Rethink College Park

We’ve gotten our hands on a letter apparently sent from former CP Mayor (Owens) to registered voters of District 4, which endorses Mary Cook for the January 16th election. We’ll keep it short to risk beating this election to death any more…

It’s impossible to say whether this letter had any effect on the outcome of the election. Mary Cook’s long participation in city politics most likely put her ahead of student Nick Aragon in this not so closely watched race. Nevertheless, we find it to be a concerning town-gown development that deserves attention. The letter certainly pushes the right buttons, conveniently overlooks the facts (every District 4 candidate was staunchly against the Connector Road), and leaves no scare tactic unexploited. It also shows EXPERT use of caps lock and the Microsoft Word bold functionality!

 
>>> Read Anna Owen’s letter

A low voter turn out (or a widely split vote) can throw the election to the candidate with the generous campaign fund and the strong backing of student voters.

Election Results: Total (# of absentee ballots in parenthesis)

District 3

Hagner: 6 (0)
Massey: 89 (6)
Stullich: 203 (6)

District 4

Argon: 62 (12)
Cook: 141 (4)
Lynch: 24 (3)
Scarato: 21

Stephanie Stullich and Mary Cook are the confirmed winners of Tuesday’s election - marking the end of a surprisingly eventful special election. Long time resident Mary Cook, 50, prevailed over 3-year resident and student Nick Aragon. This even with the Mayor’s surprise last minute endorsement of him and his far superior financing (reportedly $2000 to Cook’s $150). Aragon, 24, was constantly and inaccurately labeled as a “student candidate” and his campaign was dogged by questionable reporting in the city paper (1,2) and even childish and “vicious” campaign tricks.

What began with the ascension of two longtime CP politicians to higher office ended with little fanfare, 2 new city residents on the council, and most of the city either gone or unaware any election had taken place at all. Between the primaries way back in September, when the special election was ensured, all the way to last Tuesday, we witnessed: a city council which (whether by design or by accident) waited until they had no choice but to hold the special election with half the city’s population out of town (the student half), student leadership which failed to put up even the smallest fight over the election date, an impressive but apparently futile student absentee ballot initiative (Aragon got 12 absentee votes), an unprecedented endorsement of a student by the Mayor, and even my own short-lived bid for the District 3 seat.

While it’s difficult to hide our distaste for the circumstances surrounding the election, we’re looking forward to an eventful year in College Park. We’ll be particularly interested to see the winning candidates live up to their promises of building a vibrant college town and ensuring greater ties to the university community. November, after all, isn’t that far off .

Although city officials are still waiting to see if more absentee ballots are returned, according to the Diamondback it appears Stephanie Stullich and Mary Cook have won seats on City Council in yesterday’s special election.

> Diamondback: “Student city council candidate far behind in special election count“

We’d like to remind everyone that the College Park special election is tomorrow, January 16th, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. If you’re in College Park and registered to vote in the following areas please remember to cast your vote at the indicated locations. If you filed for an absentee ballot remember to mail it!

District 3: Old Town, Frat Row, Graham Cracker, all of the Commons buildings, Knox Towers, Graduate Gardens, Calvert Hills, and all of College Park east of the railroad tracks.

Read our District 3 candidate survey

District 3 votes at City Hall

District 4: Denton and Cambridge Communities (But not the Ellicott Community), the Knox Boxes, the Courtyards, and the areas Northwest of campus including Crystal Springs and College Park Woods.

Read our District 4 candidate survey

District 4 votes at Davis Hall

On a separate, but not unrelated note, we’ve been informed that three-term College Park Mayor Stephan Brayman has given a surprise endorsement of UMD Student Nick Aragón for District 4. Aragón, 25, showed an impressive grasp of the issues at a recent Candidates Forum according to Brayman. Read the Mayor’s full endorsement here.

Below are the responses for the three candidates for the vacant District 3 seat on the City Council that will be filled on January 16th.

Candidates:

Stephanie Stullich
cell: 301-461-5051, home: 301-864-6709
email: stullich at verizon.net

Robert Massey
“Concerns, questions, and comments are encouraged. Email me at robert_massey at verizon.net”

Jutta Hagner
Campaign website URL: www.saslce.com (available Jan. 8th)
email: cspjutta at aol.com

1. If elected, what will be your top priorities as a councilmember?

Stullich: “My top priorities would be neighborhood quality of life issues, student housing, public safety, downtown revitalization, rebuilding Route 1, and support for the Purple Line. Code enforcement is an important tool for ensuring that neighborhoods are clean and well-cared-for and provide a comfortable and attractive place for people of all ages to live in, and to ensure adequate living conditions in rental housing. Public safety has long been a focus for me, and I will continue to vigorously promote public safety by working with residents, businesses, students, the University, and the county police. We need to move forward with downtown revitalization, Route 1 improvements, and the Purple Line in order to attract businesses, residents, and visitors to strengthen our community as well as better serve those who currently live here.”

