Northwood News ♦ June 2004

Changes Proposed for Woodmoor

By Charles G. Pritchard

I have in hand a copy of a 27 May 2004 letter from Emily J. Vaias of Linowes and Blocher, attorneys at law in Bethesda, addressed to Reginal T. Jetter at the Department of Permitting Services in Rockville.  The subject of the letter is a parking waiver for Woodmoor Shopping Center.  The letter requests a waiver for parking standards for the Center on behalf of First Washington Realty, which manages Woodmoor.

The waiver is in support of a significant change in the configuration of the center, moving the Bank of America from its current location to “a pad site along the rear of the center now occupied by an office building located at the corner of University Boulevard and Lexington Drive.”  The existing structure would be demolished.  The new bank will include three drive-through lanes, including a drive-up ATM.  The bank’s current space within the Center “will be consumed by existing tenants who will expand into available space,” writes Vaias.

With the relocation of the bank, the overall square footage for the center will increase slightly, to 90,806 sq.ft.  According to the letter, the Montgomery County Code requires a retail center this size to have 336 parking spots.  Woodmoor currently has 233 and this would drop to 210 once the bank is constructed.

Vaias argues that the reduction in parking is justified because:  (1) the drive-through lanes and ATM “will significantly decrease the parking demand, especially on Fridays and other heavy banking days,” and (2) because the old Bank of America space “will be consumed” by existing tenants, “it is not anticipated that ‘new’ customers will be brought to the Center necessarily, but that existing customers will be better served by not only the new bank but also by the other improved shops in the Center and customers may be able to eliminate trips they would have otherwise made to other locations.”

The letter was accompanied by drawings showing the changes, which will be on display at the 9 June meeting, where we will discuss this issue.   ■