Q: What is the density of this site as compared to the completed Rockville Town Square and the approved Twinbrook Station, Twinbrook Place and Rockville Town Square?
A:| Project | Type | FAR |
|---|---|---|
| Avalon at Twinbrook Station - Proposed | Residential | 1.34 |
| Rockville Town Square - Completed | Mixed-use | 1.68 |
| Rockville Town Center - Approved, construction pending | Mixed-use | 5.78 |
| Twinbrook Station - Approved, construction pending | Mixed-use | 1.94 |
| Twinbrook Place - Under Construction | Office | 1.63 |
Q: What does FAR mean?
FAR stands for Floor to Area Ratio. Since each of these sites has various uses besides just residential, it is misleading to use a unit count comparison. Rather, planners use FAR to compare densities between two or more sites.
FAR is calculated by dividing the gross square feet (GSF) of the building(s) by the total square footage of the site's land area.
For example: Avalon at Twinbrook Station comprises four acres, which translates into 174,240 square feet (there are 43,560 square feet per acre). The building we are currently proposing is 240,000 GSF, so our FAR would be 1.38 (240,000/174,240). However, if we were to strictly go by units per acre, it would be 60 units per acre based on 240 planned units.
To illustrate why the units per acre may be deceptive when comparing our site to another, we will use JBG's site as the example:
JBG is planning 1595 residential units on their 26 acre site, which comes out to a 61.3 Units Per Acre ratio. However, the site will have a total of 2,200,000 GSF of buildings that include office, retail and residential. This equates to a 1.94 FAR (2.2 million GSF/1,132,560 square feet (26 acres), which shows that their density is significantly more than our density, even though our units per acre were roughly the same.
Q: How large will the apartments be, and how many people will be permitted to live in each apartment?
A: We expect our average unit size to be roughly 810 to 850 square feet, ranging from a studio apartment of 450 square feet to a two-bedroom loft unit of 1,200 square feet. Of course, the average unit sizes may change based on final design plans. However, we are only planning for a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Throughout AvalonBay's portfolio we only allow a maximum of two people per bedroom (children under 18 months are not included in this count), and that is strictly enforced.
Q: How many of the 240 apartments will be renter-assisted living?
A: 12.5% of our apartments will be part of Rockville's Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit ("MPDU") program.
Q: Can you describe the exterior lighting for your project? Obviously, you want something that will provide safety, but how can we be sure the lighting will not be too bright for the homeowners on Halpine Road?
A: AvalonBay generally uses a down-lighting that provides adequate light on the ground and garages immediately surrounding our buildings without exposing our residents and nearby neighbors to lighting that is too bright in their bedroom windows. In addition, the 50-foot tree buffer should adequately shield the Halpine Road residents from the lighting on our site.
Q: What will be happening to the tree buffer on Halpine Road?
A: This 50-foot buffer is owned by the city and we currently know of no plans to place a walkway on this 50-foot barrier. If the city permits, AvalonBay has offered to reforest and/or professionally landscape the 50-foot buffer.
Q: What is the building's Distance from the property line?
A:The community’s distance from the property line varies. Attached is a concept plan that shows the various set-backs throughout the site. (site plan 11.06.07)
Q: How does the height of the community fit into the surrounding neighborhood?
A: Avalon at Twinbrook Station will be providing a nice transitional buffer between the upcoming 7-story office building along Twinbrook Parkway to the single family homes on Halpine Road. The community will be 4 stories stepping down to a 3-story townhome façade along the majority of Halpine Road. Attached is a section plan that illustrates the heights of Avalon at Twinbrook Station as compared to our immediate neighbors. (section 11.06.07)
Q: Will the pool be open to the public?
A: The outdoor pool will be fenced and maintained as a secured area that will only be accessible by our residents. It will not be a public pool.
Q: How will Storm Water Management be affected by the proposed project?
A: Currently, the site is 100% covered with asphalt and buildings, which are impervious materials that do not allow groundwater to be absorbed naturally. By redeveloping the site, we will be creating a less impervious surface because of the introduction of landscaped areas that currently do not exist.
Q: Where exactly will the Uniwest building be situated?
A: The Uniwest building will be located at the southeastern edge of our site. Its parcel is at Ardennes and Twinbrook Parkway. If you drive by Ardennes and Twinbrook Parkway, you will notice the Uniwest building site has been cleared of trees. That is where the seven-story office building is being constructed.