The Councty has announced this exciting , free Saturday Enrichment Academy. Give your child(ren) a powerful edge in English Language Arts (ELA) and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). In this 3-hour fun experience, instructional coaches will use creative ways to meet the learning needs and styles of participants to promote academic acceleration.
Thank you all who took the time to submit your testimonies about Senate Bill SB-229.
A House version of the bill, HB-1130 has been introduced The hearing is set for 1:00 pm on March 2, 2023. You can read more about the bill here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1130
The College Park City Council has supported this bill. Some of the Council members will also testify at the March 2nd hearing,
House committees require registration via MyMGA two business days in advance. This means the signup window for Thursday’s hearing on HB 1130 in the House Environment and Transportation Committee is tomorrow from 8 am to 3 pm.
Please follow this quick tutorial on signing a Maryland General Assembly (MGA) bill.
More on how to submit testimonies can be found here: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/pubs-current/current-ent-faqs.pdf
Thank you!
The City’s annual summer camp scholarship applications are now open!
Youth (rising K-12) who reside in the City of College Park are eligible to apply. Scholarships are granted up to a maximum of $400 per student. Students are eligible to receive a scholarship for one camp session only. Priority is given to youth who did not receive a City of College Park scholarship in previous years. In the past two years, the City extended the use of the scholarship to include camps hosted by Prince George’s County Department of Parks & Recreation and Prince George’s Community College. The option is available again for summer 2023.
Scholarship applications are due by Friday, April 14, 2023 at 5:00pm.
Click here for more information and to apply.
Yesterday, the Maryland Park and Planning Commission held a hearing on a request to add “right-in” access to the proposed RST development from Baltimore Avenue. This was a reconsideration request to make a change to the Preliminary Plan of Subdivision(PPS), which was approved by the Planning Board before. Following the PPS approval, the Planning Board and the County Council have already approved the project’s Detailed Site Plan (DSP).
The College Park City Council and the neighborhood asked the RSP developers to apply for the “right-in” reconsideration request when they discussed the project’s DSP a few week’s ago. During the discussion, the City Council and neighborhood residents have raised concerns about the increased traffic on Cherokee Street. The Level of Service at the Route 1 and Cherokee Street intersection is now and will remain a D in the AM peak and an E in the PM peak. These levels are close to the failing levels. The situation will worsen when the Metropolitan development is completed at the opposite side of the intersection.
A right-in access from the Route 1 would have definitely decreased the traffic capacity of the intersection. This solution is supported by the Applicant, our City Council, and community residents and is conceptually acceptable by the State Highway Administration SHA.
There are currently eight right-in, right a=out access points to the site between Cherokee street and Delaware street. Adding just one right-in access to this very long stretch of Route 1 will not cause any adverse effect on pedestrian safety. Also, there will not be any retail, no storefront along the 600-foot-long property frontage. This is a long block, and having mid-block access to a garage is very usual.
There has been a well-established 70+ years old neighborhood surrounding this development. The residents and the City Council are extremely concerned about the change in the traffic situation that will negatively impact these long-time residents. So there is definitely a public interest issue that can make in this case.
The applicant provides that the reconsideration request is in substantial public interest and supported by good cause. However, the Planning staff said they do not believe that there is good cause for reconsideration, so does not believe there was an error made in reaching the original decision on the PPS. The Planning Board members, in the end, turned down the applicant’s request.
City is seeking your ideas about how your tax dollars could be used in the most effective way.
To get your feedback, the City has introduced a budgeting tool called “A Balancing Act”.
A Balancing Act is a new online budgeting tool that the City is incorporating to make the process of getting budget feedback from you, our community, even easier.
The City is in the early stages of preparing the proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, which begins July 1st of 2023.
The City wants to hear from you what you think are the most important initiatives for the City to invest in.
To accomplish this, we have set up a survey of nine core initiatives, plus a suggestion box.
You can take the survey at www.collegeparkmd.gov/budgetfeedback.
The deadline to submit your request is tomorrow.
Hollywood Elementary School
Tomorrow at 7 pm, the Prince George’s County School Board will hold its annual budget hearing.
The Board will take public testimonies about a new reading program, which is currently proposed to be piloted at the Hollywood Elementary School for the upcoming school year (September 2023-June 2024)
According to the proposal, the University of Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity (MILE) will offer an afterschool reading clinic at Hollywood Elementary School in Prince George’s County that will address three critical needs in PGPCS:
1. Address teacher shortage by building a pipeline from educator preparation programs at UMD, Howard, Bowie, and PGCPS Community College;
2. Build high-quality science of reading instruction delivered onsite by trained tutors, para-educators and teachers; and
3. Create a Residency Model by delivering nationally accredited science of reading training and coaching to PGCPS teachers, tutors and para-educators, thereby building the capacity of both pre-service and in-service reading specialists within PGCPS.
