AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Germantown Maryland
Urban Land $ Institute Germantown Maryland
Strategies for Development of the Germantown Business District
June 25–30, 2006 An Advisory Services Panel Report
ULI–the Urban Land Institute 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 West Washington, D.C. 20007-5201 About ULI–the Urban Land Institute
LI–the Urban Land Institute is a non- resented include developers, builders, property profit research and education organiza- owners, investors, architects, public officials, tion that promotes responsible leadership planners, real estate brokers, appraisers, attor- U in the use of land in order to enhance the neys, engineers, financiers, academics, students, total environment. and librarians. ULI relies heavily on the expe- rience of its members. It is through member in- The Institute maintains a membership represent- volvement and information resources that ULI ing a broad spectrum of interests and sponsors a has been able to set standards of excellence in wide variety of educational programs and forums development practice. The Institute has long been to encourage an open exchange of ideas and shar- recognized as one of America’s most respected ing of experience. ULI initiates research that an- and widely quoted sources of objective informa- ticipates emerging land use trends and issues and tion on urban planning, growth, and development. proposes creative solutions based on that re- search; provides advisory services; and publishes This Advisory Services panel report is intended a wide variety of materials to disseminate infor- to further the objectives of the Institute and to mation on land use and development. make authoritative information generally avail- able to those seeking knowledge in the field of Established in 1936, the Institute today has more urban land use. than 32,000 members and associates from 90 coun- tries, representing the entire spectrum of the land Richard M. Rosan use and development disciplines. Professionals rep- President
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All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission of the copy- right holder is prohibited.
2 An Advisory Services Panel Report About ULI Advisory Services
he goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Program pants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments are is to bring the finest expertise in the real able to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’s estate field to bear on complex land use plan- issues and to provide recommendations in a com- T ning and development projects, programs, pressed amount of time. and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem- bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to help A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique sponsors find creative, practical solutions for ability to draw on the knowledge and expertise of issues such as downtown redevelopment, land its members, including land developers and own- management strategies, evaluation of develop- ers, public officials, academicians, representatives ment potential, growth management, community of financial institutions, and others. In fulfillment revitalization, brownfields redevelopment, mili- of the mission of the Urban Land Institute, this tary base reuse, provision of low-cost and afford- Advisory Services panel report is intended to able housing, and asset management strategies, provide objective advice that will promote the re- among other matters. A wide variety of public, sponsible use of land to enhance the environment. private, and nonprofit organizations have con- tracted for ULI’s Advisory Services. ULI Program Staff
Each panel team is composed of highly qualified William P. Kistler professionals who volunteer their time to ULI. Executive Vice President, Exchange Group They are chosen for their knowledge of the panel Rachelle L. Levitt topic and screened to ensure their objectivity. Executive Vice President, Information Group ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide a holistic look at development problems. A re- Thomas Eitler Director, Advisory Services spected ULI member who has previous panel experience chairs each panel. Nicholas Gabel Senior Associate, Advisory Services The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in- tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com- Carmen McCormick posed of a tour of the site and meetings with spon- Panel Coordinator, Advisory Services sor representatives; a day of hour-long interviews Yvonne Stanton of typically 50 to 75 key community representa- Administrative Assistant tives; and two days of formulating recommenda- tions. Many long nights of discussion precede the Nancy H. Stewart panel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, the Director, Book Program panel makes an oral presentation of its findings James A. Mulligan and conclusions to the sponsor. A written report is Manuscript Editor prepared and published. Betsy Van Buskirk Because the sponsoring entities are responsible Art Director for significant preparation before the panel’s visit, including sending extensive briefing materials to Martha Loomis Desktop Publishing Specialist/Graphics each member and arranging for the panel to meet with key local community members and stake- Craig Chapman holders in the project under consideration, partici- Director, Publishing Operations
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 3 Acknowledgments
n behalf of the Urban Land Institute, the ers who participated in the panel’s tour of the Ger- panel would like to thank the Gaithersburg- mantown area. Germantown Chamber of Commerce and O its fellow sponsors for inviting ULI to We extend further thanks to the diverse group study and offer strategies for the Germantown of sponsors, including Bellemead Development Employment Corridor. Special thanks are ex- Corporation, Foulger-Pratt Development Inc., tended to Marilyn Balcombe, the knowledgeable Hughes Network Systems, Kennedy Associates, and able president and CEO of the Gaithersburg- Lerner Enterprises, Minkoff Development Corpo- Germantown Chamber of Commerce; her dedi- ration, Montgomery County, Montgomery College, cated staff; and Jim Muir, chair of the chamber. Oxbridge Development Group, and Trammell Crow Company, which, in partnership with the Doug Wrenn, of Rodgers Consulting Inc. and chamber of commerce, made the panel happen. chair of the chamber’s Germantown Task Force, and Steve Poteat, director of operations and com- Interviews conducted with numerous stakehold- munity outreach at Montgomery College and an ers, residents, business owners, and public offi- expert historian on Germantown’s master plans, cials provided crucial information and perspective, provided valuable insights and information that aiding the panel in the accomplishment of its task. were critical to the completion of the panel’s rec- In addition, members of the Maryland–National ommendations. Montgomery County Council Capital Park and Planning Commission planning member Mike Knapp of District 2 should be com- office for Montgomery County—I-270 corridor mended for his dedication to Germantown and his team leader Sue Edwards, and the geographic interest in this study. In addition, thanks are due information system and computer-aided design Nancy Hislop of the Montgomery County Up- technicians—were particularly helpful. county Regional Services Center; Hercules Pick- ney, provost of Montgomery College; and all oth-
4 An Advisory Services Panel Report Contents
ULI Panel and Project Staff 6
Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment 7 Overview and Summary of Recommendations 11 Goals and Objectives: The Vision 16
Market Potential 17 Planning and Design 25 Development Strategies 40 Implementation Strategies 47 Conclusion 53 About the Panel 54
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 5 ULI Panel and Project Staff
Panel Chair ULI Project Staff Richard W. Reynolds Suzanne Cartwright President Director, Community Outreach, Land Use The Reynolds Group, Inc. Programs Needham, Massachusetts ULI–the Urban Land Institute Sophie Lambert Panelists Senior Associate, Community Outreach Robert Dunphy ULI–the Urban Land Institute Senior Resident Fellow, Transportation Jennifer Green ULI–the Urban Land Institute Special Events Manager Washington, D.C. ULI–the Urban Land Institute W. Easley Hamner Chairman Boston International Design Collaborative, LLC Cambridge, Massachusetts David Hancock Principal CBT/Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc. Boston, Massachusetts Don Priest Land Development Consultant Olympic Valley, California
Nathan Watson President Watson Developments New Orleans, Louisiana
6 An Advisory Services Panel Report Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment
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t the invitation of the Gaithersburg- PENNSYLVANIA Hagerstown Germantown Chamber of Commerce, in MARYLAND
partnership with a number of private de- Frederick Towson A velopers, Montgomery College, and Mont- Baltimore Germantown gomery County, a ULI Advisory Services panel WEST VIRGINIA Rockville Delaware was convened to respond to a series of questions Annapolis Bay concerning how best to assure the growth of em- Washington, D.C. ployment in Germantown given current market DELAWARE Chesapeake trends. As Germantown continues to invest in the VIRGINIA Bay newly vibrant core of its Town Center, the commu- nity is at an important juncture in its history. In ad- Potoma c Ri ver 6 9 dition to its decades of being a desirable place to 8 H
n a live, Germantown is poised to become an increas- e c Pocomoke O Sound c i G t n ingly desirable place to work and visit. a 7 l
FREDERICK BALTIMORE Location map, above. 15 Background CARROLL Frdee kric Tow son Regional map, left. Germantown is an unincorporated but urbanized 70 695 census-designated place located 26 miles north- Baimorlt e K west of downtown Washington, D.C., in Mont- HOWARD
gomery County, Maryland, the most populous ju- 270
risdiction in the state and one of the most affluent Germantown 29 1 Gaburithers g 95 counties in the nation. Germantown is the sixth- MONTGOMERY ANNE most-populous census-designated place in Mary- Rocvik le 295 ARUNDEL Q 97 land, and if it were to incorporate, it would be the 495 state’s second-largest city after Baltimore. Anolpna is 50 Settled as a crossroads community in the 1830s Wshia ngton, D.C. and 1840s by a large number of German business owners from both Germany and Pennsylvania, Germantown catered to travelers on the roads and acres and then, in the 1980s, created a transfer of later the railroad, as well as to local landowners development rights program. To date, Montgomery and farmers. In 1972, Germantown was still a rural County’s renowned Agricultural Reserve has pro- farming village of less than 3,000 people. Since then, tected more than 90,000 acres crowning the north- its population has grown by about 2,000 people per western third of the county. year, mostly due to its proximity to Interstate 270 and its designation as a “corridor city” in 1969 Germantown is home to a diverse and growing when Montgomery County adopted its “On Wedges population. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the com- and Corridors” land use plan. The growth manage- munity was home to 55,419 people in 20,893 house- ment policy concentrated growth along the 1-270 holds, with an ethnic makeup of 62 percent white, corridor, creating compact communities bordered 19 percent African American, 10 percent Asian, by farmland and forests. In 1974, the county down- and 10 percent Hispanic of any race. The commu- zoned rural areas to one dwelling unit per five nity is also home to a large number of families, a
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 7 Map of Germantown WEST ORE ROAD showing the greenbelt OLD BALTIM 27
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fact undoubtedly tied to the strong reputation of ditional residential units on undeveloped or under- its schools, its recreational opportunities, and its used sites designated for commercial development safe residential neighborhoods. The census found in its 1989 Master Plan. While the residential market that 29 percent of the population was under age 18, is strong, the county has been understandably cau- and 43 percent was between 25 and 44. The median tious about rezoning or writing zoning text amend- income for a household in the area was $62,431. For ments to the master plan to make this possible. the most part, the Germantown population is well Indeed, giving these parcels over to residential educated and holds highly skilled jobs. use would run the risk of depleting the county’s job preserve, which is centered along the I-270 spine. Germantown’s residential growth is expected to continue its rapid pace: the 2005 census update Many in the Germantown community and the puts its population at 85,000, and the community county government believe Germantown needs a is expected to grow to 95,000 residents by 2010. more balanced ratio of jobs to housing. Straddling Germantown has rapidly built out its residential I-270, the Germantown Employment Corridor neighborhoods, and now there is pressure for ad- was designated in the 1989 Master Plan as the
8 An Advisory Services Panel Report preferred location for job growth. The majority As one of the I-270 corri- of parcels in the Employment Corridor are zoned dor cities, Germantown is I-3, which is a research and development (R&D)/ poised to benefit from its business park zone, with some town sector (TS) proximity to the interstate and I-1 zoning. While many of the planning policy and the commerce that it goals for Germantown have been achieved, the ob- generates. jectives for the Employment Corridor have not been realized. Most commercial sites in the corri- dor are developed well below the maximum floor/area ratio (FAR) for the zone. In addition, several signature sites, with prime visibility from I-270, remain undeveloped. The construction of the urbanized Town Center in the past several years has brought new vitality to Germantown. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addi- While the development of office structures has tion, residential developments, at a range of densi- been slow compared with activity in German- ties, are found at key nodes along I-270 as laid out town’s booming single-family and townhouse mar- in the county’s “On Wedges and Corridors” plan. ket, the many undeveloped and underdeveloped The region’s housing market is still relatively office sites offer the greatest opportunity for Ger- strong, despite the slowdown of the national econ- mantown’s future economic sustainability. omy, mostly due to the Washington, D.C., metro- In addition to the availability of prime develop- politan area’s strong job market and the shortage ment sites, Germantown’s future prospects are of affordable housing in the region. Average house enhanced by its desirable location. As one of the prices decline as one travels north along I-270 and I-270 corridor cities, Germantown is poised to farther away from the expensive Washington real benefit from its proximity to the interstate and estate market, making Germantown attractive to the commerce that it generates. I-270 is a spur young singles and families. highway connecting Interstate 70 in Frederick, Maryland, to Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway, The Assignment just north of Bethesda. The interstate is a major regional commuting corridor serving mostly com- Adopted in July 1989, the Germantown Master muters traveling south to jobs in Washington, Plan guided future residential and commercial de- D.C., and in communities along the way from the velopment around a series of village centers and a more affordable upcounty communities. According town center. It built on the spirit of the 1974 Mas- to 2002 data from the Maryland Department of ter Plan, while also updating it to address the Transportation’s State Highway Administration, market conditions and trends of the late 1980s. 139,107 cars per day use Exit 11/Quince Orchard Before its designation as a corridor city in 1969, Road and 119,175 vehicles use Exit 13/Middlebrook Germantown was a small community with no vi- Road in Germantown. These numbers, combined sion for its future. The 1974 Master Plan modeled with the daily number of cars that pass through the development of Germantown on the new town Germantown, show there is a large pool of work- concept popularized by Reston, Virginia, devel- ers who would like jobs closer to home and could oped by Robert E. Simon in 1964, and Columbia, take advantage of an increase in the number of Maryland, developed by James W. Rouse in 1967. skilled jobs in Germantown. Unlike these famous prototypes, Germantown I-270 is home to biotech, high-tech, and R&D would not be developed by a single developer be- firms, as well as federal agencies, such as the Na- cause of fragmented land ownership. As a result, tional Institute for Standards and Technology the 1974 Master Plan envisioned the county as the (NIST), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), master developer to coordinate development to the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the best form a cohesive community.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 9 Panel members discuss The 1989 Master Plan called for land use and the Germantown Employ- transportation systems to accommodate 37,000 ment Corridor during a dwelling units and 78,000 jobs to “provide greater tour of the area. opportunity for people to both live and work in Germantown.” The housing objectives have largely been realized, since residential develop- ment has occurred at a much faster rate than of- fice development, and the Town Center is well un- derway, with a new public library set to open in fall 2006. The objectives for the Employment Cor- ridor, on the other hand, have not yet been fully realized. A great deal of land remains undevel- oped and many of the sites zoned I-3 and TS have been developed well below the zoned density. The 1974 plan included a series of recommenda- Many sites, for example, have an FAR of 0.25 or tions about how and where development should 0.3, yet by right could have an FAR of 0.5. The occur. The plan, which intended for 25 percent of residential and retail markets along the I-270 cor- the residents to live and work in Germantown, ridor have been strong, but the commercial mar- concentrated employment areas along I-270 and ket has been slower to move north from Washing- the B&O Railroad. By 1987, however, a census up- ton and the southern portion of Montgomery date survey revealed that only 10 percent of Ger- County, where it is stronger. mantown residents both lived and worked in the community. The 1989 Master Plan, on the other The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Com- hand, envisioned future employment development merce responded to this problem by creating a concentrated in one zone, the Germantown Em- task force to study Germantown’s jobs-to-housing ployment Corridor. In response to the lack of imbalance. Its 2005 report, the Germantown Eco- employment resulting from the 1974 Master Plan, nomic Development Strategy, focused on the com- with the exception of the Orbital Sciences/Fairchild munity’s assets and recommended an in-depth complex and several buildings developed by Belle- study of the Employment Corridor and an investi- mead Development Corporation on Century Boule- gation as to whether mixed-use development vard, the 1989 Master Plan made land use and might be the best option for the corridor. transportation recommendations that, when car- ried out, were intended to result in 30 percent of The ULI Advisory Services panel was specifically the residents living and working in Germantown. asked to update the vision for the area’s existing and future commercial development—to decide if The Employment Corridor straddles I-270, ex- office space is the best use of the land and, if so, tending north from Middlebrook Road to Black what form it should take. Additionally, the spon- Hill Regional Park, located about one mile north sors wanted to know if attracting commercial de- of Father Hurley Boulevard. The Department of velopment was dependent on Germantown becom- Energy site, located on Germantown Road adja- ing a more sustainable and vibrant community. cent to I-270, is not included in the Employment Further questions focused on place making, link- Corridor. The 800-plus-acre area was designated ages to Germantown’s fledgling Town Center, and to meet the future employment needs of the com- implementation strategies. munity and the county as a whole—in essence, to serve as a job reserve for the county through 2050 and beyond.
