May
7
2013
Please see below last week’s crime report. It includes a number of thefts and thefts from vehicles. As weather is warming up, let’s be extra careful about our surroundings. Officer Lobin is looking into the B&E incident on 48th avenue
| Date of Incident |
Time of Incident |
Incident Type |
Location |
| 04/29/2013 | 125 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 9600 Blk MILESTONE WAY |
| 04/29/2013 | 1542 | THEFT | 9800 Blk RHODE ISLAND AVE |
| 04/30/2013 | 1120 | B & E, RESIDENTIAL | 9400 Blk 48TH AVE |
| 05/01/2013 | 747 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 5200 Blk PALCO PL |
| 05/01/2013 | 958 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 5200 Blk PADUCAH RD |
| 05/01/2013 | 1044 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 5200 Blk PADUCAH RD |
| 05/01/2013 | 1415 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 5200 Blk PADUCAH RD |
| 05/02/2013 | 1326 | THEFT | 4700 Blk INDIAN LN |
| 05/02/2013 | 1412 | THEFT | 9500 Blk BALTIMORE AVE |
| 05/04/2013 | 914 | THEFT | 9700 Blk 48TH PL |
| 05/05/2013 | 1122 | THEFT | 5000 Blk KENESAW ST |
| 05/06/2013 | 1151 | THEFT | 5000 Blk KENESAW ST |
May
6
2013
Gateway Park - View from Edgewood Road
In tomorrow’s worksession, the City Council will discuss the design elements of the Hollywood Gateway project and will decide if it should give staff go ahead to the final design phase of the project.
The City awarded a contract for landscape architecture and engineering design services to Flora Teeter and Whitney Bailey Cox and Magnani, LLC in the fall of 2012 for an eco-gateway park at the intersection of Route 1 and Edgewood Road. After that, they preparted conceptual design alternatives and a preferred design was selected by the Project Advisory Committee and presented to the North College Park Citizens Association. Flora Teeter/WBCM is seeking comments on the design plan from the City
Council prior to entering into the final design phase of the project.
The project’s site is very small (6,800 square feet) and is impacted by steep slopes, traffic, and noise and water runoff from Route 1. It also lacks a strong connection to the Hollywood neighborhood. Site assets include a high visibility location, access to public transportation and the potential to connect the site to 4ih Place through acquisition of a vacant lot next door (see Attachment 1, Site Context Map and Attachment 2, Site Analysis Diagram). The recommended design concept includes this site and pursues the theme of “Wind and Weather” (see Attachment 3).
In order to explore ideas for incorporating interactive, educational wind and weather features into the park, a brainstorming session was arranged with scientists and the Public Affairs office of the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction. Many ideas were discussed including having a weather station, windmill, cloud machine, cisterns to make it rain, cloud identification, weather vane, sundial and art projects involving wind socks, wind chimes and whirligigs. The opportunities are quite promising and could possibly involve ongoing participation from NOAA and an active relationship with the Hollywood Elementary School.
The property owners to the west of the site, Allen Rackers and the State Highway Administration (SHA), have reviewed the design concept and been supportive. It’s the intention of the City to make improvements on their property with their permission. The City will seek funding from SHA for work (sidewalk and landscaping) within their right-of-way. A preliminary conceptual cost estimate has been prepared but this estimate will need to be updated as the design is finalized. There are also opportunities to seek funding from other sources such as the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Anacostia Trails Heritage Authority and National Endowment for the Arts. Program Open Space funding for acquisition of the vacant lot is currently available.
Flora Teeter also came to North College Park Civic Association meeting last month and presented their conceptual plan.
We’re expecting to have another presentation upon completion of the final design plans, specifications, construction cost estimate and maintenance estimate prior to the bidding phase of the project.
Please let me know if you have any comments about the project.
May
5
2013
Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill
Two new businesses have moved to College Park, They are the Maryland Smokehouse at 8150 Baltimore Avenue and Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill at 7316 Baltimore Avenue
The Maryland Smokehouse, which recently opened on the ground floor of The Varsity apartment building, offers upscale casual dining that reaches decidedly south to offer delicious Memphis-style barbecue. Menu items include ribs, beef brisket, southern sides, unique cocktails and desserts. All served with warm hospitality in a vibrant, bluesy atmosphere.
Occupying the former Boston Market space in the College Park Shopping Center, Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill offers patrons the opportunity to build their own entrees. Pitas are made from scratch and baked on site throughout the day. Salads and sauces are made from fresh, whole vegetables and prepared each morning.
