Rockville Planning Commission Meeting - February 26, 2025
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Rockville Planning Commission Meeting - February 26, 2025
The Rockville Planning Commission held a hybrid meeting on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 7:00 PM (assumed evening) to review and act on a level two site plan for the Twinbrook Hines mixed-use development and to initiate the preliminary annexation plan for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Shady Grove Metro Station properties. The meeting included staff presentations, applicant presentations, public testimony, and unanimous votes on both agenda items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Susie Tatarian (owner of 1830 Chapman Avenue): Expressed general support for the project but raised several concerns including potential foundation damage during excavation, water runoff from the proposed 10-story building onto her property, placement of electric transformers near the property line, blockage of windows, loss of a designated drop-off area on Thompson Avenue, and traffic conflicts with delivery trucks and the new bus loop. She requested mitigation measures.
- Kerboard Petarian (owner of adjacent property): Questioned the proposed removal of on-street parking and the drop-off area on Thompson Avenue, and expressed concern about building elements potentially overhanging his property. He asked for clarification on parking availability and building setbacks.
Discussion Items
1. Level Two Site Plan Application STP 2022-00436 – Twinbrook Hines
- Proposal: Construction of 437 multifamily units, 5,075 square feet of retail/restaurant space, relocation of a WMATA bus loop, and stormwater management facilities on a 4.01-acre site at 1700, 1800, and 1818 Chapman Avenue in the PD-TC and MXTD zones.
- Staff Presentation: Nelson Ortiz from Community Planning and Development Services presented the site plan, noting that the project implements a previously approved project plan (Project Plan 2022-00014). The plan includes a relocated bus loop, a stormwater management vault under the existing Kiss and Ride, and a 10-story mixed-use building with 437 parking spaces (including 10 EV charging stations and 24 EV-ready spaces), 148 long-term bicycle spaces, and 66 moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs). Staff found the proposal compliant with zoning and recommended approval subject to conditions.
- Applicant Presentation: Heather Delkulski (attorney for Hines) and Moira Dollywall (Hines) presented the project team and design. Architect Casey Huntington (Hord Coplan Macht) and landscape architect Benjamin Boyd (Design Workshop) detailed the building massing, ground-floor retail, public plaza, linear park, stormwater management, and landscaping. The applicant agreed with all staff conditions. The team addressed questions about EV parking (10% of spaces EV-ready) and pedestrian paths to the metro station.
- Commissioner Discussion: Commissioners praised the transit-oriented design and pedestrian connectivity. Concerns were raised about future parking demand from ride-sharing and deliveries, as the building’s parking will be internal and on-street spaces are limited. Staff noted that a 28% parking reduction was granted by the Mayor and Council as part of the project plan. Commissioner Eric Fulton asked about EV expansion capability; the applicant confirmed plans to manage EV spaces based on demand.
- Vote: Commissioner Susan Pittman moved to approve the site plan with staff findings and conditions. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (all five commissioners present voting aye).
2. Preliminary Annexation Plan ANX 2023-00147 – Shady Grove Metro Station Properties
- Proposal: Annexation of approximately 109 acres of WMADA -owned land (Shady Grove Metro Station and rail yard) and a portion of CSX Transportation property into Rockville city limits. The annexation was initiated by the Mayor and Council in October 2023. The Planning Commission’s role is to recommend a preliminary annexation plan.
- Staff Presentation: Manisha Tewari (Planning and Research Manager) outlined the legal basis (Maryland law allows annexation of tax-exempt land without owner consent if 25% of voters/property owners consent; WMATA provided a consent letter). The proposed zoning is MXTD (Mixed-Use Transit District), consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and the county’s Shady Grove Master Plan. The plan describes land use, public services, and financing. Staff noted that development would require additional police services, but specific impacts would be evaluated during site plan review. Pros include tax revenue and branding; cons include added costs if no development occurs soon.
- Commissioner Discussion: Chair Espinosa asked about the status of the annexation with the current Mayor and Council (the directive came from the previous council). Staff confirmed only the introduction has occurred; the annexation plan has not been presented to the current council. Commissioners discussed the high potential for transit-oriented development (up to 40 acres of developable land) but noted the risk of near-term costs against potential long-term revenue. Concerns were raised about infrastructure costs for water and sewer (likely developer-funded). Commissioner Salahoudin noted that the property lacks direct major thoroughfare frontage, which may hinder development desirability. Commissioner Soon expressed optimism and asked about parking integration; staff explained that parking would be provided in garages within developments, similar to Twinbrook. Staff also noted that a fiscal impact analysis is being prepared for the Mayor and Council.
- Vote: Commissioner Eric Fulton moved to approve the preliminary annexation plan and set a public hearing date of March 26, 2025. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Level Two Site Plan Application STP 2022-00436 for the Twinbrook Hines development (437 units, retail, bus loop, stormwater facilities) – unanimous vote.
