Mar
26
2021
NEW DATE: COMMUNITY MEETING WITH WSSC. *This meeting has been rescheduled to the new date below* Topic: Community Meeting with WSSC Time: Mar 29, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting zoom.us/j/92474847949. Meeting ID: 924 7484 7949 Passcode: 417551
Mar
26
2021
The City of College Park will hold a Budget Worksession tomorrow, Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.
Click Here for the Budget Worksession agenda.
Click Here to view the FY2022 City of College Park Proposed Operating Budget.
To watch or participate in the meeting at 8:00 a.m., please CLICK HERE.
Please note: participants will be muted during the meeting, except during public comment.
Event number: 923 9857 4069
Event password: CPjoinMCM
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Phone number: 301-715-8592
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Mar
25
2021
Description: Join nationally recognized author, educator, and former neighbor Carol S. Pearson, Ph.D., to learn about how the power of myths and ancient stories apply to our lives today, and how they can inspire and influence us Dr. Pearson has developed tools to help us recognize these stories. Discover how your story, once recognized, can help you better understand your life and chart a path through difficult decisions.
Click here to register for this event.
Click here for information about other Corridor Conversations events.
Organizer:
- Hyattsville Aging in Place
- Helping Hands University Park
- Neighbors Helping Neighbors – College Park, &
- Explorations on Aging College Park
Mar
24
2021
Proposed parklet design of the Hollywood Streetscape project
I want to thank our residents, local business owners, City staff, and my Council colleagues for their decade-long support and engagement in taking the Hollywood Streetscape project to the construction phase.
With last night’s approval, the construction of this $2.8 million project is expected to start next month and to be completed in November, this year.
Once completed, the project will add parklets, safe bike lanes and sidewalks, intersection improvements, shade trees, pedestrian-scale lighting, landscaping, benches, and public arts to the Hollywood commercial district around the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and Edgewood Road.
Additionally, City’s public investment is expected to invite private investments to help revitalize this important commercial district of College Park.
Mar
23
2021
The Washington, DC region’s 20th Anniversary Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21, 2021.Even if you’ll still be working from home in May, get exercise by biking to a T-shirt Pickup Point (pit stop at Duvall Field) and then back home to work for the day.
The first 15,000 who register and arrive at a pit stop by bike will receive a free T-shirt. Use this link to register: https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.
Mar
22
2021
After many years of delay, the Hollywood Streetscape project is finally ready for its construction contract award at tomorrow’s City Council meeting. The City has been working on this project to improve the appearance and functionality of the area around the corner of Edgewood Road and Rhode Island Avenue.
The area is generally lacking in aesthetics and has seen minimal private investment in the preceding decades. We hope that once completed, the project will help invite private investment around the shopping complex area.
At tomorrow’s meeting, the Council will consider approving a contract, to Olney Masonry in the amount of $2,802,300 for the construction of the Hollywood Commercial District Streetscape Project. The City issued a bit for proposal in early January. Eight bids were received. The total bids including add alternates ranged from $2,187,464.60 – $4,168,090.76. The engineer’s estimate was $2,740,908. Based on a thorough evaluation of this information, staff and the engineer recommended that the contract be awarded to the second-lowest bidder, Olney Masonry, in the amount of $2,802,300. This company has a long-standing reputation for doing quality work for Prince George’s County and many local municipalities and received superlative references.
The work includes, without limitation:
• Reconstructing sidewalks along Rhode Island Avenue.
• Restriping vehicle lanes on Rhode Island Avenue to include protected bike lanes.
• Reconstructing bus stops on Rhode Island Avenue to provide additional amenities.
• Constructing three new parklet areas, one at the corner of Muskogee Street and Rhode Island Avenue, and two in the Rhode Island Avenue service lanes north of Edgewood Road.
• Reconstructing the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and Niagara Road to enhance safety and accessibility.
• Constructing a new trail connection along Muskogee Street from Rhode Island Avenue to Narragansett Parkway.
• Improving safety at the intersection of Narragansett Parkway and Edgewood Road by reconstructing curb ramps and curb extensions.
• Landscaping throughout the project but focused in the parklet areas.
• Constructing three new stormwater management facilities utilizing precast filter structures and common reinforced concrete pipes, manholes and inlets.
• Installing new pedestrian-scale lighting.
You can see a summary of the project’s elements here on this 2019 blog post.
Please attend tomorrow’s Council meeting and testify in support of the project. In case you cannot attend the meeting, please send your comments to the Mayor and Council at cpmc@collegeparkmd.gov before 5 pm tomorrow. You can learn more about this Council agenda item below in 21-G-27.
Mar
21
2021
Thank you all who joined yesterday’s budget town hall by District 1 and 4 Council members. We had a robust conversation on quite a few topics of the proposed new budget. We’ll continue to gather your questions on the budget and hope to discuss them next Saturday’s budget worksession. You can watch the video and the PowerPoint here:
Mar
20
2021
If you are a Prince George’s County resident, you can get up to two trees per family. The trees are 1-2′ willow oaks and can grow up to 60′ tall and 40′ wide. These beautiful trees are Prince George’s County tree. This is a drive-thru event.
Get up to two free trees per family. This giveaway is being funded by the Prince George’s County Soil Conservation District.
Please click here to register.
Mar
18
2021
Do you know College Park’s budget document puts “Residents of College Park” on top of the Mayor and Council? It’s the duty of the Mayor and Council to listen to the residents who elect them and be a good steward of their precious tax dollars.