May
4
2013
Join your neighbors and the Prince George’s County Planning Department to discuss an update to the 1997 College Park-Riverdale Transit District Development Plan
This covers the area near the College Park-University of Maryland Metro Station.
Learn about the project boundaries and help staff understand what you like about this area, what you would like to change, and your vision for the future of the Metro station.
What: COLLEGE PARK-RIVERDALE PARK TRANSIT DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN
When: THURSDAY MAY 9, 2013 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.
Where: College Park City Hall, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD 20740
Parking is available for a nominal fee at City Hall and the City of College Park Parking Garage, one block south at the intersection of Knox Road and Yale Avenue.
May
3
2013
Downtown Farmer's Market Banner
While the Downtown College Park Farmers Market has been open for a few weeks this season, they’re ready to showcase the revamped market to the world.
To celebrate, a Grand Opening will take place this coming Sunday, May 5th featuring the following events to make for an entertaining day:
· 11:00 am: Cooking demo with Ferhat Yalcin, owner of College Park’s own Fishnet
· 12:00 pm: Mocktails with Gina Chersevani, owner of Buffalo & Bergen
· 1:00 pm: Nutrition expert Katherine Tallmadge
· All day: Kids’ corner featuring a face painter, balloon animals, and oversized board games
The market will be open during its normal time from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the City Hall parking lot. Free parking is available throughout Downtown on Sundays, including the parking garage off Knox Road.
May
2
2013
City is offering help to commercial tenants
The City is offering up to $25,000 in grant funds for leasehold improvements of commercial retail spaces for new or expanding businesses.
The reimbursement grant will cover up to 50% of the total improvement costs for qualifying businesses. The program targets locally-owned and independent operators.
The program is intended to fund improvements that are affixed to the property, and therefore will not cover the cost of purchasing or installing non-fixed equipment or inventory.
Generally acceptable improvements include, but are not necessarily limited to, the repairs/replacement/upgrades of Electrical, HVAC/mechanical, Plumbing, Dry wall, Flooring, Lighting, Windows/doors, Interior demolition, Painting, Bar/cash wrap, Green initiatives (low flow toilets, energy efficient lighting, etc.)
Program guidelines and an application are now available.
May
1
2013
Seatbelt Safety check
Prince George’s District I Police Station will be hosting a free car seat check at the Branchville Volunteer Fire Department at 4905 Branchville Rd. from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Appointments are not necessary. Inspections take approximately 30 minutes per car seat.
Studies show that around 75% of car seats are not properly installed, leading to hundreds if not thousands of deaths around the country every year. This is your chance to make sure that your car seat is properly installed!
A few reminders:
- Your car seat should already be installed in your vehicle;
- Car seat technicians will check for recalls, ensure your seat is correct for your child and that the harness and vehicle installation are correct;
- You will be involved in the safety check;
- Please have your vehicle and car seat owner’s manuals with you if available.
- For More Information, Please Call Kids In Safety Seats (KISS) @ 800-370-SEAT
Apr
30
2013
The Community Building Task Force of College Park Neighborhood Stabilization and Quality of Life Work Group worked over the past several months to develop a number of potential strategies for the various stakeholders and policy makers to consider. This is an interim and draft document that outlines ideas raised by committee members and members of the public at the previous public forum held on January 29, 2013, and it is meant to give the public an opportunity to provide input on these ideas and potential strategies.
It is important to note that these are not “recommendations” of the committee- the committee was asked to compile all of the suggestions and not to eliminate any from consideration at this time. There are various challenges to each suggested strategy, and the Task Force’s final report will discuss pros and cons as well as challenges for each strategy.
The Task Force was informed by the various groups represented on the Task Force as well as the Public Testimony provided on January 29, 2013. There is a broad and general recognition that a new course of action is required by all stakeholders to address the community’s concerns and that the status quo is unacceptable.
The items that the task force discussed were not contentious; community building inherently lends itself agreeable solutions. The following are solutions to the goals of community building, the primary focus on making our community one which everyone can be proud of.
Coordinate Block Parties to Encourage Neighbors to Get to Know Each Other
Action Required: Find most appropriate areas in the city, coordinate neighbors to work together to organize the events. Establish best practices to recommend to new blocks.
Creative Trash Cans
Action Required: Public Works should determine the most useful locations for additional trash cans. They should then work with the university to design decorative Maryland-themed Trash Cans.
