Development & Projects
As our community ages, maintaining, enhancing and adding to our infrastructure, facilities and amenities is a must. The Montgomery Village Foundation Board of Directors is dedicated to keeping the Village a desirable, flourishing community in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Use the below links for information regarding current development and projects in and around Montgomery Village.
Montgomery Village Avenue Water Main Replacement
The work continues along Montgomery Village Ave to replace the water main along Montgomery Village Avenue from MidCounty to Centerway Road. This two-year project began in April 2022 and was anticipated to be finished toward the beginning of 2024. Due to recent material delays, the project is now expected to be completed in 2025.
As of February 2023, approximately 50% of the pipe installation is complete. Due to the materials delay, repaving of the completed areas will be performed ahead of schedule, in the near future.
Any sidewalks, roads and landscaping that are affected by the project will be completely restored to their original state after the construction is complete.
The pipes being replaced span 0.97 miles along Montgomery Village Avenue from Midcounty Highway to Centerway Road, and include entrances to Lake Shore Drive, Stedwick Road, Whetstone Drive and Centerway Road. The current pipes were installed in the 1960s and are nearing their end-of-life cycle. Replacing these pipes will help reduce future disruptions from water main breaks. The new ductile iron pipes have a corrosion protection which provides a life expectancy of 100 years on the new installation.
All work is be performed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. with road lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. In the event that both lanes on the southbound side of Montgomery Village Avenue are closed, traffic will be routed in both directions on the opposite northbound side.
Within the scope of the project are the installation of new water mains and new service lines up to the property line. Residences may experience water shut offs up to 8 hours; advanced notice (48 to 72 hours) will be given to affected property owners. WSSC Water noted that reliable water and sewer service will be maintained during construction, and property owners will always have access to their properties. Interior home access and access to private property are not required for this work. Parking restrictions may be put in place in a work area during any given day; advance notice will also be provided for these disruptions.
Lakeforest Mall Redevelopment
For full information on the City of Giathersburg's plan with WRS to redevelopment the Lakeforest Mall property, click here.
MVF Board President Scott Dyer's Tetstimony from January 17 zoning and sketch plan hearing
Watkins Mill Pool Site Repurposing
The Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Department of Recreation and Parks staff have been working to move forward with the reimagining of Watkins Mill Recreation Area. In February 2020, the MVF Board of Directors approved the concept of outdoor fitness equipment on the site. In addition to the fitness equipment, there will be an exercise track installed at the location and the existing playground will be moved to a location closer to the gym equipment. This reimagining of the recreation area will replace the underutilized pool with a year-round fitness amenity open to all residents.
After the MVF Board of Directors approved moving forward with the project, staff began researching various outdoor fitness options for the site. Currently, staff have three options of fitness equipment they would like to share with the community and receive feedback on. Staff believes that all three options would provide a full body workout for users, and that whichever option is chosen will be a unique addition to the community.
In addition, to the three designs staff are presenting, there are two additional options being considered to enhance the site. These include lighting and shade structure for the gym area. By lighting the area, users would be able to use the equipment later into the evening hours. Evening hours provide users the ability to avoid the heat of summer by working out during cooler hours, after traditional work hours and after the sun has gone down. Adding shading over the gym area will be able to increase use by keeping users cooler in the summer months and protecting them from the elements. Both of these were not presented in the original concept plan; however, staff believe both of these options will increase use and user satisfaction with the end product.
For more information or questions about this project, contact Amy Potocko at apotocko@mvf.org.
Village Center Revitalization
Great progress is being made with the facelift and infrastructure improvements for Phase I of the Village Center project. The developer, Atlantic Realty Companies, has not yet filed a Preliminary Plan for the Watkins Mill side of the project, which will include condominium units and townhouses.
MVF Resolution to Support Village Center Sketch Plan
Lidl Grocery Store
Lidl US, hosted a Grand Opening event on Wednesday, Feb. 9, to celebrate its newest store in Montgomery Village, 19225 Montgomery Village Avenue. A ribbon cutting celebration with local leaders began at 7:40 a.m. The store, which will operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, will offer shoppers incredible daily savings on Lidl’s highly-awarded range of products.
“Our county welcomes Lidl to Montgomery Village, offering a wonderful additional option to the community,” said Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice. “As an international company with a reputation for value and quality, we know Lidl will receive a warm, enthusiastic welcome from our residents. We look forward to Lidl’s partnership with our community as well as its much-anticipated success here in Montgomery County.”
