Contributing writers: Amy Hansen, Julie Rapp, Caitlin McGrath, Kathleen Gallagher, Cathie Meetre, Gary Childs, Deanna Dawson
Another Year of Election Firsts
In 2009 this column announced the election of the first African American to the Greenbelt City Council, despite the evidence of census figures that for some time African Americans had outnumbered whites in Greenbelt. Emmett Jordan was not only elected to council but on his first run received the second highest number of votes and was elected mayor pro tem to Judith Davis’s long-standing role as mayor. Come the 2011 election, rinse and repeat, with Jordan further narrowing the gap in votes between himself and Davis. Then in 2013, Jordan took it to the top and went on to serve three terms as Greenbelt’s first African American mayor, with Davis serving as mayor pro tem.
With the 2019 election, the script was rewritten even further. The first candidate under the age of 28 was elected to council on his very first run, despite census evidence that people over age 28 have outnumbered those under 28 for some time. Not only that, but Colin Byrd didn’t pause to take the job of mayor pro tem for a term or two but rather went straight for the job of mayor, being selected by his fellow newly-elected council members just after his 27th birthday. His strongest support was in the precincts of Old Greenbelt. And, yes … he is also African American, which makes him the city’s second African American mayor and makes him and Jordan Greenbelt’s first African American mayor and mayor pro tem team.
There were other noteworthy changes at this election, some of which may be worthy of future reflection. Byrd’s election brings the total of councilmembers residing in Greenbelt East to four, likely a first-time majority. In addition, this election apparently resulted in considerably higher levels of fundraising in some quarters than has been typical in Greenbelt in the past and included more donations from outside the city than has previously been the case.
Co-op Initiates Solar Roof Raises Money, Wins Grants
In January 2019, the Co-op Supermarket & Pharmacy kicked off an ambitious initiative called Rays on the Roof to replace its ailing and substandard roof and install a solar array that will generate a significant portion of the power needed by the store. In a concerted community campaign, the store raised over $350,000 in a combination of loans and donations in approximately six weeks. The loans are paid back over a variety of periods that enable Co-op to service the loans and cycle some of the electricity savings back into store operations within an approximately 10-year period. The solar array is only part of the energy savings. Savings from improved insulation and the elimination of expensive roof repairs are also expected to boost Co-op’s financial situation.
Part of the fundraising activity was an application for a grant from the State of Maryland. The store is a cooperative, not a charity, so many grants are off limits. This particular grant, however, was fair game because it is associated with the development or restoration of facilities that serve the community. Co-op was able to make an excellent case for the solar array as assisting in the Co-op’s survival for the benefit of Greenbelt residents. The successful application netted a grant of $350,000, completing the overall funding for the roof and array.
Co-op issued a request for proposals, awarding a contract to Adelphia Construction for the roof replacement and Solar Innovations for the array. Work on the roof is underway, with completion scheduled in the next few weeks. Then the roof will settle for a short period and the array will be installed and powered up – anticipated in March 2020.
Greenbelt Station Students To Attend Greenbelt Schools
At long last, families living in Greenbelt Station (GS) will be able to send their children to Greenbelt Elementary School and to Eleanor Roosevelt High School. In November, the Prince George’s County Board of Education (BOE) voted to adjust boundaries in order to make the change. Mayor Colin Byrd called the decision “long overdue for the great people of Greenbelt Station.”
Currently, GS elementary students attend Berwyn Heights Elementary and high school students attend Parkdale High School. The Greenbelt City Council and the residents of GS have long been asking the BOE to realign districts so that GS residents could send their children to Greenbelt schools. GS was developed and homes purchased, with the new residents, along with councilmembers, understanding that school-aged children in these families would attend Greenbelt Elementary and Roosevelt.
The change will be implemented for the 2020-2021 school year. Joshua Thomas, District 2 BOE member, said that the decision was a result of several factors, including the persistence of Greenbelt residents and council. According to Thomas, in light of the fact that the number of students affected would be fewer than 20 at each school, Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Dr. Monica Goldson and the BOE decided to make the boundary adjustment.
Possible Bureau of Engraving And Printing Move to BARC
A proposal announced at the end of 2018 to move one of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s (BEP) two production facilities from Washington, D.C., to the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) was met with mostly negative responses from Greenbelt. The proposed site at BARC is about 105 acres that was once used for poultry research but has been vacant since the 1990s. The location is approximately two miles north of the BARC upper gate on Research Road in Greenbelt’s North End.