10 An Advisory Services Panel Report Overview and Summary of Recommendations
fter an intense week of site tours, presen- • planning and design implications; tations, interviews, and work sessions, the panel was able to identify the issues and • a development strategy; and A formulate recommendations. The panel de- • an implementation plan to bring the strategy vised a plan to address the lack of development in and planning to fruition. the Germantown Employment Corridor. As envi- sioned by the panel, the corridor will be revised and renamed the Germantown Business District Market Potential (GBD), an area with boundaries separate from With the availability of vacant and underdevel- those of the corridor. The area is bounded by oped sites, Germantown is poised to take advan- Black Hill Regional Park about one mile north of tage of a future upswing in the commercial devel- Father Hurley Boulevard to the north, Frederick opment market. The community’s residential Road to the east, Middlebrook Road to the south, growth since the 1989 Master Plan has been a suc- and the B&O Railroad and Wisteria Drive to the cess. As a result, Germantown is a wonderful west. It will be the center of Germantown’s future place to live. Attention is now needed regarding commercial and mixed-use growth. The GBD will how to make it a desirable place to work and to lo- create a higher quality of life for Germantown res- cate a company. The Washington metropolitan idents while maximizing development potential area’s ever-expanding commercial market has for landowners. started to discover and develop sites in Gaithers- burg, Germantown’s neighbor to the south, so The GBD plan is centered on the “Germantown Crescent,” intended to be a cohesive extension of Germantown is the logical next recipient of such the Town Center core west to the Maryland Rail attention as the market progresses along the Commuter (MARC) station, east to I-270, and nodes of the I-270 corridor. No one, not even de- north along Century Boulevard to Father Hurley velopers and local governments, can “move the Boulevard. The Germantown Crescent strategy market,” but a community can change how well it will result in the creation of a vibrant center that is prepared to respond to the market. This can be will attract mixed-use development, including done in two ways—by being ready through appro- commercial, retail, residential, and cultural proj- priate zoning, permitting processes, and land ects, while maximizing development potential for availability, and by being perceived to be ready by landowners and improving the quality of life of the marketplace and by the community’s own resi- Germantown residents. The plan also includes dents through a well-crafted marketing campaign. recommendations for the other five nodes in the To be successful, new development in the German- GBD, which have equal importance, but have town Business District, beginning in the Crescent been assigned a different phasing strategy so and extending throughout the GBD, will need to they can benefit from the stronger market that be strategic, so that the long-term job reserve of will result from the mixed-use buildout of the the Employment Corridor is used only for proj- Crescent. The recommendations set forth are ects that will support the growth and continuing summarized below and described in more detail maturation of the Town Center core. The reserve in this report using the following organization: is in place to protect the long-term employment • goals and objectives—the vision for Germantown; needs of Germantown and the county, so parcels should be developed in accordance with the re- • Germantown’s market potential; port’s recommendations rather than given over to
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 11 Proposed boundaries of O R BRINK R the Germantown Business OAD District.
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MARC STATION D A O R N W O T single-use development that would jeopardize the the job reserve is critical for Germantown’s long- important goals of the Employment Corridor. term employment growth, the panel recommends that new projects only be approved if they include At the same time, the strategy needs to have suf- the employment density assigned to that site in ficient flexibility to meet the unstable nature of the 1989 Master Plan. the real estate industry, especially in regard to commercial development. This is true regarding Within the Germantown Business District, the both the invariable cycles of supply and demand panel has identified the sites best poised for devel- and the unanticipated changes in the nature of opment or redevelopment. Indeed, the GBD’s users as the economy evolves. Finding the right nodes are the key for contributing to German- level of flexibility is difficult, but the goal is to pro- town’s commercial future because they will be vide the balance that best responds to the market. home to the corporate office buildings and biotech For this reason, the panel recommends that devel- companies that offer Germantown’s educated pop- opment take a mixed-use form, with office, resi- ulation places to work that are closer to home. dential, and retail uses. But because preserving This will only happen, however, if the Town Cen- 9
12 An Advisory Services Panel Report ter is strengthened and expanded to create a vi- Recently completed brant, mixed-use center full of uses and amenities mixed-use development to distinguish it from other communities. The in the Town Center broader Germantown Crescent, as envisioned, has includes office space the potential to be such a center, with a range of on the second floor. housing opportunities in addition to commercial development.
To be successful, the Germantown Crescent will need to feature a mix of uses, including office, resi- dential, retail, and hotel space, as well as land- scaped public spaces. The dining and entertain- ment establishments will need to be varied to attract young patrons and families while also cre- ating an active street life. With all of these compo- nents, the Crescent will draw people not only from the nearby office buildings and residential neigh- borhoods, but also from the larger region as it be- comes a signature destination. The strong existing residential base offers a built-in market of work- ers for the potential new companies and corpo- rate headquarters in the GBD, as well as a ready evening and weekend market for the expanded a brand identity and to differentiate the GBD retail and cultural offerings. from its competition. This should include a signage program in the Crescent that could be replicated Development Strategies in the GBD’s other nodes. Signature sites in the GBD, especially those with high visibility from I- Germantown is about to start the next chapter of 270 and other major roads, should be developed its history, in which it will be known for its office with an effort to create a unique architectural and mixed-use development and not just for its statement about Germantown. residential neighborhoods. With key sites in the Crescent and Germantown Business District still Among the guiding principles of the Germantown undeveloped, Germantown has an incredible op- Economic Development Strategy, there are three portunity to create a prime location for new devel- the panel believes are especially important both opment. The panel offers development recommen- for the context of the following recommendations dations for each of the six nodes in the GBD. For and for use by the community and its leaders as a example, the Montgomery College node offers guide as they undertake some or all of these actions: huge potential for Germantown’s economic future because the institution is developing a science and • Risk greatness. The panel hopes community technology park adjacent to the campus. The panel leaders are truly prepared to accept this guid- recommends that the college build on its academic ing principle because many of the recommenda- strengths and biotech partnerships to include a tions in this report are based on the assumption mixed-use plan that integrates the campus with that they are. Some of the recommendations the surrounding employers and the community. might stretch the leadership’s tolerance for risk.
In addition, one of the daunting tasks is creating a • Accept change. It is axiomatic that change will common identity so that everyone who lives or continue to occur; how a community responds works in the community feels a sense of pride in to that change and its willingness to make the Germantown. The panel recommends implementa- changes, however, will be a large determinant of tion of a coordinated marketing strategy to create its future success in achieving goals.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 13 Montgomery County is to the success of the Germantown Business Dis- currently constructing a trict is creation of a mixed-use, pedestrian envi- library, scheduled to open ronment that will lure residents, workers, and, ul- in fall 2006, that will fur- timately, companies to locate in Germantown. As a ther augment German- result, the panel prepared planning concepts that town’s Town Center. intensify commercial activity in the Germantown Crescent as the logical reinforcement and expan- sion of the Town Center core.
The panel recommends that the 1989 Master Plan be revised specifically for the GBD area and com- pleted on an expedited schedule to spur growth. The single-use zoning of the Employment Corri- dor is not the form that will best serve the mar- ket of the next five to ten years for higher-density- employment users. The superblocks currently found in the GBD, such as those adjacent to the Town Center in the Crescent, will need to be redesigned with a compact street grid that pri- oritizes pedestrian movement and a vibrant re- tail environment.
The planning concepts should be applied to the other five GBD nodes so that as the market re- • Establish priorities. Resources, both financial sponds to the Crescent, there will be a natural and those related to a community’s energy level, expansion of that vibrancy and intensity of are always limited, and those limitations often mixed-use development throughout the district. mean that not every project can be executed at To best achieve a unified GBD, the connections the same time. This report represents one alter- between the east and west sides of I-270 need to native for how to bring commercial and mixed- be strengthened. An overpass for I-270 approved use development to Germantown. Community at Dorsey Mill Road will improve the east-west leaders will now have the challenge of setting circulation in the northern portion of the GBD, their priorities and following them. and more thought should be given to east-west circulation in other parts of the district. The panel suggests adding one more guiding prin- ciple to this list: Germantown is located along a key highway corridor providing the community with easy ac- • Educate residents. There is currently a lack of cess to Washington and, upon construction of the understanding and support from Germantown Intercounty Connector (ICC), to Baltimore and residents regarding the benefits of a balanced Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood jobs-to-housing ratio. Changes in the status quo Marshall Airport (BWI). There is, however, heavy are always hard for people to accept. Community congestion on I-270 and increasing appetite for al- support will be needed to change the status quo ternative forms of transportation. Use of MARC and implement the panel’s recommendations. trains and Ride On buses will meet part of this need, but the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT), Planning and Design a planned light-rail or bus transit system, when built, will spur transit-oriented development. In Creation of a successful employment zone in Ger- the meantime, since the timing of the CCT is un- mantown is dependent on a number of essential el- certain, the panel suggests the creation of a street- ements needed to attract companies and overcome car or trolleylike bus as an interim measure to the present market challenges. An element critical connect the various nodes in the GBD. The first
14 An Advisory Services Panel Report section of the route to be implemented should be Looking north along I-270 within the Crescent. and across Germantown Road, this aerial photo Implementation Strategies shows Seneca Meadows and the Milestone Busi- Germantown has an advantage in implementing the ness Center on the east Germantown Business District concept because side of I-270 and the it has prime vacant and underdeveloped sites Corner on the west. available for redevelopment. The recent develop- ment of the Town Center core has shown that the county can create a new product and that the community will accept it. The fact that this panel is sponsored by a partnership of the Gaithersburg- The partnership also can involve landowners in Germantown Chamber of Commerce, Montgomery the process, thereby encouraging them to create College, Montgomery County, Hughes Network site-specific plans that fit within the revised over- Systems, and seven of the major landowner/devel- all vision. It is advisable to have the partnership opers in the corridor is testament to the fact that create a community vision concurrently with the the chamber and its partners are already commit- county’s master plan process, rather than use the ted to improving Germantown. more typical sequential process, because it will allow all parties to respond to the market sooner. To ensure that the panel’s recommendations are This will save money and time, and encourage de- implemented, the county should appoint a high- velopment that would be in the best interests of level “champion” to be a leadership and develop- the broader community. ment catalyst within the county government by focusing attention on Germantown. The chamber While it will be up to the county to determine the should spearhead an effort to form an association regulatory framework that will govern new devel- of landowners within the Germantown Business opment in the Germantown Business District, the District to work with the county champion. chamber should encourage the inclusion of an ex- pedited review process. Such a process, especially The creation of this public/private partnership, applied to the Crescent as the logical first phase of similar to the body that would operate an urban the GBD’s development, will create incentives for service district, will be critical to Germantown’s the form and type of development called for in the success. Such a partnership can create a master revised master plan for the GBD. vision while the county leads the revision of the master plan targeted on the same GBD area.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 15 Goals and Objectives: The Vision
ermantown has a rich past, is a strong com- broken up. In addition, Century Boulevard needs munity today, and has a bright future. As to be completed and the Dorsey Mill Road over- it moves forward, the leaders and residents pass constructed. G should take note of a statement on the Germantown Historical Society’s Web site, “Only As a community, Germantown has a great deal to through remembrance of the past can we begin to celebrate. The panel encourages the active cele- shape the future.” Indeed, every community should bration of Germantown’s “centers of excellence” be acutely aware of the heritage it inherits. The —amenities open to the public that truly con- notion of planning for future generations, learning tribute to Germantown’s quality of life for both its from the lessons and events of the past, can guide residents and its workers. They include the fol- decision makers and civic leaders. lowing:
The panel found from those people it interviewed • the Town Center; and others who spoke informally that a shared • BlackRock Center for the Arts; sense of pride exists in Germantown. Some are longtime residents who now have families in one • the soon-to-open public library; of the many vibrant residential neighborhoods. Others are the new diverse residents of German- • the planned urban park in the Town Center; town who have brought enthusiasm for the schools • the greenbelt surrounding Germantown and and for the cultural opportunities found in the the community’s proximity to the Agricultural community. The biotech and high-tech jobs and Reserve; Montgomery College attract many types, includ- ing young workers looking for an active street life • Montgomery College; and strong job opportunities. • the Maryland SoccerPlex and Discovery Sports In developing a vision for Germantown, the panel Center; focused on five concepts that it believes are criti- cal for Germantown’s future and will help guide • South Germantown Recreational Park; the implementation of the panel’s recommenda- • Germantown’s public schools; and tions. The five concepts are derived from the fol- lowing words: create, connect, celebrate, concen- • the Germantown Historic District surrounding trate, and clarify. the train station.
In Germantown, there is both a challenge and an The success of the Germantown Crescent, and ul- opportunity to create a sense of community among timately the GBD, is dependent on a concentra- all the residents, which will help bring the home- tion of committed residents and workers, and a owners associations and residential villages to- concentration of activities in order to provide the gether. There is also a need to create a sense of critical mass of energy needed for a vibrant Town pride in the Town Center core and its potential. Center.
The connections among the various parts of the Finally, Germantown needs recommendations that community need to be strengthened. There are clarify the community’s assets and its strengths opportunities for increased connections in the as a potential location for new or relocating com- Germantown Crescent if the superblocks are panies.
16 An Advisory Services Panel Report Market Potential
ermantown is primarily a residential com- 900 employees in a 300,000-square-foot facility on munity of moderate density with both 50 acres. single-family homes and townhouses. While G blessed with good schools and beautiful Regional Context neighborhoods, Germantown has only recently witnessed the creation of the Town Center, where Germantown is located in Montgomery County people can live, work, shop, and partake in cul- about 12 miles from the northwest border of the tural activities. As the population and the number District of Columbia. The economy of Washington, of amenities grow, Germantown is increasingly be- D.C., and its environs is mostly on the rise due to coming known as a destination rather than as a the continued strength of the federal government pass-through or bedroom community. and the defense and health industries. While the job market has remained stronger in the Washing- However, with the exception of the new devel- ton metropolitan area than in other regions, the opment in the Town Center core, there are few market is not deep and the growth of several sec- mixed-use buildings in Germantown. The 1989 tors, including defense and biotech, has slowed Master Plan has been successful in achieving resi- from its recent breakneck pace. dential development, but less so in attracting em- ployment. While the community is getting its The office and housing markets remain strong share of the corridor’s office development, this de- across the region, though there are pockets with velopment does not always locate within the Em- high vacancy rates and signs that the real estate ployment Corridor. Commercial development in market is slowing. Overall, Montgomery County’s Germantown often locates on cheaper land away market for commercial space showed signs of im- from I-270. provement in 2005 with a decline in vacancy rates, an increase in absorption rates, and the stabiliza- In addition, most commercial development is meet- tion of rental rates. ing the market demand for flex space or low-rise buildings in office park/campus settings. A few A key economic driver in the Montgomery County buildings are mid-rise, but that is not the norm. market is the I-270 corridor, dubbed DNA Alley The 1989 Master Plan assigned I-3 and TS zoning by some, reaching from Bethesda to Frederick. It throughout the Germantown Employment Corri- is home to a cluster of biotech companies, includ- dor to encourage denser office and R&D opportu- nities. This zoning allows an FAR of 0.5, or 0.6 with a traffic plan, but most parcels in the corridor have been developed at an FAR of 0.25 or 0.3 in campus or parklike settings. The underdeveloped sites are indicative that the market has not been ready for higher-density development. It is no- Situated in a beautiful, table that the county upzoned the corridor cities, wooded setting, the of which Germantown is one, when it created the Hughes Network Systems Agricultural Reserve, but the market has not campus is an example of yet sought this additional density in Germantown. an underdeveloped site The Hughes Network Systems site is an example in the Germantown Busi- of an underused site: the headquarters houses ness District.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 17 Qiagen, a relatively recent was created to capture this asset for local employ- addition to Germantown, ment, and several important companies and institu- chose to build on Ger- tions are located in Germantown—including Hughes, mantown Road. Although Qiagen, the Department of Energy, and Montgom- not located within the ery College—the majority of residents in German- bounds of the German- town commute to locations outside the community town Employment Corri- for their jobs. About 76 percent of Germantown dor, the building is within residents hold jobs in Montgomery County, but walking distance of the only about 10 percent of the population works in MARC train station. Germantown itself. These residents make up only a small portion of the 17,064 people who work in Germantown, resulting in traffic congestion on the local arterials and I-270, and in Germantown being ing micro- and nanotechnology firms, as well as perceived as a bedroom community. the suppliers, trade associations, and educational Of the 17,064 jobs in Germantown in 2003, 19 per- institutions that play a part in the cluster. Impor- cent were in the retail sector and 13 percent in the tant work, such as decoding the human genome, food and hotel industry. While 15 percent of the has been carried out here, and Celera Genomics, jobs were in manufacturing and 17 percent were MedImmune, and Human Genome Sciences, all in the professional, scientific, and tech industries, nationally known biotechnology companies, have an increase in the number of highly skilled jobs is offices near or along the corridor. While this clus- badly needed to meet the demands of the educated ter does not yet rival Silicon Valley, Route 128 workforce living in Germantown. Though the list outside Boston, or the Research Triangle in North of the top 25 employers in Germantown includes Carolina, the institutions and private companies several high-tech and biotech companies—such as are doing important and pioneering work, often Hughes Network Systems with 900 employees, of global significance. High-tech companies, such Acterna with 500, Smiths Aerospace with 400, and as IBM, Lockheed Martin, Hughes Network Sys- Qiagen with 170 workers—there is room for many tems, and others, also are located on or near the more such companies in the community. I-270 corridor. As of April 2005, there was 4.7 million square feet The corridor rivals downtown Washington and of office, flex, and retail space in Germantown, the Dulles tech corridor in northern Virginia as one of the major employment centers in the re- while the fast-growing Washington suburbs of gion. In fact, the I-270 corridor benefits from its Gaithersburg and north Rockville had 28.7 million proximity to northern Virginia and the wealth of square feet. Of Germantown’s 42 office buildings, federal agencies in Montgomery County and the only 11 are rated Class A and only ten serve the region. Indeed, the federal government is one flex/industrial market. In 2006, the office market of the most influential players in the county’s mar- in Germantown had an average rent of $24 per ket due to its role as employer, landowner, and square foot and a vacancy rate of 12.8 percent, tenant. Many companies locate near or along the while the stronger flex-space market offered net corridor to take advantage of transportation ac- rents of $14.43 per square foot and a vacancy rate cess as well as proximity to the NIH, the FDA, of only 3.7 percent. Germantown has a total of the National Institute of Standards and Technol- 830,000 square feet of vacant office and flex space, ogy, and other agencies. although this is in part due to the 300,000 square feet of space sitting vacant at the former Orbital Market Conditions Sciences property. The community’s commercial rental rates have held strong in the recent past Germantown and the county have long been and there is only a modest disparity between its home to an educated and highly skilled workforce. full-service rates and those of its neighbors to Though the Germantown Employment Corridor the south.
