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Construction Funding Proposed for North College Park Community Center

By

On February 10, 2023

In Development, North College Park Community Center

Great news. We recently learned that the MNCPPC has proposed funds for the design and construction of the North College Park Community Center in their FY24-30 Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget. You can see the community center-related budget item here on the MNCPPC’s website:  (on page 363, project # 512094).

M-NCPPC’s budget pages show about $21 million of total funding over the next fiscal years. This includes $15 million in FY24 and $6 million in FY25. In addition to M-NCPPC’s funding, the City of College Park and the State also have committed to contribute $1.5 million and $1 million of funding to the project, respectively.

This is major news. The significant funding for the design and construction is expected to take the project to the finish line. I want to congratulate you all on this fantastic news. Thank you for the many years of advocacy that have taken the project this far. Also, let’s thank the City and the County and State for their partnership in the project. Special thanks go to Councilmember Dernoga for his hard work throughout the project.

The project team has recently completed the feasibility study of the center. This included getting the community’s feedback on a number of potential sites in north College Park. You can see the final report of the study here. The concept design includes amenities, such as multi-purpose rooms, a gymnasium, a group fitness room, a teen room, a senior room, a kitchen, and more. During the study, most residents preferred the Hollywood Sopping Plaza (where MoM’s is located) site over other sites. That said, the project team has yet to make an official announcement on the final site.

Please note – these funds are still “proposed” in the upcoming M-NCPPC budget. They are not approved yet. We’ll need your assistance to continue to advocate for these funds. There will be opportunities to speak/send comments at the upcoming MNCPPC public hearings.

If the proposed funds are approved by the M-NCPPC, the project team will work on on-site acquisition (depending on the site it selects) and will secure a design firm to complete the final design. The design team will then seek the community’s input on the final design. Once the design is completed, the team will start the final construction.

We’ll keep you posted as the project moves forward.

New Route 1 Development Coming to UMD Entrance

By

On February 8, 2023

In Development

The plan is to create 524,000 square feet of office space and 285 multifamily dwelling units at the southeast corner of Baltimore Avenue and Campus Drive. The applicant Brandywine Realty Trust is partnering with the Terrapin Development Company in this project. The parcel comprises 42.91 acres, and parcels 1-4 are proposed for development.

The Purple Line will pass south of the development. Diamondback Drive north of Testudo Way will be eliminated and incorporated into the parcels.

The community considered the site for a town center development about a decade ago. At that time, the community was calling it the east campus development.

In a 2021 meeting, the Terrapin Development Corporation (TDC), the University’s development wing, presented a new plan for the site. The council was told that the project team would consider incorporating some of the community-oriented amenities into the development.

The project team will need a Detailed Site Plan before any development. The Planning Board public hearing is scheduled for February 16, 2023.

You can read more about the development here.

Council Approves Funds to Complete Hollywood Streetscape Project

By

On January 18, 2023

In Development, Hollywood Streetscape

The contractor of the Hollywood Streetscape has requested a contract amendment to cover the increased cost of construction due to the extended duration of the project, unusually high inflation, additional resurfacing requested by staff and inclusion of the “goat paths” to the Hollywood Shopping Center.

Although envisioned, the goat paths were not part of the original bid or permitted as the City did not own or control the property. An agreement between the City and Carrollton Enterprises has since been executed, enabling this work to proceed.

The original construction estimate was $2,801,800 based on the unit cost of itemized materials and estimated quantities of Materials two years ago.

The contract completion date was June 2022, but due to permit delays, field changes and supply chain issues were extended.

At last night’s meeting, the Council approved a Contract Amendment for $408,875  to complete the construction of the Hollywood Streetscape Project.

RST Seeks Changes to Covenant Concerning Right-in/Right out on Route 1

By

On January 14, 2023

In Development

The Applicant, RST Development, LLC, has submitted Detailed Site Plan to construct a 5-7 story, mixed-use building at 9113 Baltimore Avenue. The project includes 317 multi-family units, 3,296 square feet of commercial space intended to house the local Meals on Wheels program, and a six-level parking garage with 328 parking spaces.

