Montgomery Village News Articles
More than 100 residents attend Evergreen Apartment Complex Pre-submission Meeting
On Sept. 26, representatives from Evergreen Investment Company once again shared a proposal with the community for a seven-story apartment complex for the second parcel of the Lidl property— known as Lot 37—adjacent to the entrance to the Whetstone community. This in-person pre-submission meeting came two weeks after first sharing the same plan at the Whetstone Homes Corporation (WHC) meeting; nearly 120 residents attended each meeting.
Evergreen Project Manager Kyle Price noted that the new plan was wholly similar to the previous plan presented in December 2021. He said that over the last 18+ months, there were several staffing changes on the project, and Evergreen studied options to rework the project based on prior feedback. Due to increases in inflation and construction materials, Price said the Evergreen team felt the project needed to remain similar and would move forward as a multi-family unit.
KTGY Architect Frederico Soifer presented the plan, showing five stories of residential units over two stories of screened, interior parking, making up the seven-story building. It was noted that the setback from WHC property was increased to add an additional layer of natural screening. Soifer also said the step backs from four to seven stories were moved to help change the view from the closest residents’ yards, yielding a reduction of more than 3,000 square feet. The main entrance is shown closest to Montgomery Village Avenue, and traffic would enter/exit from either Montgomery Village Avenue (right turn in/out only) or Centerway Road at the traffic light to the Lidl parking lot. Soifer noted the contrasting colors and large glass windows as “traditional styling” of the building.
The complex will be marketed as “Class A” (luxury apartment), with 176 units (mainly one bedroom or one bedroom studio), 12.5% of which will be moderately priced dwelling units (MPDU) per Montgomery County standards. Evergreen is estimating that the space will include 237 parking spaces. When asked about rental rates, Evergreen declined to give a range, noting the market will dictate cost through the process. When asked whether parking would be included in the rental rate or be an added cost, Evergreen said they have not decided on that aspect yet. Proposed amenities included landscaping/streetscaping, outdoor seating, open space, a dog station and a potential pool above the parking structure.
Wire Gill Land Use Attorney Heather Dlhoposky said Lot 37 is zoned CRT (1.25, C1, R1, H75), which allows for the structure to be built as presented; it fits within the county zoning, and the Montgomery Village Overlay zone applied to the site, per the Montgomery Village Master Plan. She noted that the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will be the decision-making body for moving the project forward. However, the project must pass a number of discretionary rules to be green-lighted by the county. Some of these rules include compatibility with the community, adequate capacity for schools and adequate coverage for police and fire departments, among others.
Dlhoposky said Evergreen was seeking a Preliminary Plan Amendment and a Site Plan Amendment from M-NCPPC. Although Evergreen had not filed yet, they expect to submit applications in October 2023. Following that schedule, she estimated a Planning Board Hearing in late 2023 or early 2024 and is hopeful that construction will begin in mid-2025. Dlhoposky encouraged residents to contact M-NCPPC with concerns regarding the project.
Gorove Slade Transportation Engineer, Katie Wagner, said the team had finished a traffic study and were in talks with the county regarding adding a traffic signal at the intersection of Whetstone Drive and Montgomery Village Avenue.
Residents at both the WHC and the pre-submission meeting asked about traffic flow (both ingress/egress and parking lot flow); overflow/visitor parking on site versus on Whetstone property; impacts to schools; traffic impacts at Whetstone Drive and Montgomery Village Avenue; noise (construction and residential, once built); the viability of the project, considering other new housing in the area; compatibility with the surrounding community; pedestrian traffic concerns; what other projects Evergreen had in the area; and whether the complex would be part of Montgomery Village Foundation.
Presentation slides from the September 26 meeting can be found online at www.montgomeryvillage.com/about-mv/development-projects. Project questions can be directed to Heather Dlhoposky at 301-263-6275 or
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