Store Features
Lidl has been repeatedly recognized for its shopping experience. For the second consecutive time, Food & Wine Magazine recently ranked Lidl among its Top 10 U.S. Supermarket rankings – ahead of retailers like Trader Joe’s and Costco. A study from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School observed that prices on Lidl’s award-winning assortment were up to 45% lower than nearby national grocers.
When entering the new store, shoppers can also expect to experience the following:
World-Class Shopping Experience
- Save time and money each week with Lidl’s award-winning assortment and highly attractive prices.
- The new food market will be a newly fitted-out store with an easy-to-shop layout that will mean a faster and more convenient shop for customers. The U.S. EPA has recognized Lidl stores for their environmentally-friendly designs.
Quality Without Question
- Healthy, responsible choices, including hundreds of organic and gluten-free products.
- Unique specialty items ranging from hard-to-find cheeses to authentic specialty sauces, cured meats and more – all at incredibly affordable prices.
- Award-winning foods – Lidl’s private label products have won more than 500 awards.
- The Lidl Love it Guarantee – A logo that guarantees customer satisfaction; shoppers love the product they buy – or they are entitled to a refund, and a replacement.
Surprise and Delight
- Lidl offers an ever-changing selection of food and non-food specials brought in each Wednesday for a limited time, keeping the shopping experience exciting and new. The rotating non-food selection will include fitness gear, small kitchen appliances, toys, outdoor furniture and more.
Committed to Fresh
- Lidl produce is brought in fresh each day and features more than 100 high-quality fresh fruit and vegetable options at amazingly affordable prices.
- All Lidl flowers are guaranteed fresh and beautiful for 5 days at a minimum, with roses and lilies guaranteed for 7 days.
- Lidl’s fresh bakery will greet customers at the entrance of the new store.
Focused On Our People
- Lidl offers wages and benefits for its team that are above the industry standard in every market in which it operates.
- Lidl offers healthcare coverage to all team members, including those working part-time, regardless of the number of hours worked.
About Lidl
Lidl operates around 11,550 stores and is active in 32 countries, employing more than 341,000 employees globally. Lidl offers customers the highest quality fresh produce, meat, bakery items and a wide array of household products at unbelievably low prices. Lidl first established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, in June 2015, and today sells its award-winning products in more than 150 stores across nine east coast states. For more information, visit www.Lidl.com.
Wightman Road Culvert Replacement
Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to replace the culvert that goes under Wightman Road which is 250’ west of the intersect of Goshen and Wightman. The project is needed as the current corrugated metal pipe culvert is deteriorating and the hydraulic capacity of the existing culvert is limited, and as a result larger flood events are overtopping the roadway, causing a safety hazard for motorists and pedestrians alike.
The proposed new culvert will be a larger three-cell system which is used throughout Montgomery County and Maryland. This new system will be extended 25’ at the upstream end and 5’ on the downstream end to accommodate the future roadway section for Wightman Road, including all shared use paths specified in the Master Plan for this area.
The County is requesting that Montgomery Village Foundation sign a Letter of Agreement (attached) which includes different easements:
- The portion of the roadway maintained by the County, including the asphalt and associated traffic barriers that are not within County Right-of-Way, will need to be formally dedicated to the County through a prescriptive easement.
- A perpetual easement for Right-of-Way will need to be obtained from the Montgomery Village Foundation from the edge of the traffic barrier to the edge of the existing MDOT SHA stream restoration easement. This will allow the County to perform future maintenance of the proposed improvements, as well as accommodate future roadway improvement projects in accordance with the Master Plan for the area.
- A temporary construction easement will need to be obtained from the Montgomery Village Foundation by the County for access to construct the culvert replacement project.
The culvert needs to be addressed due to the safety issues identified by the County. One concern that staff had was the impact of the higher velocity of water from the culvert replacement impacting the stream restoration project. The County, as outlined in the Letter of Agreement, states that the design consultant will develop a design that allows the proposed larger culvert to convey the required discharge while also meeting the stream restoration requirements for the recent North Creek restoration. The North Creek steam restoration easement is held by Maryland Department of Transportation State Highways Administration (MDOT SHA). On January 11th Montgomery County, MDOT SHA, Ecotone, and MVF met virtually to discuss the mechanisms that will be used to control the increased velocity of water. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was concluded that the County contractor would slow hydraulic velocity via a revised plunge pool, which meet Ecotone and MDOT SHA requirements. Post work the County contractor would replace vegetation.
Evergreen Apartment Complex Proposal
At a virtual public meeting on December 7, Evergreen Investment Company shared a concept plan with the community for a new apartment complex in Montgomery Village. The 7-story structure, that steps down in height to 4 stories is proposed to sit on the second parcel of the Lidl property, known as Lot 37, adjacent to the entrance to the Whetstone community.
