Category: Redistricting

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.

At the October 18 meeting on redistricting, the City Council narrowed down two maps for further consideration. They include Plan 3A and October Plan 1 maps.

Plan 3A was originally proposed by the Redistricting Commission (RDC). The RDC also proposed four other maps for consideration.

Based on residents’ input, the Council requested RDC to adjust the maps to keep the core of the districts intact as much as possible. Accordingly, the RDC produced three new maps – October Plan 1 is one of these three new maps.

You can see the maps here.

To help clarify the streets affected by the proposed Plan 3A and October Plan 1 maps, I’ve produced the following detailed maps. The streets marked in red are proposed to move from District 1 to District 2.

The Plan 3A map will move homes on the following streets from District 1 to District 2:

• 48th ave, south of Hollywood Rd
• 48th Pl, south of Hollywood Rd.
• 49th Ave, south of Hollywood Rd.
• 49th Pl. south of Hollywood Rd.
• 51st avenue, south of Huron St.
• Rhode Island Ave, south of Hollywood Rd (on the west), and south of Huron st (on the east)
• Hollywood Road, west of Rhode Island Ave (homes on the south side only)
• Huron St., both sides of Rhode Island ave
• Indian Ln., both sides of Rhode Island ave
• Fox St., both sides of Rhode Island ave
• Erie St., both sides of Rhode Island Ave
• Delaware St., both sides of Rhode Island ave
• Cherokee St., both sides of Rhode Island ave
• Geronimo st.,
• Cree Ln.,
• Cheyanne Pl.
• Blackfoot Pl.

Plan 3A will add homes in the Cherry Hill and Autoville neighborhoods. to District 1.

October Plan 1 map will move homes on the following streets from District 1 to District 2 on the East of Rhode Island Ave. The map will however add homes in the Cherry Hill and Autoville neighborhoods. to District 1.

• Cree Ln. (south side)
• Cheyanne Pl
• Cherokee st and
• Blackfoot Pl
• 50th st, between Delaware st and Cheyenne Pl.

The October Plan 1 map puts the College Park Estates and Yarrow neighborhoods back in District 3.

The City Council will finally vote to select the new redistricting map at the 11/15 Council meeting. Before the vote, the Council will host a public hearing to get residents’ input on the maps.

Plan 3A map – The streets marked red are proposed to move from District 1 to District 2

October 1 Map – The streets marked red are proposed to move from District 1 to District 2

At last night’s meeting, the Mayor and City Council discussed ways to keep traditional neighborhoods together in their respective districts. The recent redistricting effort has faced challenges in keeping the neighborhoods together.

The changes in the district neighborhoods have caused quite a bit of concern among the residents. Before last night’s meeting, an overwhelming number of residents wrote to the Mayor and Council to reconsider the proposed maps. I want to thank our residents for taking the time to write to the Mayor and Council and sharing their concerns.

Based on last week’s Council discussion, the Council will consider a proposal at next week’s meeting, directing City staff to work with the Redistricting Commission on the following guidance.

• Use the 2023 population data. This includes the 2020 census data plus the population in the new developments under construction.
• Increase the variance of the criterion (population plus the number of active voters) to ±7.5% from ±5% that the Commission used as the target.

It remains to be seen how the new guidelines may help address residents’ concerns. The criterion variance increase should help restore neighborhood boundaries within the traditional neighborhoods in District 1.

Unfortunately, the inclusion of the new developments under construction may be a limiting factor in keeping the District 1 neighborhood boundaries because of the significant increase in population in student housing in the other 3 districts. The Charter defines the criterion as the sum of population and voters but only allows the City to add the population to new developments. Unfortunately, zero (0) voters had to be added to these new developments as that number is unknown and hard to predict. The lack of voters in new developments further puts the population scenario for district 1 in a disadvantageous spot.

Other requirements, such as keeping contiguous district boundaries, could limit achieving the goal of neighborhoods together.

I want to thank the members of the Redistricting Commission for their hard work as the City continues to work on redistricting. The community’s concerns are related to factors such as the redistricting criterion and the increase in the housing population. The Redistricting Commission members are smart and honest members of the community. They did their best to develop the proposed maps based on the Council-given charge and the criterion they decided to work on.

Next week’s Council consideration will include a request for the Redistricting Commission (RDC)  to draft a modified map or maps, using 2023 population data, that meet the five percent maximum variance in population; and up to a 7.5 percent maximum variation in the sum of population and actual voters, starting with RDC map 3A and consultant map Plan B, as reference points; and prioritizes retaining the core of current districts over other criteria included in the Council charge to the Commission. The RDC map 3A and the consultant map Plan B are shown on the right, respectively, below. Both maps show a very divided District 1. The Council request, if approved, is expected to bring neighborhood boundaries together.