The Planning Board hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2023. On the January 10 meeting, the Council voted to require the developer to apply for a reconsideration of the Preliminary Plan of Subdivision to allow for right-in, right-out access on Baltimore Avenue. The developer at that time expressed concern about the delay that such an application would cause.

Staff attended a meeting with the developer, their attorney, and M-NCPPC staff on Friday, January 13 and discussed the following: If, at the hearing on the DSP, the Planning Board makes it clear that it would deny the addition of the right-in option, then would the Council still require the developer to apply for a Preliminary Plan reconsideration, or would the Planning Board response at the DSP hearing be sufficient.

If the Planning Board was in support of the right-in, right-out, we would request that the DSP be approved with this option as an alternative and the developer would then file the application for an amendment of the Preliminary Plan. At next week’s meeting, the Council will consider n amendment to the Covenant concerning right-in/right-out on Baltimore avenue.

Council Supports Rt 1 Affordable Housing with a New Condition

By

On January 11, 2023

In Development

At last night’s meeting, the Council voted to support the Detailed Site Plan for “Flat at College Park” by the RST development on the east side of Route 1, between Cherokee Street and Delaware st.

The Council voted 5-3 to add a condition asking the development to add an entrance to the development from Route 1. This new entrance will be in addition to the entrance from Cherokee street. This addresses neighborhood traffic concerns about the sole point of ingress on Cherokee Street.

The applicant will need to apply to the Planning Board for reconsideration of their original Preliminary Plan to add this new entrance.

In the end, the Council voted unanimously to support the plan.

Several residents spoke before the Council voted. Thanks to all who spoke.

Shadow Study Report of RST Development

By

On January 9, 2023

In Development

The RST affordable housing applicant recently performed a solar study to examine the impact of shadows cast by the proposed building during different times and days of the year. Please see that below. The Applicant will review the results at tomorrow’s meeting.

Council to Vote on RST Affordable Housing Tomorrow with Revised Conditions

By

On January 9, 2023

In Development

At tomorrow’s City Council meeting, the Council will discuss and vote on the Detailed Site Plan for “Flat at College Park” by the RST development on the east side of Route 1, between Cherokee Street and Delaware st. This will be a 5-7-story, mixed-use development comprising 317 multi-family residential units and 3,296 square feet of commercial space on a total of 3.81 acres parcel.

The Applicant requests modifications to the US 1 Corridor Development District Standards discussed in the December 13 Worksession. Staff and Applicant agreed on several conditions, except for a condition (5.6 below) that was added to address neighborhood traffic concerns about the sole point of ingress on Cherokee Street. M-NCPPC staff confirmed the possibility of submitting a reconsideration request to the Planning Board, and the Applicant is researching the implications.

Please see the revised conditions (with track changes) below:

  1.  SUPPORT the three requested Departures:
    1. Parking space dimensions from 9.5-feet x 19-feet to 9-feet x 18-feet.
    2. Height of the garage entrance is from 15 feet clearance to 13.5 feet clearance.
    3. Height of ceiling above loading space from 15-feet clearance to 14-feet clearance=
  2. SUPPORT the following alternative development district standards, as noted below (Note: The page numbers are referenced in 2010 Approved Central US 1 Corridor Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment)
    1. Mandatory Build-to-Line (BTL) (page 229) – To increase setback from 0 feet to 10 feet to allow for Public Utility Easement.
    2. Front Build-to-Line (BTL), Secondary (page 234)- To increase the setback requirement by 17.6. from a maximum of 12 feet to 29.6 feet along Cherokee St. and increase the setback requirement by 2.6 feet along Delaware St.
    3. Parking, number of spaces (page 239) – To increase the number of spaces by 32 spaces from 327 to 359 spaces.\
    4. Parking Access (p. 241) – To increase the width of access drives from 22 feet in width to 24 feet.
    5. Architectural Elements (p. 245-250) – To allow three units along Baltimore Ave. and two units along Delaware St. to not be 24 inches above the sidewalk.
    6. Architectural Elements/Siding (p. 252) – To allow fiber cement panels as a siding material.
    7. Sustainability and the Environment (p. 256) – To use an alternative certification system (NGBS-Silver) but equivalent to LEED Silver.
  3.  (Deleted)
    1. Mandatory Shopfront (page 229) – To not provide mandatory shop frontage along Baltimore Avenue.
    2. Building Form, Step-Back Transition and Landscape Buffers (page 238)-To not provide a step-back transition of the building to 2-3 stories where it adjoins a residential area.
  4. DO NOT SUPPORT: Section 4.4 of Landscape Manual (page 60)-To not screen a transformer.
  5. Prior to certification of the Detailed Site Plan, the Applicant shall revise the Site Plan to:
    1. Identify a micro-mobility parking area on Baltimore Avenue or Cherokee Street.
    2. Provide a “Do Not Enter” sign at the Baltimore Avenue exit and add a median to Baltimore Avenue at the garage exit, subject to approval of SHA.
    3. Provide details of signage along 48th Avenue such as “Service Entry Only” and restrictions for resident vehicles including information regarding move-ins/outs.
    4. Provide tabletop crosswalks in front of the garage entrance/exit on Cherokee Street and exit on Baltimore Avenue subject to engineering/grading/permitting feasibility. If not feasible, provide a painted crosswalk or another material to distinguish these crosswalks.
    5. Re-label the site plan to remove “residential use” from the 3,296 square foot commercial area along Cherokee Street.
    6. Provide a right-in, right-out access from the parking garage to Baltimore Avenue subject to Planning Board approval of a reconsideration of Preliminary Plan 4-22007, if required.
  6. Prior to certification of the Detailed Site Plan, the Applicant shall revise the Architectural Plans to:
    1. Remove the shopfront treatment where residential uses extend to the ground floor.
    2. Remove the spandrel at level three along Baltimore Avenue to improve the shopfront treatment.
    3. (Deleted: Enhance the lobby entrance by adding a canopy that extends to the sidewalk)
    4. Use predominantly dark colors for the base and predominantly light colors for the upper stories of the building..
    5. For the east elevation along the rear yard, the color of the horizontal masonry veneer panels for the parking garage should be the same color as the adjoining fiber cement panels used for the building walls. The precast panels on the ramped portion of the parking garage should be a lighter color.
    6. Change the building identification sign over the entrance to the Cherokee Street commercial space to identify the commercial user. (Sheet A202, Detail F1).
    7. Indicate a clearance bar with dimensioned height be placed at the parking garage entrance.
  7. Prior to certification of the Detailed Site Plan, the Applicant shall revise the Landscape Plan to:
    1. Provide an artistic treatment detail to be applied to all sides of the ground transformer located at the southeast corner of the south building.
    2. Revise fencing proposed on the north side of 48th Avenue to comply with the City fence ordinance (the first 25 feet from Delaware Street should not exceed 3-feet in height and be open and transparent such as the picket fence shown on Sheet L301, detail 11).
    3. Clarify which of the existing trees will be removed and which will remain on Sheet L401B and any other relevant sheet.
    4. Consider tree substitutions for the following problematic species:
      1. Boxwoods
      2. Otto Luyken-Consider Juniper horizontalis, abelia, or Cornus sericea
  8. Prior to Planning Board approval of the DSP, execute a Declaration of Covenants and Agreement with the City that includes, at a minimum, the following provisions:
    1. Provide a retail use or other commercial use approved by the City , if cfor Meals-on-Wheels does not occupy the designated commercial space..
    2. Construction and maintenance of improvements to the City’s unimproved 40-foot-wide right-of-way known as 48th Avenue, for approximately 219 feet west of Delaware Street, in accordance with City design standards (including installation of a roadbed, roadway, curb, gutter, and a five-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side and four-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side). “No Through Street” and “No Parking” signs shall be posted and enforced by the City.
    3. A public access easement to the City for the “T-shaped” hammerhead turn-around located on the Applicant’s property at the end of 48th Avenue-See Public Use Easement Plan.
    4. A public access easement to the City, to accommodate the sidewalk along Delaware Street-See Public Use Easement Plan.
    5. Construction of an exclusive right turn lane on Cherokee Street between the site access and US Route 1 in accordance with City and SHA standards.
    6. Installation of high visibility (piano keys), crosswalks along US Route 1 on Indian Lane and Fox Street, as indicated in the BPIS, subject to any required SHA approval.
    7. Installation of pedestrian signals and high visibility crosswalks (piano keys) along the US 1 and Cherokee Street intersection, as indicated in the BPIS, subject to any required SHA approval.
    8. PILOT to City if the property becomes tax exempt.
    9. Unitary management and condominium conversion requirements.
    10. Acknowledgement of responsibility for maintenance of pedestrian light fixtures, landscaping, and sidewalks.
    11. Restrictions related to construction staging and hours of operation, if needed.
    12. If feasible, provision of an outdoor public art feature, which can be matched by City funds (up to $15,000).Evidence of NGBS SILVER certification.