As part of the project, BEP would be responsible for cleaning up all known and unknown environmental hazards on the site such as asbestos and lead paint, removing 23 abandoned buildings, erecting a security perimeter and making any required improvements at the intersection of Powder Mill and Edmonston Roads. Greenbelt residents have raised concerns about traffic and suggested other uses for the site, but most concerns have been environmental, from losing a large area of green space to dealing with wastewater generated by the plant, to lighting up what some residents have called one of the few remaining dark spaces in the area.
Co-op Sees Fiscal Year Loss, “We’re Right Here” Launch
As the fiscal year for the Co-op Supermarket & Pharmacy ended on July 31, the financial news was gloomy. Amid fewer store visits, less money spent per customer and skyrocketing pharmacy costs, the Co-op sustained an operating loss of $164,000. With overall sales under $12M for the first time in a dozen years, the store lost out to bigger and cheaper competitors as things got tough all around in the grocery business.
In response, the Co-op board is focusing on cutting costs, increasing the attractiveness of the store’s offerings to today’s consumer and turning around its bottom line. It requests the participation of store members in helping the store recover and regroup. Decreased energy costs from the solar array and new roof, though only a small factor initially, will also aid the store’s financial position as the years go by.
At the annual meeting, store management noted that all the Co-op’s departments except beer and wine suffered a loss. Despite these losses, the mood at the annual meeting was positive and members were vocal in their support for the store’s continued survival.
Another sea change for Co-op is the departure of its manager of 35 years, Bob Davis. To a round of applause from members, he spoke of his years with the store and his hopes for its future. Davis anticipates departing in April 2020 and the board has a search committee to locate a new manager.
Undaunted by losses or by Davis’ departure, the board has announced its We’re Right Here initiative, expanding hours and rolling out a curbside pickup option. The slogan results from a survey that shows Co-op’s strong appeal to city residents as a friendly and easily accessible store with a wide range of goods.
Old Greenbelt Theatre Renovates Auditorium
It has been a year full of change for the Old Greenbelt Theatre. In June, the main auditorium closed for renovations. The City of Greenbelt and the Friends of Greenbelt Theatre (FGT) worked closely together to coordinate the installation of a new HVAC system, roof, seats, screen, drapery and Dolby 7.1 sound system.
During the closure, FGT opened The Pop-up, a temporary micro-cinema in the storefront next door at 125 Centerway. Before The Pop-up was opened to the public, FGT operated out of the basement suite of the Community Center to keep their programming going for the public.
In addition, their popular free series – Monday Matinees, Storytime on Screen and School’s Out – were held in the Community Center.
After 5 months of closure, the main auditorium reopened to a full house on November 9th and FGT announced their latest new initiative, Beyond the Screen. FGT has a bold vision – to create a permanent Screening Room and Media Arts Literacy Lab at 125 Centerway. This will be the only space of its kind in all of Maryland and the larger DMV area, and through it, FGT will become a leader in film and media education in the region.
Greenbelt Lake Drained To Facilitate Work on Dam
Repair to the Greenbelt Lake Dam started in September 2019 and is expected to be completed in April 2020. A regular 2008 state inspection of the dam deemed it a high hazard, and initiated the repair order in 2010. Funding for the dam project comes from the city, the State of Maryland and the EPA. The seven-month construction project necessitated draining the lake five feet and installing fountains to keep the remaining water circulating. The drained lake has revealed large freshwater mussels and some trash that various groups have cleaned up. After the city posted notices prohibiting walking on the lake’s former bed, a prankster added the concerns that the lake area contained quicksand and angry waterfowl.
Beltway Plaza Redevelopment Includes Townhomes, Condos
In February 2019, Greenbelt City Council voted to approve plans to revamp Beltway Plaza, one of the oldest shopping centers in Prince George’s County. The changes would happen over time, with the first phase of the five-phase project calling for the building of roughly 200 townhomes and condominiums and conversion of the old mall into a mixed-use town center. Phases two, three and four include building multifamily units, some of these possibly with age restrictions, and commercial space. Phase five, which will complete the project, plans to build an additional 15,000 to 25,000 square feet of commercial space. The total proposal includes 175 to 250 townhouses, 750 to 1,975 multifamily dwelling units and 330,000 to 460,000 square feet of commercial space. Future phases include retaining the existing Giant grocery and Target stores and building a central plaza or community gathering space with outdoor seating for restaurants and concerts, green spaces with park benches and a fountain.