18 An Advisory Services Panel Report According to the Maryland Department of Assess- Montgomery County: New Commercial ments and Taxation, during the past six years, Ger- Construction, 2000–2005 mantown ranked second in Montgomery County in commercial construction with 2.3 million square Gross Floor Area Added feet built, representing 13 percent of the county’s Location (Millions of Square Feet) total. Of that space, 51 percent is office space, 23 Rockville city 2.4 percent industrial/warehouse, 15 percent retail, and 11 percent for other uses. According to some Germantown 2.3 estimates, about 4 million square feet of commer- Gaithersburg city 2.2 cial gross floor area is in the pipeline for German- town, with 3.5 million of that coming as office con- Bethesda 2.2 struction. Germantown has strong net absorption Gaithersburg vicinity 2.1 on par with that of Bethesda, but it is significantly lower than that of Gaithersburg/north Rockville Silver Spring 1.4 and Frederick. While Gaithersburg/north Rockville Clarksburg 1.1 has seen a boom in the past several years, espe- cially for the biomedical industry, it has a much Source: Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. higher amount of vacant space—2.86 million square feet. The vacant space to the south of Germantown, best position itself in the future. These include however, is often favored by companies because it Montgomery College, the Base Realignment and is only slightly more expensive than Germantown Closure (BRAC) Act, and the Intercounty Con- space but it is closer to the Metrorail system and nector. NIH, FDA, etc. Montgomery College While the development rate of office buildings Montgomery College plays an important role in is not as slow compared with other areas of the the I-270 corridor and has the potential to be a county as the community perceives it to be, the huge economic driver for Germantown. The col- disparity between office and housing development lege benefits from its proximity to Johns Hopkins is notable. According to county data, in 2005, Ger- University in Baltimore and the University of mantown had met 78 percent of its 1989 Master Plan housing capacity (37,000 units) and only 31 Maryland (UMD) at College Park. In addition, percent of its Master Plan employment capacity UMD has a campus in Shady Grove where its (78,000 people). The housing market in German- Biotechnology Institute is located. UMD will soon town is extremely strong. The community ranked move its undergraduate program in biotechnology second among the county’s 28 planning areas in to Montgomery College from Shady Grove, which housing production between 2000 and 2005, ac- will present many opportunities for the college. cording to the Maryland Department of Assess- Johns Hopkins and UMD have spawned a large ments and Taxation. During this period, 4,520 number of start-up companies that have ventured housing units were built—almost 17 percent of the out on their own, and the college will follow suit as units built in the county—a total surpassed only its programs and proposed science and technology by the 4,900 units constructed in Rockville. With park grow. Indeed, the biotech industry relies time and the improvement of the amenities Ger- mantown has to offer, the jobs-to-housing imbal- heavily on relationships with academic institutions ance will improve. for research and talent. The college has the poten- tial to provide initial staff for new biotechnology Influencing Factors companies, and full-time staff can be drawn from graduating students or cooperative programs. The Over the coming decades, several factors will af- reputation of the entire corridor will grow as fect development in Germantown and should influ- Montgomery College becomes a larger player in ence decision making by the community so it can the biotech industry.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 19 Germantown’s housing that would benefit from proximity to both the NIH market is robust. New and Fort Detrick. BRAC requires that all actions housing, both condo- be completed by 2011, so the impacts will be felt minium and rental, has over time rather than immediately. been completed in the Town Center. The FDA is currently consolidating all its offices and labs from Rockville into the former campus of the White Oak Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Sil- ver Spring. The project, with an expected comple- tion date of 2008, has the potential to disperse the concentration of related research businesses in northern Bethesda and Rockville to sites closer to Silver Spring and Washington.
Base Realignment and Closure Intercounty Connector Several federal initiatives, including the U.S. De- Germantown also will be affected by construction fense Department’s Base Realignment and Closure of the Intercounty Connector, a longstanding and program, undoubtedly will affect the Germantown fiercely contested east-west highway first pro- market. The 2005 BRAC recommendations are posed in the 1950s. The ICC was recently ap- projected to have a positive impact in Maryland, proved and fully funded by the state and federal primarily benefiting the Baltimore area through governments and will be constructed in five the expansion of Fort Meade, though Frederick phases starting in spring 2007. It will travel 18 and Montgomery counties are poised to see an im- miles, connecting I-270 with I-95 and U.S. Route 1 pact as well. Nearly 1,000 personnel will relocate south of Laurel in Prince George’s County, Mary- from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in land. While contested mostly on environmental Washington to the Bethesda Naval Medical Cen- and eminent-domain grounds, the ICC is viewed ter and an annex in Forest Glen, but this will have by many as a potential economic driver for the little direct impact on Germantown other than to areas along its route. For example, the ICC likely make the I-270 corridor a more appealing location will result in significant reductions in travel time for related companies. between Germantown and BWI and I-95. Fort Detrick in Frederick, which employs 7,600 While it remains to be seen how many additional personnel in several research institutes, armed jobs the ICC will provide for the I-270 corridor, forces centers, and the Secret Service, is expected the road has the potential to spur new develop- to gain 120 military and civilian jobs in the short ment at its interchange with I-270 and nearby term and several hundred long-term jobs due to communities, such as Gaithersburg and German- creation of the new Medical Biodefense Research town. The additional congestion that the ICC Lab. The construction of this and other high- might bring to the corridor certainly will result in security labs at Fort Detrick might encourage a greater need for the Corridor Cities Transitway. spin-off companies and associated firms to locate While construction of the CCT has yet to be in Frederick—and possibly at Germantown— funded, it would provide needed transportation rather than at sites farther south along the I-270 capacity between Shady Grove and Clarksburg corridor. In addition, the National Cancer Insti- while also making jobs along the I-270 corridor tute will be relocating to Frederick from the NIH more accessible. campus in Bethesda and thus will be bypassing Germantown and other closer-in communities Focus Area: The Germantown along I-270 to be closer to the cluster of research Business District institutes at Fort Detrick. It is possible that Ger- mantown’s location halfway between Bethesda The future growth of the Germantown Business and Frederick will make it an appealing place to District will primarily be a function of the market- build a business for smaller contractors and others place and patience. Germantown leaders, business
20 An Advisory Services Panel Report owners, and landowners, however, need to think The University of Mary- about actions that will enable Germantown to gain land will soon locate its a competitive advantage as the market evolves. undergraduate degree in From the data available, it is evident that Ger- biotechnology at Mont- mantown has grown as would be expected, with gomery College, which residential growth outstripping job growth. While will further increase the the perception is that Germantown has not gotten college’s important role in its fair share of the county’s employment growth, the I-270 biotech corridor. the panel believes it has gotten its expected share of that growth in the form that best served the market—flex space and campuslike office parks— although that growth occurred neither in the loca- tions nor at the density or rate anticipated by the 1989 Master Plan. sire. As a result, Germantown’s main competitors Competitive Context are Frederick and Clarksburg to the north rather When the Gaithersburg office market is saturated, than southern Montgomery County. it is more than likely that demand then will move farther north to Germantown, even though its Many companies are moving north to sites with market provides a different product than that of- cheaper land so they can be close to their workers fered by Gaithersburg. In addition, as amenities who are moving farther north along the I-270 and a vibrant extension of the Town Center core corridor to find affordable housing. Gaithersburg are developed, Germantown will increase its com- competes with Germantown to some degree, but petitiveness, attract companies to locate there, has more in common with Rockville and Bethesda and offer more varied commercial and mixed-use than Germantown, with its lower-priced land and products. An expanded Town Center also will in- space. While Gaithersburg is incorporated, the crease the tax base, though that most likely will boundaries between it and Germantown, with not be an immediate result. Typically, office space the exception of the areas where the greenbelt located in a mixed-use, amenity-rich environment is identifiable, are becoming less distinct. A new such as that anticipated for the Crescent and the exit off I-270, planned for Watkins Mill Road to GBD is more attractive to tenants and therefore the south of Germantown, will bring more devel- leases out more quickly than space in the same opment to the quickly expanding northern part submarket without those characteristics. of Gaithersburg.
The report Economic Forces That Shape Mont- All office development in Montgomery County, gomery County, by the Research and Develop- except that in Clarksburg, pays a transportation ment Center of the Maryland–National Capital impact tax of $5.30 per square foot. The tax, set Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), by the Montgomery County Council, is assessed notes that the county’s biotechnology cluster, not on new buildings and additions to commercial including consumer-oriented businesses, grew by buildings in order to fund, in part, the improve- 9 percent between the second quarters of 2004 ments necessary to meet the increased demand and 2005. Germantown needs to capture a greater for transportation and schools resulting from the share of this growth and to encourage that growth development. As noted in the Germantown Eco- to locate in the GBD. While a share of the biotech growth, such as Qiagen, is locating in German- nomic Development Strategy, this represents a town, a larger portion is locating to the south in significant real cost that makes development in north Rockville and Gaithersburg. Germantown more expensive than in some of its competitors outside the county. The transporta- Germantown is losing potential growth to Gaithers- tion impact tax rate is higher in Clarksburg ($6.35 burg and points south because it does not yet offer per square foot), but the money is reinvested in the type of mid-rise product many companies de- Clarksburg’s infrastructure, while the monies
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 21 paid for development in Germantown are distrib- Montgomery County O-M zone, which calls for uted across the county. office development, has a designated FAR of 1.5. Biotech companies tend to be capital-intensive: Target Market their spaces are expensive, with large amounts The natural target market for Germantown is com- of lab space, costly equipment, and large teams of panies with highly skilled workers and a need to scientists and workers. Office uses definitely would be near the biotech companies, universities, and be the most suitable for sites adjacent to I-270 be- federal agencies along I-270 and in Washington cause they would benefit from the greater visibil- and Baltimore. In addition to biotech and high- ity and transportation access available, and, thus, tech companies, Germantown will continue to the higher densities. Development of flex space attract professional service firms and govern- and R&D space should be encouraged on the east- ment agencies. ern side of I-270. Models exist of high-density R&D space at research university campuses, and these Until the market picks up and the Germantown should be explored for Germantown because this Crescent takes shape, there will be two primary type of development would result in a more con- types of commercial development—mid-rise centrated cluster of companies and a more walk- office/R&D buildings in campus settings on the able public realm. cheaper land away from I-270, and one- or two- story flex space with surface parking. Currently A comprehensive effort to swiftly revise the 1989 demand for multistory office buildings is weak, Master Plan for the targeted GBD area in antici- while demand for flex space is high because there pation of an improved market will result in changes is a dearth of such property available on the market. in Germantown’s commercial development within five years. Between five and ten years, there will It is important to maintain the job preserve along be increased opportunities for infill development I-270—both because it is a core principle of the on the east side of I-270 when the Germantown 1989 Master Plan and because the preserve has Crescent will largely be developed. It will be im- the potential to supply jobs to the region for the portant for the revised master plan to call for com- next 50 years. The job preserve also has the po- pact, walkable development in the GBD to make tential to allow a larger number of Germantown sure that parcels do not remain underused. These residents to live and work in the community. It is attributes will be immediately important on the clear that Germantown residents and business west side of I-270 with the expansion of the Town owners need to be educated about the Employ- Center into the Germantown Crescent and north ment Corridor’s benefits in terms of future growth to the Northwest Center. In addition, the revised and potential reduction in congestion if fewer resi- master plan should identify the GBD’s signature dents commute out of Germantown. sites and reserve them for high-density develop- ment for key companies. To understand the two categories of target prop- erty users that should be targeted for the Ger- Incentives mantown Crescent and ultimately the GBD— In the competition to retain and attract employ- commercial office and R&D—it is important to ers, local governments are increasingly offering know their needs. R&D development often con- economic incentives to offset the high costs that sists of one- or two-story buildings in a campus- businesses associate with locating or expanding in like setting. For the most part, R&D space is a specific region or jurisdiction. Typically, there constructed at a fairly low density and typically are two varieties of incentives: those available to accommodates fewer workers per 1,000 square any qualified company, and those that are discre- feet of space than other commercial space. In ad- tionary and must be specifically granted. dition, R&D space typically has lower rents and lower intensity of use than office space. Because much of the development proposed in this report can be developed privately or through pub- Office development, on the other hand, is usually lic/private partnerships, it is appropriate to con- constructed at higher densities; for example, the sider various types of financial incentives to en-
22 An Advisory Services Panel Report courage the kinds of development desired. There is Indirect financial assistance. This approach typi- a strong need for economic incentives to draw cally takes the form of state grants or loans to biotech and high-tech companies to the German- local governments and community organizations town Business District (until the amenity base is to support business development, such as infra- there to attract companies and residents on its structure improvements or workforce training. own). The following financial tools, organized into the three types of incentives, might be best suited While a workforce training program is less neces- to attracting new commercial development to Ger- sary in a place like Germantown with a highly mantown. It is imperative that the chamber and skilled workforce, there might be a need train the its partners be aggressive in pursuing and apply- young workforce that will be studying at Mont- ing them to the GBD. gomery College or existing workers who need to be educated concerning the employment opportu- Direct financial incentives. These offer compa- nities in the GBD. nies assistance in the form of cash grants, loans, bonds, equity financing and training subsidies. Tax-based incentives. These involve a reduction or They include: abatement in taxes paid to the state or local gov- ernment. These include credits, abatements, and • Direct subsidies. These are cash payments used exemptions. to attract development. This approach should be used selectively to draw a company that would • Tax abatement. This could take the form of tax dramatically transform the GBD. relief for new projects in the GBD for five to ten years. • High-quality jobs program. This type of perfor- mance-based program provides quarterly cash • Tax-free bond financing. This incentive is at- payments to companies (often 5 percent of gross tractive because the bonds do not require the annual payroll) for ten years if they fall within a financial backing of the municipality but instead strict set of criteria. The criteria typically dic- rely on some form of credit enhancement pro- tate industry type, a minimum annual payroll viding an attractive interest rate. by a certain date, and a minimum number of jobs above a certain annual salary threshold. • Tax exemptions. These remove the tax liability for certain business activities. Exemptions may • Revolving loan funds. This type of program be granted from a variety of taxes, but they are makes loans available continuously, with repay- most frequently applied to income, sales and ments on existing loans enabling new loans to use, and other excise taxes. be granted. These types of loans often target small businesses. • Tax credit program. This approach stipulates that if a company meets certain criteria and lo- • Reduced parking requirements. This type of in- cates within a desired area, it can be eligible for centive requires fewer parking spaces in order a tax credit for a period of time, essentially en- to encourage more efficient use of land, includ- abling the company to reduce its tax burden. ing the sharing of parking spaces, as well as greater reliance on pedestrian traffic and use of • Tax increment financing. Tax increment financ- transit. It could be attractive in the GBD when ing (TIF) enables a community to capture the a critical mass of residents and workers is in future tax benefits of a real estate improvement place and there is a greater demand for parking to pay the present cost of the associated infra- spaces and a need for structured parking. structure improvements.