Massey: “To improve our public safety, traffic, and student housing problems; build stronger relationships with the university, county, and state; enhance educational and cultural opportunities in the community; and continue working toward the revitalization of College Park.”

Hagner: “a. To work with local residents on projects of their choice that will enhance College Park for seniors, students and families.
b. To have more visibility into Council decision making by having City Council members declare their positions on upcoming legislation in advance of votes
c. To return more of the funds collected from residents back to residents in the form of services of interest to them such noise abatment from highways; safety cameras for select parts of the city etc.
d. To create more dialog between College Park residents so that there is greater cohesion and cooperation among all residents.”

2. What does a “great college town” mean to you?

Stullich: “My undergraduate degree was at Berkeley, and my years spent in that very unique and exciting community definitely influence my thinking about what a college town could look like. Berkeley has an extremely diverse array of businesses and business districts, and a lively and interesting environment. Both students and non-students often spend their free time lingering in the various business districts and wandering between bookstores, cafes, clothing stores, specialty food stores, shops selling imported and hand-crafted items, and a wide range of restaurants from cheap ethnic eateries to the world-class Chez Panisse. A premier college town like a Berkeley, Ann Arbor, or Boston takes time to create, but I see no reason why College Park cannot make substantial progress towards that goal in the next 3-6 years (and then keep going!).”

Massey: “One that provides an exceptional quality of life to all residents in all neighborhoods.”

Hagner: “College towns are unique in that they hold the potential to be lively, vibrant communities that bring new ideas for projects from the university members . It provides the opportunity to be a model town from many different perspectives art, architecture, technology and more. A liberation of the imagination is required to bring this about. The annual awards for All American Cities go to towns that can liberate their imagination to solve problems and bring about a higher level of functioning.”

3. What would you like College Park to look like in 30 years?

Stullich: “College Park will have a vibrant downtown that provides a diverse mix of restaurants, retail, and entertainment options in a “walkable village” environment with attractive architecture, walkways, and lighting. There will also be smaller-scale business districts in Berwyn, Hollywood, and the northern section of Route 1. Integrating plazas, outdoor seating, and landscaping will make these areas gathering places and a real center of the community. Mixed-use developments that combine residential, retail, and office uses will create a vibrant “24-7” community that is alive during the weekday, evenings, and weekends and attract long-term residents, students, university faculty and staff, as well as visitors from neighboring communities and beyond.”

Massey: “A thriving community with safe and friendly residential neighborhoods, commercial areas that provide essential and desired services, set in a natural, walkable cityscape fitting of its world-class educational institution.”

Hagner: “I would like College Park to be a town of innovations. Innovations in transportation, communication, robotics, architecture, art, social issues and more. The University community can provide much of the leadership for such innovations.”

4. What do you think is the ideal mix of retail for the city? What would you do to achieve it?

Stullich: “Currently College Park is dominated by fast-food restaurants and auto-oriented business; we need to diversify! We need more restaurants that provide an enjoyable leisurely dining experience, perhaps some “white tablecloth” restaurants but also more varied ethnic and moderately-priced restaurants (e.g., Thai, Indian, bringing back the Mandalay). I think residents would like to have more locally-owned businesses that provide more interesting and unique shopping opportunities, but also including stores with a national reputation can help to anchor an expanding business district. We need to actively reach out to the kinds of businesses we want to attract, and support mixed-use developments that include residences and offices that will help to provide a “critical mass” of clientele to support the shops and restaurants.”

Massey: “I support the mix-use plan and would encourage more development that places retail on the ground level, commercial office space on the second, and residential units above that. We still lack essential services (grocery store one can walk to from downtown), not to mention highly desired ones (nice restaurants).”

Hagner: “An ever greater number of cities are moving toward self sufficiency within their own boundaries. Current retail, professional needs to be evaluated against community needs. I have previously announced my support for the mixed use construction that provides retail on the lowest levels , professional services on the next level and housing on the upper levels. Brian’s ideas for the Knox Boxes are interesting.”

5. How do you feel about high density construction (9 - 16 stories)?

Stullich: “Although I see the value in some high-rise structures, particularly to accommodate the need for additional student housing, I am concerned about too much high density exacerbating the traffic problems we have on Route 1. I’d like to see most new development along Route 1 be consistent with the height limits in the sector plan (3-5 stories), but would be open to a limited number of higher density projects, particularly near the University View where we already have some high-rise taking place, and perhaps in the Knox Boxes area. I would like to see community involvement and input on this issue.”

