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County Has No Plans To Redevelop Bethesda Parking Lots

By WTOP Staff

Lot 10 and 24 behind the Farm Women's Market in BethesdaMontgomery County has no plans to develop a pair of surface parking lots that back up to the Town of Chevy Chase.

“No one’s seriously looking at it on the county level,” said Ken Hartman, who reports to the county executive as director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center.

“The county has no plans to redevelop Lots 10 and 24,” said Esther Bowring, a county spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, which owns and operates the lots.

But in Chevy Chase, where some are worried redevelopment would erase the neighborhood’s buffer area from downtown Bethesda, the fate of the parking lots has become a hot topic in the Town of Chevy Chase election, set for Tuesday.

“Just this week developers were surveying the parking lots in the hopes of developing one of the last open spaces in Bethesda,” wrote Town Council candidate Grant Davies in a prepared release. “Rather than selling this land to developers for another high-rise building, we should use the land to create recreational space while at the same time increase badly needed parking.”

Incumbent Town Councilmember Al Lang and candidate Kathie Legg have also spoken about transforming the lots into a park with underground parking. Legg said she first started floating the idea as a part of the Town’s Long-Range Planning Committee.

“I don’t think we can find a world-class city anywhere that doesn’t have substantial green space centrally located,” Legg said. “The more of us who support it, the better.”

Lang said he’s spent three months investigating how the Town might be able to use some of its $8 million surplus to buy the lots from the county. He said he envisions a bond deal similar to how the Town purchased the former Leland Junior High School, which today serves as Town Hall and a county-operated recreation center.

The Lot 31 project on Woodmont Avenue — in which the county partnered with a developer to build an underground garage and two new residential buildings — has some in the Town anticipating a similar fate for the surface parking lots close to them.

“From my perspective, if you look at Lot 31, these two lots have to be extremely valuable,” Davies said. “One could assume that lot is not going to lie there vacant. It’s going to be used for something. I doubt it’s going to be kept covered with asphalt.”

The recent pattern of development in the county includes a number of surface parking lots near transit stations that have been redeveloped into multi-level mixed-use residential buildings. Hartman said the price of building an underground parking garage makes a residential building one of the only financially viable uses for the property.

“Spending all that money to underground the parking and opting to put a park on top, I can’t see us getting into that sort of deal,” Hartman said. “I know we are nowhere near any sort of serious discussions with the Town of Chevy Chase over those lots.”

The lots have more than 300 metered parking spots behind the Farm Women’s Market east of Wisconsin Avenue, and just south of Elm Street Urban Park.

The ongoing rewrite of the Downtown Bethesda Sector Plan, which could mean new zoning, also has the Town paying attention to the lots.

“Whether they decide this time to rezone it, this is prime real estate,” Legg said. “As Bethesda grows, I think this is going to be a place that developers will soon eye, once some of the other vacant lots are taken over. It might not be an immediate threat now.”

Lang said he’s broached the subject with Rick Siebert, who runs the Department of Transportation’s Division of Parking Management. He said he got the idea from a Town resident and that he’s discussed how a potential deal to buy the lots would go down with those involved in the Leland Junior High purchase.

He’d like a three-floor underground garage with a large park on top. He’s also optimistic the valuation of the lots could be less than anticipated because the adjacent strip shopping center on Wisconsin Avenue is owned by different landlords, meaning it would be difficult to assemble for one project.

“I think there’s a possibility to balance these three things: The parking lot revenue, which is very important to Montgomery County. I think there’s a real interest from Parks and Planning in green space in the downcounty. Third, you’ve got to balance this against the potential revenues of whatever density might go in there,” Lang said. “There’s a lot of steps here but I think it’s a worthwhile effort.”

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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