The Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday approved plans by Bethesda-based builders W.C. & A.N. Miller Development Co. to build a 118-unit residential development at the Shops at Sumner Place in southwest Bethesda.
Company President Robert Miller told the board before its unanimous vote that he is “excited about the opportunity to create some more housing” in the community. The development company has owned the shopping center, at 4701 Sangamore Road, since the mid-1930s and has been in business in Montgomery County since the late 1920s, Miller said.
The board approved the developer’s preliminary plan, site plan, and forest conservation plan after expressing disappointment that the density of the proposed project had decreased by 30 units from the total listed in a previously submitted plan.
According to the company, reducing the number of units was a compromise the company made with community members who were concerned about the north end of the proposed residential building overlooking a swimming pool on the grounds of the Sumner Village Condominium complex to the east of the property, as well as the building overlapping the view of a building in the complex.
To appease the neighbors’ concerns, the developer’s architect said they redesigned their plans to make the building narrower and shortened its southern end, resulting in the loss of about 8,000 square feet of space and the creation of a pocket park that residents in the area could enjoy, developers said.
The developers said reducing the building’s density was their efforts to be “good neighbors” with the existing condominium communities nearby.
Planning Board Chair Artie Harris questioned the decision to change the original plans.
“We want to respect the neighbors, but what’s reasonable? Because it seems like you made a lot of concessions to create community support–which you want to get community support–but how far is too far?” Harris asked the developers.
Commissioner Josh Linden said he thought the building would be a great addition to the neighborhood, especially because it would provide customers for the shopping center. But he also was concerned about the reduction in the number of housing units.
“That is concerning to me given our stated goals and the fact that this is in ways an ideal location for this kind of infill [development]. I personally would like to see us kind of try to maximize the unit potential on the site,” Linden said, referring to the county’s housing targets.
However, Linden also said he sees the project as a collaborative way to build more housing and believes these types of projects should be implemented across the county.
The project calls for a building that would be 57 feet high and that would replace a bank pad and a portion of the shopping center’s parking lot, planning documents state.
The building will include 18 moderately priced dwelling units, which is about 15.2% of the total units offered and more than the 12.5% minimum that is required by the county for the area, according to planning documents.
Parking will be provided under the building for residents and plans include pedestrian improvements, such as wider sidewalks with street buffers.
Aside from redeveloping the bank pad at the site, the rest of the shopping center will be largely unaffected by the development. Gregorio’s Trattoria, Bethesda Market, Praline Bakery and the Westwood Pet Center are among the businesses and offices that call the Shops at Sumner Place home.