ban, if it is lifteds next July. The firsy phase of the development isa six-story retail and office The 18-story, 462,160-square-foot residential and retail componenft would follow. Sloan said the residential phase was not likeluy to deliver for another five tosix years.
At the time the moratoriujm was set, Donohoe President Peter Gartlanx said his project would likely make it before the boardd in advance ofthe moratorium, adding that the county’sd 2009-2011 growth policy conflicted with the developmenf ban. “The future of the county is inits walkable, transit-oriented areas,” Gartland echoing the growth policy’s findings that Montgomery County shoulrd focus on infill and transit-oriented, mixed-use developments. “We have faitgh the county will solve this problem because urbanm areas like Bethesda are where new development should be he said.
The moratorium will likely last untilnext year’s revie unless the identified areas can show a projectecd drop in enrollment or an ability to host more School expansions may be consideredr in the fall and would be funded by Montgomery County’xs capital improvements program. The boars approved the project witha 3-2 vote but with several The project must achieve a Silver LEED rating and the develope must adjust height limitations, buildinv setbacks, public space and retail Northwest, Northwood, Paint Branch, Quince Orchard, Wheaton, Walter Johnson, Whitman and Richard Montgomery were also identified as areaw that will be overcrowded by more than 105 perceng in 2014.
Developers hoping for subdivision approval in those areasd will have to paya fee.