Townhouses? No.
A bed and breakfast with banquet facilities? No.
A senior living facility? No.
And now a proposal to build five houses across from the entrance to Great Falls has been rejected by the Montgomery County Planning Board because the lot sizes would be too small to be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. Over the years, there have been many different proposals for the property.
The 4.5-acre plot on the corner of Falls Road and MacArthur Boulevard in the Fawcett Farms neighborhood, is currently platted for four residential lots. Farid Srour, owner of the land sought permission to put five new homes on the property.
According to Park and Planning Staff, however, five lots is one too many. “This property fails in the size category,” said Malcolm Shaneman of Park and Planning.
If the resubdivision had been granted, the largest of the five newly created lots would have been smaller than the smallest of the lots in the established neighborhood. “A high correlation does not exist,” Shaneman said.
Lot size is one of seven criteria that a new property must meet in order to be compatible. Srour’s attorney, Steve Orens, did not believe that the commission should make its decision based upon only that one criteria. “You are looking at the aggregate,” Orens said.
Orens also held out a possible deal to the commission, if they would allow five properties to be built, the developer would include stormwater management facilities. “What you lose with a four lot subdivision is effective stormwater management,” Orens said.
Nearby residents did not believe that the management plan would be enough. “We can live with an additional house if it would give us the stormwater management,” said Peggy Dennis, whose property abuts Srour’s.
Dennis, however, was concerned that the houses, which called for 3,000 square foot footprints would then have tennis courts or other impervious surfaces added, increasing the runoff problem. “The applicant has shown no willingness to work with us,” said Dennis who opposed the proposal.
Orens explained to the commission that he thinks the runoff problem will be worse if only four lots are allowed. “The four lot subdivision will be developed with larger houses … but without stormwater management.”
The five-member planning commission voted 4-0 against the proposal (Chairman Derick Berlage was absent). “For me, this is not a gray one. This is not a difficult case,” said Commissioner Meredith Wellington.
At this point Srour is unsure if he will attempt to develop the four houses or simply sell the property. Orens indicated that he will not make a decision about any appeal until he sees the written opinion.