Dec
1
2022
This morning, a Washington Gas line was struck, causing the closure of Route 1 between Campus Drive and Berwyn House Road. It’s anticipated that It is expected that Route 1 will remain closed to traffic during the evening rush hour. Currently there is no timeframe for when the road will be reopened. The City has been in touch with Washington Gas throughout the day. Residents are encouraged to avoid the area until Baltimore Avenue can reopen to traffic.
Nov
30
2022
The Prince George’s County Animal Shelter is running low on enrichment items such as dog and cat toys, supplies for kennels, leashes for volunteers and staff, treats, and critter supplies. They would greatly appreciate the public’s help with donations of these items. Click here to view the Animal Shelters’ Amazon wishlist.
All items can be shipped to 3750 Brown Station Road. Upper Marlboro, 20772. If you would like to drop off donations physically, you can do so at the same address during their hours of operation, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Tuesday through Fridays and 10:00 AM from 4:00 PM on Saturdays. No appointment is needed to donate, and the donation bins are in the front lobby.
Nov
29
2022
Monarch Preschool College Park will hold an Open House on Friday, December 9th. Please see below for details.
Nov
28
2022
Last week, all existing traditional street lights were replaced with energy-efficient LED lights on the 9500 – 9600 blocks of 52nd Avenue (south of Lackawanna street).
For several months, the City has been working with Pepco to replace all 150 WATT High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) fixtures on 52nd Avenue with 150 WATT / 3000 Kelvin LED fixtures on all 13 utility poles on these two blocks of 52nd avenue. A total of 4 new 150 Watt LED fixtures were installed as part of this project.
LEDs are up to 50 percent more energy efficient than traditional sodium bulbs and can last 15 to 20 years. And there are other unexpected benefits. Better street lighting could make riding public transportation easier by reducing the perception of danger and improving visibility on roads.
That means more LED streetlights can lead to better public safety!
Other local areas in the DMV region, including Montgomery County and Takoma Park in Maryland and Fairfax County and Arlington in Virginia, have tested the technology. D.C. hopes to convert all 75,000 of its warm, yellow streetlights to cheaper, more energy-efficient LED bulbs by 2022.
About two years ago, City replaced all sodium lights on 53rd avenue with energy efficient 3000K LED lights.
The new LED lights will make the pedestrians and the Metro commuters on these two streets much safer.
Previously, the City installed 16 new 150 WATT LED streetlight fixtures along Rhode Island Avenue, in Old Town, between Campus Drive and Calvert Road. The new LED streetlight fixtures on 53rd Avenue are the same as the ones installed in Old Town. The Old Town project took about two years to complete from start to finish.
The City is working with Pepco to replace traditional lights with LED lights on the city streets.
I want to thank our City engineer and Public Works staff for their important work on this project!
Nov
27
2022
COMING SOON!!
From Route One Communities Care (ROCC)
HOLIDAY ARTS SALE 2022
Buy works of art from local artists to support families in need and neighborhood restaurants
DECEMBER 2 – JANUARY 4
Website link
Purchase enduring works of art by local artists and support our Route One communities at the same time. Your contributions have helped greatly in the past. Take this opportunity to join us again this year, or for the first time, and benefit from the talent of local artists while easing hunger in our neighborhoods.
Monies raised by your purchases support locally owned restaurants make meals for families in need in our area. The demand today for the meals distributed at our community sites is as great or greater than ever and the restaurants we support, mostly family and/or minority-owned, continue their fight to survive.
Reminder: SALE BEGINS THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2022
WISH TO DONATE TO THIS WORTHY CAUSE and learn more about CKAR, ROCC and GRC, go to https://ckarcdc.org/GRC/ROCC. To make a tax-deductible contribution on the website, press “Make a Donation” in the upper right hand corner and add “this donation is for the restaurant meals program” in the Comment Section at the end.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, The volunteers of Route One Communities Care (ROCC), Greater Riverdale Cares (GRC), and the Staff of CKARcdc (Central Kenilworth Avenue Community Redevelopment Corporation).
Nov
26
2022
I’ve recently learned that the MDOT SHA is working on a concept development study to consider adding an additional lane along northbound US 1, between Cherry Hill Road and Edgewood Rd.
This would include shifting the median between Cherry Hill Road and Edgewood Road, repurposing the shoulders along US 1 Northbound between the I-95/I-495 Southbound On Ramp and Off Ramp that ends as an exit only lane to the I-95/I-495 Northbound On Ramp, and adding a traffic signal at the I-95/I-495 Southbound Off Ramp.
These improvements are anticipated to improve overall traffic operations at the intersection and along northbound US 1 during the midday and evening rush hours.
The plan is currently in the concept stage. According to the SHA, the detailed design, if pursued, is expected to take at least two years to complete and would then qualify for construction funding at that time. As part of the design, the SHA will evaluate modifications of the traffic signal to address the operation of the gas station side of the intersection. MDOT SHA said they will keep us posted on their progress.
Nov
25
2022
MOM’s Organic Market has an extra boost of holiday cheer knowing MOM’s customers diverted 17 tons of holiday lights from the landfill!
