September 16, 2026 | Elia Griffin | Bethesda Today
Jad Donohoe, the senior vice president of The Donohoe Companies; Carrie Kisicki, the Maryland Housing Advocacy Manager for the Coalition for Smarter Growth; and Natalie Avery, the executive director of the Friendship Heights Alliance were among those who voiced support for the plan at Monday’s public hearing.
Avery urged the board to resist calls to scale back increased density, particularly on the Saks Fifth Avenue site, and supported the housing recommendations.
“Adding more housing and more types of housing is how this neighborhood builds the customer base to support the shops and the street life that so many people, including many who are wary of change, tell us at the alliance that they want,” Avery said.