Planning Commission recommends approval of Twinbrook Hines site plan for 437‑unit building near Twinbrook Metro

The Rockville Planning Commission on Feb. 26 recommended approval of level 2 site plan STP202200436, a Hines proposal to construct a 10‑story, 437‑unit multifamily building with 5,075 square feet of ground‑floor retail and a relocated bus loop at the Twinbrook Metro station.

Nelson Ortiz, principal planner with Community Planning and Development Services, told the commission the proposal implements a mayor-and-council‑approved project plan and “staff does recommend approval of level 2 site plan application STP202200436 to permit construction of 437 multifamily units, 5,075 square feet of retail or restaurant use, and stormwater management facilities subject to the findings and conditions in the staff report.”

The plan would assemble portions of 1700 and 1818 Chapman Avenue on a 4.01‑acre site and construct a building up to 120 feet (11 levels: one below grade and ten above). The project includes 66 moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs) distributed throughout the building; 437 vehicle parking spaces (including 10 EV charging stations and 24 EV‑ready spaces); 148 long‑term bicycle parking spaces; and a landscaped third‑level private courtyard with a pool and resident amenities. The applicants said vehicle access, loading and refuse are oriented to Thompson Avenue and that ground‑floor retail and the main residential lobby will front on Chapman Avenue.

A significant engineering element is relocation of an existing stormwater retention pond on WMATA property into a new underground vault beneath the station’s kiss‑and‑ride area. Laurent Monodé (Vika, civil engineer) described the plan to treat runoff using bioretention, green roof areas and the vault, and said the vault will serve roughly 22 acres of off‑site drainage directed into the system.

Design and public‑realm elements presented by the applicant team included a new pedestrian promenade linking the site to the Twinbrook Metro platforms, a public plaza at the building corner, landscaped street trees consistent with Rockville’s Street Tree Master Plan, and curvilinear seating walls that double as stormwater features.

Three nearby property owners who said they operate an auto repair business along Thompson/Chapman raised construction and operations concerns during public testimony: potential impacts to their building foundations during excavation adjacent to an existing structure; loss of a longstanding short‑term drop‑off area on Thompson Avenue used by deliveries and tow vehicles; the placement of electrical transformers close to their property line; and the blocking of several windows by the new building. The project team responded that foundation and construction methods would be addressed in permitting, that stormwater would be contained on‑site per city regulations, and that no building elements would overhang private property lines.

Transportation and parking were central topics during the review. Staff noted that the mayor and council previously granted a 28% parking waiver in the project plan, reducing an original requirement from roughly 600 spaces to the 437 proposed. The applicants said they will provide retail loading and pick‑up/drop‑off access within the garage and work with the city on metering and curb management along Chapman. Faramarz Motari, the city transportation engineer (participating remotely), added that WMATA park‑and‑ride lots have different weekend/commuter rates and that weekend parking is often available at stations.

The commission moved and voted to recommend approval of the site plan based on the staff report’s findings and conditions. The motion passed unanimously.

The site plan now proceeds to permitting and final engineering if the mayor and council and necessary permitting bodies concur; the staff presentation noted that, if approved by the planning commission, the next step is filing final plans and requesting permits.