Falkland North
Proposed Redevelopment
Silver Spring, Maryland
IV. PROJECT PLAN
- Narrative Description of the Project
The Project has been described in the project summary on Page 1.
- Architectural Design
The Project is designed with sensitivity to the property's location within the Silver Spring CBD. The proposed high-rise buildings will be compatible with and complementary to the surrounding high-rise apartment buildings and office buildings, including the 10-story Summit Hills Apartments across 16th Street to the west, the 14-story Lenox Park Apartments across East-West Highway to the southeast, and the 10-story office building directly adjacent to the north. To provide an appropriate transition between the taller buildings of the CBD and the garden-style apartments to the south, proposed Buildings 1A and 4A step down in height along East-West Highway to four stories. This is comparable to the two- and three-story height of the apartments on the East Parcel. In addition, the ends of the high-rise buildings along East-West Highway step down two stories.
The Neo-Traditional style of architecture was selected in order to create a harmonious relationship with the Federalist style of the East and West Parcels of Falkland Chase. Tall windows and brick detailing reinforce the traditional style. The steeply pitched roofs, dormers and decorative chimneys create a unique skyline that harkens back to the Grand Apartment tradition of Washington. Curvilinear balconies with decorative railings soften the building edges. Cast stone intermixed with brick help define the top, middle and base of the buildings. The building connection to the ground will be highly detailed and adorned with colorful canopies and applied ornamentation that will create a festive and lively facade to help energize the streetscape at the pedestrian level. The corner of 16th Street and East-West Highway will be fenestrated with maximum glass at the street level to provide visibility into the grocery store.
The Project is organized to provide a vibrant urban streetscape along both 16th Street and East-West Highway. The East-West Highway streetscape consists of a 15-foot wide sidewalk flanked by a double row of trees planted in a staggered pattern. An expanded tree planting strip has been provided next to the roadway providing added safety and aesthetic value. The area between the 15-foot wide sidewalk and the buildings on East-West Highway will provide a gracious and vibrant pedestrian environment. A courtyard that is open and oriented to the sidewalk and the street will be in the central portion of the Project's frontage on East-West Highway. The courtyard will be inviting to the public with park benches, scenic waterways and lush landscaping. The 16th Street streetscape will continue the "grand avenue" treatment that carries along its length in Washington, D.C. The seven Little-Leaf Linden trees behind the sidewalk on 16th Street have been assessed as healthy and will be protected during construction and remain. The 39-inch diameter American elm along 16th Street at the north end of the property is also healthy and will be retained. The 40-inch Red Oak on the north property line and many of the tulip poplars have major decline and will be removed and replaced with new hardwoods. The continuous planting strip next to the roadway, a sidewalk and a large planting area adjacent to the building provide additional buffering and greening opportunities.
An artist, to be selected, will collaborate with the Design team to create public art that is integrated into the overall project design.
- On-Site Public Use Space
The central element of the public use space is the park/plaza located at the heart of the complex. This space has been conceived to provide the residents of this area of Silver Spring, as well as residents of the complex, with a lush, green urban park. This park features a large water feature designed with a very natural vocabulary incorporating rocks and a rich palette of plant materials that provide seasonal interest and texture.
The water feature is experienced from numerous spaces around this focal point, providing for a variety of seating, either immediately adjacent to the water or as part of larger green lawn areas. The water feature runs generally north to south as a central piece of the larger park and it cascades down towards East-West Highway to the south, activating that edge. The water will fall and tumble over a rockscape animating the pedestrian experience as residents from the western part of Silver Spring make their way to the Metro.
Access to the park is gained from East-West Highway along a very gradual walkway culminating in an overlook where art, special paving and seating will make it a focal part of the park. It is important to note that the focal point of the plaza waterfront overlook will add another important urban design feature as East-West Highway makes a turn as you travel westward.
This car is approaching the resident parking area on the right.Art will be an integral component of the park. The landscape architect will collaborate with the artist to facilitate the integration of art into the design of the space once an artist is selected.
- Off-Site Public Use Space on East Parcel
Off-site public use space provided by the Project includes 15,555 square feet of streetscaping of the sidewalks along the 16th Street and East-West Highway frontages of the Project. All overhead lines along the frontage of the North Parcel will be relocated underground.
Additionally, a 47,156-square-foot, or 1.08-acre open space corridor located in the East Parcel, is also included as off-site public use space associated with the Project. This remnant riparian forest consists almost entirely of medium to mature hardwoods (15"- 30" diameter) such as Tulip Popular, Red Oak and a small assortment of related species. Canopies are narrow and grow upright. Wind-throws, insects and disease and other natural and man-made causes have reduced the number of trees. Saplings and seedlings have been removed over the decades to present a clean, maintained look. Turf grass and a few invasive vines such as English Ivy along the slopes keep natural reproduction to a minimum. Improvements to this area will include: (1) removing a fence and cleaning out vegetation and debris; (2) retaining an arborist to determine the status of the trees and to prepare a program that will be followed to enhance their continued health. (This will include planting native species for future replacement, especially in gaps in the canopy where trees have been removed over the years. These will include over-story and under-story trees. Renovations to walks, drainage and grading will be made to enhance the tree environment. Mulch beds encompassing individual or groups of trees will be favored to maintain tree health. This will include some tree removal and pruning.); (3) installing a public walk that will link East-West Highway to Colesville Road; and (4) installing seating and landscaping. This will provide a rare and attractive park-like setting in this urban area, to be used both by all residents of Falkland Chase, as well as the general public.
