Table #2: Vision
Table #2: Vision
around the focal point
VISION · Underground stormwater management
· Encourage light mix—mostly residential at
Place for people to live, work play with parks, the MidPike plaza redevelopment
bike paths, and pedestrian access at a human · Provide a ring road system—external
scale with an environmental focus. parking to take traffic off 355
DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS CONCEPT
· Provide parking on periphery or below This group decided to use the Metro station as
ground the main focal point of the planning area. They
· Add wide sidewalks designed four Metro access points (two on the
· Move from auto scale to human scale east and two on the west side of the Pike)
· Eliminate surface parking lots specifying that bridges work best. A secondary
· Add tunnels/bridges for people to cross Pike focal point would be a redesigned White Flint
· Increase population density and add ground Mall as a mixeduse area. Both of these focal
floor retail points have parking garages on the periphery
away from 355. The garages are accessed from
· Use surface parking area for building density
Nebel Street and Nebel Street Extended. The
and green space
group wanted many green areas/parks within
· Step buildings back from road to integrate the mixeduse areas. A third redevelopment
green area, on the corner of Montrose and 355, should
· Provide incentives for green buildings – be predominantly residential.
densities should be driven by environmental
design The Bethesda Trolley Trail should loop through
· Add density that helps walking the entire planning area, connecting the small
· Avoid “canyonization” parks and mixeduse areas. The trail should
· Add green roof concepts connect to the east and west (Cabin John and
· Provide trail system that connects urban Rock Creek Park) as well as to the historic cabin
parks (small strategically placed) and other significant spots. There should be
several bridges crossing the Pike, where
CHARACTERISTICS APPLIED TO WHITE automobile traffic is reduced significantly
FLINT because of a new monorail.
· Build over the Metro station PRESENTATION NOTES
· Provide focal building retail, entertainment—
activity driven · Create a pedestrian neighborhood on a
· Provide more Metro access points, human scale; residents and business
especially to the north owners coexist in harmony.
· Use side streets for retail vs. 355 (cafes · People living, working and playing in a
away from 355) mixeduse area.
· Use the section of 355 between Old · Monorail throughout the area.
Georgetown Road and Marinelli Lane as the · Outer park system connecting bike routes
focal point and trails to residential zones.
· Look at White Flint Mall areas as a · No “canyonization” of Rockville Pike; keep
secondary town center area tall buildings to a minimum.
· Provide connections (pedestrian, bike) · Metro would be the neighborhood core.
between two centers · The neighborhood should be comprehensive
· Provide urban park in White Flint area and not require an automobile to participate.
· Avoid shadows of large structures on
adjacent residential
· Make sure the pedestrian connections make
sense
· Provide streetscaping for residents
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Table #3 · Connect Old Georgetown Road to Executive
Boulevard from the north
VISION · Add parks and public open space like
Friendship Heights Town Hall
White Flint will be: The Town Center for North · Connect to cultural activities
Bethesda – a place to live, work, shop, plan and
enjoy – “a community.” PRESENTATION NOTES
CHARACTERISTICS · The official name should be: The
Community of North Bethesda.
· Provide for people with disabilities · Town Center should be the nucleus of the
· Shop while cars are serviced neighborhood and Metro at its center.
· Provide for parking · Metro needs to be more easily accessible.
ú On street · Diversity or a variety of businesses and
ú Handicapped residents would make a good community.
· Walk to lots of services · Need underpasses or overpasses to get
· Improve the pedestrian crossing of MD 355 people across Rockville Pike.
· Improve access to Metro (both sides of MD · Need more ways to get into Metro.
355) · Need elevator(s) on both sides of the Pike.
· Improve transit access · Need circulation buses or reliable public
ú Provide circulating buses (Bethesda 8) transit above ground as well as below. Local
with working lifts transit in the immediate area. Need a
ú Provide moving sidewalks moving sidewalk.
ú Provide an accessible underpass · Upgrade and develop parks into more
(elevator) under MD 355 usable areas for the residents.
· Create MD 355 as a boulevard · Expand Old Georgetown Road to connect to
ú Provide setbacks Executive Boulevard from the north.
ú Increase green · Widen walkways on both sides of Rockville
ú Improve pedestrian access Pike to maximize pedestrian use.
ú Provide buses with working lifts · Add lots of trees on Rockville Pike—green
ú More set back (see Sterling) zone.
ú Increase green
ú Improve sidewalks
ú Places to walk
ú Grade separation at Nicholson Lane
ú Street car
ú Rail
ú Coordinate traffic signals
ú Adjust timing of signals at all times
· Create a sense of place
· Provide an entrance/exit feature
· Provide a new Zip Code
· Establish a new place name (e.g. White
Flint)
· New name for MD 355
· Plan for the retired
· Provide MD 355 as a major transportation
corridor
· Create a place like parts of Shirlington
· Recognize high traffic volume
· Improve traffic leaving White Flint Mall
· Upgrade park area around Aquatic Center
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