December 7th, 2011 | by Chris Gill | published in Cafritz Property, General College Park, Politics
The opinions expressed in this piece represent the views of the author and not Rethink College Park or its other contributors. In conversations about the Cafritz property, I have often wound up conversations about how the property will relate to the community around it. Two basic models can be followed – the urban street grid [...]
October 11th, 2011 | by David Daddio | published in Book Exchange Site, Downtown, Politics
At the October 4th City Council worksession (video above), councilmembers, city planning staff, and R & J Company, LLC were at loggerheads over the developer’s proposed 6-story building on the site of the Maryland Book Exchange downtown. Lying just below the surface are community concerns over the fact that the mid-rise building would contain 830 undergraduate beds [...]
July 31st, 2011 | by David Daddio | published in Book Exchange Site, Housing, Politics
On July 14th, R & J Company, LLC filed a detailed site plan to build a 6-story apartment building on the site of the Maryland Book Exchange at the corner of College Ave. and Route 1 in Downtown College Park (SEE RENDERINGS). From what we can tell, the details of the proposal are basically the same as [...]
May 26th, 2011 | by David Daddio | published in Northgate Area, Politics, Transportation
April 25th, 2011 | by David Daddio | published in Politics
The Washington Post revealed Thursday that former Prince George’s County Councilmember Thomas Dernoga privately solicited contributions totaling about $1 million from developers for charity during his 8 years in office. Such funds, which would normally be part of a formal developer or community benefits agreement, were instead extorted behind the scenes in a highly unethical [...]
April 21st, 2011 | by David Daddio | published in Bicycles, Politics
The College Park City Council seemed to be taken off guard Tuesday by $350-600,000 in city speed camera funds that must be committed to “public safety” projects (including pedestrian infrastructure). The money must be committed in the next two months or it will be returned to the state. The relatively large sum (equivalent to 10% [...]
March 28th, 2011 | by Colin Phillips | published in Politics
The same university that worried about how a light rail line could endanger its students as they walk between classes is now looking to turn I-95 into a primary campus thoroughfare. Maryland Senate President Mike Miller wants to merge the University of Maryland’s flagship campus in College Park with the professional schools at the University [...]
February 8th, 2011 | by Fazlul Kabir | published in Politics
When County Executive Rushern Baker introduced a reform bill to “clean up the county council,” most councilmembers criticized it. Members became worried about potential loss of vote for several years on development projects requested by campaign contributors, as the Gazette reported. Baker introduced the bill after former county executive Jack B. Johnson was arrested on a series of dramatic [...]