In March 2019 the Prince George’s Planning Commission approved the plan, sending it to the Prince George’s County District Council, an elected board that reviews land use cases for the County.
Last Government Shutdown Affected Many Greenbelters
As 2019 started, many federal agencies had temporarily discontinued their functions (shut down) because Congress and the Trump Administration were not able to agree on legislation that would have provided funding for them to remain open. The shutdown lasted for 35 days, from December 22, 2018 until January 25, 2019. It was the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, and the second shutdown involving furloughs during the current administration. Around 420,000 workers considered essential, such as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel, were working unpaid, while another 380,000 were not reporting to work, including almost all employees of NASA and the Departments of Agriculture and Interior. Also affected were employees of government contractors.
Personal and family economic issues of Greenbelt residents affected by the furlough were prevalent. Many Greenbelters felt the pinch. Contractors with offices at federal facilities were also off the job, and federal payments to contractors were not made. Individuals postponed non-essential spending in order to make sure there was enough for food, mortgage or rent payments and transportation. Perhaps the biggest economic effect of the shutdown was uncertainty about how long personal financial reserves would last.
Other furlough effects on Greenbelters included emotional responses such as anger, fear and depression. The uncertainty of what would come next and when caused stress, anxiety and worry. Other effects included changed or cancelled vacations, cancelled recreational or educational activities at government facilities and, for Greenbelters, changed driving patterns, since Research Road was closed during the shutdown.
On December 20, 2019 a deal to fund the government for the rest of the current fiscal year was signed into law, avoiding a repeat of the difficulties resulting from the 2018-2019 shutdown.
News Review’s New Digital Archive Takes Shape Online
The Greenbelt Archive Project (GAP, greenbeltarchive.org) made great progress in 2019 on digitizing past issues of the Greenbelt News Review. In January, Cecilia Franck, a University of Maryland graduate student paid by grants GAP received from the Prince George’s County Council, began to scan the newsprint originals from 1964, working forward. By the end of the year, Franck had scanned more than 26 years – over 11,000 pages – of Greenbelt news. Digital papers from 1964 through 1989 have been posted on the Internet Archive (archive.org/details/greenbelt-news-review); 1964 to 1969 also can be accessed at greenbeltnewsreview.com/archives/.
In addition, Greenbelt newspapers from 1943 through 1963 were digitized by a contractor paid by University of Maryland Libraries under a 2018 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. These issues of the News Review and its predecessor, the Greenbelt Cooperator (the name was changed in 1954), will be posted by the Library of Congress on the Chronicling America website (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89061521), where Cooperators from 1937 to 1943 are already available.
GAP aims to have the complete set of Greenbelt newspapers – from 1937 to present – available on Internet Archive and the News Review server in fall 2020.
CCI Clinic Has New Home
In response to increasing needs in Prince George’s County, last spring the Maryland Community Clinic Health & Wellness Services (CCI) office, previously located on Edmonston Road, moved most of its services to a larger space at 7474 Greenway Center Drive. In addition to having room to grow and an ability to provide Saturday hours, CCI will benefit from Greenway Center’s having evolved into a medical hub for the Greenbelt area, offering many nearby medical practitioners to whom patients may easily be referred.
Services available at the Greenway Center location include those for medical and behavioral health, as well as the federally funded Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Services remaining in Springhill Lake at 9220 Springhill Lane include dental, family planning and prenatal care.
CCI is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with a designated service area encompassing Montgomery and northern Prince George’s counties. FQHCs receive funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration to provide primary care services in underserved areas. They must meet a stringent set of requirements, including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay.
Maglev Project Paused Until EIS Is Completed
While the proposed $10 billion maglev train project is paused at the moment, the high-speed train continues to gain many opponents and a few supporters in Greenbelt. If built, the high-speed, underground, magnetic levitation train would provide service between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore and would pass under some portion of Greenbelt. Many opponents of the train point at the environmental and housing damage that might be caused by tunneling under homes and digging up wooded areas, as well as the fact the train would not be accessible for local people. Proponents point at the environmental boons of mass transit and the wonders of a short commute between Washington and Baltimore.
The Greenbelt City Council is on record as opposing the project, having sent a letter in January 2018 to then-Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker. Informational meetings continued throughout the year, but opponents point out that the actual environmental assessment is not available, making it harder to know the real costs and dangers. The project was officially put on hold in December 2019 as the Federal Railroad Administration gave the maglev builder, a company called Northeast, more time to complete an environmental impact statement. Northeast’s next deadline is the end of February.