The Council will consider these maps as the basis for further changes at the October 11 Council meeting. On the left: the Redistricting Commission’s map 3A. On the right: the consultant map Plan B

I also want to thank my Council colleagues for their commitment to working with each other in addressing our challenges as we go through this difficult journey.

Please continue to give your input about redistricting to City Council by writing to cpmc@collegeparkmd.gov. You will also be able to speak at the next week’s Council meeting on Tuesday,  October 11, 2022, at 7:30 pm. You can join the meeting virtually via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/92398574069 . Thank you.

Residents in District 1 have overwhelmingly asked the Mayor and Council to keep the existing neighborhood boundaries together in District 1. You can read more about the redistricting proposals here on my blog.

As of this afternoon (5 pm), 53 (fifty-three) residents have submitted written comments to the Mayor and Council on redistricting.  The City Council will discuss the matter at tonight’s meeting.

Thank you all for writing to us.

I also want to thank the members of the Redistricting Commission for their hard work as the City continues to work on redistricting. The community’s concerns are related to factors such as the redistricting criterion and the increase in the housing population. The Redistricting Commission members are smart and honest members of the community. They did their best to develop the proposed maps based on the Council-given charge and the criterion they decided to work on.

I am including the residents’ messages below, redacting their names and addresses.

1. Concerning the Redistricting of District 1

I am writing to voice a pressing concern regarding the proposed redistricting of district one. As a resident of the district, I strongly oppose the proposal as it will significantly fragment cohesive neighborhoods in the southern region.

‘Furthermore, this decision would jeopardize a core principle in the city charter dedicated to ensuring the stability and unity of neighborhoods for the sake of communal advocacy and goals.
I would greatly appreciate your consideration regarding this matter, and urge the mayor and council to revisit the stakes of fragmenting a long-time neighborly community for the sake of a voter criterion that inadvertently penalizes the populace for actively engaging in their civil right.

Thank you for your time and efforts,

2. District 1 “Please Keep Our Neighborhoods Together”
As a resident of district 1, my family and I  have enjoyed the diversity and cohesion of our district between neighbors. This proposed division is a disadvantage to our community since it will take away businesses that enrich the district’s economic value.

The major disadvantage will be the vote weight; taking away these sectors will demote the district’s strength and influence to imply important changes which can benefit the district.

Please Keep Our Neighborhoods Together.

3. Redistricting proposals
Dear College Park City Council:

Thank you for establishing this year’s Redistricting Commission to ensure equal and adequate representation in our City. And thanks to the Commission for its proposals to address a number of factors. The City Charter specifies the number of criteria for districts, which may at times, compete against one another. So the Commission deserves our appreciation for trying to address these criteria in its proposals.

One somewhat problematic Charter criterion is that districts be based partly on actual recent voters. The 2022 proposals apparently would address this criterion by removing a large portion of District 1 because the district has such a high voting turnout. This is problematic because removing this large portion would fail to address the Charter requirement to consider “commonality of local economic and social interests, preservation of the cores of prior districts, geographic compactness of the districts, and respect for neighborhoods.”

I would suggest that the City regard this latter criterion as more important than equally dividing based on actual recent voters. Elected Councilmembers should represent all residents, not just recent voters, and Councilmembers can represent residents more effectively if the districts are geographically compact and respect neighborhoods. All the proposed maps remove District 1 neighborhoods east of Route 1 and north of Duval Field while adding neighborhoods west of Route 1.

These adjustments would stretch District 1 far more than necessary, adding neighborhoods with less in common with District 1 than the proposed removed neighborhoods. So I hope Council will consider rebalancing these criteria and find a way to approve the proposed redistricting that keeps districts such as District 1 compact and neighborhoods together.
Thank you.

4. To whom it may concern:
As a resident of Daniels Park, I believe it is in the best interest of myself, my neighbors, and the entire North College Park area to continue to be represented as one district. I understand the reasons for the proposed maps, however, I feel they will dilute the representation of our area in a meaningful and negative way.

I respect the commission’s work thus far, but I believe they need to reconsider and address the oversite. Please keep our neighborhood together!

Thank you,

5. District ReZoning
Dear Council,
I am writing to you to express my disappointment in finding out that College Park city council has decided to go against its own charter recommendation of keeping districts together. Instead of keeping communities together, unfortunately, communities are going to be divided. I feel this will have a negative impact on communities in college park.
Sincerely

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