Silver Spring Development News

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by Molo

Silver Spring is a city, not a suburb.
It's like Richmond, Towson or Wilmington...maybe larger.
There's nothing urban about anything in northern VA. (All highway and midrises)

I think it has a suburb feel like Annapolis.
Now Columbia is a suburb...probably 60% Bmore--40% DC. Hell, the entire Howard county is for that matter. Buses don't even go there, let alone trains.

I group all these suburbs together...Huntvalley, Fairfax, Columbia, Arlington, Owings Mills, Alexandria, Woodlawn.

Silver Spring can hold its own.

Silver Spring is a city, not a suburb. VERY FALSE
It's like Richmond, Towson or Wilmington...maybe larger. TRUE (I disagree with S.S. being like Richmond. Richmond's a little bigger)
There's nothing urban about anything in northern VA. (All highway and midrises) VERY TRUE..........lol
I think it has a suburb feel like Annapolis. NOT QUITE, BUT CLOSE
Now Columbia is a suburb...probably 60% Bmore--40% DC. Hell, the entire Howard county is for that matter. Buses don't even go there, let alone trains.
TRUE
I group all these suburbs together...Huntvalley, Fairfax, Columbia, Arlington, Owings Mills, Alexandria, Woodlawn. NOT QUITE. Columbia and Arlington are in a league slightly ahead of the other 5

Silver Spring can hold its own. MOST DEFINITELY. 100% TRUE.

[NovaWolverine]

I'm not pressed on Richmond, but it's a state capitol with universities and fortune 500 companies present, I know silver spring has a strong business presence, they have advantages over eachother, but overall, they're not really comparable.

I agree about Columbia and Arlington too, and Alexandria and Fairfax too. they're both more urban or significant than Hunt Valley and Owings Mills.

Silver Spring can very well hold its own I agree, it will evolve and become better, but it's definitely within DC's heavy heavy influence which is important.

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by Molo

Silver Spring is a city, not a suburb.
It's like Richmond, Towson or Wilmington...maybe larger.
There's nothing urban about anything in northern VA. (All highway and midrises)

I think it has a suburb feel like Annapolis.
Now Columbia is a suburb...probably 60% Bmore--40% DC. Hell, the entire Howard county is for that matter. Buses don't even go there, let alone trains.

I group all these suburbs together...Huntvalley, Fairfax, Columbia, Arlington, Owings Mills, Alexandria, Woodlawn.

Silver Spring can hold its own.

Very well said and pretty much all true ESPECIALLY the last part of the first line.

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by NovaWolverine

I'm not pressed on Richmond, but it's a state capitol with universities and fortune 500 companies present, I know silver spring has a strong business presence, they have advantages over eachother, but overall, they're not really comparable.

I agree about Columbia and Arlington too, and Alexandria and Fairfax too. they're both more urban or significant than Hunt Valley and Owings Mills.

Silver Spring can very well hold its own I agree, it will evolve and become better, but it's definitely within DC's heavy heavy influence which is important.

The interesting thing and huge difference between Silver Spring and Arlington, even Behtesda is that they all have major government agencies that basically fueled their growth. Arlington was fueld by the Pentagon with the majority business related to defense. Bethesda is held down by NIH and Navy Medical Center. Silver Spring simply grew out all on it's own, sure NOAA is there but the place was already well developed and renowned way before they arrived. Today Discovery is the anchor and that is a private firm.

[vivo]

um Howard County does have buses

[KGB89]

I was just going to add that, there's the Howard Transit green buses and commuter buses to Baltimore, Washington, and BWI

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by MasonsInquiries

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! The preservation of the "old" mixed with alot of the "new". I love the look of this project in general. It's really going to blend in with the other projects there.

They don't do this in the suburbs.

[Molo]

Also, I think Silver Spring is the only one that has that real city feel.

Ground level retail, foot traffic, metro hub, good cluster of midrise buildings.

Bethesda and Towson have the feel, but you know they're suburbs of large cities.

Now NOVA is like Charles Village or University City...very nice, walkable, pricey, car oriented, midrise apartments and condos everywhere and very scenic. It's kinda hard to put Annaplolis in suburb.

Now in 5 years, Hanover will be next in these debates. They're building like crazy over there, and will not want to be called suburb any longer.

[JAB323]

Originally Posted by Molo

Now in 5 years, Hanover will be next in these debates. They're building like crazy over there, and will not want to be called suburb any longer.

I don't know about that, but you are right, the Hanover/Arundel Mills area is growing FAST!!! It's really sneaking up. Not too long ago, there was no mall, no hotels, no office, no homes, nothing. It was just a little zip code. Now it's a big zip code, with Canon Stadium, home of the Maryland High School baseball championships!

[StevenW]

Where does Rockville fit into all of this? City or suburb?

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Where does Rockville fit into all of this? City or suburb?