Create Greek Team Captains/Student Service Corps
Action Required: Have Greek organizations determine who should be team captain for each block. Organize team captains to educate and ensure students are doing what they should to be good neighbors. Work with Jackie to incorporate students into Student Service Corps.
Create Citizen Service Corps
Action Required: Determine demand for service in the city. Coordinate efforts with Student Service Corps to see if they can work together.
Proactive Walkups
Action Required: Have all parties’ involved work with the UMPD and PGPD to increase the frequency of proactive walkups, as they are effective in preventing undesired behavior
Apr
29
2013
| Date of Incident |
Time of Incident |
Incident Type |
Location |
| 04/21/2013 | 836 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 9300 Blk CHERRY HILL RD |
| 04/22/2013 | 1551 | B & E, RESIDENTIAL | 9700 Blk 52ND AVE |
| 04/22/2013 | 1906 | THEFT | 9000 Blk BALTIMORE AVE |
| 04/23/2013 | 419 | AUTO, STOLEN | 10100 Blk 52ND AVE |
| 04/23/2013 | 741 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 5000 Blk ONTARIO RD |
| 04/25/2013 | 1432 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 9500 Blk 48TH PL |
| 04/27/2013 | 538 | ASSAULT | 5200 Blk MINEOLA RD |
| 04/27/2013 | 1556 | THEFT FROM AUTO | 9000 Blk BALTIMORE AVE |
| 04/27/2013 | 2305 | AUTO, STOLEN | 5100 Blk KENESAW ST |
Apr
28
2013
Arbor Day
In its third year as an Arbor Day Foundation partner, Pepco is providing free trees to customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia through the Energy-Saving Trees program. The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member non-profit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information about the Foundation and its conservation programs can be found at www.arborday.org.
Launched as a pilot initiative in 2011, the Energy-Saving Trees program conserves energy and reduces household electricity bills through strategic tree planting.
As a Pepco customer, you can reserve their free trees today at www.arborday.org/pepco.
Apr
27
2013
Its going to be a great weekend – for loads of reasons (Maryland Day, festivals, outdoor fun, etc.) . Here is more..
Today:
- On your marks! Start off at 8am with the Tortoise and Hare 5K Race at the Greenbelt Youth Center.
- Get set! Sprint off to the Mount Rainier-Gateway 5K at Mount Rainier City hall at 10am.
- GO! Go to Maryland Day from 10am to 4pm at the University of Maryland. Find us at McKeldin Mall and say hello!
- Maybe you are in for a slower pace today? The Montpelier Festival of Herbs, Tea, and the Arts is a great day among vendors for herbs, teas, handmade items, and more – or listen to music and play games. Lots of great kids activiteis too. Runs from 10 am to 4pm at Montpelier Mansion gardens.
- Also at 10am, at Bladensburg Waterfront Park are Kayak Lessons (sign up required) and Arts Drop In at College Park Community Center.
- Later in the day – at 1pm, you can have some Geocaching and Scavenger Hunt fun at Bladensburg Waterfront Park.
- If 1812 archeology is more your style, head out to Nottingham (south of Upper Marlboro on Croom Road) to see some of the finds made in this historic community as part of Archeology and the War of 1812.
- At 3pm, another performance of Following Sarah at Venus Theater Play Shack.
- At 5pm, its the return of the Anacostia River Pontoon Boat Tours (every Saturday and Sunday!) for a peaceful trip out of Bladensburg Waterfront Park.
- At 8pm, Following Sarah at Venus Theater Play Shack; Big River at Greenbelt Arts Center; and Dallas Black Dance Theater at Publick Playhouse.
Tomorrow:
This is a fuller Sunday than we are used to, but that’s ok! Start out early at 10am with Fishing 101 at Bladensburg Waterfront Park.
- At 2pm, we really get moving with: In Time of Roses (Theater) at CSPAC; Graduate Fellowship Chamber Ensemble (Music) at CSPAC; and the UMD Koto Ensemble (Japanese Music) at CSPAC.
- Also at 2pm, the National Wildlife Visitors Center has a program for those 8-10 about the Chesapeake Bay called – Down by the Bay.
- Still keeping things moving, at 3pm, Gavin Fallow with classical violin at the College Park Arts Exchange or catch the matinee of Following Sarah at Venus Theater Play Shack.
- At 4pm, the Dallas Black Theater returns for their last performance of the weekend at the Publick Playhouse.