• Reduced-cost land and buildings. This approach An in-depth study should be completed concur- provides a business with a powerful incentive to rently with the revised master plan to investigate locate in a particular area, because land acquisi- the most appropriate financing tools and incen- tion and construction costs are often the biggest tives for the GBD. It is imperative that these in- barrier to entry for a company choosing a site. centives be in place when the new master plan is
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 23 The Maryland SoccerPlex This individual will be a key to Germantown hav- and Discovery Sports ing access to economic development incentives Center play an important available from the county and state. The in-depth role in giving German- study of incentives should create measurable town its identity as a goals for the DED staff person. In the meantime, great place to live the county-funded DED staff person should imme- and visit. diately become familiar with the existing master plans, the chamber’s Germantown Economic De- velopment Strategy, and this report. The next step is for the staff person to develop a program of work that will align with the work of the chamber. Germantown leaders should request that no im- pact tax be assessed on development within the complete. Economic incentives should be targeted GBD because it will be infill development that is to appeal to new and existing companies by taking creating a strong employment base within the into account the costs associated with relocating most urban parts of Germantown. or constructing a new building, such as expenses Identity for startup, land acquisition, construction, envi- ronmental permits, operations, recruitment and An underlying concern of the panel is a lack of training of a skilled workforce, energy, transporta- identification of Germantown as a “place” rather tion, and taxes. than simply three interchanges on I-270. This situ- ation means that there is little way to differentiate In addition, attention should be paid to how incen- Germantown as a location that competes on more tives are made available. A more tailored and flex- than price. While there is increasing pride regard- ible approach is likely to be more successful than ing the amenities that make Germantown a won- blanket incentives. The study should investigate derful place to live—the BlackRock Center for the the best way to include enforcement provisions in Arts, the Maryland SoccerPlex, and the new li- agreements. Finally, the study should research po- brary—these amenities also can have value for po- tential partnerships between organization and in- tential businesses. It is important to note that the dustry groups that might facilitate and encourage elements that elevate the quality of life can make increased economic development in the GBD. locating in Germantown more appealing because a full-service Town Center core will be attractive to The Montgomery County Council has funded one both new residents and workers. staff person in its Department of Economic Devel- opment (DED) to focus on economic development A related issue is the absence of a midlevel issues in Germantown; such a position has the po- public entity. Citizens look to the county, and tential to bring new development to Germantown namely the Upcounty Regional Services Center, and to encourage institution of the necessary tools for most services, and to their homeowners as- and incentives to attract the best companies. It sociation for local connections. This lack of a will be critical for the chamber of commerce and “town” exacerbates the identity problem in the local leadership to educate this employee about marketplace for Germantown, even though it the benefits of and need for focused development has about 90,000 residents. in the Germantown Business District.
24 An Advisory Services Panel Report Planning and Design
uring the interview process, the panel con- BlackRock Center for the Arts and the new library tinuously heard about the need to create a slated to open in fall 2006—and the enormous po- sense of place in Germantown and how the tential of these resources will continue to grow D Town Center is starting to serve that pur- with time. The high quality of investment in the pose. The strength of community identity and pride Town Center’s public realm is impressive, leading in Germantown’s residential neighborhoods, schools, to the addition of sidewalks, street trees, furni- and open-space resources is evident. What is lack- ture, screening, and lighting. There are, however, ing is identity and pride for the entire German- vacant parcels that need to be filled in along the town community from both insiders and outsiders. Germantown Crescent in order to extend the The foundation, however, is being formed through Town Center. the work of a committed group of landowners, de- Relating to the future development of the Town velopers, and leaders active in Germantown, and Center, the Upcounty Regional Services Center the study area in particular. Their understanding building and the adjacent shopping complex of the issues and commitment to making German- should be better connected and integrated into town a better place to live and work will only bring the main street. Small second-floor offices for local good things to this community. This group of stake- businesses and professional services would be de- holders will inevitably offer support for the plan- sirable additions as new retail pads are built to fill ning and redevelopment of the Germantown Busi- the gaps along the street. Also, a small museum ness District. They do not need to be convinced of celebrating Germantown’s history would be a the importance of this project to the community great amenity; it could be programmed to aug- and—for developers and landowners—to the fu- ture potential of their parcels. ment the Germantown Historical Society’s office at the old Germantown Bank building by the train The panel has attempted to absorb and build on station and the Waters House, operated by the the extensive thinking and planning that has al- Montgomery County Historical Society, in the ready taken place for the Town Center. Ultimately, Milestone subdivision. A public square might the recommendations are intended to continue and evolve from the fountain diagonally across from enhance the urban-style core that is beginning to the cinema complex and adjacent to the Jasper’s take shape in the Town Center. Implementation restaurant. That part of the Town Center needs a of the vision presented here for Germantown and especially the Germantown Business District re- quires creation of the physical form that will serve the new residents, businesses, services, and shops. This section of the report will suggest updated tools reflecting current ideas and new planning concepts that will help Germantown meet the needs of 21st-century residents.
The Town Center is well on its way to becoming The Waters House, oper- the hub of activity, but it needs additional resi- ated by the Montgomery dents and, most important, businesses supplying County Historical Society, jobs within walking distance or a short car or bus is located in the Milestone ride. At its center are two civic buildings—the residential development.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 25 The nascent vibrancy of The panel’s recommendations are intended to give the Town Center’s public this process a head start by offering objective realm should be expanded ideas on how to integrate key design and planning through the Germantown elements for any individual development parcels Crescent and, ultimately, with those common design principles and guide- the Germantown Business lines that should be the basis for developing and District. implementing a strategic plan. The panel seeks to further advance this planning process by recom- mending that the M-NCPPC revise Germantown’s master plan through an expedited process that will lead to adoption of the recommendations in this report and a focus only on the Germantown Business District.
place for public gatherings to complement the Germantown has a historic opportunity to start transit center, which is filling that role to some de- changing its growth patterns by creating the Ger- gree. Mid-rise housing might also be included in mantown Business District in preparation for fu- the mix of uses nearer I-270. More entertainment ture growth. Once the Town Center starts to ex- options would strengthen this area by attracting pand throughout the GBD, the current imbalance residents and office workers for evening activities. between housing and jobs will start to change as companies are attracted to the high quality of life While the concepts presented below are not likely and sense of place offered by the GBD. Comple- to be wholly new—many of the goals and ideas tion of the ICC will also bring growth to the I-270 here are already shared by the community—the corridor, and by adopting the recommendations in panel hopes they offer some significant and pro- this report, Germantown will have positioned it- self to take its share of that growth. vocative ideas for how to create a viable and ex- panded Town Center with a strong mix of jobs, The county, with support from key leaders and housing, and retail. This section of the report lays landowners in Germantown, needs to affirm Ger- the foundation for the panel’s concept of the build- mantown’s future role as a great place to live and ing blocks that should be used to create a dynamic work by refocusing its assets and adopting new and successful plan for the Germantown Business development strategies to create an environment through which the community can benefit from District. The foundation starts with an under- these new conditions. This will involve adoption standing of the overall context of the Town Center of planning policies and urban design standards, and then a focus on the unique and site-specific at- infill development, and the creation of an identity, tributes that will define successful expansion of all of which will attract and retain commercial and the Town Center into the GBD. mixed-use development. In addition, it will be im- perative for the key stakeholders to educate the Overview and Context public concerning the benefits of the Germantown Business District and the future growth that will Germantown has an invaluable opportunity to come to Germantown. capitalize on the strengths of the existing Town Germantown has been built from the outside in, Center core and the inevitable job growth that with residential development leading the way, will come to the Germantown Business District and employment and a central core following. The with time. A long-term, strategic vision for the panel’s emphasis has focused primarily on the Ger- GBD is necessary to sustain and expand the com- mantown Business District, which will serve as munity and for it to remain competitive in the the community’s crown jewel, creating a great changing business environment along the I-270 central place for residents to gather, as well as the corridor. most visible commercial hub for retail, mixed-use,
26 An Advisory Services Panel Report and office space—although today the area is not The panel recommends visible from the arterial system. that the successful mixed-use development Much has been accomplished in a short period, with found in the Town Center, empty fields giving way to shops, small offices, such as this example on higher-density housing, movie theaters, the Black- Century Boulevard, Rock Center for the Arts, and an active transit become the standard for center, with a library and park coming soon. While the Germantown Business the existing Town Center constitutes a good start, District. more needs to be done. The Town Center must be completed in a strategic manner. Important deci- sions on upcoming projects need to be made by private landowners and planners, and some mis- steps have been made along the way that need to As envisioned by the panel, the Crescent will be corrected over time. This report addresses the include four distinct mixed-use zones or neigh- challenges facing Germantown in terms of iden- borhoods: tity, the Town Center, and future employment op- portunities, as well as aspects of the public realm, • Germantown Station—the area west of Wiste- especially street and transit connections. ria Drive to the MARC station; • Main Street—the Town Center core extending The GBD: Restructuring the from the Upcounty Regional Services Center to Employment Corridor Aircraft Drive;
The study area—defined by the panel as the Ger- • The Corner—the area between Aircraft Drive mantown Business District—consists of the fol- and Father Hurley Boulevard, with the prime lowing six nodes: signature site at the bend of Century Boule- vard; and • the Germantown Crescent; • Uptown—the area of Century Boulevard north • the Northwest Center; of the Corner extending to Father Hurley • the Department of Energy; Boulevard.
• Milestone Business Center; Principles that can help guide development of the Germantown Crescent include the following: • Seneca Meadows; and • mix uses to attract employers; • Montgomery College. • create a pedestrian-friendly place; Restructuring the Town Center: The Germantown Crescent • break up the superblocks; and In order to attract employment to Germantown, • complete the transportation infrastructure ob- the walkable and compact form, the intensity and jectives laid out in the master plan. mix of uses, and the vibrancy found in the Town Center core need to be expanded west to the Germantown Station. The Germantown Station MARC station and east to I-270, then north along neighborhood, which extends west of the existing Century Boulevard to Father Hurley Boulevard Town Center core to the B&O Railroad and the and through the Oxbridge and Lerner parcels in MARC station, should become a mix of retail, ad- the Northwest Center. The area resulting from ditional office, and residential uses. All uses in this logical expansion is referred to by the panel this portion of the Crescent should be promoted as the Germantown Crescent. for their proximity to the MARC station. Resi-
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 27 The six nodes of the E G ID Germantown Business R District. 270272 MILESTONE
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MARC STATION D A O R N W O T N Y A A HW M G R I E H G A C dents of Gaithersburg and other communities Station—although rail commuters often have a with MARC service could commute to businesses greater tolerance for walking, and recent studies in the Germantown Station area by train. Historic indicate that the radius can be expanded to a half buildings near the MARC station, several of which mile. The trail connecting a nearby residential do not appear to be in use, should be used for neighborhood to the east side of the station and neighborhood-scale retail while the local history the pedestrian bridge crossing the railroad should museum should be more broadly advertised and be emulated throughout the area within a half- highlighted as a community resource. mile radius of the station to encourage walking and biking to the station. The 1974 Master Plan The appeal of urban living close to transit is that concentrated employment adjacent to the railroad it allows commuters to leave their cars in the and I-270, so there is a precedent of transit-ori- garage and walk to transit. Transit-oriented de- ented development in Germantown, even though velopment that includes residential, retail, and it was never fully developed. Residents and work- office space should be considered in the district ers in the Germantown Station area would also be within a quarter-mile walk of the Germantown within an easy walk of the Main Street section.
28 An Advisory Services Panel Report The four nodes of the 270 Germantown Crescent.
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N E RA S IL R The1 panel also emphasized the following points re- the neighbors at the Safeway, to catch an exhibit garding the Germantown Station area: or performance followed by dinner, to catch a tran- sit connection to another area of the community or • High priority should be given to office and resi- region, and, for a lucky group, a place to call home. dential development on strategic sites close to the station to take advantage of the good transit The existing Town Center core should continue to access and the charm of the historic neighborhood. be primarily a retail and public services district with offices and residences. This mix of uses rep- • Greater attention should be given to pedestrian resents the urban ideal to many, and it is an in- and bicycle access to the station by way of trails creasingly popular feature for suburban communi- and bike paths. 9 ties. The chamber and its partnering sponsors for Main Street. The section of Century Boulevard this panel should advocate that the public library running from Middlebrook Road to Aircraft Drive open as planned in fall 2006 and that the urban is the portion familiar to most Germantown resi- park, Center Park in the Town Center, proposed dents as “Main Street”—a place to shop, to meet for a site north of the library, come to fruition in
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 29 The historic MARC train will further identify the community as ranking station accommodates among Montgomery County’s leading business commuters to Washing- centers. Existing development primarily takes ton, D.C., and has poten- the form of low-rise suburban office buildings with tial to encourage transit- large setbacks from the street. Though the Cen- oriented development in tury XXI building adjacent to the movie theater Germantown. provides the only structured parking in the Cres- cent, the site is underused and the building is not compatible with the marketplace and needs of tenants. New development must establish a new standard of high-quality urban development—one that can be emulated at other parcels as obsolete buildings are replaced.
a timely manner. In addition, the restructuring Uptown. The Uptown neighborhood along Century of transit services has given the Main Street Boulevard south of the Father Hurley Boulevard/ good bus connections to other parts of the com- I-270 interchange should include a strong concen- munity, and speedy connections to Metrorail at tration of office uses with a variety of residential Shady Grove. and supporting retail.
