Not Measuring Up to Expectations

Amendt, Gubernot and several neighbors took measurements, which showed that the usable width in many of the garages is about 16 feet 11 inches because of a two-inch-wide PVC pipe that runs along a wall in many of the garages. Yet even if the usable space in the garage had been 17 feet 1 inch, parking their Subaru Outback and BMW coupe inside is practically impossible for Amendt and Gubernot. With the doors open, the vehicles have a combined wingspan of almost 20 feet, the width DPS informally recommends to builders for two-car garages.

The company's sales literature refers to "two-car garages" and shows them at 17 feet 1 inch, which they are, wall to wall. Letters to the Department of Planning written by the builder's attorney refer to "two-car garages."

DPS Director Robert C. Hubbard said that although the garages might be problematic, they do not violate county regulations. "It may not be the most usable space," he acknowledged.

Robert D. Youngentob, president of EYA, said he finds the Wheaton residents' concerns troubling.

"We build hundreds of these types of units around the D.C area. I can count on my left hand the number of complaints we have had about parking and maneuverability," he said. "There are a number of people who believe the trade-offs of higher density and more urban design justify the slight inconvenience of difficulty in maneuvering to have a location so close to Metro," he said.

"We are very concerned about our reputation and believe strongly that in this case we have done absolutely nothing wrong."

The residents unearthed another area of concern as they examined architectural plans and other documents: The usable space in the alley behind their homes is narrower than that shown on builder plans. According to documents, the alley is 26 feet wide -- which it is. But Gubernot measured the navigable width as 19 feet 9 inches, because concrete bumps between each house jut into the alley. That tightens the turning radius.

"The maneuvering is difficult," acknowledged Hubbard, who examined documents on file in his agency in response to a request from The Washington Post.

"It's like being in any strip mall today," he said.

Amendt, Gubernot, Derringer and others in the neighborhood say their goal is simple: They would like the county's help in finding alternative parking.

But as the residents boned up on the county's parking regulations, they realized they were still in a bind.

On nearby Amherst Avenue, the county recently reinstalled two-hour parking meters. On the opposite side of Amherst, residential parking permits are needed.

Residents of The Brownstones don't qualify because they are on the wrong side of Amherst, Derringer said.

On Friday, the residents received a letter from Duncan, encouraging them to consider paying for parking spaces in a nearby county-owned garage.

As for Gubernot, she's contemplating giving up a car.

"You should know," she said last week, "I went out and bought a moped."

It fits in the garage.