Recycled lights are broken down through melting and shredding to recover raw materials that are repurposed into roofing and construction materials, piping, car batteries, other electronics, lead wheel weights, flatware, jewelry, and more!
Please learn here for more.
Nov
23
2022
The Hollywood Elementary School parents recently asked to prohibit right turns to southbound Rhode Island Ave on red lights from eastbound Edgewood Road to help improve the safety of their children crossing Rhode Island avenue. Drivers were often seen driving over this crosswalk even when the children could be seen on it. The new sign was installed this week after the City Council approved the change two weeks ago. The “No Turn on Red” law only applies from 7 am – 8 am and 2 pm – 3 pm on school days.
Thanks to our City and County staff for making this important change possible.
Nov
21
2022
The City of College Park joins communities across the country in celebrating local small businesses! Read more here.
For this Small Business Saturday and beyond, help support a local College Park business by shopping small. For a directory of businesses, including restaurants and retail stores in College Park, visit www.collegepark.life.
[City of College Park]
Nov
20
2022
The Public Works recently updated the leaf pickup schedule. Please see the updated schedule below. The key dates for our area are:
- Rhode Island Ave East: November 23 and 28
- Rhode Island Ave West: November 29 and 30
For more information, please see City’s webpage on the curbside leaf collection here: https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/203/Special-Collections#curbsideleaf
Nov
19
2022
The Prince George’s County Planning Department recently awarded a consultant contract for the Route 1 Land Development Study in Beltsville to Smart Growth America and the Neighborhood Design Center. This Study looks at the Subregion 1 Plan area along the Route 1 Corridor boundary from Quimby Avenue to Sunnyside Avenue, adjacent to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods, to develop a strategy that brings in various partners to formulate and consider how to create sustaining relationships that realize the vision outlined in the Subregion I Plan for this area, with the focus of bringing about coordination among the commercial and industrial uses with the surrounding neighborhoods. This coordinated effort ultimately focuses on improving the area’s visual appearance and ensuring a pedestrian-friendly, safe, and enjoyable place to walk.
The Study will bring together experts across various disciplines to focus on: Neighborhood Revitalization, Real Estate Development, Complete Streets, and Design Guidelines. It will also engage local stakeholders to create recommendations for future development that align with the Approved Masterplan and Sectional Map Amendment for Subregion 1.
Two meetings will be held in early December to engage local stakeholders and create recommendations for future development aligned with the approved Masterplan and Sectional Map Amendment.
There is a project webpage that has more information about the project, including a map of the study area, upcoming meetings and events, and a link to a community survey.
For additional information, please review the study website here.
[Source: CM Dernoga’s office]
Nov
18
2022
This is the last weekend for the Hollywood Farmers Market’s 2022 season. Please visit the Hollywood Farmers Market TOMORROW, November 19th, from 9 am until 1 pm.
Make your holiday meal planning easier with a one-stop shopping trip to the market. With fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheeses and coffee – you can find almost all that you need at the market. While there, stop by Amity Kitchen for a delicious lunch.
The market accepts – WIC & FMNP, and they can run an EBT card. The market will match the WIC & FMNP coupons with tokens that may be spent at the market.
Nov
17
2022
Wallace Montgomery was awarded a contract for design and engineering services for the Hollywood Streetscape Project in November 2018. In April 2021, a contract amendment in the amount of $86,155 was approved to add construction and bidding services to the contract.
In October 2021, the contract was increased by $14,500 (Change Order #1) to cover additional work required by the Prince George’s County Department of Permits, Inspection and Enforcement (DPIE) for a drainage system study and slope stability geotechnical investigation and analysis. Wallace Montgomery has submitted a request for Change Order #2 in the amount of $34,850 to cover other additional permit-related work for the “goat path” connections to the shopping center, and additional electrical design and permit coordination during the extended construction
phase of the project.
This project is in the FY23 Capital Improvement Program and is funded through the General Fund, bond bills and Program Open Space. The Finance Director has indicated that additional funding if needed will be utilized, if necessary, from other CIP reserve accounts.
At this Tuesday’s meeting, the Council approved a Contract amendment in the amount of $34,850 to Wallace Montgomery for additional construction phase support services for the Hollywood Streetscape Project.
Nov
16
2022
At last Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council unanimously voted to adopt the “October Map 1” as the new College Park Council district map.
The new map will define new Council districts following the 2023 City election for the next ten years until the next census data is available.
The new map maintains the current southern boundary of District 1 on the west of Rhode Island Ave; however, moves a few dozen homes around Duvall Field from District 1 to District 2.
The new map will add homes in the Cherry Hill and Autoville neighborhoods to District 1.
You can see the detailed view of the new district boundaries on this interactive map: https://abridge.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8ee2da0bb755439ba478f90f52ac06f2. Please select “Ordinance 22-O-09 October Plan 1 Map” from the Layers menu on the left.
I want to thank the residents for their comments on the redistricting maps. I also want to thank the members of the Redistricting Commission (RDC) and our staff for working with the Council in producing various maps during this lengthy redistricting process. It was truly collaborative teamwork.