In the short term, the Main Street portion of the An important parcel in the Uptown section of the Crescent would benefit from the streetcar or trol- Germantown Crescent is the Century/Orbital Sci- leylike transportation loop proposed by the panel. ences complex, represented by Trammell Crow, In the long term, there is potential for greater which currently comprises six buildings, five of density and structured parking for underused which sit vacant on the underused site. Trammell sites, such as the supermarket parking lot and the Crow presented a plan to the panel for the site that includes 200 condominiums, 150 rental apart- car dealership. The challenge related to this part ments, and 300 two-over-two townhouses. In addi- of the core will be to build out the vacant parcels tion to the residential component, which will re- in an appropriate manner, and to fix some of the quire a zoning text amendment from the county, missteps as the real estate market opens up more Trammell Crow plans three 180,000-square-foot profitable development prospects. office buildings on which ground will be broken in The Corner. The neighborhood between Aircraft spring 2008. The current plan for the site also in- Drive and I-270 has been identified by the panel cludes a hotel, which is allowed as a special excep- as “the Corner” in reference to the bend in Cen- tion to the I-3 and TS zones. tury Boulevard. The Corner should include a bal- This site is adjacent to a proposed CCT stop, which anced mix of mid-rise office, retail, entertainment, would give residents and workers there the option hotel, and residential uses. Mixed-use develop- of commuting to work by transit. The developers ment should play an important role in this section aptly note that structured parking would not be of the Crescent, especially since it forms the most viable in the short-term unless there is a residen- logical extension of Main Street and has easy ac- tial component to the project. The plan presented cess to the new transit center and future CCT to the panel included structured parking on the stops. The Corner contains key signature sites highway frontage, which is an inappropriate use that should be developed with the vista from I-270 of such land. This portion of the site should be re- and the creation of Germantown’s identity in mind. served for high-density office development to op- timize the signature frontage on the site. The This section of the Crescent contains many vacant panel agrees that this site should include a mix of or underdeveloped parcels, which represent the multifamily housing, office space, and retail uses. greatest opportunity for significantly expanding Germantown’s job base, as well as establishing a As Century Boulevard turns north, this district new caliber of commercial development, one that provides opportunities for redevelopment of older
30 An Advisory Services Panel Report suburban office buildings into a more diverse se- Detail of proposed lection of uses, including residential and office redesign of Germantown space, as well as possibly retail space and hotels. Station subarea. Northwest Center. Anchoring the northern end of the GBD employment zone on the west side of I-270 is the Northwest Center, which consists of two large sites that are important both for their size and their exposure on I-270. It ultimately will provide space for the critical northern expansion of the Germantown Crescent. When developed, the Northwest Center has the potential to form a stronger connection with the Milestone Center on Detail of proposed the east side of I-270. redesign of the Corner subarea. This is an area currently lacking good street con- nections, a limitation that will be improved by a combination county- and developer-sponsored project to extend Century Boulevard through the sites. This effort is in the planning stage and is ex- pected to be underway soon. Completion of the CCT also will enhance the connection of these sites with the rest of the area west of I-270 as well as link them to the Milestone Center on the east side of I-270. Notwithstanding the construction of these road- way connections, this area likely will lag behind the Corner and Uptown areas in office develop- ment because of its distance from the core. For that reason, the panel recommends that consid- eration be given to rezoning this area to add resi- dential and retail uses to office uses in order to Detail of proposed enhance the likelihood of earlier development. redesign of Uptown This area also might be attractive earlier for a subarea. large single user than for a multitenant develop- ment, as noted later in this report in the sugges- tion of a land swap with DOE. Currently, the two parcels in the Northwest Cen- ter are primarily vacant. The Lerner Enterprises site is home to a golf driving range, but the owner Buildings Key has proposed a planned development, the Waters Landing Corporate Park. If approved, the park Retail will cover 75 acres along I-270 and Crystal Rock Drive with 1.3 million square feet of office space Office and recreational activities. Oxbridge, the owner/ Residential developer of the other Northwest Center parcel, has received preliminary approval for 500,000 Mixed Use square feet of commercial development in two buildings on its approximately 25-acre site. How- ever, without changes to the market, it appears
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 31 that this site will remain vacant for several more one planned at Dorsey Mill Road; through paying years because the owners do not believe there is more attention to pedestrian needs; and through demand for this much office space. As part of the construction of the CCT when it is approved. entitlement process, the owners will build through their site the aforementioned extension of Century Montgomery College. Montgomery College, a re- Boulevard, which is currently in the final design spected two-year academic institution with a stages. strong technology focus, is a major asset for Ger- mantown and the region. The 230-acre campus, Summary. The intent of this strategy is to establish poised on a hill providing a dramatic view of Ger- the center of Germantown as a major activity area mantown, has plenty of room for expansion. attractive to community residents as well as a wide The college’s value as an economic driver for Ger- variety of office-space users and retailers. Retail mantown will be enhanced by its efforts to initiate will be an important use, but the focus of the stra- a Montgomery College Life Sciences and Technol- tegy is to create a new concentration of office em- ogy Park on a 35- to 40-acre campus tract near the ployment that will give Germantown the status of Route 188 interchange with I-270. Montgomery a full-fledged town offering a variety of commer- College will undertake the project through a part- cial opportunities and services. nership with Montgomery County and Foulger- Development of the Crescent should be given a Pratt, a Rockville-based construction, develop- high priority because it has strong potential to help ment, and management firm. The development Germantown achieve its employment objectives. team is currently negotiating the development agreement and is in discussions with several lead It will be necessary to revise land use regulations, tenants. Once a tenant is committed, the team will as described in the implementation section of this present a preliminary plan for the site to the county. report, and to the extent that public infrastruc- ture funding is necessary, this portion of the Em- According to people interviewed, the science and ployment Corridor should be given first priority. technology park ultimately will house 4,000 em- Opportunities on the East Side of I-270 ployees in 1 million square feet of office and lab space, a biosciences center for the college, and The Germantown Employment Corridor includes county incubator space. The panel recommends roughly identically sized areas on the east and that the college and its partners consider the fol- west sides of I-270. The portion of the GBD on lowing for the science and technology park: the east side forms a reverse crescent that mirrors the Crescent and Northwest Center. The east side • locating high-rise buildings on the signature includes Hughes Network Systems, Montgomery sites visible from I-270; College, the Seneca Meadows complex, and the • creating a walkable environment in the park, to Milestone Business Center. echo the pedestrian-friendly campus, by The employment identity on the east side of I-270 fronting the buildings on the roads and side- seems to be set, with few undeveloped parcels re- walks and placing landscaped parking lots at the maining, although all developed parcels, except rear or sides of buildings; and for Milestone, are well below the allowed density • applying the revised master plan to Montgomery in the I-3 and TS zones. As a result, there is an op- College to allow a mix of uses, such as a coffee portunity for increased density and some mixed- shop, restaurant, and other neighborhood ser- use development as the market catches up with vices, including more than the minimal amount Germantown. Currently, I-270 acts as a physical of service retail allowed in the I-3 and TS zones. barrier between the east and west sides of Ger- mantown, primarily for pedestrians, and it ap- Seneca Meadows. The Seneca Meadows property, a pears that there is a mental divide also as the east 156-acre site that fronts I-270 between Route 118 side has been favored to some degree by flex and and Father Hurley Boulevard, is successfully R&D development. This can be improved through serving the flex-space segment of the German- construction of additional overpasses, such as the town office market. Property developer and man-
32 An Advisory Services Panel Report ager Minkoff Development Corporation has com- Mixed-Use Development pleted nine buildings totaling 500,000 square feet According to ULI, the term mixed-use develop- and has two more under construction. Rents are ment holds a variety of meanings and can be ap- competitive at Seneca Meadows; Building 2, for plied to a wide range of community development example, is offered at $17.50 triple net lease per projects. These projects may be classified as square foot. The site has an abundance of parking, mixed use if they provide more than one use or with 3.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet—typical of purpose within a shared building or development Germantown’s campuslike office parks. area. Mixed-use projects may include any combi- Low-rise office and flex space is the prudent use nation of housing, office, retail, medical, recre- of this site, and the developer/owners should be ational, commercial, or industrial components. encouraged to continue developing this product They may vary in scale from a single building oc- there. While demand for flex space will probably cupied by a retail shop on the ground floor with an decline in the long term as office demand improves upstairs apartment, to a comprehensive urban vil- and moves north along I-270, it would be wise for lage development with multiple buildings contain- the Germantown area to continue to offer such ing separate but compatible uses. According to space. However, as the market evolves to higher ULI’s 2003 edition of the Mixed-Use Development land values, Minkoff likely will want to build Handbook, mixed-use development is character- three- to four-story offices in the northern section ized by the following parameters: of the property as allowed by the 1989 Master Plan. • three or more significant revenue-producing Milestone Business Center. The Milestone Business uses—such as retail/entertainment, office, resi- Center, represented by Trammell Crow, has two dential, hotel, and civic/cultural/recreation— commercial buildings in place, and an approved that in well-planned projects are mutually sup- site plan for three additional buildings with struc- porting; tured parking. An alternative plan also exists to transfer density from one of the parcels to a parcel • significant physical functional integration of fronting I-270. The owners plan to construct an of- project components—and thus a relatively fice building, which is currently in the approval close-knit and intensive use of land—including process, in spring 2007 on a speculative basis. uninterrupted pedestrian connections; and The plans presented by Trammell Crow for this • development in conformance with a coherent property are satisfactory if they can be completed. plan, which frequently stipulates the type and In any event, the uses of this property are already scale of uses, permitted densities, and related well established. The owner’s proposed alterna- elements. tive use of a portion of the undeveloped areas of this parcel for residential development would not Although the mixed-use approach presents signifi- create any problem for overall employment cant challenges—especially in the areas of project growth, so the panel supports the idea. The panel finance, programming, and design—it is gaining recommends mixed-use development for the new popularity at an ever-increasing rate. Indeed, real buildings, such as coffee shops and other services estate and planning experts predict that several that would appeal to office workers. decades of very-large-scale redevelopment and new development are on the horizon, and that the Plan Essentials role of mixed uses will continue to expand. Appli- A number of design characteristics are essential cation of mixed-use development will play an inte- to developing a successful Germantown Business gral part in ensuring Germantown’s future eco- District. These include the restructuring of the nomic development success. New development Town Center, infill and mixed-use development, needs to be compact and walkable to build on and attention to signature sites along I-270, and con- improve the vibrancy of the existing Town Center nectivity of both roads and transit. core to the fullest extent possible.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 33 Single-use development is no longer always desir- mantown’s single-family homes and townhouses, able for Germantown—especially not in areas ad- so the impact of mixed-use development in Ger- jacent to the Town Center core. Allowing a mix of mantown on the schools should be minimal. uses, such as residential and office space in the Zoning Changes same building or same development project, would create incentives for construction of offices be- The panel explored various alternatives to the cause the market is currently so targeted toward current I-3 and TS zoning, including text amend- residential development. In addition, entertain- ments allowing mixed-use development, a mixed- ment, retail (neighborhood services and clothing, use overlay, or a change to the mixed-use planned etc.), and restaurant uses should be considered for development (MXPD) zone. Allowing MXPD zon- the Germantown Business District, and specifi- ing, which would permit housing—as is the case at cally for the Germantown Crescent. These uses Rock Spring Park in the most heavily developed, will appeal both to workers and residents in the southern end of I-270—might help create the type Germantown Crescent and beyond. of vibrant environment proposed in this report in order to attract employers to Germantown. A valid concern is that mixed-use development might reduce the opportunities for creation of af- The owners of two major sites in the GBD have fordable or below-market-rate housing. Though requested that their sites be approved for MXPD higher construction and other hard costs related zoning so that they can include residential units to increased density can mean a dense project will —not simply as a reaction to the lagging office not be profitable or is not affordable, spreading market, but because it has proven to be a more those costs across additional floors or units can desirable form of development. Responding to mean lower land costs per unit. Thus, for the most the currently stagnant commercial market, own- part, opportunities still would exist for the devel- ers are looking to generate a positive cash flow oper to make a profit while also providing below- for their sites sooner with residential uses rather market-rate or affordable units. In addition, Mont- than wait for the office market to pick up. This gomery County’s moderately priced dwelling unit type of master plan amendment, however, can (MPDU) zoning requires developers to include af- take 18 to 24 months to put in place. At the Shady fordable housing in any new residential develop- Grove Life Sciences Center, a different approach ment, with developers receiving the reward of a was employed: a floating mixed-use zone was used density bonus. to encourage development. While these alterna- The panel also learned of public concern that tives have benefits, the case-by-case approach of mixed-use development, if it includes residential text amendments is not the optimal strategy by uses, will have negative impacts on public facili- which to enact zoning changes. ties—for example, that additional residential de- velopment will result in the overcrowding of Instead, the panel recommends the following: schools. In addition, residential development re- • The county should complete an expedited master sults in less tax revenue for a local jurisdiction plan focusing only on the Germantown Business than office development that places less of a strain District. (See map on page 12 for boundary.) on public services. • This revised master plan should encourage The revised master plan needs to address the po- mixed-use development in the GBD, calling for tential impacts that increased development in the a higher-density and more walkable, compact Crescent and GBD will have on public facilities. It public realm. should be noted that the most likely residents of the multifamily housing that will be encouraged • A streamlined process should be put in place so in the Crescent and ultimately the GBD will be that mixed-use development is encouraged. young professionals and empty nesters looking for a more walkable and lively environment. For the • Sites should be densified and have structured most part, families will continue to locate in Ger- parking added as the market matures.
34 An Advisory Services Panel Report The new hotel and off-site restaurants, located directly across Century Boulevard from the cin- ema, are not configured in a way that comple- ments the Town Center and do not encourage safe pedestrian circula- tion. This should be addressed when the par- cel, which sits in a prime The M-NCPPC, a bicounty agency that adminis- corrected to enhance development of future sites. location, is redeveloped ters parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince The panel also recommends an aggressive pro- more intensely. George’s counties and is responsible for updating gram of traffic calming on selected streets to slow the Germantown Master Plan, has committed to down traffic and/or divert it to adjacent arterials updating the plan through a process starting in more appropriate for carrying high-speed traffic. 2006. By focusing on the GBD area, the master plan can be completed far sooner than the three The panel also emphasized the following: years expected for the proposed master plan revi- • To create a safe environment for pedestrians, sion covering the entire community. The expe- the extension of Century Boulevard—north dited master plan should focus on applying appro- under Father Hurley Boulevard through the priate zoning to create compact development in Oxbridge and Lerner properties to merge with the Crescent and in the other GBD zones when Crystal Rock Drive—needs to follow road stan- the market is ready. Higher densities, reduced dards similar to those in the Town Center core. setbacks, and a mix of uses should be allowed for the GBD area. • The proposed I-270 overpass at Dorsey Mill Road, which will connect Century Boulevard Connections with Observation Drive, must be made pedes- The 1974 and 1989 master plans envisioned Ger- trian friendly. mantown as a series of self-contained villages connected to a central core but not necessarily Pedestrian Circulation. Pedestrian circulation is a to each other. The plans also created a series of critical element of any successful, mixed-use town wide streets, which met the goal of moving traffic center. Place making and creation of a vibrant re- but was hostile to pedestrians. The panel’s pro- tail environment are based on the premise that posal calls for expanded road and transit connec- sidewalks and intersection crossings must be made tions to create greater access to and from the safe and provide ease of access and movement. The Crescent within the GBD. successful pedestrian environment of the Town Center core should be extended throughout the Street Network. Improved roads have always been Crescent. New developments should be designed important to the Germantown Master Plan, and with the pedestrian in mind so that there is easy the network has been gradually filled in as devel- access from parking to the building entrances. opment matured. Such improved connections are important to provide access, but are often absent The Town Center core is a pedestrian-concentrated in conventional suburbs. Two traits of the Ger- zone in which vehicular circulation is, for the most mantown road system are large superblocks with part, carefully planned to reduce vehicle speed long distances between roads and excessively and minimize to some degree surface parking. wide roads that are good for moving traffic but The Town Center still has some suburban ele- bad for pedestrians. The panel believes that the ments, such as the surface parking serving the pattern of wide streets throughout the Crescent, supermarket and the car dealership fronting Ger- except for the Main Street section, needs to be mantown Road, although the dealership does have
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 35 The width of Aircraft town. Eventually the I-270 overpass planned at Drive, which forms the Dorsey Mill Road just north of Father Hurley border between the Main Boulevard will provide an important additional Street and the Corner, and link between the east and west sides of I-270. the lack of traffic-calming elements result in speed- Aircraft Drive, which forms the border between ing cars and an unsafe Main Street and the Corner, is a prime example of pedestrian environment. the unfriendly pedestrian environment. The road The street needs to be is too wide and, as a result, it encourages speed- narrowed or a traffic cir- ing. This and similar roads need to be altered cle constructed at its through traffic-calming measures, narrowing, or intersection with Century creation of traffic circles so they can become more Boulevard. pedestrian friendly. The panel also emphasizes the need for Germantown to provide an intercon- its service center underground, which reduces nected street system of short blocks to encourage its footprint. pedestrian and bicycle use as an alternative to au- tomobile use. The panel suggests expanding the pedestrian- oriented zone throughout the Germantown Cres- MARC and Ride On Bus. Germantown is served by cent portion of the GBD. Sidewalks should be a MARC’s Brunswick Line, which stretches be- required feature throughout the Crescent and, tween Union Station in Washington, D.C., and where viable, in the Northwest Center and nodes Martinsburg, West Virginia. Administered by the on the east side of I-270. In addition, several side Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) under roads are unsafe to cross because traffic moves at contract with CSX and Amtrak, the commuter rail a high speed and there are no crosswalks. In fu- system operates three lines in the Baltimore- ture redevelopment of the older portions of the Washington metropolitan area. Brunswick Line trains operate over the CSX Metropolitan, Old Crescent, which consist of older strip centers and Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions, starting conventional office parks, attention should be paid in Martinsburg, then traveling through Frederick to creating a safe pedestrian environment. before stopping in Germantown. Between German- The new cinema in the Corner is an asset that en- town and Union Station there are seven stops. courages pedestrian movement east of the Main At Rockville and Silver Spring on the Brunswick Street area. The new hotel and off-site restau- Line, passengers can transfer to the Metrorail rants, located directly across Century Boulevard Red Line. from the cinema, are a welcome addition to the Germantown’s MARC station is located south- Germantown community, which has long had a west of the Main Street just south of Germantown dearth of eating establishments. However, they Road. Due to its convenient access to Washington are not configured in a way that complements the and other job centers, the Germantown station Town Center, and they do not encourage safe area offers an attractive alternative to commut- pedestrian circulation. This should be addressed ing on I-270 as well as opportunities for transit- when this parcel, which sits in a prime location, is oriented development (TOD). Today, however, redeveloped more intensely. MARC access is available only to those who live in the historic neighborhood west of the line, those Pedestrian connections between the Crescent and who park in the small parking lot, and Ride On the east side of I-270 should be integrated into fu- bus users. ture transportation planning for Germantown. Since the primary links between the two sides of The panel recommends that Germantown expand the interstate are overpasses, pedestrian-friendly MARC ridership and connectivity to the Crescent crossings on the overpasses and even by way of a and beyond by operating the Germantown Cres- separate pedestrian bridge will help to strengthen cent trolley/streetcar line between Father Hurley the connection between the two halves of German- Boulevard and the MARC train station.
