Friendship Heights redevelopment clears key hurdle with Montgomery Co. approval – WTOP News
Montgomery County planners unanimously approved preliminary plans for Friendship Commons, a redevelopment of the former GEICO headquarters site in Friendship Heights, Maryland.
The Montgomery County Planning Board has approved a major redevelopment project at the former GEICO headquarters in Friendship Heights, Maryland.
In a unanimous 5-0 vote Thursday night, board members approved the preliminary plans for Friendship Commons, a mixed-use residential community that would replace much of the former GEICO headquarters campus near the Friendship Heights Metro station.
The approvals covered the project’s sketch plan, preliminary plan, site plan and conservation plan.
The decision followed an hourslong public hearing that stretched late into the evening. Opponents argued the project would remove too many mature trees, reduce promised green space and break commitments made to residents under the county’s 1998 Friendship Heights Sector Plan.
The project is also the subject of an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Friendship Heights Village Council, which contends the proposal conflicts with long-standing planning agreements.
Supporters told the board the county’s housing shortage makes the redevelopment necessary. They cited the project’s affordable housing component, its location near the Friendship Heights Metro station and the opportunity to transform an underused office campus into new housing.
During the meeting, board members directed staff to continue exploring opportunities to preserve trees as the project moves forward.
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