Equity one, the company that recently bought much of the Westbard area of Bethesda, wants to create a “signature” main street on Westbard Avenue with pedestrian crossings and upscale retailers to replace loading docks and driveways.
It’s partnering with a residential developer known for its luxury townhouse communities around the D.C. area and promised to make an honest effort to keep every existing retailer in its new project.
But before any of that, Equity One must get zoning changes that would only come about in a rewrite of the 1982 Westbard Sector Plan, a plan that’s low down on the county Planning Department’s work schedule.
Michael Berfield, executive vice president of development, said the company is talking to the Planning Department and Council staff about moving the Sector Plan up.
Berfield has a compelling argument. The area’s plan hasn’t been updated in 32 years, well outside the typical 20-25 year window for sector plans. Also, the developer is ready to move now.
Berfield and a staff of architects, traffic planners and others didn’t reveal any renderings or square footage numbers on Tuesday night in a public presentation at Whitman High School.
But they did make clear they had a mixed-use concept in mind and presented a bubble diagram showing roughly where retail, residential and mixed-use buildings would go.
The Westbard Sector Plan could be moved to this year in the Planning Department’s work schedule during the Council’s review of its budget on April 7 and April 21.
The sector plan process typically takes two or three years and would mean a lot more community meetings like the one on Tuesday.
Equity One hosted about 200 nearby residents in the high school’s auditorium. On the stage was a large projector screen showing the developer’s “design principles.”
Equity One bought Westwood Towers, Springhouse by Manor Care, Bowlmor Lanes and two Citgo stations last year and finalized the acquisition of Westwood Shopping Center and Westwood Center II early this year.
Since its last set of community meetings in January and February, Berfield said Equity One got about 300 comments on its website, sent a survey to 4,000 random nearby residents and had nearly a dozen meetings with smaller groups in apartment complexes and other spots around Westbard.
During a question and answer session on Tuesday, some expressed nervousness about residential density or the traffic more housing might bring to Westbard Avenue, already a popular cut-thru route for drivers going from River Road to Massachusetts Avenue.
The bubble diagram showed a “Retail Main Street” on Westbard Avenue with four cut-thrus on the west side of the street and five cut-thrus on the east side of the street. Westwood Center II and the Bowlmor Bethesda would be turned into mixed-use buildings.
The Westwood Tower Apartments would remain and the Springhouse by Manor Care building and area north of Ridgefield Road near River Road would remain residential.
The Giant Food-anchored Westwood Shopping Center would be retail closer to Westbard Avenue and residential on the site of the existing surface parking lot.
Berfield said Equity One held a breakfast meeting for about 50 of the existing businesses in the properties and promised to “make it economically reasonable for them to stay,” through any redevelopment.
The developer will seek national tenants.
“When you think about the supply of retail that’s in this market, it’s hard to see that the redevelopment that we’re talking about creates that kind of regional destination,” Berfield said. “What we want, is not necessarily to create a center where we draw people from a wider market. We’re happy with the market that it serves now. What we want, is to keep you there longer. We want you to stay there for all of your shopping needs, not just for going to the Giant or the drycleaner.”
For some in Westbard, that means a trip to downtown Bethesda. The presentation made it clear the redevelopment would seek to keep Westbard residents from doing that.
“Unlike Bethesda, the parking will be free,” said Nancy Wells, a transportation consultant on the project.
That elicited cheers from the crowd.
Berfield said Equity One is finalizing a partnership with EYA, the developer known for its luxury townhouse communities, including a new one just down the street from Westbard at Little Falls.
Berfield said he expects to have a better idea of if the Westbard Sector Plan rewrite will happen in April.