36 An Advisory Services Panel Report Germantown residents and employees also can get Placement of the new around by bus. Montgomery County operates its Ride On transit center in own public bus system, Ride On, which operates the Town Center has about 80 routes throughout the county. Several resulted in increased rid- lines connect Montgomery College, a large shop- ership both to the Shady ping center, and subdivisions in Germantown with Grove Metro station and the new transit center in the Town Center. Many around Germantown. commuters use Ride On to connect to Metrorail, serving the Washington metropolitan area, with bus service linking Germantown to the Shady Grove and Rockville Metro stations. A recent and heavily used rerouting of the Ride On bus service has resulted in a much more efficient journey to the Shady Grove Metro station. Also, among Ride On services is route 70, which operates Monday parking lots rather than TOD adjacent to the sta- through Friday during peak commuter hours as tions. The CCT project has the potential to reduce an express bus to Bethesda. congestion on I-270 and connect the town centers of various communities along the entire corridor. The panel recommends that Germantown provide better public access to the South Germantown In assessing Germantown’s transit options, the Recreational Park and the Maryland SoccerPlex, panel made the following observations: which are key resources. Currently, there are bike racks at the SoccerPlex, but the closest bus stop • The funding and mode decisions for the CCT reportedly is a half mile from the entrance to will occur in fiscal year 2006–2007. Because the the park. CCT will compete with two other high-visibility projects in the state for federal funding in 2009, Transit Opportunities. The proposed Corridor the chamber of commerce and others with local Cities Transitway, a proposed transit project to interests have time to create a campaign to connect the Shady Grove Metro station to Clarks- show their support for the CCT. This cam- burg, will be a boon for Germantown and its paign should include efforts to educate the pub- neighbors along I-270, especially if it takes the lic concerning the project’s benefits and its form of light rail, which is perceived as more per- readiness to proceed. manent than bus rapid transit (BRT). Construc- tion of the CCT, however, is not guaranteed. The • The chamber and others should discuss best MTA has determined that the first phase of the practices on the various modal options proposed project will extend along Watkins Mill Road in for the CCT. Gaithersburg to the Comsat building just south • The CCT alignment should follow the split of Clarksburg. route, proposed in the 1989 Master Plan, be- The county’s master plan calls for a light-rail sys- cause it is most likely to encourage development tem, but there is a possibility that the CCT will on both sides of I-270. take the form of BRT. A double-tracked light-rail system will give the greatest sense of permanence Because competition for federal and state funding to the development community and most likely might make completion of the CCT a long process, will result in the fastest and most dense develop- the panel suggests that an interim alternative be ment adjacent to stops. BRT would be the best al- implemented in the form of a modern urban street- ternative option to light rail, as long as it follows car or trolley line. The system should link the the CCT alignment rather than an option that various nodes of the Crescent, traveling from the would take it along I-270. Such a route, which MARC station along Germantown Boulevard to would use express toll lanes, would divert invest- the Town Center core, at which point it should ex- ment away from the Town Center because there tend along Century Boulevard to Father Hurley would be fewer stops; it also would result in large Boulevard. Along a portion of Century Boulevard,
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 37 When constructed, the of the new development. At the same time, in a Corridor Cities Transitway predominantly automobile-based community like should follow the right-of- Germantown, parking is a critical component of way already in place in the GBD in order for it to be accessible to the Germantown and the community’s residents and workers. The existing other corridor cities rather than a route along on-street parking spaces and parking lots in the I-270. Town Center and serving other developments are appropriately located and are large enough to serve current demand.
As with other aspects of the transportation sys- tem, Germantown’s parking needs should be reex- amined as the Town Center core becomes increas- the system should follow the CCT right-of-way, ingly urban. A key difference between urban and which has been set aside as landscaped medians in suburban centers is the way parking is treated. Germantown and many other Montgomery County Standard suburban parking requires owners to communities along the proposed route. provide all parking for each building off street, Portland, Oregon, has a popular light-rail system effectively meaning that it will be free. Urban that has helped revitalize portions of the down- parking allows sharing of and occasionally charg- town, including the Pearl District, and contributed ing for parking, both of which reduce the amount to higher property values for buildings along its of space needed for parking and create better site various routes. Closer to home, there are exam- design options. ples of successful bus loops, such as the free Bethesda 8 trolleylike buses, which have consis- Short-term improvements in the provision of tent running times of less than eight minutes as parking in the GBD should include better land- they loop around downtown Bethesda, and the scaping for existing parking lots. The wall and Connector in Washington, D.C., which links landscaping features around the Safeway park- Georgetown and Union Station. Both examples, ing lot in the Town Center core serve as a good which supplement existing bus lines, are less ex- model. The revised master plan should call for pensive but equally visible alternatives to a light- parallel parking along the collector and local rail system. A light-rail system, or even a trolley- streets in the GBD. like bus system with guaranteed arrival times, can give the perception of greater permanence than a Long-term parking strategies should include the traditional bus system. In addition, rather than use of shared parking and structured parking, requiring a wait of several years or longer, as is with options developed to enhance mixed-use possible for the CCT, a streetcar or trolleylike bus projects. In higher-density, mixed-use projects, could be in place much sooner and, as a result, give parking development by a central parking agency developers and landowners a greater sense of cer- tainty that their projects will be accessible. should be considered, similar to the parking dis- tricts in other Montgomery County business dis- The panel recommends that Germantown make it tricts. The location and design of structured park- a priority to create a streetcar, trolley, or trolley- ing should be carefully controlled to minimize like bus line along the Germantown Crescent, exposed street walls. This can be done through with a possible extension throughout the German- the use of “liner” uses along the walls, such as re- town Business District if demand increases. tail along the street frontage or the creative use of Parking. It is essential that Germantown establish foliage and artistic elements. Sites exist in the a parking strategy as an element of the GBD plan GBD where changes in grade could allow develop- so that parking does not overwhelm the character ers to use underground podium parking.
38 An Advisory Services Panel Report Development Principles and Guidelines Install Public Art To build on the strong presence of the BlackRock The concept plan presented by the panel is the first Center for the Arts and the public art installed in step toward creating an environment for the GBD front of the center, Germantown should place ad- that will attract companies. More substantial plan- ditional public art throughout the Crescent to help ning and design efforts will be necessary to prepare create an identity and an image for the commu- the GBD and the Crescent for implementation and nity. Public art should be fully integrated into the development. The panel’s work is based on its con- wayfinding scheme, help define key places, and sideration of the following key design guidelines soften edges. The library grounds and the pro- and principles, which should guide future develop- posed urban park will be key places for public art, ment and the revision of the master plan. as will be the transit center in the Town Center core. East of the I-270 corridor, Montgomery Col- Incorporate Urban Design and Form-Based lege’s new science and technology park will also Zoning offer opportunities for an identity-building public The street-level form of buildings is of critical im- art program. The public trailhead leading from the portance. Carefully implemented design guide- MARC station parking lot to a residential neigh- lines that are flexible enough to allow individual borhood also could be enlivened with public art expression and innovative design, while also being and wayfinding elements. structured enough to create a pedestrian-oriented Focus on Image-Building Opportunities environment, will be a key to the success of the The revised master plan and future development Crescent. Design guidelines, or a form-based code, plans for the Germantown Business District should address the following: should not miss any opportunities to create iconic elements that create identity and branding for the • location of parking; Germantown community. As discussed throughout • articulation of building entrances; this report, this starts with the importance of Ger- mantown’s signature sites visible from I-270. They • ground-floor awnings; should be developed with high-rise office towers of distinguished architectural design to create a • building height; visual reference point for those driving on I-270. • buildings that extend to the lot line and set- Promote Sustainable, Environmentally backs; Responsible Development • wayfinding signs; As Germantown maximizes its amenities and builds on and expands the Town Center core, it • landscaping; should make sustainable development a priority. • street furniture; and It should fully embrace transit-oriented develop- ment near the MARC station, the transit center, • lighting standards. and CCT stops, when built. In addition, the re- vised master plan should promote environmen- Above the first floor, the design or form-based tally responsible design. Compact development guidelines should deal mostly with scale and mass- is one important step toward this goal. Another ing. They should allow for a variety of uses and basic concept of this type of sustainable design typically encourage mixed-use development. is development that reduces parking and automo- bile use. In addition, design elements that pro- Guidelines should be supported through incen- mote energy conservation, water conservation, tives and not be made mandatory. Developers can stormwater quality control, and use of sustain- be persuaded to follow the guidelines if there is a able building practices should be encouraged as reward of a density bonus, an expedited review part of the development process. process, a reduction in the number of parking spaces required, or an economic incentive.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 39 Development Strategies
ermantown is well positioned to move into of the community, particularly in the Employment the next phase of its development, a phase Corridor straddling I-270. The panel believes Ger- where the Town Center blossoms into a vi- mantown, which is already recognized as a great G brant regional destination and employers place to live, can greatly enhance its status by choose to locate their businesses in the German- “risking greatness” and becoming a full-service town Business District as a result of this high community offering ample employment, educa- quality of life. Successful creation of the mixed-use tional, cultural, recreational, and entertainment Germantown Business District, however, will not opportunities in the core area to complement its happen if left to chance alone. Germantown will fine residential neighborhoods. need a focused strategy as it moves forward, and the update of the1989 Master Plan will be a criti- Place Making cal step if Germantown is to meet its potential. The first step toward greatness is for the commu- The Germantown Economic Development Strat- nity to recognize that it needs to strengthen its egy, prepared by the Gaithersburg-Germantown identity as it is understood by the outside world Chamber of Commerce, articulates a set of sound as well as by its own residents. A strong identity principles to guide further development in the is an essential component of any effort to market central part, or core, of the Germantown commu- the community as a location for new businesses nity. It identifies the major assets of the area, a and services. The panel has observed that Ger- set of economic development objectives, and some mantown’s present identity is overwhelmingly proposals for achieving those objectives. The re- that of a place of residence. People identify pri- port focuses primarily on the need to enlarge the marily with their neighborhoods and homeown- base of employment opportunities within German- ers associations. town, and consequently identifies four properties —Orbital Sciences, Montgomery College’s Life Important steps have been taken to begin to Sciences and Technology Park, Seneca Meadows, change this perception. Recent improvements in and the Waters Landing Corporate Park/Lerner the Town Center portion of the core, such as the site—as key signature sites in the Employment BlackRock Center for the Arts, a county library, Corridor. The panel would add to this list the and new shops and offices, are creating a new per- Bellemead Development Corporation–owned site ception of Germantown as a real “town.” County on Century Boulevard, with its prime location at and community leaders are to be commended for the intersection of I-270 and Germantown Road. taking the first big step toward giving the com- Overall, the strategy is a well-articulated and munity a new image that will generate many fu- focused document that should be followed as ture benefits. Germantown moves forward. Why is it so important to change Germantown’s Building on the chamber’s critical first step in po- identity from that of a bedroom community to that sitioning Germantown for increased economic de- of a real town that has a core area of mixed uses velopment, this section of this report describes the and round-the-clock activity? Because many em- panel’s interpretation of how Germantown might ployers are increasingly aware that in order to at- advance its economic and social well-being. For tract and hold a strong workforce, often referred this advance to take place, changes are needed in to as the creative class, they must locate in areas land use policies guiding development in the core that offer their workforce not only offices and
40 An Advisory Services Panel Report places to park, but also an out-of-the-office envi- To date, Montgomery ronment that has a variety of amenities—places to County's Agricultural eat, retail services to fulfill everyday needs, and Reserve has protected entertainment options. Many other communities more than 90,000 acres crowning the northwest- in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area offer ern third of the county. this kind of environment, such as the downtowns in Silver Spring and Bethesda, and the neotradi- tional, mixed-use communities of the Kentlands and King Farm in Gaithersburg. Germantown must compete with those communities in its effort to attract more jobs.
Place making is a development trend, the princi- ples of which can guide the enhancement and Marketing Strategy expansion of the Germantown Town Center. Ac- cording to ULI, place making increasingly has The panel recommends that Germantown adopt become a fundamental concept in addressing a coordinated marketing strategy to highlight the community’s mixed-use opportunities, create problems of sprawl and in making compact de- a brand identity, and differentiate Germantown velopment desirable. from its competition. The overarching goal is to Place making is not a simple undertaking, and provide a sense of place and community that many developers, designers, and public officials will provide a compelling reason for corporate are grappling with its many complex development employers to select Germantown as their pre- issues, including deciding on the mix and integra- ferred location. tion of uses, designing for density, creating an at- In addition, the greenbelt of parks, lakes, forests, tractive public realm, designing effective parking, open space, and the Agricultural Reserve sur- implementing shared parking, and a dealing with rounding Germantown is an incredible resource. a host of other challenges. In spite of these barri- Indeed, the greenbelt, which acts as the strongest ers to implementation, place making is an increas- identifier of when a driver or pedestrian is enter- ingly popular goal of today’s decision makers and ing or leaving the community, is a desirable re- developers. This is evident in the growing number source and should play a stronger role in German- of new village and town centers popping up across town’s identity. the nation. While there is much to celebrate, there is also It is important to also understand that employers room for improvement. The residential areas of in today’s business market desire the same ameni- the 1989 Master Plan will soon be built out, and ties as do their employees. Employers are start- the Town Center is well underway. Each of the urban villages has special qualities that have made ing to choose headquarters and office sites that them attractive places to live and socialize, but are within walking distance of shops, restaurants, they are isolated from one another, often accessi- and residences. Similarly, workers are starting ble by only one entryway, and lacking in mixed- to choose their places of employment based on use development. While this provides a sense of which amenities are nearby. The panel recom- community at a small scale, it results in a closer mends an approach that will build on the begin- association by residents with their homeowners nings of a compact, walkable center and expand association or village than with Germantown as a it first through the Crescent and ultimately the whole. This is now becoming evident as German- GBD. This will help differentiate Germantown town has grown to nearly 100,000 people and from competing towns and communities as the there is little sense of identity for the community market grows. itself. A stronger identity will attract commercial
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 41 Entering the Town Center contribute to giving the community a more cohe- core, visitors encounter at sive feeling. “Welcome to Germantown” border least two entry features, signs at arrival points on the interstate and other but more would help con- main routes would help create a sense of identity firm arrival in the com- for travelers. These signs should be erected be- munity’s center. fore the opening of the new I-270 interchange at Watkins Mill Road.
While a clearer delineation exists between the types of development in the Town Center and ad- jacent neighborhoods, it is important to give peo- ple some visual cues as to where they are in the community. Wayfinding signs on the approaches to the GBD would help entice visitors and reaffirm and mixed-use development to Germantown that their route. Entering the Town Center core, visi- will increase the vitality of the community. tors encounter at least two entry features, but more would help them confirm their arrival there. To help foster Germantown’s new identity, the Another means of accomplishing this is to create a panel believes the county should consider chang- common streetscape along roadways that distin- ing the name of Century Boulevard, ostensibly the guishes them from roads in other parts of the com- community’s main street, possibly renaming it munity. This has already been accomplished in the “The Crescent.” Town Center core with the red-brick treatments Signs on the sidewalks—an approach that should be ex- As visitors, panel members noticed that German- tended throughout the Crescent. town and the Town Center are difficult to find. Promotions Even though there are exit signs on I-270, there is To help bolster a sense of community for German- absolutely no visual indication from the highway town, the panel recommends creation of a Ger- that a driver is entering Germantown from either mantown Celebrates program. It can expand on the south or north. The greenbelt nicely sets Ger- existing celebrations, such as the annual Fourth of The Cider Barrel, cur- mantown apart from the surrounding suburbs, but July fireworks and Oktoberfest, both of which are rently located at 20410 it provides only a subtle division from Gaithers- upcounty attractions. While both were held in Frederick Road, should be burg to the south and Darnestown and Damascus local parks in 2006, holding such celebrations in relocated to the Town to the north, and few people realize they have the Town Center in the future would help position Center, if possible, where crossed it. it as the center of Germantown. Other potential it could become a much- festivals might include Summerfest, a harvest cel- needed visitors center or Recently, the State Highway Administration ebration, a wine festival, and a holiday that might snack shop. erected signs on local roads identifying when dri- honor the diversity of Germantown’s residents. vers are entering Germantown. This is a good start, but there is an immediate need for more The Cider Barrel, a prime example of novelty ar- substantial and more interesting signs that stand chitecture at 20410 Frederick Road, was built by out from the myriad signs that clutter roads. The a local insurance entrepreneur in 1926 to sell cider. first priority for wayfinding signs is in the Main It is listed as a county historic site, which might Street area of the Crescent. On a broader scale, it preclude it from being relocated, but if possible, is also far from clear to visitors where the various the Cider Barrel could become an icon of the Town “centers of excellence”—those amenities that Center if it were moved there. It could be used as draw residents and workers to Germantown— a visitors center, become a central feature for fes- are located. tivals, or house a small snack shop.
