On June 23, the GB Mall Limited Partnership presented the Greenbelt City Council with their Detailed Site Plan (DSP) for Phase One of the redevelopment of Beltway Plaza. Both council and staff had significant concerns regarding the plan and were reluctant to give their full approval, while generally acknowledging that some improvements have been made per their previous feedback and input from groups like the Advisory Planning Board (APB), the Park and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) and GreenACES. Five phases have been planned.
The DSP, which focuses mainly on the northern portion of Beltway Plaza (currently used for mall parking), includes the following: three multifamily residential buildings with a total of 750 units, a 92-room hotel and 27,068 square feet of indoor recreation space dedicated for use by the city. In a break from previous plans, a community garden is now an orchard park and a tot lot is now a public amphitheater. A 3,000-square-foot dog park and an art walk have been added. The three anchors remain: Giant grocery, Target and AMC movie theaters. There are four parking decks serving residents and retail, with surface and underground parking. Each of the residential buildings has interior courtyards with amenities such as a pool and outdoor dining features.
Sheryl Fishel, of Rodger’s Consulting, the main architects of the redevelopment, laid out the landscaping concepts which focus on connectivity throughout the site and create “a balance between human needs with environment and infrastructure.” Bioretention approaches that trap water in plantings and pools will predominate as a stormwater management system.
In a memo to council, the city’s planning staff laid out their main concerns about the DSP. These include their desire for an overall reduction in the building footprint(s) of the site (including the removal of the hotel) to allow for more open space and to conform to Development District Overlay Zone (DDOZ) standards (which the applicant has requested to be adjusted to conform to their plan), a more complete understanding of the construction sequence of each phase and the site’s ongoing function during that phase and a variation in architectural design for the structures along Breezewood Drive.
Council shared many of staff’s concerns, especially the need for more open space. Councilmember Rodney Roberts felt “the plan gets worse and worse,” citing the inadequate recreation space; the use of stick construction, which he deemed lacking in quality and a fire hazard; and the lack of consideration of a school that could potentially be needed to service an influx of children. Councilmembers Emmett Jordan and Edward Putens pressed for an opportunity to see the final product, feeling the phased approach contained too many unknowns. Councilmember Judith Davis remarked on the extensive maintenance needed for the many
amenities, which would likely mean high rents; she suggested having a variety of native trees instead of the edible orchard park, which can be messy. She added that it was likely that any school-age children would need to be sent to schools outside the city.
Davis was keen to note her approval of certain aspects of the DSP, like the addition of EV charging stations, frontage improvements to the parking garages and rooftop seating areas.
Faith in Quantum
Director of Planning and Community Development Terri Hruby said that, while the city does have a memorandum of understanding with the applicant that “lays out benchmarks that must be met,” there is no binding agreement that would ensure the phases, making it crucial that each building be able to stand alone. Notwithstanding, Jordan stated his faith in the Quantum Companies, citing their long and engaged relationship with the city.
Hruby said that a traffic study found that Breezewood Drive would be adequate to accommodate the redevelopment and its three entrance points, adding in a separate interview that minor modifications are being made to curb radii. There would also be parking that would continue to serve Franklin Park.
David Sullivan, of Rodger’s Consulting, said that the core market they are looking to serve is young, urban professionals, citing that adjacent Franklin Park is available more for families. Yet, he felt that the 9.26 acres of open space in the DSP could suffice as play areas for children.
In regard to the current business tenants, Sullivan said that the intention was to retain as many as possible.
According to the applicant, if the DSP is approved, the construction could begin next year, with completion of Phase One in five to eight years and final redevelopment in 15 to 20 years.
In a subsequent interview, Community Planner Molly Porter said that the council vote on the DSP is now scheduled for the August 9 regular meeting, to allow time for the applicant to respond to the concerns of both council and staff.