The Project will:
● Establish PGCPS as the first LEA to partner with the Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity at the University of Maryland;
● Train current PGCPS teachers in grades k- 5 teachers in science-based reading programs;
● Recruit and retain highly trained tutors from UMD/Bowie/Howard/PG community college programs to deliver SOR high-dosage tutoring and small group instruction;
● Build a pathway for SOR certification for PGCPS teachers, special educators and para-educators;
● Provide research from MILE to help demonstrate the success of the pilot and a roadmap to replicate success throughout the district, including middle and high school programs; and
● Create opportunities to train parents and other care providers to re-teach concepts to their children.
You can submit written or video testimony to this email: testimony@pgcps.org.
When the Recreation Board was initially created, its primary focus was on City recreation and included field use approvals, permitting, and purchasing equipment for youth sports.
Once served, the committee’s many functions have been transferred to the City’s Department of Public Services. In 2020, the City’s Event Planner position was established and expanded the role of the Communications Office to the Office of Communications and Events. There is also a new interesting post about how to keep your paystubs.
Staff is proposing that the Recreation Board evolve into a new board, the City Events Advisory Board (CEAB), which better communicates and reflects the current role of the board. The Rec Board supports the proposed name.
The changes will include eliminating duties like approving City field uses and preparing the events, as the City staff currently manages these duties.
At tonight’s meeting, the Council will discuss the proposed changes to the name and roles of the recreation board.
Beginning February 26th, NCPCA members will receive a 15% discount on Proteus Brews purchases made on Sundays from 11 am to 1 pm* Details below.
The owners of Proteus Brews have generously agreed to host a weekly Coffee Social for NCPCA members and their guests every Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm at Proteus Brews (9827 Rhode Island Ave, College Park, MD), beginning February 26th. On Sundays from 11 am to 1 pm, anyone who requests the “NCPCA Discount” at checkout will receive 15% off of all Proteus Brews purchases except for shortcake pastries.
Even if you do not wish to buy anything, please come by on Sundays at Proteus Brews from 11 am to 1 pm to socialize with other NCPCA members! Please fill out the attendance form at this link whether you intend to attend the first Coffee Social on February 26th so that Proteus Brews can plan on having adequate staff. Please submit answers by Thursday, February 23rd.
Please write to ncpcivic@gmail.com if you have any questions. Thank you.
Several months ago, I submitted a request to discuss creating a bicycle/pedestrian committee in College Park. Many other towns have similar committees. Thanks to the residents who brought up this idea to me.
Creating a Bike/Walk Committee is to improve ease of travel, encourage green modes of transportation, and reduce unnecessary car use. It also makes the case that a committee would facilitate sustained municipal and community engagement in bicycle and pedestrian issues and help to focus the discussion on infrastructure planning and improvements to achieve results.
Staff agrees that the creation of a Bike/Walk Committee would be a positive step in raising the profile of alternative transportation issues in the City and that it should also address micro-mobility vehicles. Possible work plan items or charges for the committee could be:
• Development of City-specific bicycle and pedestrian policies
• Assist with the preparation of a City Bikeway Master Plan
• Review and comment on proposed Capital Improvement Projects to ensure that bike/ped needs are prioritized
• Help to evaluate and assess bikeability and walkability equity in the City
• Promote bike/ped safety in the City
• Provide letters of support for grant funding for bike/ped infrastructure
• Review opportunities under new federal infrastructure funding
• Recommend projects associated with new development through Bicycle, Pedestrian Impact Studies
• Participate in bicycle planning with other jurisdictions and agencies (M-NCPPC, UMD, ATHA, other municipalities)
• Participate in bike/ped events such as Bike to Work Day, Walktober, Walk Maryland Day, and Bike Safety Month
• Obtain membership in bike/ped advocacy groups such as the American Pedestrian Bicycle Association (APBA)
• Attend local and regional bike/ped conferences
• Advise on micro-mobility issues such as Veoride
By creating a Bike-Walk committee, College Park will join similar regional committees. The City of Rockville, Frederick, and Hagerstown, Maryland have each established committees as well as other cities (Costa Mesa, CA , South Hadley, MA ) across the United States.
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