A consistent sign program needs to be developed Energy, imagination, and widespread support will that would not only help visitors, but also could be essential to make the above celebrations a real- 42 An Advisory Services Panel Report ity, but all would greatly benefit Germantown and The Bellemead Develop- help create a stronger sense of community. The ment Corporation–owned festival program is just one way Germantown can site on Century Boulevard is one of the key signa- create opportunities to celebrate what the com- ture sites that could help munity is becoming. people identify German- Unique public art and banners can be used to cre- town from I-270. ate a broader branding campaign in the Crescent and ultimately the GBD. The BlackRock Center for the Arts, for example, has adopted identifying banners along its frontage, and inside, its flooring is an artwork in its own right with the tile colors symbolizing wheat, corn, and soy. Recalling his- Development Opportunities tory and tradition is often an appealing way to mark a community’s identity. A program of ban- The development of the Town Center core has ners could assist in providing orientation in the been an important step toward creating an envi- Crescent and could include a logo for the German- ronment attractive to employers, but it is only a first step. It is vital now that the community take town Business District. Such an identifying sys- further steps to guide its future growth. To this tem could be supplemented by temporary banners end, it is important to formulate revisions to the on the same armature to call attention to the Ger- 1989 Master Plan as it applies to the GBD—all the mantown Celebrates program. central business areas of the community, including Signature Sites expansions of the Town Center, the large vacant There is no iconic image of Germantown, and properties in the Employment Corridor on both sides of I-270, and Montgomery College. there should be. The panel advises Germantown to concentrate its future commercial development The Crescent is the logical place for more intensi- in the Crescent and celebrate its existence by cre- fied commercial development with a mix of uses to ating a signature building that would be visible extend the vibrancy of the existing core. As it de- from I-270. The Royal Crescent in Bath, England, velops, the Crescent will encourage the develop- was constructed over 200 years ago and is the icon ment of vacant and underdeveloped employment most often associated with the Georgian-era city. sites east of I-270 because a lively core with the The BlackRock Center for The panel hopes that the Germantown Crescent amenities that are attractive to discerning work- the Arts has hung identi- can similarly come to visually define Germantown ers will make those sites more attractive to fying banners along its and lead visitors to see it as a great place to live prospective developers and owners. The North- Century Boulevard and work. west Center will be a logical northern expansion frontage. of the Crescent. The panel made a final recommendation related to The entire Crescent will be developed over an ex- identity and visibility—one that would be innova- tended period, which will result in each section tive and might be difficult to implement, but still having its own character. For example, the neigh- could be a way to create visual identity for Ger- borhoods will vary in density, ranging from low mantown: the county and the state Department of density in the Main Street area to much higher Transportation could reclaim the areas within the densities in the areas near and along the I-270 cor- cloverleafs at the entries into Germantown and ridor. This growth strategy in effect will closely create beautifully landscaped storm retention link the existing small-scale Town Center core ponds inside the loops. On special occasions, when with the larger properties in the Employment celebrations are in order, water could be sprayed Corridor and provide for the development of sig- from the ponds into the sky. nature properties adjacent to I-270.
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 43 The Corner is located focus of the chamber and local landowners because within easy walking dis- it has the potential to become a central public tance of shops and enter- space for Germantown. tainment, presenting excellent amenities for The Corner. The 13-acre site along a rise with workers. highway visibility presents an opportunity for construction of a signature building. It is within an easy walk of shops and entertainment space, pre- senting excellent amenities for workers, and can help define the Town Center for the large amount of traffic passing on I-270 every day.
Uptown. There are several sites in this portion of the Crescent, but the Orbital Sciences/Fairchild The infrastructure necessary to support this de- Campus property is the only parcel available for velopment is mainly in place. The proposed CCT redevelopment. It currently has six vacant build- line would enhance the potential for development ings comprising 350,000 square feet and has the within the Crescent, but it is not a critical element capacity to add 150,000 square feet of office space to begin development. The interim option of im- in three additional buildings. The panel under- plementing some form of urban streetcar service stands that the owner plans to redevelop the site serving the Crescent would give office workers and that there has been discussion as to whether and shoppers easy access to all the amenities and the site should be rezoned to allow it to capitalize services there. on the excellent opportunity for creative mixing of uses since it is so close to the Town Center core. It While it is not possible in this report to go into also has excellent freeway access. Two immediate detail regarding each of the GBD sites, the panel impediments, however, are the current street would like to suggest some general principles for grid, which creates a superblock pattern, and the development in this critical job center and offer surface parking. A more innovative development some ideas on a number of different properties. program will require a finer grid of streets as well According to the panel’s calculations, the result of as higher density and possibly shared parking. development in the GBD would be about 3 million Northwest Center. square feet of additional employer space that could The Lerner and Oxbridge sites accommodate 10,000 to 12,000 workers, as well as are presently zoned for office—about 1.8 million square feet under the present zoning. When the a new class of commercial space that would help market opportunity develops, however, there may redefine Germantown for commercial users. be potential for introducing a more vibrant mix of Short-Term Opportunities residential and office space. The location, however, The following opportunities will be ripe for action is somewhat remote from the Main Street, so it in the next one to five years. (See map on page 28.) will be difficult to incorporate it into the vitality of the Crescent. Germantown Station. A higher intensity of uses should be located on the triangular property west The Lerner and Oxbridge properties should be of Wisteria Drive. The panel also recommends designated for a combination of mid- to high-rise mixed-use development for the strip center prop- residential space and employment facilities. Any erty east of Wisteria Drive if the center is rede- employment potential that might be averted by veloped. Development near the station should be this change allowing some residential space can be mindful of buildings that contribute to the signifi- offset by higher densities designated for employ- cance of the Germantown Historic District. ment on the site or closer to the Town Center. Modification of zoning in the area to allow residen- Main Street. While not a development opportunity, tial and retail space likely will lead to it being de- the Town Center’s urban park should be a prime veloped sooner than if only office space is allowed,
44 An Advisory Services Panel Report thereby forcing it to compete with the office areas The Uptown node has closer to the Town Center. From the standpoint of excellent freeway access creating a mixed-use employment center, the and great potential as a Northwest Center should be viewed as a second- mixed-use extension of stage priority in terms of timing. Main Street and the Corner. Long-Term Opportunity: DOE Property An alternative to mixed-use development for the Lerner site might be negotiation of a land swap between the Lerner property and the federally owned Department of Energy property on the south side of Germantown Road at I-270. This is a development opportunity that most likely will re- spond to outside forces in the market and might comes to fruition, the college then will become a only be implemented in the next five to 20 years. major player in contributing to filling the jobs The DOE building was constructed in the 1950s needed by the residential population in German- and is in need of significant upgrading or redevel- town. Indeed, this initiative should be viewed as a opment. While it has excellent access to the Town priority for the college and for the entire German- Center, the site gains little from such a location town community. because it is underused and the agency’s high se- curity needs make it a veritable fortress. Also, it The creation of a science and technology park in appears that DOE will continue to downsize oper- Germantown is timely because Montgomery ations at the site as it relocates some of its depart- County is actively searching for such space now ments to other parts of the country. Plus, the that the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center is vir- DOE facilities are aging and will need rebuilding, tually built out. One of the highest-profile entities if not complete replacement. in the Shady Grove Center is the Maryland Tech- nology Development Center, which provides low- The Lerner site would offer many advantages to cost rental space and technical/business support DOE in terms of security and size while also pro- for emerging biotech and information technology viding adequate access to I-270 for DOE uses. The companies during the startup phase. It appears present DOE site, on the other hand, would be well suited to commercial office uses that would Montgomery College’s science and technology park greatly enhance the central core of Germantown. will follow a similar model because current plans In addition, the swap would open up a critically lo- include an incubator space. The science and tech- cated federal property for potential redevelop- nology park will augment college amenities, such ment. There may be major impediments to such a as its proximity to housing, access to I-270 and the transaction; nevertheless, this option should be Ride On bus, and a proposed daycare center. studied and perhaps discussed with General Ser- Creation of the science and technology park vices Administration (GSA) officials. should be the first part of a larger undertaking to Institutional Development Opportunities develop the college property as an academic vil- Montgomery College is a major economic develop- lage and center of excellence. The panel advises ment tool for Germantown and should be lever- that in addition to the important biotech facilities, aged and its growth encouraged. Germantown, in incubator space, biotech offices, and ancillary of- partnership rather than in competition with Mont- fices planned for the site, the project should in- gomery College, needs to actively pursue compa- clude some small-scale retail space, faculty hous- nies and startups in the biotechnology field, as ing, and commercial office buildings that could well as in other growing segments of the regional accommodate uses other than biotech. All these economy. When the science and technology park uses could be revenue generators for the college
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 45 and enhance the attractiveness of the institution Summary for its students. Germantown needs a growth strategy for its cen- Numerous precedents for this kind of program tral districts that builds on evolving trends in the exist; the University of North Carolina at Char- market. That strategy, in turn, should be a func- lotte, for example, has undertaken an ambitious tion of changing demands on the part of employers program including a research park with incubator and employees, the need to encourage more effi- facilities, retail space, and housing. Montgomery cient and environmentally friendly development, College could set a precedent for two-year institu- and public interest in increasing access to cultural, tions to also enjoy the benefits of such programs. recreational, and entertainment opportunities. The panel urges the college to consider revising The panel believes that the policies outlined in this its master plan with these objectives in mind. report respond to these interests and concerns.
46 An Advisory Services Panel Report Implementation Strategies
he ability to achieve a vibrant and economi- • advocate for Montgomery County Council ap- cally viable Germantown Business District proval of the master plan and other implemen- is closely tied to the presence of a support- tation tools needed to support the vision; and T ive development community. Individual • monitor the implementation of the vision to en- parcels can be developed, but their true potential sure that investment in the partnership delivers cannot be fully realized unless all parties work to- a fair and just dividend to each party. gether to achieve a common vision of a strong fu- Enlist the County as Master Development ture for the GBD. Execution of the implementa- Manager tion strategy for Germantown is very important. When the 1974 Germantown Plan was developed, It is incumbent upon Montgomery County, with Montgomery County planners were looking to lay input from the chamber and other interested lead- the framework for a “new town” along the lines of ers, to take the lead in establishing a more pre- the Reston, Columbia, and Montgomery Village dictable, timely, and innovative environment for examples. Germantown proved more challenging future development. for planners than the other regional new towns because the other locations were under consoli- Become Organized to Lead dated ownership. With a dozen developers inter- ested in Germantown, the county acted as a type There is a small window of opportunity for German- of overall manager to coordinate the activities of town and the GBD landowners to move forward private property owners and to develop new tools with revision of the master plan and implementa- to help in coordination of development. Now that tion of the panel’s recommendations. Competition the residential and village center retail portions of from other communities trying to reposition their the plan have largely been carried out, the county centers as mixed-use environments appealing to must again act as a development manager to coor- biotech and high-tech firms, as well as changes dinate the activities of the property owners in the such as the completion of the ICC and BRAC, Town Center and the surrounding Employment make immediate action all the more important. Corridor. The objective of the county should be to build community support and establish shared Organize Stakeholders goals among the government, commercial-corridor In the immediate term, major stakeholders must property interests, and the broader community. organize as a group dedicated to continuing partic- Identify a Champion for Germantown ipation through the various stages of planning and implementation. This public/private partnership The success in redeveloping Silver Spring and Wheaton was due in large part to the efforts of a group, named the Germantown Business District county-level director of urban redevelopment who Partnership (GBDP) by the panel, should include championed the vision for the rebuilding. Though all the major property owners, the Gaithersburg- not a distressed urban community in need of rede- Germantown Chamber of Commerce, and key velopment, Germantown clearly needs this level community representatives. of commitment from the county government. It is The role of the GBDP will be to do the following: critical to the future success of the Germantown area and the upcounty area to elevate the expec- • act as an advisory group to the master planning tations for the Germantown Business District. process; Germantown’s “champion” will play an integral
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 47 • expediting the update of the Germantown Busi- ness District Master Plan; • advising the county’s master planners in devel- oping a cohesive, flexible master plan for the Germantown Business District; • seeking Montgomery County Council approval of the master plan and any zoning changes nec- essary; and • securing county funding for a champion to im- plement the recommendations in this report. The BlackRock Center for role in future planning processes, including updat- the Arts brings cultural ing of the master plan, and will catalyze private The next steps should include: life to the Town Center and public participation. The champion also will and has become a oversee the strategy and implementation of the • pursuing reduced impact fees, property tax regional attraction. county’s Germantown-focused marketing and abatements, and utility surcharge abatements economic development efforts. to stimulate jobs development in the GBD. This special treatment is consistent with the Annual With input from the chamber, the Upcounty Re- Growth Policy, a biennial resolution that helps gional Services Center, and other interested par- the county manage the pace of development ties, the champion should investigate formation through the provision of public facilities. Em- of a maintenance area for the Germantown Busi- ployment growth in the Germantown Business ness District. The maintenance area would be an District is needed to maintain a balance of em- alternative to the county’s urban services district ployment to residences, ease long-term traffic (USD) model, which is in place in Silver Spring demand, and connect to major existing and and Wheaton. Partially funded by the general proposed transit. fund, USDs also obtain revenue from parking dis- • using business improvement districts, tax incre- tricts. Because there is abundant free parking in ment financing, and other appropriate financing Germantown, this is not a model that would work tools to leverage private sector capital commit- here. A great need exists, however, for improved ted to the reinvention of the GBD. supervision and coordination of maintenance ser- vices, promotions, etc. • establishing a government commitment to en- hance interconnections and place-making initia- The maintenance area should receive funding from tives within the business district. the county’s general fund to offset the savings to • coordinating policies, programs, fiscal priorities, the county for the reduction of services that it needs and service-location activities of each level of to provide to Germantown. This could be supple- government to harness all public resources in mented by a tax on landowners in the GBD. A tax implementation of the master plan. would be a hindrance, especially for owners of vacant land, but the opportunity to create a more The GBDP Must Engage Germantown Residents viable place would result in a more successful The success of the Town Center will work to cre- product in the future. ate more civic identity and pride, a factor that will Implementation Priorities produce dividends through greater participation of Germantown citizens in the community. Human The first steps in implementation of the panel’s energy is a community resource that is often under- plan should be the following: valued and, sad to say, exhaustible. The panel met • bringing the major stakeholders together to im- many Germantown citizens who have spent count- prove communication and to act as an advisory less hours working to make the community into the group to the master planning process; place it has become and will become in the future.
