But I wanted to respond to a couple of misleading statements made during the broadcast by Washington Post columnist Roger Lewis, and Montgomery County Planning Director Gwen Wright.
I found Roger Lewis' comments offensive and troubling. Regarding "urbanization" (which is nonsensical, because downtown Bethesda is thoroughly urban already! We're not "urbanizing" Bethesda - we already did that), Lewis made the following statement:
Roger Lewis: "I think loading the dice against urbanism is usually motivated by either resistance to change, as we talk about all the time, or concern that I'm not going to find a parking space and I'm going to sit through four cycles of this signal at this intersection.
"I mean, I think traffic congestion -- I think a lot of what we hear are essentially code words, if you will, for what people directly experience and perceive and worry about urbanism, which is both -- well, it's traffic congestion. It's also the arrival of people who maybe are different. I mean there's a sociological dimension to this. I mean, that's my interpretation. Whenever I hear, if you will, the nimbi (sic) argument, it's almost always based on that."
This is complete hogwash. Along with Planning Director Gwen Wright's assertions that affordable housing will be magically-increased in the Bethesda Downtown Plan, and that millennials will be able to afford Bethesda, this was a truly 1984-esque moment in yesterday's broadcast. What is happening now, and unless there is a policy change that accompanies the passage of the new downtown plan, is the exact opposite.
We just witnessed - especially readers of this blog - the demolition of The Hampden apartments on Hampden Lane. Those are being replaced by The Lauren, an ultra-luxury condo building with units "from the several millions." The end result is a net loss of affordable units on that site (not to mention several mature trees).
Battery Lane will soon have several demolitions, again with a net loss of affordable units. The same is coming for a building on MacArthur Boulevard, and - potentially - along Bradley Boulevard.
All of those threatened buildings had, or have, something in common. They were, and are, among the last buildings that an actual millennial could afford to rent in.
Much as in similar demolitions across the county, such as in Wheaton, Glenmont and at Halpine View, they will be replaced with luxury housing, not equal or greater racial and economic diversity. The "arrival of people" resulting from this will be a group very much like the one that dominates Bethesda today - rich, white people. Roger Lewis himself admitted long ago that the DC area building boom is not going to generate the adequate amount of affordable housing it promised. Instead, we are getting luxury buildings, with a handful of MPDUs in each. At the same time, we are demolishing more affordable units than we are building.
Res ipsa loquitur. But don't come on the radio and mislead people about affordable housing. And absolutely don't come on and accuse the people trying to maintain diversity and affordable housing in Montgomery County of using "code words," or having a fear of people who are "different." That is Orwellian doublespeak at its worst (or, best?). Mr. Lewis should be embarrassed about that, given his previous admission that the building boom indeed will not provide the affordable housing he claims Bethesda fears.
14 comments:
You might be a little crazy, Robert, what with your love affair of suburban malls and parking lots. But I digress, I won't agree with you on those... But I DO agree with your key points in this post. As an aging gen-Xer, I suddenly am faced with moving out of Bethesda because it's just too darned expensive. I do not understand any of the arguments saying Bethesda is good for millennials. Why would they want to hang out in a town of old folks anyways?
Shut up and let the man write his blog you ignorant little shit! Don't like it or agree with the man, get off this blog and take you bull shit elsewhere!
Robert,
Battery Lane apartments, The Hampden, and Bradley Blvd apartments have historically been the affordable entry point for people who just graduated college to live in the downtown. There are a few other older buildings as well.
I think if lose these, it will raise a serious problem: where will recent college grads be able to afford to live in the downtown?
As someone who lives in downtown Bethesda, I'm kind of offended that Roger Lewis has cast us as unwelcomming. I think he's relying on old stereotypes about Bethesda. I've seen no evidence of what Lewis is asserting at any public planning meetings in Bethesda.
This is a great blog since everyone is sharing their ideas. That's a plus.
Robert is providing us a much needed news platform open for discussion.
Bob, The Lauren is certainly going to bring the "arrival of people" different from me: millionaires who can afford "estate style" apartments "starting from the millions"
Maybe Roger Lewis was right on?
Developers will advance whatever arguments they think will work no matter how disengenuous. And these arguments can be surprisingly difficult to see through. Kudos to Robert Dyer for shining the light of day on hypocrisy. While I don't really care if downtown Bethesda becomes more unaffordable - the rich have to live somewhere - the public debate should be open and honest.
We do not need any more residential buildings. Period.
"We do not need any more residential buildings. Period."
...why would you say/think that? If you're going to say something that runs completely counter to market demand/capitalism/common sense then at least say why.
How do you figure?
I don't know anonymous 8:50's reasoning, but I've heard my downtown neighbors express concern whether more apartments can be "absorbed" since we have so many coming at once.
My stance is that we need more units to help create critical mass.
They'll be absorbed; whether they can be immediately absorbed at absurd "luxury" prices of $2.5K+ per studio is a different question that remains to be seen.
9:09 PM It's the ability of those millennials who are here to stay that is at issue, in addition to the idea of attracting more. The mapping showing where millennials are was quite telling - they are in the affordable, older housing in town. Some of those units are already gone (The Hampden), or to be demolished soon (Battery Lane). More demolitions on Battery or Bradley would greatly reduce the millennial numbers (and racial/economic diversity) in town.
Someone call Montgomery County. I saw 3 trees as I was driving south on 355 today. What a waste of space. There should be condos built there instead of providing shade, "green" spaces, or homes for birds. Condos, baby!
So basically Bethesda is becoming an "old" and boring city? Interesting what's happening.
I wonder if rich millenials will be pushed to Silver Spring, which is also starting to get many luxury units--but at about 70% of Bethesda prices.
I mean in Bethesda, it's not even luxury apartments anymore. It's like ultra-luxury on steroids. 2 bedroom rents at mid-3,000s! I wonder if the buildings will be full and also the profile of people that will rent.
Nothing wrong about "rich" people by the way, nobody has any god given right to live or be prevented from living anywhere. I'm just curious.
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