[Courtesy of the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area]
Apr
26
2013
FY2014 Budget for Community Review
Our 2014 budget book is a very large 400+page document. While some will (thankfully) take the time and pain to go over this huge book, I assume most of us will not have the time to do the same. This led me to think of a shorter version of our budget book that is easy for our residents to understand instead of going through this big complex document.
With the help of my colleagues on the Council and our City staff, I’ve prepared a short preview document that highlights the most important information about our budget. It does not include all the details, thus please feel free to ask any question you may have. This will be the second year we’re doing this for teh community to review.
You can download this preview document here.
Also, please attend our Budget Town Hall meeting next Monday at 7pm at Davis Hall. Five College Park Council members (Wojahn, Kabir, Dennis, Catlin and Mitchell) will be there to answer your questions.
Seee you all there.
Apr
25
2013
Bike safety tips
Now that the weather is getting nice make sure we follow these tips while riding a bicycle.
Riding a bike is beneficial because it is exercise for your body, and it conserves fuel; however, it must be done in a safe manner. Knowing proper protocol while riding on the street with motor vehicles is a must!
Thanks to Prince George’s Police for releasing these tips.
- Make sure the reflectors are secure, brakes work properly, gears shift smoothly and tires are tightly secured and properly inflated.
- Make sure your bike is equipped with reflectors and a light if you ride in low-light conditions.
- Wear clothes and accessories that have retro reflective materials to improve biker visibility to motorists.
- Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against.
- Stay as far to the right as possible. - Always use hand signals before turning or stopping. - Respect traffic signals, stopping at all stop signs and stop lights.
- Stop and look left, right and left again before entering a street or crossing an intersection.
- Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left. - Ride in a straight line… no weaving. - Make eye contact with other drivers before turning.
- Watch carefully for cars.
- Allow enough room to your left for cars to pass.
- ALWAYS need to wear a helmet and eye protection that meets safety standards.
Apr
24
2013
Apr
23
2013
College Park City Hall
Here is the agenda for tonight’s Council meeting.
Proclamations and Presentations:
1.ARBOR DAY PROCLAMATION. The Council will be issuing a proclamation for Labor Day, which is April 26, marking the day in 1872 that J. Sterling Morton planted more than a million trees in Nebraska. College Park has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA due to its practices preserving our tree canopy.
2.MARYLAND DAY 2013: EXPLORE OUR WORLD OF FEARLESS IDEAS. Maryland Day is a massive annual event at the University of Maryland typically attended by tens of thousands of people, with events and activities from just about every department and student organization on campus. This year, Maryland Day will be taking place next Saturday, April 27, from 10 am-4 pm. The University of Maryland will be present Tuesday night to talk about some of the features of the event. Please try to come next week, and if you do, come visit us at the College Park City tent on McKeldin Mall!
3.LAKELAND STARs PRESENTATION BY PAINT BRANCH STUDENTS AND U-MD TUTORS. The Lakeland STARs (which stands for Students Taking Active Responsibility) program is a collaboration between the University of Maryland and Paint Branch Elementary School to tutor students from the Lakeland neighborhood in College Park. Every year, tutors from the STARs program come before the Council with some of the students they’ve tutored to talk about the experience. This year, the program will be giving special recognition to graduating senior Niklas Berry.
Proposed Consent Agenda:
4.13-G-56 – SPRING FIELD USE REQUESTS FOR USE OF DUVALL FIELD AND CONCESSION BUILDING AND CALVERT SCHOOL FIELD BY THE COLLEGE PARK BOYS & GIRLS CLUB The College Park Boys and Girls Club (CPB&GC) uses Duvall Field and Calvert Hills Field for Spring and Summer athletic events such as softball, football, lacrosse, soccer, T-ball and baseball, at times specified by the approved Field Use Requests. The CPB&GC has submitted field use requests to the Recreation Board as required. The CPB&GC has submitted requests to use Duvall Field and the Calvert Hills for consideration. The requests are to hold various sports events and activities from March 1, 2012 through July 31, 2013 and include a request for use of the Duvall Field Concession Stand throughout the year for all sports events. The City Council has determined that the CPB&GC should have precedence over all other field use requests. This is established by Council adoption of Section IV.2 of the City Recreation Facilities Rules and Regulations; the full text of which is available on the City’s website here . The Council will consider approval of the Field Use Requests from the CPB&GC for the use of Duvall Field (and the Refreshment Stand) and Calvert Hills Field for 2013 Spring sports events as part of the consent agenda at tomorrow’s meeting.
