Pepco hardens security at downtown Bethesda substation (Photos)

Pepco appears to have completed a project to harden security at the electrical substation at 4935 Del Ray Avenue in downtown Bethesda. While attacks on substations in several states have been in the news recently, this project was begun prior to those incidents. A simple metal fence around the property has been replaced with a taller, more imposing black fence that also reduces visibility into the ourdoor areas around the building. 

New fence along Del Ray Avenue side

Old fence along Old Georgetown Road side

New fence along Old Georgetown Road

Old fence along Del Ray Avenue

Road resurfacing continues in the Woodmont Triangle

Road resurfacing work is expanding in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood of Bethesda. Milling and resurfacing are now underway on part of Norfolk Avenue, and on Del Ray Avenue. Watch for bagged parking meters during this time.

Oh, no...not again! Water bubbling up at Del Ray & Old Georgetown in Bethesda (Video + Photos)

A tiny geyser of water is bubbling up through the pavement at the intersection of Del Ray Avenue and Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. Standing water is collecting at the end of Del Ray. This is the same intersection where an apparent water main break occurred last fall.

Then, Pepco workers had to conduct extensive repairs to their own underground infrastructure there in late November. According to a Pepco crew member, they blamed WSSC for damaging their electrical system when they repaired their water main break. You can still see the patched pavement where one of the holes was dug last year right next to the little geyser.

UTILITY WORK AT NORFOLK AND DEL RAY AVENUES IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Utility crews are working on underground cables on Del Ray Avenue tonight, at the Norfolk Avenue intersection. The same type of work has been going on in that area in recent nights. It could, perhaps, be related to electrical and/or data connections required for the new Gallery Bethesda apartment building, which is adjacent to the work site. But that is just my guess.

THE ODDEST SIGN IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTO)

Sometimes I wish the Halloween season could be longer, but this story seems to be left over from that holiday.

This sign is taped to what appears to be a dental office on Del Ray Avenue, around the back of the Palisades luxury apartments:

"Surgery in progress.  Please
do not knock on door."

It captures the imagination!  And is somewhat humorous (unless you are the patient!).

You have to wonder, what exactly would happen if you did knock on the door? Would it really cause a catastrophe? Have receptionists been outsourced? Can the surgeon not just ignore a knock on the door? Is he afraid he'll be startled during a delicate surgical procedure? Is he operating directly on the other side of this wall? Who, pray tell, would answer this door if you did knock? Do people usually have elective surgery after dark?

Heard any good knock-knock jokes lately?

MORE PICS OF MICHAEL BAY-ESQUE DESTRUCTION AT FUTURE SITE OF "THAT 70s BUILDING"

WRECKING BALLS REDUCE MORE

THAN HALF OF DEL RAY AVENUE

TO RUBBLE!

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

George Jefferson and Mr. Drummond can't wait to move into their respective penthouses in the future building at this Old Town Bethesda location, on Del Ray and Rugby Avenues.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another exclusive destruction update from the future site of That 70s Building, a.k.a. The Gallery at Bethesda.

Don your leisure suit, and accessorize with your favorite gold medallion.  We're taking a tour of the construction site right here on the blog.

It's a beautiful day for dining on the rooftop
patio at Tia Queta on Del Ray Ave. (at left)

This massive crane rolled into the site, stopped, and
struck a victory pose amidst a block-wide scene of destruction

The side wall of Tia Queta.  The townhomes
have been completely demolished

You'll notice the townhomes pictured in my last update have been completely razed.

IS MICHAEL BAY

SHOOTING

TRANSFORMERS 4

IN DOWNTOWN

BETHESDA?

No One Could Blame You for Walking

Down Del Ray Ave. and Thinking So!

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Del Ray Avenue looks like Optimus Prime and Devastator went mano-a-mano over there. Partially-destroyed townhomes, and giant piles of metal and concrete debris, litter a lot where small businesses and a public parking lot once were. A heavy metal bulldozer blade rests in front, as if it had been torn off the front of an earthmover.

Is this the set of Transformers 4? The site of a UFO invasion? The return of Godzilla?

