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

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The project, Woodmont Central, was originally scheduled to go beforde the planning boardin July, after the county’s moratorium on residentiapl developments started July 1. “They got all approvals they needesd inon time,” said Joshua Sloan, coordinatorr at the county’s development review divisiohn who recommended the planning board approve Donohoe’xs site plan with some conditions. And though board membefr Amy Presley referredto Donohoe’ need to get the approval quicklyt as “the elephant in the Sloan said the decision wasn’tt rushed.
Sloan said the planners’ responswe to the preliminary site plan was overdu because the board had requested an extension beyonxd theusual 90-day review period. The residential moratorium, whicnh would affect Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Clarksburhg and Seneca Valley, was announced by the boare June 8. It came aftet the board received results of the annualschooo test, which compares projected 2014 enrollment figuresw against classroom capacity in the county’s public The test showed that the numbe r of students enrolled by 2014 was greatefr than the 120 percent cap set by the Adequate Public Facilitiea Ordinance.
The development limitations, which only alloa for subdivisions of three or fewer units or forretirement communities, were establishesd to avoid putting schools over capacity with enrollmengt from new housing The residential component of Donohoe’s project is actually part of the seconed and third phases of development, so its construction wouldc likely begin after the ban, if it is liftedd next July. The first phase of the development isa 91,612-square-foot, six-storty retail and office building. The 462,160-square-foot residential and retail componentwoulfd follow. Sloan said the residential phase was not likely to delivedr for another five tosix years.
At the time the moratoriunm was set, Donohoe Presidentr Peter Gartland said his project would likely make it beforw the board in advance of the adding thatthe county’s 2009-201q growth policy conflicted with the development ban. “Thw future of the county is inits transit-oriented areas,” Gartland echoing the growth policy’s findings that Montgomery Countt should focus on infill and transit-oriented, mixed-use developments. “Wse have faith the county will solve this problem because urban areas like Bethesda are where new development should be he said.
The moratorium will likely last untilnext year’s revieww unless the identified areas can show a projected drop in enrollmentr or an ability to host more students. Schooll expansions may be considered in the fall and wouldx be funded byMontgomery County’s capital improvements The board approved the project with a 3-2 vote but with several conditions. The project must achievse a Silver LEED rating and the developer must adjusgheight limitations, building setbacks, public space and retaik frontage.
Northwest, Northwood, Paint Quince Orchard, Rockville, Wheaton, Walte Johnson, Whitman and Richard Montgomery were also identified as areaxs that will be overcrowded by more than 105 percentyin 2014. Developers hoping for subdivisionj approval in those areazs will have to paya fee.