Technically speaking Rockvlle is a city because it is incorporated and Montgomery County's county seat but it has a while to go before it catches up to Bethesda and Silver Spring. It has a few tall buildings where governemnt offices are located but it looks more TOD than Urbanized City, plus the Rockville Town Center project will make it more "old town" than "downtown". The Twinbrook project about a mile down 355 (Rockville Pike) will be more urbanized(after being annexed into the city) but it is too far away from the density around Rockville government center\town center to be considered one continous urbanized area. Overall Rockville pike needs to cleanup the strip malls but in the near future watch for North Bethesda to become an ubran Bethesda 2, they have the 19 story Midtown Bethesda North going up and a whole nother slew of highrises going up.

P.S.: check beyonddc soon, I will post soem Rockville Town Center Pics of the model.

[Silver Springer]

The Galaxy


Description:
The developer of the Aurora on Eastern Avenue has proposed an Optional Method project known as the Galaxy on the adjoining CBD-1 property, also located within the South Silver Spring Overlay District. (Both projects are illustrated on the graphic at top left.) The project would include 321 dwelling units and 27,000 square feet of on-site public use space. Sufficient private parking spaces are proposed to serve both this project and the Aurora at a ratio of one space per unit. The applicant will also construct a significant number of public parking spaces pursuant to an agreement with Montgomery County that enables the developer to include Parking Lot 16 within the new project. The proposed heights of the buildings in the Galaxy project range from 45' along Eastern Avenue to 125' to the north.

Note: The portion along Eastern avenue will have to conform to Washington, D.C. streetscaping standards.



Status

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

MNCPPC Staff Contact:
Robert Kronenberg, (301) 495-2187, e-mail


Applicant:
RST Development
6001 Montrose Road, Suite 1001
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 816-4243
Attention: Mr. Scott Copeland


Opportunities for Public Participation:
The Planning Board held a public hearing on the proposed site plan on January 12, 2006.

Planning Board Review Process & Case Number(s):
Site Plan #8-20060130

Planning Board Action:
Preliminary Plan #1-05089 and Project Plan #9-05005 were approved on July 28, 2005. Site plan #8-20060130 was approved on January 12, 2006.

comments
RST has done a lot in downtown Silver Spring, renovating the The abandoned Gramax, William and Whistle buildings but once again residents are pushing for some common sense changes like adding a retail and office component for this group of 3 100%residential condo buildings,with the tallest being 12 stories. this also the second largest project by units in Siilver Spring, the developer has also been the fastest to date with going from project plan to site plan and then to demolishing buildings and construction in a matter of 8 months but unfortunately the project is the least aesthetically pleasing. IMO this is the ugliest project out of all proposed, it has a 1960's dated design to it but it has grown on me since visiting the new website at galaxysilverspring.com . We may see some "red brick" as requested by one concerned resident to break up the sea of blandness.

[StevenW]

Thank you.

[Silver Springer]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Thank you.

You're welcome!

[Silver Springer]

Cameron Hill


Description:
Eakin Yougentob has constructed 57 townhouses one block from the Metro station at Second Avenue and Cameron Street. The Fidler Lane Urban Park is located at the south end of the development near Colesville Road.

Status

COMPLETED

MNCPPC Staff Contact:
Glenn Kreger, (301) 495-1304, e-mail

Applicant:
Eakin Yougentob, (703) 525-5565

Opportunities for Public Participation:
Completed

Planning Board Review Process & Case Number:
Preliminary Plan # 1-98104

Planning Board Action:
Preliminary Plan # 1-98104 approved on September 1998

comments
Completed in the beginning of the revitalization planners are now regretting approving the plan as it seems out of place amongst the density and high rises at the time they were desperate for anything. Residents are protesting a 13 story highrise called the Portico directly next to there townhomes.

[Silver Springer]

Eastern Village Co-Housing: A LEED Silver Rated Green Building

comments
Silver Spring is setting the trend with an influx of High-Performance Green buildings. I don't think any other area in the D.C. metro has more green buildings. Places like Alexandria are only finally getting their first when Silver Spring has had them for years now ith many more to come. The Eastern Village Co-Housing is a Silver Rated building with a Geothermal well, Intensive and extensive green roofs of a renovated former office building. There is also office space next door with the tenant being the Architectural\Civil Firm who designed the building. http://www.easternvillage.org/

Description: A former office building at 7981 Eastern Avenue [that borders Washington, D.C.] was renovated by Eco-Housing into 56 co-housing units. Co-housing is a form of housing that began in Denmark about 40 years ago and spread to this country in the late 1980s. It attempts to foster community by allowing residents to share some living spaces, such as common dining facilities.


MNCPPC Staff Contact:
Glenn Kreger, (301) 495-4653, e-mail


Applicant:
Eco-Housing Corporation, Ms. Ann Zabaldo (202)291-7892

Opportunities for Public Participation:
N/A

Planning Board Review Process & Case Number:
N/A

Planning Board Action:
N/A

Notes from M-NCPPC Staff Contact:
This project involves the renovation of an existing building and was therefore able to obtain the necessary building permits without the M-NCPPC reviews required for new development.

[Expat]

Silver Springer, thanks for keeping us up to date with all the great stuff going on in Silver Spring. I would love to have a condo at the Galaxy with a wrap-around, space-age balcony.

[JAB323]

Nice Project

[Silver Springer]

No prob! Still a few more to go.

[Silver Springer]

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