The median on 16th Street immediately north of the Colesville Circle will be improved. This will significantly enhance this entrance to Silver Spring from Washington, DC.
- Amenity and Recreation Areas
The Project will also provide numerous and varied private amenity and recreation areas for all Falkland Chase residents, including those living in the East and West Parcels. These will include the interior courtyard, a tot lot, a multi-age playground, picnic and sitting areas, a swimming pool, a sun deck and gathering area on the roof of the second high-rise building, a fitness center, a conference room, a pedestrian system with ready access to public sidewalks, a children's play area and additional facilities within the community center.
- Vehicular and Pedestrian Circulation System
Automobile access for residents, shoppers, and visitors will be provided by an access drive off East-West Highway at the front of the property. The circle at the top of this entrance provides convenient and safe separation between vehicular traffic to and from the resident area and vehicular traffic to and from the parking for retail customers. Access to loading docks for moving vans and refuse collection is provided by the service road that runs along the length of the rear of the buildings. The service road and the main point of access from East-West Highway combine to provide excellent access for emergency vehicles.
Upon entering the Project from East-West Highway and entering the traffic circle, vehicles may either stay to the right of the circle and enter the apartment community through the entrance gate or continue left to enter the retail parking area. The entrance gate for the residential community will have two lanes for vehicles both in and out. One lane in and out will be for residents who have devices, similar to thruway passes, in their vehicles that cause the gates to open automatically. The second lane will be for visitors and deliveries that will require registration by a guard. The same procedures will be followed for pedestrians. It is currently expected that security personnel will attend the gate 24 hours a day, although the possibility remains that the gate may be inactive during the daytime. Upon entering the community, residents will continue past the entrance gate to enter the resident parking garage, accessed through a separate ramp, and visitors will be directed to a surface parking location. Prospective residents interested in a tour and leasing information will be directed to the marketing center in the community center.
Sidewalks in the central and public courtyards provide easy access between the residential lobbies and the walkways throughout the plaza. Access to East-West Highway will be via the gatehouse or a pedestrian gate open during daylight hours. Additionally, within the community it will be very easy to visit other apartments, the community center, and other in-building facilities and amenities both through the on-site pedestrian facilities as well as through the second floor hallway that connects all of the buildings and facilities.
- Parking/Loading
A minimum of 1,325 parking spaces will be provided on-site for apartment residents and 200 spaces will be provided for the retail patrons. Eighteen surface parking spaces will be provided for residents within the interior courtyard, 29 spaces will be located in the first level of the buildings and the remainder of the resident parking will be underground. The underground parking will be serviced by elevators that provide direct access to the apartment floors and the community center. All of the retail parking spaces will be located underground.
The buildings will have a series of loading docks that are accessed from the service road at the rear of the property. These docks will be ideal for moving vans and maintenance purposes. Smaller moving vans for the high-rise building along 16th Street will also have access from the courtyard at the building entrance fronting East-West Highway. Each residential building will have a chute system for refuse disposal that is connected to compactors, which in turn is connected to two trash receptacles. These receptacles will be accessed via the loading docks for refuse collection purposes. The retail space at the corner of 16th Street and East-West Highway will also have its own loading docks and trash compactor, which are accessed from the service road.
- Land Intended for Public Use
As noted above, 1.5 acres of on-site public use space, including a significant public plaza, will be developed along the Project's frontage on East-West Highway. This area will be an ideal gathering place for residents and members of the public. The plaza and retail associated with the Project will provide pedestrians en route to the Metro with an urban park to enjoy, as well as convenient shopping. The storefronts and plaza, combined with the energy generated by the new 1,069 residential units, will extend and enhance the urban, transit-oriented character developed by recent adjacent projects. Additionally, the attractive and inviting urban experience along with the proposed off-site streetscape improvements along East-West Highway and 16th Street will greatly improve the pedestrian experience in this area.
In addition to the on-site urban park and off-site streetscape improvements, a public use easement will be granted for an approximately 47,156-square-foot, or 1.08-acre, open space corridor in the East Parcel for additional off-site public use space. This area will become accessible to the public and enhanced for public use and enjoyment.
- Preliminary Forest Conservation Plan or Waiver
As noted above, the NRI/FSD was approved by M-NCPPC on October 12, 2006. As indicated in the associated report, there are no significant environmental features located on the North Parcel.
- Utility Analysis
The Property is adjacent to public water and sewer mains located in 16th Street and East-West Highway. It is anticipated that the proposed buildings will connect to the 16-inch water and 10-inch sewer mains in East-West Highway. Each of these public mains has sufficient capacity to provide for the added requirements of the proposed development, as well as the flows of existing developments.
Electric, telephone, gas and cable television lines are located adjacent to the site and are adequate to provide service to the Project.
Falkland North
Proposed Redevelopment
Proposed March 2007
download entire proposal (pdf 5,898kb)
Home Properties Inc.