Good evening, Rockville.

Today is Wednesday, April 8th, 2026.

This is meeting 626 of the City of Rockville Planning Commission.

I am Mongsen, Chair of the Planning Commission.

I'm joined in Chamber by Commissioners Jeff Zains, Sulan Pitman and Eric Foten, and online by Commissioner Jamie Esponosa.

Commissioner Shayen Saladin will join us shortly.

Tonight's meeting is being conducted in person and virtually by WebEx.

Tonight's agenda includes one review and action item, and this will be followed by our regular scheduled commission agendas.

And does any commissioner have any thoughts before we proceed?

Okay.

So let's proceed with today's fourth agenda.

Compatibility finding for residential youth in the MX e zone for level one set plan application 2026-225-STP.

A proposal to construct 68 tool over two condominium units at two research plays.

James Salt has and James and SOT has INC is the applicant.

So Mr.

Westlet, is there a presentation from staff?

Yes, madam chair.

Just by way of introduction, this is an unusual situation.

In the 17 years that we've had the current code, we've not encountered this.

But uh the project pencils out essentially to a level one site plan, which the chief of zoning is the approving authority.

But the way the code is written, the compatibility finding for this particular residential use in the this particular zone, which is the MXE, is required to be made by either the mayor and council or the planning commission if it is not recommended in the comprehensive plan.

So here we are, and uh you are tasked with making that compatibility finding this evening.

And with that, I will turn it over to Christopher Davis, who will make the staff presentation.

Thank you.

Good evening, Planning Commission.

Before Mr.

Davis begins, I will swear him in.

If you could identify yourself for the record.

Christopher Davis.

And will you provide truthful testimony?

I will.

Thank you.

Please proceed.

All right, thank you.

Good evening, Madam Chair and members of the commission.

Um, as Mr.

Wasserleck indicated, this is a compatibility finding for a level one site plan at two research place.

So as you can see on the screen, the uh subject property is highlighted in red.

It is located at two research place within planning area 15, corresponding to the Falls Grove and Research Boulevard area.

The site is approximately 2.8 acres in size and has a land use designation of office.

Uh the zoning for the property, as Mr.

Wasleck indicated, is MXE, which corresponds to the city's mixed use employment zone, and the existing use for the property is office.

Uh as you can see from the area, the property is improved with a uh office building centrally located on the site and provides um access via an existing driveway to research place, uh, the terminus of research place, which is a cul-de-sac.

As you can see from the surrounding properties, uh, they are also improved with uh centrally located office buildings surrounded by surface parking.

And the site further gains access from research place to research boulevard to the southwest.

Um, notably, as you can see, these properties above I-270 to the northeast.

Um, and uh the is a larger property to the south improves with several office buildings as well.

So for some brief background on this particular property, uh the site was approved for a level two site plan back in June of 2023, where the planning commission approved uh a multi building development, including a life science building uh with approximately 200,000 square feet of gross floor area and a multi story parking garage.

The applicant intended to move forward with that life science use, but was unable to find a tenant to fulfill that use, and subsequently that approval for the life science building expired in June of 2025.

The applicant has now shifted its intended purpose for the property, and their current proposal has shifted to a residential development where the proposal is to demolish the existing office building and construct 68 two over two condominium units.

Proposed, several with a north-south orientation, and most of the units with the east-west orientation.

As you can see, the development will be provided access from that research place CuldeSec via a new private driveway, which will give access to each of the units rear loaded garages.

There are several open spaces proposed on the site, most notably this central open space between the units, approximately plan center here as well as along the eastern or the plan east side of the property with several pedestrian and resident amenities proposed in those spaces.

Several additional parking spaces are proposed, plan north to provide visitor parking for the site.

So relating specifically to the compatibility finding, the zoning ordinance requires that the planning commission determine compatibility for the project, as Mr.

Waselec indicated due to the proposed residential use and the existing zoning for the site.

The plan and commission must determine that the use is compatible with the adjoining and confronting uses by means of landscaping screening or other measures.

So shown here on the screen is the applicant's proposed landscape plan.

Those treatments are anticipated to provide compatibility which with each of the adjoining uses surrounding the site.

Some example images of the landscaping are shown here on the screen.