Breaking news: Overcrowding to increase at Bethesda Elementary

Proposed 'Woodmont Central' Residential Development Will Worsen Projected Overcrowding at Bethesda Elementary

by Jim Humphrey, Chair, Planning and Land Use Committee, Montgomery County Civic Federation

At a session of the Montgomery County Planning Board on June 8, the Board was presented with MCPS data showing that student enrollment on the elementary school level in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) High School Cluster, for the year starting August 2014, will be at 137% of cluster capacity. As a result, the Board agreed at that session to place a moratorium on approval of new residential development projects in the cluster area for the fiscal year that starts July 1 of this year.

By their own admission, Planning Department staff has raced to bring a residential project, planned for the Woodmont Triangle area of Bethesda, before the Board on June 25--to beat the July 1 effective date for imposition of the moratorium on new approvals.

The developer of the project, referred to as 'Woodmont Central,' is asking Board approval to build an 18-story residential building on the south side of Rugby Avenue, extending between Del Ray and Auburn Avenues, containing 457 dwelling units. According to MCPS student generation rates, this project will generate 19 elementary school students.

The existing as well as future capacity of Bethesda Elementary School is calculated at 367 students.

But, Bethesda Elementary is already projected to have 524 students in the school year starting August 2014--157 students (or 43%) over capacity.

If the 'Woodmont Central' project is approved, Bethesda Elementary would be projected to have 543 students in the school year starting August 2014--176 students (or 48%) over capacity.

MCPS has calculated a total capacity of 2617 students for all of the elementary schools in the B-CC High School Cluster, for the school year starting August 2014. The elementary school student enrollment in the B-CC Cluster for that school year is already projected at 3588 students--137% over capacity. If the 'Woodmont Central' project is approved by the Planning Board on June 25, the 19 elementary school students estimated to be generated by the project will push student enrollment on the elementary level in the B-CC Cluster up to 3607--or 138% over capacity.

It should concern all parents of Bethesda Elementary students that the Planning Board is rushing to consider approval of the 'Woodmont Central' project just days before the B-CC High School Cluster area will be placed in moratorium on July 1, disallowing approval of any more residential projects for at least the next year.

Since development approvals are considered 'ex parte' issues, it is not appropriate to contact the Planning Board prior to the public hearing on this project, which will be held starting at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 25. You can sign up to testify in person at this hearing by calling Planning staffer Arnita Jackson at (301) 495-4601. You should provide 10 copies of any written testimony you present to the Board. Or, you can email your comments to Joshua Sloan, lead staffer for the Bethesda area in the Development Review Division, at Joshua.Sloan@mncppc.org

Contact information for Jim Humphrey of the Civic Federation: theelms518@earthlink.net

*Photographs show some of the classroom trailers currently in use at Bethesda Elementary School.