- Approved: Preliminary Annexation Plan ANX 2023-00147 for the Shady Grove Metro Station properties, with public hearing set for March 26, 2025 – unanimous vote.
- Next steps for Twinbrook Hines: plat filing and permit applications.
- Next steps for annexation: transmit plan and public hearing notice to state, county, and regional agencies; Planning Commission public hearing on March 26; then referral to Mayor and Council for adoption.
- Upcoming meetings: March 12, 2025 (zoning text amendment for floating zone in Town Center, briefing on Boulevard at Ansel conversion, record plots); March 26, 2025 (annexation public hearing, parking waiver at 1251 West Montgomery Avenue).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, Rockville. This is uh Wednesday, February 26, 2025. This is meeting 02-25 of the City of Rockville Planning Commission. I am Jamie Espinosa, Chair of the Planning Commission. I am joined in chambers tonight by Commissioner Cheyenne Salahoudin, Commissioner Susan Pittman, Commissioner Eric Fulton, and online being joined by Commissioner Meng Soon. Tonight's meeting is being conducted in person and virtually by WebAX. Today's agenda includes two review and action items, which include level two site plan application STP 2022-00436. Also included a review of the preliminary annexation plan ANX 2023-00147. This will be followed by a regularly scheduled commissioned items. So our first agenda item tonight, as I said, is level two site plan application STP 2022-00436, Twimbrook Hines to permit construction of 437 multifamily units, 5,075 square feet of retail or restaurant use and stormwater management facilities on a portion of 1700 Chapman Avenue and 181818 Chapman Avenue in the PD-TC Plan Development Twinbrook Commons and MXTD mixed use transit district zones Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Heinz Applicate. I turn it over to Mr. Wasalak for the staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the Commission. You may recall this application was before you in the form of a project plan that was previously reviewed and approved by the mayor and council. And the site plan will implement that project plan. Can you identify yourself for the record? Nelson Ortiz with Community Planning and Development Services. And will you provide truthful testimony this evening? I will. Please proceed. Good evening. This is Level 2 Site Plan Application STP 2022 00436, Twinbrook Hines. The property is located on a portion of 1700 Chapman Avenue, shaded in blue, and 1800 and 1818 Chapman Avenue shaded in green. Wamada is the uh owner of the property uh at 1700 Chapman Avenue, and Hines is either the owner or the contract purchaser of 1800 and 1818 Chapman Avenue. The level two site plan area is 4.01 acres in size. The property's land use designation is Office Commercial Residential Mix. The property has uh two uh different uh zonings. Uh the 1700 Chapman portion is zoned PDTC, Plan Development Twinbrook Commons, and the 1800 uh and 1818 uh Chapman uh properties are zoned MXTD mixed use transit district. The applicants, uh Womada and Heinz, uh have submitted this application to implement project plan application 2022 00014, which was approved by the mayor and council in October of 2022. Uh they're proposing to implement this project plan application by constructing 437 multifamily units, 5,075 square feet of retail restaurant, relocate a bus loop and stormwater management. So this is the site plan, and I've highlighted the three main components for this project. Um if I go back very quickly, uh if you can see my cursor here, this area is currently a stormwater management pond within Wamada's property. This stormwater management pond is proposed to be relocated into a vault within the transit facilities and open space area. Uh underneath the existing Kissin ride for Wamada's Twinbrook Metro station. Um the applicant is also proposing uh bus loop uh extension uh relocation, uh, which is shaded in blue. Currently uh everyone's that familiar with the site and knows that there is a uh bus loop uh where buses enter from Chapman Avenue at this location. And they go around and exit on Chapman Avenue. The proposed bus loop, the relocated bus loop will have buses entering the loop through Thompson Avenue and eventually exit through the current entrance off of Chapman Avenue. That's the long-term vision for this relocated bus loop. And then finally, you can see the proposed multifamily building shaded in yellow. A total of 437 vehicle parking spaces, inclusive of 10 EV charging stations and 24 EV ready spaces, and 148 long-term bicycle parking spaces are proposed within the building's lower levels. The building will be sited along or close to the property lines, except where it's set back a few feet to allow building articulation for visual interest along the streetscape and facade. The building's primary entrance into the residential lobby is located at the corner of Chapman Avenue and the existing bus loop entrance and the ground floor retail restaurant space entrances located on Chapman Avenue. Private ground floor units located along the north side of the building will be proposed via public use space. Vehicle ingress and egress will be provided via Thompson Avenue as well as the building's refuse and loading areas. In reviewing this findings, staff find that the applicant is replacing underutilized underutilized site with a transit-oriented development. The mayor and council found through the project plan proposal that the project is compliant with the adequate public facilities ordinance. And the proposal will be constructed in accordance with various water sewer, stormwater management, erosion, and sediment control, and other improvements related to this project will be constructed per applicable building codes and standards. As far as condition number two, constitute a violation of any provision of the zoning ordinance or other applicable law.
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