AT THE LAST MEETING of the La Plata Town Planning Commission, design engineer Jim Whitehead of engineering and design firm ATCS, P.L.C. presented the Commission with a concept design for Washington Commons, a mixed use commercial/residential development beside the Maryland Transportation Authority’s new Park & Ride lot on Washington Avenue in La Plata. 

Town Director of Zoning and Planning, Cathy Flerlage enthusiastically called the proposal “La Plata’s first transit oriented development”.

Flerlage envisioned Commons’ residents not needing cars at all, given the development’s proposed location beside the new MTA lot and its proximity to recent retail developments on Highway 301. 

Whitehead and his project associates Brian Olson, also of ATCS, and attorney Mark Warner described the project as four, three-storey buildings.  Two streetside buildings will contain ground floor retail space with office space on the upper floors.  The rearward buildings will contain 48 apartments, offering one to three bedrooms. 

The designers plan an above-ground parking lot around the buildings with a unique set of storm-water collection pipes underneath.  They also offered to build an extension of Heritage Green Parkway in return for the ability to use part of it for streetside parking.  Part of Whitehead and Flerlage’s vision for the mixed use project was that the commercial buildings would use the majority of the parking spaces during business hours, and residential would use it at night.

In answer to the Commission’s query about the proposed rent, Whitehead stated that the developer’s intention was to make these units affordable.  The developer and designers want them to be part of La Plata’s contribution to the County’s stock of “workforce housing”. 

Alternate Commission member Debra Posey pointed out that the location and design of the project doesn’t make it attractive to families.  Commission Chairman Rich Gilpin felt there was a lack of green space in the plan.  Posey added that no parks are in walking distance to the buildings.  Whitehead stated that the project does include 25% of its area as green space.  But, he also confirmed that, indeed, the residential portion of the project was not designed to accommodate children. 

At that point, La Plata Town Councilman Jim Goldsmith suggested that if the multi-bedroom apartments are not marketed to families with children, they will attract collections of roommates instead.  He explained that with such tenants, each apartment would bring enough cars that the proposed quantity of parking would be completely insufficient. 

The Commission additionally explained that the proximity of the MTA lot led them to expect tenants would use public transportation and leave their cars parked at the complex during business hours, taking space away from the commercial residents.

Although utilizing a series of underground pipes to collect storm-water unobtrusively, the designers still channel that water into a nearby railway ditch instead of working out a system allowing the rain water to seep into our aquifers, replenishing our drinking water which it currently does as undeveloped land.

Flerlage reminded the commission that Washington Commons is in this conceptual phase.  The project still requires many levels of approval and many permits granted.  Whitehead explained that the concept was presented in order to solicit the Commission’s suggestions for improvements.  He indicated that, at the next update, the Commission could expect to see improved parking options, fully developed apartment layouts and a clear idea of the project’s target market.

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