Route 1 Construction Update

By

On January 3, 2023

In Development

The following is an update on the construction of Route 1 (Baltimore Ave), south of MD 193 in College Park.

This project is 41 percent and is in multiple construction phases.

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) has initiated the US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) from College Avenue to MD 193 (University Boulevard) project. Currently, US 1 between College Avenue and Lakeland Road is a four-lane divided roadway with a raised median and no shoulders. US 1 between Lakeland Road and MD 193 is a five-lane undivided roadway with double left-turn lanes and no shoulders. The existing sidewalk along US 1 is not continuous, but it will still keep pedestrians from walking on the street for a long stretch. However, they will still continue to work on the sidewalk and making it even longer for those who need to walk a long trajectory.

During construction, US 1 will be widened to provide a four-lane roadway consisting of 11-foot wide through lanes and 10-foot wide outside auxiliary lanes, which transition to turns at each intersection. There will also be a five-foot wide bicycle lane and a raised median with varying widths between two feet and 16 feet. Sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) will be provided along both sides of US 1 throughout the project limits. Other improvements include resurfacing, landscaping, drainage system upgrades, stormwater management facilities, new signage and markings done by a pavement marking service, pedestrian lighting, intersection lighting and utility relocation work, all this will be blocked off to the public with Concrete Barriers.

The City Council sent a letter last year to the MDOT SHA asking them to accelerate the project. Please see the letter below.

317 Unit Affordable Housing Complex in North College Park Moves to Final Design

By

On December 12, 2022

In Announcements, Development, Flat at College Park

  • At tomorrow’s meeting, the Council will discuss the detailed site plan (DSP) of the “Flats at College Park” by RST development.
    Key components of the development include
  • A 5-7 story, mixed-use development at 9113 Baltimore Avenue.
  • The property consists of approximately 3.81 acres and fronts on the east side of Baltimore Avenue between Delaware and Cherokee Streets.
  • Currently, the site contains three motels: Days Inn, Howard Johnson’s, and Red Roof Inn, which will be razed.
  • Includes 317 multi-family units,
  • 3,296 square feet of commercial space
  • The project will be affordable housing financed with State of Maryland Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
  • A six-level, 360-space parking garage will be provided on-site with full access from Cherokee Street and right-out only onto Baltimore Avenue.
  • Right-of-way ranging in width from 18-23 feet will be dedicated to SHA along the Baltimore Avenue frontage (50 feet from the centerline). Five feet of right-of-way will be dedicated to the City along Delaware Street (25 feet from the centerline).
  • The Applicant is offering this space rent-free to Meals-on-Wheels, and they are negotiating. If this does not work out, the Applicant states they will use it for a co-working space.
  • The outdoor facilities include
    • a pool, a courtyard,
    • a playground,
    • a dog park,
    • grilling areas, and an outdoor terrace.
  • Indoor facilities include:
    • a sunroom lounge with a coffee bar overlooking the exterior courtyard,
    • a library with a café,
    • a business center,
    • a multi-purpose room,
    • a fitness center,
    • a game room,
    • a kitchenette, and
    • bike storage with two fix-it stations.

Staff is recommending several changes to the detailed site plan – most of them are minor ones.