Lerch Early Brewer Land Use Attorney Stacy Silber noted a previous version of the concept had been shared with the Whetstone community at the November homes corporation board meeting. Several changes had been made based on feedback received, including increasing the buffer area between the complex and Whetstone property; moving proposed amenities further from Whetstone; removing White Pine from the tree cover and replacing it with another species; and leaving the option for trail connectivity up to the Whetstone Homes Corporation (WHC).
Silber stressed that Evergreen had not filed any plans with Montgomery County, and what was being presented was conceptual and for additional community feedback. Evergreen proposed a “Class A” facility which boasts amenities including an on-site fitness center, outdoor passive gathering areas, 24-hour reception staff and doorman, in-unit wifi, stainless steel appliances, high-end flooring and much more. Silber noted proposal called for parking spaces above the minimum requirement, which would be located on the first two floors of the complex, with approximately five stories of residential units on top. Two loading births are provided, interior to the building and face the Lidl side of the building. Parking access into the building’s garage is also provided off of the façade facing Lidl. Pedestrians would access the building from the garage. With this design, all vehicles would enter the building or front entry from the Lidl parking lot side of the proposed new building and not from Whetstone Drive; the entrance would not be viewable from Whetstone.
KTGY Architect Ben Kasdan noted that the building design complies with the recommendations of the Montgomery Village Master Plan and the requirements of the Montgomery County Code. The proposed building includes step backs in height, with the lowest heights adjoining Whetstone, and the higher points stepping up towards Montgomery Village Avenue. Kasdan said that the original preliminary plan Lidl suggested for the site did propose additional retail stores on Lot 37, but the retail/office market has changed significantly since then, and the multi-family building is permitted by the Montgomery Village Master Plan, the Montgomery County Code and covenants for the property.
In 2016, the Montgomery Village Master Plan was approved and adopted by Montgomery County, after a 2-year public master plan process. The new master plan placed updated zoning on all properties in Montgomery Village, including the site which once housed the Professional Center. In October 2016, the Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Board of Directors approved changes to the covenant on the same property to be in line with that approved in the Master Plan and allowed by the Montgomery County Code; this was the only property in Montgomery Village with such a restrictive covenant, which was placed on the property by the Kettler Brothers. The proposed list of uses for the site listed in the covenant were reviewed by WHC before the MVF Board approved the final version.
The Board at the time decided to not put so many specific restrictions in the covenant so that it would not impede the redevelopment of the Professional Center which was in very bad shape and tenants were fleeing. The Board’s focus was on community development and encouraging the redevelopment of this festering property. They supported including the zoning (CRT) in the covenant so that it was not confusing for developers to understand the constraints on the property. It was recognized that any future more detailed site plan would need to be vetted with neighboring properties and the greater community as the county’s development process ensued.
Soltesz Technical Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture Keely Lauretti said that Evergreen will also help enhance the entrance to Whetstone if so desired. In addition, Lauretti described the recreation areas proposed for the Evergreen site, noting a small fenced gathering area; a water feature/fountain; dog station; and a passive linear greenspace recreation area, with possible connectivity to the adjacent Whetstone trails, if Whetstone desired such connectivity. If Whetstone did not desire the connectivity, Lauretti explained that the proposed sidewalks could be solely circulating just through the Evergreen property.
At its January 27 meeting, the MVF Board of Directors had a lengthy discussion regarding the Evergreen proposal. A number of residents submitted concerns prior to the meeting, as well as expressed concern for the project during Residents Time. WHC also submitted a request for the MVF Board to support their opposition to the project as proposed.
The Board agreed that Evergreen needed to be more responsive to resident concerns, provide an updated proposal and continue the community dialogue before filing a plan that would meet resident opposition with the county.
The Board approved a motion to send a letter to Evergreen outlining their expectations in continuance of the pre-submittal process. The letter asked Evergreen to: respond to previously submitted community concerns; not submit a plan to the Planning Board before responding to community concerns; and supply a revised preliminary plan that incorporates resident feedback. It was suggested that a community work session be held to facilitate these expectations and preview a revised proposal.
Following the meeting, the letter was sent to Evergreen on January 31. Representatives from Evergreen responded noting they would welcome the opportunity for a work session, and asked for time to review resident concerns and revise the proposal to bring back to the community. When the revision is complete, a work session will be scheduled.
Midcounty Highway Extended (M-83)
Testimony on M-83 Transportation Solutions
The following information is provided by the TAME Coalition regarding removing M-83 from the Montgomery County Highway Master Plan.