Massey: “With the student housing shortage we have, high density buildings would serve an important need, as long as construction was done with the surrounding environment in mind. In addition to blending with the physical cityscape, they need to be safe for both occupants and neighbors, and not have a negative impact on traffic (which can be done by moving building entrances off Route 1 to side-streets).”

Hagner: “A limited amount of high density construction is needed given the size of the student body. However, this needs to be one of many choices not the only choice for affordable student housing.”

6. What is your position on the Connector Road and why?

Stullich: “The Connector Road concept at first glance seemed appealing to me – after all, who doesn’t want to reduce traffic on Route 1 – but after learning more about the issue, I have concluded that it would do more harm than good. First, the road would not really have that much impact on reducing traffic, since studies have found that only a small fraction of Route 1 traffic is university-related. Second, it would cut through the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, harm the research being conducted at this premier institution, and open the door to further development of this important site. Perhaps most importantly, the Connector Road would divert scarce state transportation funds away from improving the safety and appearance of Route 1, which should be our first priority.”

Massey: “I am open to all discussion oriented at easing the community’s traffic problems. It shouldn’t take forty-five minutes to travel two miles down Route 1 on weekends. While I don’t oppose the concept of the Connector Road, I am concerned about its expense and impact on neighborhoods and the environment. There is still a lot of work to do and I think the community is better served by having the city and the university work together on this.”

Hagner: “The connector road is fraught with limitations. It is unlikely to get funded. It will present difficulties for residents of the affected District and it is not clear that it will yield the expected improvements in traffic congestion. More options need to be studied.”

7. Do you support the Purple Line?

Stullich: “I strongly support the Purple Line and look forward to working with the community to make it a reality. Increasing public transportation options is important for increasing access to our city and university while also reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. The current metro structure is focused on commuters to D.C. and does not meet the needs of people traveling to the east and west; the Purple Line will fill this important gap, and will also help revitalize College Park’s downtown. I believe the Purple Line should be developed as light rail.”

Massey: “Absolutely, it would be great to have an easy connection to our sister cities of Silver Spring and Bethesda. It would take a lot of traffic off Route 1, 410, and the Beltway, and bring much needed support to the city’s revitalization efforts.”

Hagner: “Yes”

8. How do you think the city council can work to alleviate the student housing crunch?

Stullich: “Insufficient and inadequate housing for students is a long-standing problem in College Park, and it would be one of my top priorities to seek ways to increase the supply of student housing. I would encourage the university to build more on-campus housing and also encourage developers to build more student housing along Route 1 and adjacent to the campus. We also need to address living conditions in student housing: too many students live in substandard housing conditions, yet often are afraid to complain for fear of retaliation. Code enforcement can help, and we need to crack down on unscrupulous landlords, as well as reach out to students to find out where problems exist and work together to address them.”

Massey: “Encourage the development of multi-unit residential units by letting the market work for us, rather than against. Adding ineffective and overburdening stipulations to building contracts drives developers away, leaving the problem to escalate.”

Hagner: “As you very excellent blog points out there are a number of construction projects planned for the greater College Park area. There is townhome construction underway in nearby Hyattsville.”

9. Do you support owner occupancy requirements for new residential developments? Where would you like to see students living in the city?

Stullich: “To create the vibrant college town that I believe we all want to see College Park become, I believe we need to support new residential developments for both students and non-students. Building housing for additional long-term residents in College Park will help to provide a more stable customer base including during the summer and winter breaks, which is needed to attract a more diverse mix of retail and restaurants. Owner occupancy requirements can help to make some developments attractive for non-student residents, but these developments need to be part of a comprehensive effort that also includes substantial new student housing, which should be located on or adjacent to the campus.”

Massey: “As mentioned above, no. With the housing situation we have, I see a scenario where parents of university students buy these condos for their children to live in while at school, and selling to the parents of incoming students upon graduation. It would end up being student housing, but housing for only the affluent. I would much rather see the city ease restrictions and encourage multi-unit residential development for student housing.”

Hagner: ” I don’t see how that can be enforced.
Where would you like to see students living in the city? One of the realities of living in a multi age community is that there is a different clock for each segment of the community.

Students often study late into the night and continue to be active until midnight as well as rise later in the morning. Working families rise early to go to work and bring children to school. Seniors often shut lights off early and expect to get a full nights sleep.

Much of the discord that arises in local housing situations arises from these different schedules and the noise associated with them. This is the essential issue that needs to be resolved . It can be done in many different ways. How we live where we live is more important than where we live.”

