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White Flint Coordinator Talks Cooperation, Challenges Of Redevelopment

By WTOP Staff

Last week, White Flint planners and developers won a state award for sustainable growth.

Speaker Christopher Leinberger, author of a study on Washington area walkable communities, said plans for 14,000 housing units and 13 million square feet of mixed-use development on both sides of Rockville Pike near the White Flint Metro station could serve as a national model.

BethesdaNow.com spoke with Dee Metz, Montgomery County’s White Flint Implementation Coordinator, about where the redevelopment process stands and the challenge of connecting four separate development projects around traffic-clogged Rockville Pike.

Metz was the founding director of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, the county-funded nonprofit charged with maintaining and marketing downtown Bethesda. She has served as president of the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce and has worked in the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Department of Economic Development. She was named as the county’s point person on White Flint development in January 2012.

BethesdaNow.com: We’re seeing a dog training center move into White Flint soon. There’s a yoga studio there and a photography school planning to move in nearby. Do you get the sense the neighborhood in White Flint is changing, even before the bulk of the redevelopment takes off?

Metz: I think it is. I think that’s partly because the development community and the local community have worked so well together. I’ve been in the business for almost 30 years. I’ve never seen such cooperation and excitement in a community. With these projects, between the development community and the residential community there are always some naysayers. But they seem to have worked so well together that I think it’s attracted some of these businesses.

I think we’re starting to get more lifestyle type of retail. It’s going to be a little slow coming. [Developer] Foulger-Pratt is working on the North Bethesda Gateway. They’re submitting an amendment to their sketch plan this week or next week. That goes from Rockville Pike to Huff Court on Nicholson Lane, where the Fitzgerald Automotive is. There are three property owners there. They’re going to do five-story over retail, so six-story buildings to create this East Village. What [co-developer] ProMark has identified is we need more of these local retailers. We want the frozen yogurt stores and yoga studios. I think that people are realizing that need.

BethesdaNow.com: You mentioned the mostly receptive tone from residents and neighboring communities. Why is that?

Metz: I think people’s needs are changing and maybe the demographics are changing to0. We spoke to almost 200 people from the Greater Farmland community, like four different civic associations. There are always some concerns and people who don’t want anything to change. I’d say the great majority there were excited about the fact that they could walk or possibly take a bus or a trolley in to use so many services, rather than go into Bethesda. I think we had heard from a lot of the people before. White Flint engaged so many more people in the process that I think it woke people up to the fact that we do want these things.

The communication is so different now between your blog, Friends of White Flint, the White Flint Partnership. There’s a lot more emphasis on that and a lot more people involved. I think we’re seeing people that have never been advocates be a part of this.

BethesdaNow.com: Has the smart-growth focus helped the perception of White Flint? It seems not many are going to miss the surface parking lots. Using that land in a more attractive way has been a main selling point of the project.

Metz: Yeah, and that’s been the educational process. I was just at an award ceremony Tuesday. White Flint got an award from the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission. The speaker at the conference, Chris Leinberger, a national expert on these walk-ups, these walkable urban communities said if done right White Flint can be a national model. I think people are sensing that we do have a very different opportunity in White Flint.

You really do have an amazing opportunity in White Flint. They’re very big but for the most part local developers. They live in the community  and I think that makes a difference too, JBG, Federal Realty, the Lerners. These people aren’t going to walk away. They know they have to do something that’s kind of their showcase.

In the old days, developers did what they had to do and they had their obligatory community meetings. In White Flint, I think people are realizing that we have to work together. If you provide what people need, that’s a big change. People are invested in this because they want to see it done right. A lot of good ideas are pouring out. The interesting thing is this kind of new way of developing with a new Sector Plan and a new zoning category, everything kind of is a policy decision, so we’re working hard to get it right at the same time.

We have conference calls once a month where we check in with all the departments working on this and we’re constantly checking in with the county executive and the Council.

BethesdaNow.com: What issues are you facing now?

Metz: The challenge is going to be balancing traffic and walkability. I’d like to have money to design and build new roads but you can only go so fast. That’s probably what’s frustrating to most people.

But the money is not there. The county did agree to forward-fund certain roads. We have to worry not just about getting people to White Flint but getting people through White Flint.

My challenge is also: How do we unify the east and the west side of Rockville Pike? Hopefully we’ll get that Boulevard-feel sooner rather than later.

Flickr photo by dan reed!

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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