This Saturday, at 4 p.m., please join District 1 and 4 Council members for a virtual town hall to learn more about the proposed FY2022 College Park budget. This is your opportunity to share your feedback and ideas on how to make our city a better place to live, work, and play! Please share!
Join by Zoom: https://b.link/CPBudgetTownHall
Join by Phone: (301) 715 – 8592
Meeting ID: 849 1794 6314 Passcode: 555515
Mar
17
2021
The City, on behalf of itself and the University of Maryland, issued a Request for Proposals for the furniture that will be required for use at the new City Hall/University Office Building.
Eight bids were received, Price Modern was chosen as the preferred bidder.
The bids did not include pricing for ancillary furniture, such as seating in the Council Chambers, conference room furniture, lobby area furniture, and there are a number of adjustments to the furniture specifications that will have to be made to best adapt the furniture to the built environment, which will result in additional costs.
As a result, continued authorization for up to the full budgeted amount of $2,406,650 is requested for this contract. The actual contract amount for the City will be at or below the $875,672 authorized, with opportunities for cost savings as final selections are made.
The City Council approved the budget at last night’s meeting. The University of Maryland has approved this proposal.
Mar
16
2021
The Applicant, York Acquisitions, LLC, has submitted a Detailed Site Plan request for a student housing project consisting of two parcels (0.846 acres), located on the north and south side of Knox Road at its intersection with Guilford Drive.
The northern parcel contains an existing 2-story brick building (982 square feet) and a 3-story brick building (6,567 square feet), and the southern property contains an existing 2-story brick building (2,182 square feet).
The proposal is to raze these structures and construct a 7-9-story building on each parcel for a total of 129 dwelling units (418 beds). There will be ancillary retail space on the ground floor of both buildings totaling 2,080 square feet.
Parking will be provided in a parking garage beneath Building 1 containing 99 parking spaces accessed via Knox Road. The Planning Board hearing date is scheduled for April 8, 2021.
At tonight’s worksessions, the Council will discuss the detailed site plan.
Mar
15
2021
Please join District 1 and 4 Council members for a virtual town hall to learn more about the proposed FY2022 College Park budget and to share your feedback and ideas on how to make our city a better place to live, work, and play!
Join by Zoom: https://b.link/CPBudgetTownHall
Join by Phone: (301) 715 – 8592
Meeting ID: 849 1794 6314 Passcode: 555515
Mar
14
2021
Last Friday, the City published the draft budget for the fiscal year 2022. You can get see it here on City’s website: Based on the latest projections, it is anticipated that revenues will exceed expenditures by $1.54 million at the end of FY2021. With all the impacts from the COVID pandemic, this is very good news considering the significant reductions that have occurred in certain revenue.
The projected surplus would increase unassigned fund balance of the General Fund to $9.46 million as of June 30, 2021, representing 53% of FY2022 proposed expenditures—well above the City target of 25%. In the proposed FY 2020 budget, Certain revenues are still reduced due to ongoing effects of the COVID pandemic.
Staff is recommending to limit budget expenditures to prior-year levels or minimal, inflationary increases and seek expenditure reductions where possible.
The Mayor and Council have a day-long budget worksession scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 2021 to review and discuss the Proposed Budget with the City Manager and directors.
A budget ordinance is introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council in April and a public hearing on that ordinance is held in May. The City Charter requires that a budget ordinance be adopted by May 31.
Mar
13
2021
Thanks to our planning staff who joined last week’s NCPCA meeting and presented the latest development update of College Park. Please see the presentation below. The PowerPoint file can be found here: March 2021 Dev Update
Out of 18 ongoing projects, 10 of them are multi-unit housing development projects, adding a total of 2541 dwelling units to College Park’s existing housing stock.
AtWorth Housing development near the College Park Metro Station
| Project | Dwelling Units |
| Boulevard | 243 |
| Branchville | 81 |
| Temp | 296 |
| Terrapin House | 175 |
| Knox | 341 |
| Hub | 161 |
| Aspen | 129 |
| Standard | 282 |
| Southern Gateway | 393 |
| Artworth | 440 |
| Total | 2541 |
| 
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12
2021
Starting from 5 p.m., today, March 12, 2021, Prince George’s County has relaxed some COVID-19 restrictions. Yesterday, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks made the announcement at a press conference yesterday.
Significant changes include:
- Restaurants may allow 50% of capacity inside and outside with distancing and masks as noted in that section.
- Elimination of the 1 person/family per 200 square feet rule.
Please see a quick checklist to see the details below. The most recent Executive Order No. 8-2021 can be found here.
Earlier this week, Maryland State Governor Hogan announced that the State will lift Covid restrictions, drop mask mandates and reopen businesses despite warnings from Biden officials. The Prince George’s County restrictions will however supersede the Maryland State restrictions.
Alsobrooks and Dr. George Askew, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for health, human services, and education, stated some encouraging numbers:
- The percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive is 4.6%, down from 7% a month ago;
- The infection rate – the average number of people each patient goes on to infect – is under 1, at .94, a sign that the virus is contracting, not expanding;
- More than 50% of hospital beds in the county are open, and only 8% of the county’s hospital patients are COVID-19 cases.
Both officials warned that the trend could go south quickly, saying that masks, social distancing, and other safety measures were still critical.
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