  1. Remove the 4-ground floor residential units (249-252) at the southern end of the building and provide commercial space/shopfronts.
  2. Identify a micro-mobility parking area on Baltimore Avenue or Cherokee Street.
  3. Provide a “Do Not Enter” sign at the Baltimore Avenue exit and add a median to
    Baltimore Avenue at the garage exit, subject to the approval of SHA.
  4. Provide details of signage along 48th Avenue, such as “Service Entry Only” and restrictions for resident vehicles, including information regarding move-ins/outs
  5.  Provide tabletop crosswalks in front of the garage entrance/exit on Cherokee Street and Baltimore Avenue, subject to engineering/grading/permitting feasibility. If not feasible, provide a painted crosswalk or another material to distinguish these crosswalks.
  6. Re-label the site plan to remove “residential use” from the 3,296-square-foot area along Cherokee Street.
  7. Remove the shopfront treatment where residential uses extend to the ground floor.
  8. Remove the spandrel at level three along Baltimore Avenue to improve the shopfront treatment.
  9. Enhance the lobby entrance by adding a canopy that extends to the sidewalk.
  10. Use dark colors for the base and light colors for the upper stories, and only use the orange accent panels on one portion of the building.
  11. Extend the bracketing surrounding some of the balconies to include all the balconies in a vertical alignment, particularly along the Baltimore Avenue frontage.
  12. For the garage façade, the color of the veneer panels should match the color of the adjoining building walls. The base should be dark and the upper floors lighter. In addition, a metal screen grid shall be installed to enable planting to create a green screen.
  13. Change the building identification sign over the entrance to the commercial space to identify appropriately identify the space (Sheet A202, Detail F1).
  14. Indicate a clearance bar with dimensioned height placed at the parking garage entrance.
  15. Provide an artistic treatment detail to all sides of the ground transformer located at the southeast corner of the south building. This transformer and all the other ones placed on the property will be an on site oil reclamation service to ensure that there are never any power outages.
  16. Remove fencing proposed along 48th Avenue or revise to comply with the City fence ordinance (the first 25 feet from Delaware Street, the fencing should not exceed 3-feet in height and can be a picket fence as depicted on Sheet L301, detail 11). The screen fence shown across Lot 9 should be removed.
  17. Clarify which of the existing trees will be removed and which will remain on Sheet L401B and any other relevant sheet.
  18. Consider tree substitutions for the following problematic species: (a) Boxwoods (b) Otto Luyken-Consider Juniper horizontalis, abelia, or Cornus sericea
  19. Consider removing T-4 and the other (5) specimen trees with permission from the adjacent owner. Add (2) Swamp White Oaks in location of T-4 if removed.
  20. Provide a green roof on flat roof surfaces, where feasible
  21. Construction and maintenance of improvements to the City’s unimproved 40-foot-wide right-of-way known as 48th Avenue, for approximately 219 feet west of Delaware Street, following City design standards (including installation of a roadbed, roadway, curb, gutter, and a five-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side and four-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side). “No Through Street” and “No Parking” signs shall be posted and enforced by the City.
  22. A public access easement to the City for the “T-shaped” hammerhead turn-around located on the Applicant’s property at the end of 48th Avenue-See Public Use Easement
    Plan.
  23. A public access easement to the City to accommodate the sidewalk along Delaware Street-See Public Use Easement Plan.
  24. Construction of an exclusive right turn lane on Cherokee Street between the site access and US Route 1 following City and SHA standards.
  25. Installation of high visibility (piano keys), and crosswalks along US Route 1 on Indian Lane and Fox Street, as indicated in the BPIS, subject to any required SHA approval.
  26. Installation of pedestrian signals and high visibility crosswalks (piano keys) along the US 1 and Cherokee Street intersection, as indicated in the BPIS, subject to any required SHA approval.
  27. Acknowledgment of responsibility for maintenance of pedestrian light fixtures, landscaping, and sidewalks.
  28. Restrictions related to construction staging and hours of operation, if needed.
  29. If feasible, provision of an outdoor public art feature can be matched by City funds (up to $15,000).
  30. Evidence of NGBS SILVER certification.

View from the northwest corner on Route 1

View from the southwest corner  on Route 1

View from the southeast corner

View from the northeast corner

Council Approves Further Support for the Hollywood Streetscape Project

By

On November 17, 2022

In Development, Hollywood Streetscape

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.

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