No, it's The Gallery of Bethesda. Or, at least, it will be. Right now it's out with the old, and it is quite a scene of destruction.

"That 70s Building"

The Gallery of Bethesda is going to be 17 stories, which - given its vague proximity to Metro - rates a shrug of the shoulders as far as density is concerned. About 210 units. Mmm... Not bad, not great. You could argue for greater height, but of course, the county council and Planning Board have approved projects of equal or lesser height much closer to the Metro than this. I'd like something taller, but it seems unfair to criticize this particular project for that, given its relatively longer walking distance to Metro.

The name? "The Gallery of Bethesda," I'm guessing, relates to the public art features planned for the outside of the building. Alas, the art ends there with this design.

Frankly, I'm not a fan. Maybe it will be refined. But the renderings on the Donohoe website aren't impressing me right now. Instead of a modern, avant garde design, it is a 1970s throwback. I love the 70s. But with the infrastructure costs these projects place on the taxpayer, I think the Planning Board should be setting the bar higher.

"Mr. Angelino, please!"

This appears to be another mixed use building cut-and-pasted from the library that came with the design software. I like the interesting fountain design between the building and its future partner on Rugby Ave. At the same time, what they are claiming will be a "pedestrian street" between the buildings comes off as a wide sidewalk. The rendering shows no pavers or archways or lighting. Booriiing.

"Dyn-o-MITE!!"

It seems kind of unusual to not have more screening of a demolition site (green walls, for example). Diners out on the upstairs patio at Tia Queta certainly have an interesting perch to monitor the action. Sad to see some longtime Bethesda buildings being knocked down. Especially when the replacements aren't very exciting. On the other hand, Del Ray has always been an unbalanced street, with Triangle Towers and the Palisades looming over 2 story structures across the street. Now it will be more unified. Expect a lot more destruction on this side of town once the real estate market recovers.

"Book 'em, Danno"

Of course, the ultimate appeal of The Gallery will depend on its ground floor restaurant, nightlife and shopping tenants. And maybe the 70s design works in a part of town where the 70s still dominates architecture. They could give a free 70s color TV with every unit. A disco ball in the party room. How about a 70s coffee bar in the lobby, when you had two selections; coffee or decaf? Simpler times in a building where every tenant's greatest wish is an invite to dine at Captain Stubing's table.

Pull up in your brown Plymouth Fury, with whitewall tires and 8-track stereo. Here comes Ralph the Doorman - make sure to give him a tip!

Thanks to the Montgomery County Planning Board, Singapore has The Sail @ Marina Bay Tower, Hong Kong has the Bank of China Tower, Dubai has the Burj Khalifa, and Bethesda has... "That 70s Building."

"Who loves ya, baby?"

GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!

MORE DOWNTOWN BETHESDA

PUBLIC PARKING TO CLOSE!

Sometime this month, the public lots across from Barnes and Noble at Bethesda Row are scheduled to close. This will cause a parking catastrophe. The only actions taken by the county to help have been to place a space-vacancy sign at the Bethesda Ave. garage, designate more spaces for Bethesda Row patrons within it, and suggest that the public park in distant garages/lots and take the Bethesda Circulator back to Bethesda Row.

Now we find out that an entire one of those lots is closing around February 15!! Forever!!!

Great Caesar's Ghost! Who is making these decisions?

Public Parking Lot 39 on Del Ray Avenue is being sold to a for-profit developer for mixed-use development. Now, that's all fine and dandy, but this is going from bad to worse.

And raising a lot of questions.

In my opinion, the imminent parking situation is going to have a far greater impact on visitors and businesses than we are being told.

The fact that the county owned all 3 parking facilities makes that reality unconscionable.

Why did the county council and Planning Board approve the sale of the Bethesda lots without first developing a real-world alternative parking plan?

Second, why would they time a third lot's sale, condemnation and redevelopment approval for precisely the month in which we are to lose the other two lots?

If the BCC Chamber of Commerce has said something about this, it certainly wasn't very loud.

I think residents, patrons, and business owners and employees in downtown Bethesda deserve better.