Comments on Silver Spring taxidermy - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by d

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:18:28 EDT

I live in the south parcel of Falkland Chase (not currently scheduled to get replaced and probably the nicest section with half of it containing very family friendly townhouses). Both your piece and the Fisher piece don't separate two separate issues well: 1. Should the north parcel of Falkland Chase be a permanent fixture and historical landmark (Most sane people say no) 2. Is the planned replacement better than what is currently there? This is very debatable, but if you are unsure, a multi-million dollar investment makes sure that the new building will be there a long time and be a detriment to the community. The fact that a city government can landmark better than advocate smart design makes the issue a bit more complex. The new plans seem to be modeled after the Blairs down the block as a mixed urban use area. When we moved to the area less than a year ago, we looked at both complexes. First, for comparable units, Falkland Chase is non-trivially cheaper than the Blairs so the argument on building more affordable housing isn't strong. Also the argument on outdated appliances is also weak since these old buildings were built before air conditioning meaning they have much more environmentally friendly designs. With high ceilings, large windows, and fans, we haven't had to turn on our air conditioner since last August. This is also a cost and environmental benefit. The biggest difference is that we have a toddler and, while we don't have a need for our own plot of land, being near shaded areas of grass is a huge plus. All the Balir and Summit Hill units exit on a large parking lot which a token island of grass in the middle. For family, having access to very close, safe outdoor plays spaces is vital. Everything in downtown Silver Spring is becoming "luxury" condos and apartments, which translates to not family friendly. Thus, families are pushed into even further locations where driving is necessary. This is bad urban planning.

Comment by David Alpert

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:17:57 EDT

I think Dan's right that the proposed replacement building is not a good design, and I'm planning to post about that. But Smart Growth projects aren't always worse. The Wisconsin Ave Giant is a great design and definitely not worse.

Comment by Cilantro Sue

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:15:47 EDT

I'm too tired to go into long drawn out reasoning and explaining, but I am with Dan. Seems like there are a lot of empty buildings and warehouses around, can't any of those be made into housing? Why does smart growth always look worse, feel worse? Seem like it also always involves paving over lots of greenspace. I have a feeling that a few years from now, people might have regretted advocating tearing everything down. And, finally, are this blog and Marc's channeling each other? (Sorry, I'm tired.)

Comment by Alex B.

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:44:47 EDT

Dan, I'm not trying to defend the design proposed here, but the existing conditions are anything but a continuous street wall. The very concept of a garden apartment defies that urban density and relation to the street. Even taking your points at face value and calling these apartments 'ordinary,' that certainly is not sufficient for landmark status. The decision to landmark these buildings should have nothing to do with arguments about improving the plan to replace them.

Comment by dan reed

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EDT

I'm not opposed to making Downtown Silver Spring denser, but I simply do not feel comfortable with what Home Properties proposes to replace Falkland Chase. It's not the density, and it's not the affordable housing. It's the scale. It's the fact that several smaller blocks of apartments will be replaced by one giant building. The street wall will be broken up by a large courtyard and entrance driveway. The existing Falkland apartments form a continuous street wall, have defined public and semi-private spaces, and activate the streetscape along East-West Highway with multiple building entrances. By comparison, the new Falkland North is less urban than what currently sits there. Call these apartments ordinary, but they're a cut above most apartments built after it, especially in Silver Spring. And if anything is going to replace Falkland Chase, it should be something that contributes to a feeling of urbanity in Downtown Silver Spring that many would say is lacking.