48 An Advisory Services Panel Report Too often, dedicated residents can get burned out cess is not implemented, it is likely that the from fighting small battles. It is apparent to the M-NCPPC will face numerous individual zon- panel that this has happened to some degree in ing requests. Germantown over the years. In order to both pre- • An expedited, focused master plan update serve the quality of life and to provide better em- makes sense. The Germantown area has devel- ployment opportunities, a new level of commitment oped largely according to its master plans of is going to be required of both residents and lead- 1974 and 1989, and most of its residential and ers. The panel hopes that the ideas laid out in this village center retail space is largely completed. report will spark a new sense of interest and com- These areas are not likely to undergo significant mitment among Germantown’s residents, business changes in market dynamics or experience un- owners, and civic leaders. usually high development pressure in the next 20 years, so they do not need to be included in Expedite the Master Plan Process the master plan update presently proposed. Re- for Germantown stricting the geographic scope of the master plan to the GBD will allow for focused study and At present, Montgomery County’s proposed mas- a dramatically shorter timetable. The master ter plan update is not expected to be completed plan update will start in fall 2006 and take three until 2008. Yet developers and community leaders years unless it is expedited. are seeking to plan the best current use and devel- When it is finished, the master plan should be opment of their properties. The panel was asked practical and beneficial to all Germantown resi- to react to proposals for mixed-use development, dents and businesses, have community support, designation of areas for mixed-used planned de- and be based on the advice of expert professionals. velopment, and zoning changes in the I-3 and TS Its execution must be financially feasible and able zones so that interim decisions can be made in a to enhance tax revenues. The place making envi- comprehensive and timely manner. There is con- sioned for Germantown by the panel will intercon- cern in the Germantown community that it will nect the various buildings and the spaces between miss excellent opportunities if these decisions are them to create a sense of place. If this sense of deferred. This is a valid concern: a lack of direc- place is created through the master plan, it will be tion may reduce the density and future flexibility recognized, and the Germantown community and of this scarce resource—land—through shorter- marketplace will reap the rewards in the form of sighted, immediate development. Further, the increased rents, higher retail sales, and higher panel agrees that the addition of mixed-use de- capital value. velopment to the Employment Corridor is a posi- tive change. Land Use Changes Regarding an expedited master plan, the panel Zoning changes should be considered, as part of made the following two observations: the revised master plan for the Germantown • An expedited master plan will encourage prop- Business District, to accommodate the develop- erty owners to participate. The M-NCPPC should ment strategies and planning principles outlined immediately prepare a concentrated master in this report. More important than the form the planning process for the GBD to take place in zoning changes take is that their end result should six to nine months. This concentrated planning emphasize results over regulations. Land should process is needed to encourage GBD property no longer be segregated to accommodate single owners to forgo requests for zoning text amend- uses; instead, the objective should be creation of ments and ad hoc modifications to the zoning mixed-use and integrated development through classifications. Working with the M-NCPPC, place making. GBD property owners should be able to have confidence that they will have sufficient input The regulatory tools now applied in Montgomery and certainty of direction on land use potential County are sometimes inadequate and even coun- within a specified time. If an expedited pro- terproductive for today’s standard of place mak-
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 49 This panoramic view looks southeast from Montgomery College, one of the community’s cen- ters of excellence.
ing. One of the greatest missing elements in Ger- ment process should be streamlined so that Ger- mantown is the interconnectivity of residential mantown’s process will be competitive with that communities with the adjacent retail and commu- of neighboring jurisdictions. nity centers. Suburban setback requirements, • lead to the design of zoning regulations that fa- large interstate offsets, and overly large road cilitate private developers in implementing the cross-section requirements are flaws that have strategy as laid out in the master plan. The new weakened the outstanding efforts at creating a zoning must include effective by-right develop- Town Center. ment standards. The prescriptive and exclusionary zoning codes in • create sophisticated development standards to the study area do not achieve the vision that Ger- accompany new zoning regulations. These stan- mantown or Montgomery County seeks to create. dards should deal with landscaping, signage, ar- A new zoning classification should be established chitectural quality, pedestrian linkages, and the for the GBD, allowing a shift from inflexible zon- other planning details so crucial to the commu- ing codes to strategic plans that grant greater nity’s vision of the Town Center. flexibility and encourage progressive modification of the GBD and its component developments to • prevent creation of “deadening” uses, such as meet changing community needs, market forces, ministorage facilities, CCT or Ride On parking and aspirations. lots, or auto repair facilities, in the Town Center. Such a performance-based approach to zoning • provide for design review for the Town Center should recognize that the master plan and zoning projects conducted simultaneously with the ex- classification created or modified for the Town isting permitting process. Center need to focus on the creation of places and not the separation of uses. This approach should Montgomery College Site do the following: Montgomery College should engage its partners • ensure that the master plan provides for flexi- Montgomery County and Foulger-Pratt in revisit- bility for future changes in community needs, ing its strategic development plan. The successful market forces, and aspirations. repositioning of the Montgomery College as a cen- • allow the timely approval and modification of ter of excellence will provide an important anchor development entitlements that comply with the for the Germantown community. It also will at- master plan’s purpose and intent. The entitle- tract more employers and residents to the area.
50 An Advisory Services Panel Report The college should develop the planned science Corridor Cities Transitway and technology park as a mixed-use development With regard to the CCT, the panel recommends that includes the following: that Germantown stakeholders do the following: • incubation space; • continue to support the proposed CCT because • faculty housing; it will encourage mixed-use development around the stops in the GBD; and • biotech space; • support realignment of the CCT to Crystal • office space; and Rock Drive as it reaches Germantown Road so • supporting retail. it will not divide the square, as it does under the current plan. The mixed-use development should be planned to Town Center Circulator accomplish the following: Germantown should supplement the CCT with a • enhance the college’s objectives of growth and Town Center circulator light-rail system or a trol- creation of a biotech focus; leylike bus because the upcounty portion of the • create the kind of space and facilities that will CCT system may not be built for some time. The provide an opportunity for the college to grow immediate route for the circulator should be along and attract top faculty, and help build a sense of the Crescent linking the MARC station with the community; and Main Street and Uptown, with the route timed to complement the MARC train schedule. • speed the growth of the college to serve a wider range of students. The Bethesda 8 bus should be investigated as a Also, a site for the development should be chosen model because it has consistent running times of that enhances the college’s connection to the sur- eight minutes as it makes its loop of downtown rounding community. Bethesda. The Bethesda Urban Partnership oper- ates that free trolley; likewise, the circulator ser- The broadening of uses proposed by the panel for vice could be an undertaking of the GBDP. This Montgomery College will also require flexible, system should be expanded as residential and of- performance-based zoning changes approved by fice uses come on line in the next few years on the the county. This should be addressed by the col- northern end of the Crescent and ultimately lege in the master planning process. throughout the GBD. Sources of funding could in- clude MTA, Ride On, and private contributions. Transportation Regarding initiation of the circulator trolley or bus A failure to address transportation shortcomings service, the panel made the following observations: and opportunities faced by Germantown will re- sult in conditions that will have a significant im- • The transit right-of-way, which is largely in pact on future development potential. place through the Town Center core, should be used to establish a “first phase” of the CCT. MARC Train The MARC station should be enhanced as the • This segment should take the form of a rubber- western anchor of the Crescent. The chamber and tired tram or bus and should be completed sooner rather than later. Further study, of the GBDP should pursue increased service from course, will be required; however, a speedy MARC and development of some transit-oriented decision to begin the service is perhaps more projects, primarily higher-density residential important than the decision on the type of space to help alleviate county transportation prob- vehicle to use. lems. The higher-density mixed-use development that will be attracted to properties adjacent to • Bus service can be upgraded to light rail in the MARC station will provide an anchor for the future if the system is popular and the the Crescent. density in the Crescent increases. The bus/
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 51 trolley service also can be extended if the sys- Two to Five Years tem is successful. • Build out Milestone office and residential space, and Seneca Meadows office and flex space; there Projected Phasing also is potential for additional buildout of North- west Center. The recommendations made in this report should be implemented in accordance with the following • Examine possible infill development of the GBD projected phasing: with more compact residential, retail, hotel, and entertainment uses to replace lower-density of- One to Three Months fice and flex space. • Stakeholders form the Germantown Business • Initiate creation of Montgomery College center District Partnership. of excellence. • County designates the development manager— Five to 20 Years: the champion for Germantown. • Build out Town Center. • The GBDP and the development manager meet with the county’s newly hired Germantown eco- • Develop Montgomery College center of excel- nomic development staff person to share visions lence. and goals for GBD. • Develop new TOD projects once CCT is approved First Six Months and construction of the transit line begins. • Expedite master plan and change zoning for all As the master plan is fulfilled in most segments of Germantown Business District properties. the GBD, market pressures may make additional • Organize group to study streetcar, trolley, or mixed-use development attractive. At this point, bus loop through the Crescent. there will be increased opportunities for infill de- velopment on both sides of I-270. First 12 to 18 Months • Start operation of streetcar, trolley, or bus loop through the Crescent. • Begin buildout of Germantown Crescent, Northwest Center, and other sites in GBD.
52 An Advisory Services Panel Report Conclusion
ermantown is at a unique point in its his- ing growth and strengthen its offerings so it can tory. It has an opportunity to meet its com- attract that growth when, where, and how it munity needs and its future employment wants it—namely, in the form of walkable, mixed- G needs through guiding growth in the ex- use developments that create an active street life panded Town Center and other parts of the Ger- and extend the Town Center along the Crescent. mantown Business District. The community is blessed with a number of strategically located de- In this way, the sponsoring organizations can posi- velopment parcels that can serve as the base from tively affect Germantown’s future development which to create a unique identity for Germantown and future quality of life. In addition, Germantown and a continuation of the Town Center core through- will need to take some risks to achieve its goals for out the Crescent and ultimately the GBD. In addi- economic development and community identity. tion, the community has infrastructure and ameni- This is no easy task and will require a strong ties that will serve it well as it competes with its leader or champion, plus cooperation from all par- neighbors in the future. ties. It will also require leaders to come together to lead and support the creation of a public/private Community and business leaders in Germantown, entity that will provide needed urban services to as well as leaders from Montgomery County, need Germantown and lead the community’s input into to come together quickly with their development the expedited master-planning process. partners to create a framework for how to im- prove Germantown and guide future develop- The panel hopes that its recommendations will ment. The fact that such a large and disparate help guide the expedited process of amending the group sponsored this panel represents a critical master plan for the targeted GBD area, as well as first step toward increased cooperation among the implementation of other public policies related to county, landowners, business leaders, developers, housing and transportation. In addition, the and concerned citizens. panel’s vision for Germantown is intended to pro- vide a framework for individual developers to The panel cannot overemphasize its charge to the move forward with specific proposals for proper- community to be patient. There will be temptation ties in the GBD. While the recommendations set to call for increased residential development, es- forth by the panel may challenge convention to pecially in response to the projections of strong some degree, the panel strongly believes that they residential growth for the I-270 corridor. It is im- can be implemented if Montgomery County lead- portant, however, to save the vacant and under- ers and staff come together with the Germantown used sites in the GBD for future commercial and stakeholders to realize a shared vision. mixed-use developments. By exhibiting patience, Germantown will be able to get ahead of the com-
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 53 About the Panel
Richard W. Reynolds master of business administration degree from Babson College in 1970. Panel Chair Needham, Massachusetts Robert Dunphy Reynolds has been president of the Reynolds Washington, D.C. Group, Inc., a strategic real estate consulting firm based in Needham, Massachusetts, since 2004. Dunphy is senior resident fellow, transportation, Before that, he was a principal for Spaulding and at the Urban Land Institute. He created ULI’s Slye, LLC, serving from 1993 to 2004 in such roles program of transportation research and has been as managing director of the Capital Markets responsible for the institute’s research, books, con- Group, overseeing a staff of ten transacting over ferences, public policy, and public outreach on $1 billion of investment sales annually; and major transportation and land use, transit, and parking. transaction principal, which included joint venture In his previous role, he directed studies of seven development of new office projects, major law large regions recognized for their efforts at imple- firm tenant representation assignments totaling menting consistent regional transportation and over 500,000 square feet, sale of a 150-acre land development policies, reported in his book Moving parcel on behalf of a corporate client, various cor- Beyond Gridlock: Traffic and Development. porate relocation analyses, and client relationship management. Reynolds also was lead principal for He is the author/project director of numerous the acquisition of over $300 million of properties books, including Developing Around Transit: for Windsor Realty Fund II, a joint venture with Strategies and Solutions That Work, Residential the DuPont Company and General Investment Streets, Dimensions of Parking, Parking Require- and Development. ments of Shopping Centers, and Transportation Management Through Partnerships. In addition, Reynolds was president of Reynolds, Vickery, he created Myths and Facts about Transportation Messina & Griefen, a development, property man- and Growth, a popular brochure presenting hard agement, and advisory services firm for institu- facts on often soft issues, which became the first in tional and corporate clients from 1987 to 1993. a series. From 1978 to 1987, he was a partner in Hines Industrial, an office/industrial development firm Dunphy has collaborated on a number of studies of and an affiliate of the Gerald D. Hines Interest, a national interest. For the Federal Transit Admin- London-based international development/invest- istration (FTA) and in partnership with the Texas ment firm based in London. He started his career Transportation Institute, he directed development with New England Life as second vice president of land use criteria for new transit systems, which doing underwriting and placement of debt and are now being used as part of the federal approval joint venture equity nationally. process. Also for FTA, he teamed with the Uni- versity of California for a series of workshops on A 25-year member of ULI, Reynolds was chair of the development of real estate adjacent to transit the Industrial and Office Park Council and chair facilities. of the ULI Boston district council. He has directed ULI outreach efforts in Atlanta Reynolds received his bachelor of arts degree in and Charlotte intended to engage the develop- economics from Tufts University in 1967 and a ment community in a dialogue on strategies for
54 An Advisory Services Panel Report implementing transit-oriented development. He National Association of Industrial and Office directed the ULI forum on balancing land use and Properties (NAIOP) Mixed-Use Forum. transportation, which brought together a wide range of leaders active in local real estate, traffic, Hamner holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture transit, and parking concerns from across the from North Carolina State University, a master’s United States. He organized ULI’s first confer- degree in architecture from Harvard University’s ence on technology and real estate and has di- Graduate School of Design, and a certificate from rected national and regional seminars on trans- the Ecole des Beaux Arts Americaine in Foun- portation and growth, joint development, and tainbleau, France. landfill siting. David Hancock Dunphy is active in national committees of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Boston, Massachusetts Transportation Research Board, for which he chairs the Transportation and Land Development Hancock is a principal with CBT/Childs Bertman Committee. He is a member of Lambda Alpha In- Tseckares Inc., with more than 35 years of experi- ternational, an honorary land economics society. ence in urban design, and the design and manage- He served on Maryland’s Transportation Solutions ment of building projects. He has worked on virtu- Group, organized by Governor Parris N. Glenden- ally every type of development project, including ing to advise on a controversial suburban high- local, state, and federal government; academic and way proposal. institutional uses; private development and corpo- rate real estate; and transportation.
W. Easley Hamner Hancock represents the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) on Cambridge, Massachusetts Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s Green Hamner is chairman of Boston International De- Building Roundtable, and was a member of Boston sign Collaborative, LLC. For more than 35 years Mayor Thomas Menino’s Green Building Task he was a senior principal in the Stubbins Associ- Force. He regularly serves on advisory committees ates, an architectural and planning firm he joined to local government regarding issues of growth, in 1967. His professional career has been devoted sustainable design, and historic preservation. He largely to the creation of large-scale urban mixed- is a frequent speaker at forums and conferences use environments that enhance the city, create on issues of urban design. value, and engage the imagination. He received an undergraduate degree from McGill This experience began with Citicorp Center in University and a graduate degree from the Har- New York City and continued with assignments in vard University Graduate School of Design. Boston, Nashville, Charlotte, San Francisco, Sin- gapore, Kuwait, Taipei, China, Korea, and Greece, Don Priest and as principal-in-charge for the largest hotel complex in the world, the Venetian in Las Vegas. Olympic Valley, California Mixed-use facilities are his primary design inter- Priest is the retired president of Dominion Land est, and the effects of emerging technologies on Management Company, the full-service real estate the fields of communication, entertainment, educa- development unit of Dominion Capital, Inc., which tion, and shopping particularly intrigue him. in turn, is the financial services and real estate A ULI member for more than 20 years, Hamner subsidiary of Dominion Resources, Inc., a utility has served two terms on the institute’s Urban holding company. Priest oversaw the land man- Development/Mixed-Use Council, and is currently agement company’s daily administrative, plan- on the International Council. He was a governor of ning, development, and marketing activities. Do- the ULI Foundation and he is a member of the minion Capital formed the land management
Germantown, Maryland, June 25–30, 2006 55 company to oversee its residential projects in Vir- within a mature hardwood forest, and the Savan- ginia and North Carolina. nahs, a 104-acre planned-unit development with traditional neighborhood design elements. Priest joined the company in 1989, when he was elected vice president of Dominion Lands, Inc., Before starting his own firm, Watson was respon- another real estate subsidiary of Dominion Capi- sible for the development and marketing of River tal. He also has served as vice president for Sum- Park, a 74-acre mixed-use development in down- mit Enterprises, Inc., an investment firm in town New Orleans, on behalf of Columbus Proper- Woodbridge, Virginia; president of the Preizac ties. The master-planned urban development proj- Corporation, a consulting firm; associate professor ect, at a former rail yard, includes more than 700 in the School of Architecture at the University of luxury apartments and expansion of the Conven- Virginia; and staff vice president in charge of re- tion Center; also, 1,250 hotel rooms are planned. search and education at the Urban Land Institute. Watson also was responsible for the review of project development opportunities, including mul- Priest is a past and present member of several tifamily, office, hospitality, and storage uses. organizations, including the Urban Land Institute, where he served as chair of the ULI Norfolk/ Watson founded First Trust Community Develop- Richmond district council. ment Corporation, a for-profit real estate devel- opment bank subsidiary that focused on urban in- He received a bachelor’s degree in political science fill multifamily housing using a variety of public/ from Stanford University and a master’s degree private financing sources. in city planning from the University of California at Berkeley. Watson has been a member of the Urban Land In- stitute since 1995, and has served on five ULI ad- Nathan Watson visory services panels—Sparks, Nevada; Oak Cliff in Dallas; Port Charlotte, Florida; Lowell, Massa- New Orleans, Louisiana chusetts; and Frisco, Texas. Watson has been active in real estate development Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture in New Orleans for more than 15 years. His com- from Auburn University and a master’s degree in pany, Watson Developments, focuses on bringing business administration from Columbia University. innovative solutions to both urban and suburban real estate development. Currently, Watson is developing two planned com- munities in the New Orleans area—the Arbors, a new 92-acre residential community being built
56 An Advisory Services Panel Report