I-495 & I-270 P3 Program
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced the Traffic Relief Plan to reduce traffic congestion, increase economic development, but most importantly, enhance safety and return quality of life to Maryland commuters. This announcement goes hand-in-hand with the State’s determination and commitment to deliver state-of-the-art transportation solutions to Maryland residents.
To help address some of Maryland’s transportation challenges, the Traffic Relief Plan will incorporate many projects around the state by providing a “system of systems” for users including improvements to highways and transit. The largest initiative in the Traffic Relief Plan will evaluate improvements in the I-495 and I-270 corridors, which will consider transformative solutions to address congestion along these highways in Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties.
The I-495 & I-270 P3 Program is a historic effort to reduce congestion for millions of Maryland drivers by seeking input from the private sector to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain improvements on both I-495 and I-270. Improvements will be focused to transform these overloaded interstates to allow people to reach their destinations faster and to remove overflow traffic from the local roads.
Montgomery County information on EV Charging Stations
Recently, several MVF staff participated in an informational meeting on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for condominiums, co-op’s and townhouses, co-sponsored by several county agencies including the CCOC, DHCA, DPS and DEP. The aim of this webinar was to provide residents information on personal charging stations where installation and access may be complicated by common elements, as well as options for communities to install charging stations on their property.
Montgomery County is in favor of increased use of electric vehicles and zero emission vehicle technology for residents, as well as in their own fleet of vehicles. However, because so many residents live in common ownership communities, the issue of where to install personal or commercial chargers is beginning to surface. For example, a resident of a condominium may wish to install personal EV Charger for his/her vehicle, but the only space to do so is in a condominium-owned parking area and may require extensive work to run electricity to that location, disturbing—or causing the need to repair—the common element. The condo may need to decide if this is feasible for a handful of residents on an individual basis, or if it is more beneficial to install their own charging stations in convenient locations and charge for their use. With the popularity of EVs on the rise, the county is promoting ways to educate residents and communities on how to work together, and this webinar was a first step in that process.
Topics covered included: types of EV chargers; project management tips for communities; shared vs private charging and resident vs non-resident rates; consideration of governing documents; overview of typical project costs; available incentive programs (Pepco & others); long-term operational considerations; commercial permitting information; a specific local case study; and financing options.
Staff will continue to monitor this issue closely, as adding electric vehicles and potential charging stations are considered in the recently approved Organizational Green Plan.
EV Charging Station Presentation
Additional Resources
- www.montgomerycountymd.gov/green/zev/index.html
- https://marylandev.org/
- https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_charging_multi.html
- https://vci-mud.org/
- https://energy.maryland.gov/transportation/Pages/incentives_evserebate.aspx
- www.pepco.com/SmartEnergy/InnovationTechnology/Pages/MultifamilyPropertyIncentive.aspx
- www.bge.com/SmartEnergy/InnovationTechnology/Pages/MultifamilyPropertyRebateProgram.aspx
- www.evdrivenpe.com/multifamily/
- afdc.energy.gov/laws/inflation-reduction-act
MVGC Development/Bloom Montgomery Village
Monument Realty is happy to announce that Ryan Homes is constructing homes for the first phase of Bloom MV. The model homes will be located just off Montgomery Village Avenue, on the new Tall Oaks Road. Model home tours are available by appointment. The first new Bloom MV homeownershave moved into this new community!
Construction is ongoing in Areas 4 and 5, with the construction team working on water and sewer installation, final grading and street installation. Several roads and strings of townhomes have beenn constructed in the two areas, with more coming on line each week.
Site development work on phase two will begin next, with Area 1 (118 townhomes), Area 3B (19 single-family detached homes) and the new park all expected to start construction this summer. Delivery of the new park is still anticipated by the end of 2022.
The stream restoration planning to enhance the open space area and improve the health of the stream valley is continuing. RES, a national ecosystem restoration and water resource expert, continues to work with the State Highway Administration (SHA) and the county on design and permitting for the stream restoration work, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. In the meantime, some afforestation will take place in the stream valley park in advance of the stream restoration. By the end of the project, over 2,800 new trees (and additional shrubs and plantings) will have been added.
Lastly, the final site plan amendment for Areas 2, 3A and 6A was submitted in Fall 2021. Construction on these areas is expected to begin in the second half of 2022.
Monument Realty extends their gratitude to the community for the continued support, patience and interest in the project as it finally takes shape. For more information or questions, call 202-777-2000 or e-mail info@bloominmv.com.
Approved Drawings and Documents
For more information on Bloom, visit www.bloominmv.com/home.