CHEVY CHASE LAKE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN
JANUARY 24, 2014
The zoning amendments necessary for the development of the Chevy Chase Lake area are in the final stages of approval by the County Council. Below is the map of the area showing the rezoned areas in color.
The Hamlet is directly below the colored areas and to the right of Connecticut Avenue. Final adoption should occur in the next 30 to 60 days.
All of the areas to the East (on the right above) of Connecticut avenue except plot number 8 may be developed regardless of whether there is a purple line. Site plans for these areas may be submitted after the final approval of the amendments.
In order to help in understanding this map I have prepared a table showing the development potential assuming that each plot is developed to the maximum allowable square footage and each building reaches the Maximum height. I have identified each plot by reference to the stores and uses that now exist in the area.
In addition, because acres and square feet are hard to visualize I have compared the results to a football field measured between and not including the end zone. So for instance, the supermarket site and its parking lot could accommodate the equivalent of more than 12 football fields of new space. A summary of these calculations is as follows:
| AREA | Football Fields | BLDG Height |
| supermarket site and parking lot plus a part of TW Perry site | 12.92 | 80 |
| TW Perry site north of trail | 6.15 | 120 |
| West side of Connecticut; SunTrust to gas station/Starbucks | 3.41 | 70 |
| parking lot behind SunTrust/ Starbucks | 1.36 | 40 |
| Newland Mews Apartments; West of Connecticut | 2.82 | 50 |
| ex Sunoco Station now Giant Gas Station | 1.43 | 50 |
| Dry Cleaner site South of trail and West of Connecticut | 4.42 | 70 |
| Capital One Bank (8401) Connecticut East of Connecticut | 13.14 | 150 |
| Chevy Chase Apartments on Chevy Chase Lake Dr | 4.13 | 100 |
| Chevy Chase Apartments on Chevy Chase Lake Dr | 7.27 | 50 |
Purple Line Status
A huge amount of space can be added to the Chevy Chase Lake area before and whether or not there is a purple line. Nevertheless, confirmation of the Purple line will spur development. The following is what we know of the current status of the Purple line.
The State has selected four private public partnerships as qualified to bid on a proposal to build, own and operate the Line under newly enacted Maryland Law authorizing this form of financing and construction.
The schedule announced by the state is as follows:
- Issue draft RFP for qualified bidders to comment………………..Winter 2014
- Meet with bidders to discuss RFP draft………………………………Winter 2014
- Final RFP issued………………………………………………………………..Spring 2014
- Announce winning group, sign contract…………………….………Winter 2014/2015
- Close financing for construction………………………….……………..Spring 2015
Thus in a little over a year the State plans to have the Purple line committed under contract.
Purple Line Funding
Of the 2.2 billion dollar cost of the line about $400 million will come from the state, about $700 million will come from the Federal Government and the remainder will come from the consortium of contractors that will own and operate the line, i.e., the public private partnership.
The state will use funds raised from the recent gas tax increase. The Federal share must still be appropriated and awarded to the Purple line. Naturally there will be fierce competition for this funding from projects all over the county. With both the state and the county pushing hard for federal funding and with Maryland senator Barbara Mikulski sitting as the chair of the Senate appropriations committee, it seems foolish to count on an absence of funding to prevent the construction of the Purple line.
R. Bowman
Download the Final Site Plan SQ Ft Analysis