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    Fitzgerald - Saul White Flint Proposal: Suggestions To Guide Your Stewardship of The White Flint Sector Plan

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    The document is a proposal from Bob Wulff of B. F. Saul Company to the White Flint Advisory Group regarding development of the White Flint sector plan. It recommends (1) not underestimating the potential of White Flint given its Metro station, location, and available land; (2) planning for and incentivizing vertical mixed-use development at high densities to support retail; and (3) requiring densities of at least 2.5 FAR to support vibrant urban places, and even higher densities of 4.0-8.0 FAR within 1/8 mile of the Metro station.

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    Fitzgerald - Saul White Flint Proposal: Suggestions To Guide Your Stewardship of The White Flint Sector Plan

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    The document is a proposal from Bob Wulff of B. F. Saul Company to the White Flint Advisory Group regarding development of the White Flint sector plan. It recommends (1) not underestimating the potential of White Flint given its Metro station, location, and available land; (2) planning for and incentivizing vertical mixed-use development at high densities to support retail; and (3) requiring densities of at least 2.5 FAR to support vibrant urban places, and even higher densities of 4.0-8.0 FAR within 1/8 mile of the Metro station.

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    The document is a proposal from Bob Wulff of B. F. Saul Company to the White Flint Advisory Group regarding development of the White Flint sector plan. It recommends (1) not underestimating the potential of White Flint given its Metro station, location, and available land; (2) planning for and incentivizing vertical mixed-use development at high densities to support retail; and (3) requiring densities of at least 2.5 FAR to support vibrant urban places, and even higher densities of 4.0-8.0 FAR within 1/8 mile of the Metro station.

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    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    34 views1 page

    Fitzgerald - Saul White Flint Proposal: Suggestions To Guide Your Stewardship of The White Flint Sector Plan

    Uploaded by

    Planning Docs
    The document is a proposal from Bob Wulff of B. F. Saul Company to the White Flint Advisory Group regarding development of the White Flint sector plan. It recommends (1) not underestimating the potential of White Flint given its Metro station, location, and available land; (2) planning for and incentivizing vertical mixed-use development at high densities to support retail; and (3) requiring densities of at least 2.5 FAR to support vibrant urban places, and even higher densities of 4.0-8.0 FAR within 1/8 mile of the Metro station.

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    FITZGERALD – SAUL WHITE FLINT PROPOSAL

    TO: White Flint Advisory Group Members

    FROM: Bob Wulff, B. F. Saul Company

    DATE: November 13, 2007

    RE: Suggestions to Guide Your Stewardship of the White Flint Sector Plan

    1. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE WHAT WHITE FLINT CAN BECOME. The


    White Flint area has more upside potential than any place in our region due to the
    unique constellation of three attributes: a Metro Station, location next to built-out
    Bethesda and the Beltway, and lots of large, underdeveloped land parcels owned by
    top-quality developers. With proper planning to set the stage, the marketplace will
    transform White Flint into one of the National Capital Region’s preeminent
    downtowns. A new downtown that will smartly accommodate the County’s growth
    and provide an economic engine to fund County services.

    2. PLAN AND INCENTIVISE VERTICAL MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT.


    Great urban places start with great streetscapes and great streetscapes start with
    compact development in the form of vertical mixed-use buildings: underground
    parking, ground floor retail/restaurant, and floors above for office, residential, or
    hotel—all at a high density to insure day and night traffic sufficient to support both
    neighborhood and destination retail. This is how County planners can create life
    between buildings.

    3. GREAT STREETSCAPES WITHOUT DENSITY WILL FAIL. Density is a


    prerequisite. But what density? No simple formula, but densities below an FAR of
    2.5 rarely result in great urban places. At a 3.0 and above great urban places evolve.

    4. AROUND A METRO STATION EVEN GREATER DENSITIES SHOULD BE


    REQUIRED. Best Planning Practices routinely specify a 4.0 to 8.0 FAR within a
    1/8 mile ring around a transit station (Arlington is now requiring an FAR of 10 at
    Rosslyn.) The next concentric ring of 1/8 to ¼ mile should achieve 3.0 to 4.0 FAR.
    And ½ mile out, densities to a 2.5 FAR should be encouraged. In Montgomery
    County we already do this around our most successfully developed Metro stations:
    Silver Spring and Bethesda. Around both these stations out to the ¼ mile ring there
    are numerous office buildings at FARs of 4.0 to 7.0 and these neighborhoods live
    and function very well. Even higher densities work extremely well around
    Arlington’s Clarendon and Ballston stations.

    5. DO NOT FEAR DENSITY. But won’t such densities create crippling traffic
    congestion? No! Because placing dense office and residential buildings (15 to 20
    stories) around Metro stations is SMART GROWTH because a high percentage of
    people who live and work near Metro use Metro rather than their car. The proof is
    just across the Potomac River in Arlington which has increased its development
    density around Metro over 100% while traffic increased only 16%. Why, because
    nearly 50% of residents near Metro rarely use their cars—39% take Metro and 10%
    walk.

    6. GIVEN PROPER FORM, DENSITY AT METRO IS YOUR FRIEND.


    DENSITY CAN RESULT IN DESIRABLE/LIVABLE URBAN VILLAGES
    WHERE PEDESTRIANS AND CARS ARE IN BALANCE. Several such urban
    villages can be created within White Flint with the right Sector Plan. For example,
    the various development proposals from land owners in Neighborhood 2 provide a
    mix of complementary uses (office, neighborhood retail, residential at a variety of
    price points, fast and slow food restaurants, hotel, public space and new grid streets)
    that will create a self-sufficient neighborhood that will maximize pedestrian livability
    and minimize auto trips. But for this to happen will require a Sector Plan that
    encourages density above a 2.5 FAR.

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