Prince George’s County Council Chair Todd Turner and Councilmembers Mel Franklin and Calvin Hawkins met with the Greenbelt City Council on August 28, to inform the council about the county’s efforts in this difficult time and air issues that are of concern to Greenbelt.
Councilmember Judith Davis began by commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratifying of the 19th Amendment, securing women’s right to vote.
Currently, the county council is in recess and will resume after Labor Day. For the last five and a half months, meetings have been conducted virtually.
Turner thanked the city council for a successful Grab and Go event in July at the Community Center, at which council members and others gave out free meals to seniors. Organizers looked to having another in September. He was also grateful for the Lunch for Heroes event for the city’s first responders.
The county’s budget was passed in May. Yet, due to the fiscal uncertainty of this pandemic, Turner said the county council is in “constant conversation” with the county’s administration as circumstances change and require funding.
COVID-19 Issues
The county has $15 million earmarked from the CARES Act and has passed on $1.4 million for use in Greenbelt. These funds are exclusively for COVID-19 issues and must be spent before the end of the year. Turner said that the county council is seeking more funds from the federal government, yet the prospects are uncertain, especially with the approaching November election.
The county has 15 COVID-19 testing locations and Turner said he would look into possibly having one at Green Ridge House as well, as per city request.
More Maglev
Concerning the maglev train proposal, the city council was unequivocal in its desire for a no-build decision to be made. Considering the devastating impact on the environment, specifically the Forest Preserve and natural areas in the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), concern about the region’s quality of life and nation’s security (with the proposed path’s proximity to the National Security Agency) were cited by all members.
All three county councilmembers expressed their support of the no-build option as well. Yet, Mayor Colin Byrd urged that the county council should come to a common decision on this in order to make the county’s viewpoint more powerful and immediate. Turner and his colleagues said that the process would be better served to wait until all the ongoing environmental impact studies have been completed so that the council can then present the strongest position possible to the federal government. Byrd felt that this might be “too little too late,” and feared any delay in voicing opposition would lead to a failure to resist effectively. He said they had the opportunity to speak up now and amplify their position later with data.
In the end, both sides respected the other’s viewpoints and Turner said that he understood the urgency of the matter. He said that now the project requiring the most attention is the proposed widening of the Beltway (which the city council opposes as well), which will require a decision sooner. He promised that the maglev project, which had been paused to give more time for environmental review of design changes, would receive its due attention then. Councilmember Rodney Roberts expressed that both of these projects as well as others, such as the relocation of Bureau of Engraving and Printing to BARC, could spell the end of Greenbelt’s spirit and character.
Turner urged residents to plan for their voting procedure in November. The county’s Board of Election website (princegeorgescountymd.gov/559/Board-of-Elections) has a full listing of early voting and Election Day centers (11 and 29, respectively) as well as information for mail-in voting. Dropboxes will be readily available throughout the county.
Economic Recovery
Regarding the county’s economic recovery, Franklin said that “we have made strides but we have a long way to go.” County programs like Prince George’s Forward task force, the Business Relief Fund (whose $20 million has already been spent with more funds being sought), the Economic Recovery work group and tax incentives to attract new businesses are in place to address this. He said that many businesses have proved resilient, such as the construction sector, while others, like retail and restaurants, have been hammered. He emphasized that much is uncertain and it will be hard to anticipate the full economic impact of the pandemic.
Councilmember Emmett Jordan expressed concern with the drop in office vacancies. Franklin speculated that the pandemic may completely change the future use of offices in general as teleworking has proved so viable.
Economic Development Coordinator Charise Liggins explained that any Greenbelt business that has received funds from the County Business Relief Fund would be ineligible to apply for the city’s business fund. Davis said that the modest $300,000 must be made available to as many businesses as possible.
Affordable Housing
The county is focused on the need for affordable housing. Currently, a two-year study by a newly created Housing Opportunities for All task force, as well as a review by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Department of Housing and Community Development, are underway to ascertain the current state of housing and possible uses of inclusionary zoning in order to devise a plan that is tailored to the county’s needs. The Housing Investment Trust Fund has been established and funded, and recently was used to address housing for veterans in Upper Marlboro.
Planning and Zoning
Byrd underlined the need for more comprehensive community planning in order to sidestep ensuing problems, such as the parking issue at Greenbelt Station.
Community Planner Molly Porter reported that the city advocates strongly for its Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Zone (NCOZ) as “a tool for protecting existing density, height and massing in historic Greenbelt.” A letter has been sent to the county laying out the city’s concerns. Turner welcomed the input and stated that after the Countywide Map Amendment goes into effect in 2022, due to delays engendered by the pandemic, then the NCOZ can be implemented.
Turner said to the council that “we hear you loud and clear” and appreciated the partnership with the city.
