New Development Plan For Chestnut Lodge

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Michael Harris Homes (a.k.a. Streetscape) has submitted an application to be considered at the July 28, 2010 Planning Commission meeting. The plan is to build 22 reduced/modified homes with attached garages and optional breezeways on the site of the historic Chestnut Lodge which burned down in June of 2009. With the housing market for large-scale homes suffering, the houses will be smaller in scale than the detached homes originally approved for the site. The floor plans will be 1400-2100 square feet and the lots will include 2 off-street parking spaces. Sketches of the design can be found here. The site plan shows the lots on a circular street.

The original developer, Chestnut Lodge Properties still plans to build on nine lots as originally planned, including the Rose Hill Barn lot. However, if they aren’t able to build these homes, Michael Harris Homes would use all the property and build 30 homes.

During Citizen’s Forum at Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, Morty Levine, President and CEO of Chestnut Lodge properties, said there is a “depression in our industry not a recession.” He has sold three houses at Chestnut Lodge. One model and one spec home have been built and are for sale.

In 2006 before the Chestnut Lodge was destroyed by fire, the development was approved for 36 new single family detached homes and 7 residential condominiums in the Lodge building. The Little Lodge and Frieda’s Cottage were to be rehabilitated for use as single family homes.

The Community Planning and Development Services Department recommends approval of the new proposal, which they see as comparable to the density in the surrounding neighborhoods. They also believe the change to attached garages will blend well with the surrounding properties and adjacent historic districts.

The Planning Commission meeting to determine approval will be held on July 28, 2010 at 7 PM in the Mayor and Council Chamber in Rockville City Hall.

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