Don't Let Them Swallow Our Theater!
Don't Swallow
The Bethesda Theatre Needs Your Support
Did you know that there is a plan to put a 10-story apartment building
on top of the historic Bethesda Theatre and set it only 20 feet
back? Can you imagine what that would look like?
We can’t. We are the Art Deco Society of Washington, a regional preservation organization devoted to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the Art Deco period. You know us as the group that led campaigns to save the Washington Greyhound Terminal and the Silver Theatre-Silver Spring Shopping Center complex. We think that the Bethesda Theatre, a landmark of downtown Bethesda since 1938, deserves the same attention.
Yes, the Bethesda Theatre is a landmark. The exterior was placed on the county's master plan for historic preservation in 1985, which means that the county's Historic Preservation Commission has a say in what happens to the theater. In addition, the Art Deco Society has just nominated the Bethesda Theatre to the National Register of Historic Places. A listing on the National Register wouldn't stop the development plan, but the distinction will increase scrutiny of future plans.
We are not trying to stop development. We just want the right idea. The historic building needs to sit on the street and be itself -- not lost and enveloped by an overpowering high-rise building that is too close to the street. By moving the front of the new construction back to 52 feet from the sidewalk, the theater can have a distinctive presence and avoid being “swallowed.” You can see this from across the street. There is a secondary parapet 30 feet behind the theater’s marquee and tower. This is where the theater’s auditorium actually begins, and this is where the new apartment building should be!
Want to help? The plan does not have all of its final approvals. There is still time to act! We need you and your friends and neighbors. Contact us at 202-298-1100 or info@adsw.org. Or express your concern directly. Write to the following: County Executive Douglas Duncan, County Council President Leggett, Historic Preservation Commission Chair George Kousoulas, Planning Board Chairman William Hussman.
Make your opinion count!
Send your comments to:
Hon. Douglas Duncan
Montgomery County
Executive
101 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850
Hon. Isaiah Leggett
President, Montgomery County
Council
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
Hon. George Kousoulas
Chair, Montgomery County Historic Preservation Review Board
8787 Georgia AvenueSilver Spring, MD 20910
Hon. William Hussman
Chairman, Montgomery County Planning Board
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Please send copies of your letters to us:
Art Deco Society of Washington
P.O. Box 11090
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 298-1100
info@adsw.org
Thank you!