GEICO site lawsuit heads to court; hearing set for Oct. 19

The fate of the old GEICO headquarters in Friendship Heights awaits resolution of litigation challenging changes made by developers to a sector plan agreed to for the site.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 19 in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit challenges changes to plans for the lot agreed to in the 1998 Friendship Heights Sector Plan. The Village of Friendship Heights and the Brookdale Citizens Association in May filed a lawsuit in Montgomery Circuit Court to force Friendship Commons Partners LLC, the developers of the project, to stick with that original agreement.

The 1998 plan originally set building heights at four floors and included designated recreation space. The new plan from the developers of Friendship Commons, EYA and Bernstein Management Co, would include six or seven story buildings and replaced the recreation space with townhouses.

According to a press release from EYA and Bernstein Management, the first phase of the project will be “an urban, walkable community featuring more than 500 residential units, including 96 condominium units, 175-185 townhomes, and up to 235-250 apartments across three buildings.”

Despite the lawsuit, the Montgomery Planning Board on July 30 unanimously voted to go forward with the plan.

The GEICO site sits a few steps north of the D.C.-Maryland border, at 5260 Western Ave. The 26-acre site opened up after GEICO relocated a few miles north to Bethesda.

The Montgomery County Planning Board declined to comment about the ongoing lawsuit.

A representative of the Village of Friendship Heights Village Council could not be reached for comment.

Despite the litigation, one local resident was optimistic about the site’s future.

Raised in the Friendship Heights-Chevy Chase area, Miles Greenblatt said he hoped the new development would bring more affordable housing to the area, instead of more luxury apartments.

“Bethesda has that covered ten-fold,” Greenblatt said regarding more luxury housing.

Greenblatt, a local business owner, said the community is attempting to support local businesses, including by hosting Sunday Commons. A few local businesses have been using the small weekly market produced by Trishtan LLC and the Friendship Heights Alliance.

“This is an area that is in need of more traffic,” Greenblatt said while motioning around to the many empty storefronts.

Greenblatt said Friendship Heights is trying to become more family orientated, a change from the past when it was known as a luxury shopping destination. Greenblatt said the luxury stores that formerly populated the area lasted longer than he had thought.

Greenblatt said the loss of the GEICO parking lot was sad. Many locals in the area learned to drive in the massive parking lot, which was a rite of passage of sorts, he said.

According to Rachel L. Davis, the marketing and communication director for the Friendship Heights Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to community engagement, the area needs more housing.

“Opportunity for more housing is important, especially nearby transit,” Davis said. “It’s a more sustainable way to build housing.”

Davis said additional housing in the Friendship Heights could help existing retailers and even bring more businesses to the area, potentially making Friendship Heights a shopping destination once again.

“In order to sustain retail is to build more housing. More housing supports more retail,” Davis said.