10. If elected, how will you engage the city and campus communities?

Stullich: “I plan to encourage both students and long-term residents to become more involved in the community though city boards and committees, civic associations, neighborhood watch, and other organizations. I also will encourage people to share their views about important issues facing the city council; elected officials don’t have all the answers, and community involvement is key to making the right decisions. I have strong relationships with many civic association leaders and have been reaching out to student leaders (such as in the SGA and GSG), and I will also reach out to university officials to seek ways to build a more positive and productive relationship between the city and university. I believe that we as a community will be much more effective in achieving our common goals if we work together and communicate often.”

Massey: “With such a long-serving city government, it’s natural that some relationships have become strained as individuals move away from dialogue and focus more on digging in their heels. Voters have an incredible opportunity in this special election to add a fresh perspective on the council, and I look forward to working with the undergraduate and graduate student body; faculty, staff, and administration; and board of regents as we renew a working dialogue between the university and the city.”

Hagner: “There is currently a representative from the university to the College Park Council. This is good but not enough. A student selected board of representatives who can meet regularly with the City Council is the key. I will work to create such a forum.”

11. What special ideas or plans would you like our readers to know about? (optional)

Stullich: “I pledge to be responsive to citizen concerns and needs and will continue Eric Olson’s record of strong constituent service. Please contact me with any questions or concerns – 301-461-5051 or stullich@verizon.net.”

Massey: “As councilmember, I will invite all residents to attend a monthly brunch (day and location to alternate) to discuss issues, raise concerns, and ask questions in an informal setting.”

Below are the responses of the candidates for the City Council’s District 4 seat to be filled on January 16th.

Candidates:

Mary Cook
email: district4vision at yahoo.com
tel: 202-213-5579

Nicolas “Nick” Aragon
3712 Marlbrough Way, College Park, MD 20740
email: aragon.nicolas at gmail.com
cell: 301.580.3947
http://www.VoteAragon.com/

Linda Lynch
tel: 301-935-5224

Rosario (Russell) Scarato
email: rscarato at comcast.net
http://scarato2007.blogspot.com/

1. If elected, what will be your top priorities as a councilmember?

Cook: “My preferences will be development, safety and transportation.”

Aragon: “In no particular order, my top priorities will include increasing affordable-quality housing for students and residents; improving College Park retail; preserving College Park’s neighborhoods; reducing traffic; and improving safety by utilizing technology and promoting creative low-cost initiatives. Many of these initiatives will need to be pursued over the long term, but I feel in order to make College Park the place we all envision, we need to develop long-term strategies. As the old saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so we shouldn’t expect College Park to be.”

Lynch:“- Route 1 traffic and the impact on surrounding neighborhoods
- Positive mixed use development
- Neighborhood security and the potential of a College Park Police Department”

Scarato: “Organize communities around transportation, safety and recreation”

2. What does a “great college town” mean to you?

Cook: “Having gone to Georgetown University, my undergrad years were not spent in ” a great college town.” I had all of Washington, DC to explore and enjoy. If we are thinking to turn College Park into a “great college town”, I would hope that more “funky” shops and privately-owned restaurants could be attracted to the town to give it a more distinctive character.”

Aragon: “When you start planning your next trip before you’ve ended the one you’re on, you know you’ve been to a “great college town.” It is vibrant, entertaining, and the atmosphere is contagious. In my mind a great college town starts with an engaged institution and a strong community and includes the mixture of activities, retail, housing and scenery you would expect to support both residents and campus. It should be walkable, environmentally conscious, and architecturally pleasing. In the urban environment around College Park, I believe we can attain a “great college town” by promoting dense development close to the university by using smart growth principles: adequate public transportation, first floor retail, and residential/office components above the first floor.”

Lynch: “In my opinion, to be a great college town, or any great town or city, is one where an interactive and collaborative relationship exists between affected groups. Ancillary activities that make any city a great place to live include adequate housing, parks and recreation, green space, theater and dining.”

Scarato: “Intellectual and dynamic community”

3. What would you like College Park to look like in 30 years?

Cook: “I would like the town to have a more cohesive look in whichever style the residents deem most suitable. It would consist of services and amenities needed and wanted by the residents and students, such as bookstores, clothing shops, doctors offices, etc.”

Aragon: “I would like to see College Park become the most desirable place to live, go to school, and spend your time. I see pleasant green-spaces surrounded by long strips of retail with residential and office space above the first floor. I envision brick sidewalks bordered by very classy street lights and trees, bright and colorful business fronts, reflecting glass on brick buildings, and lines of people waiting to get into a movie or upscale restaurant. I see people laughing and talking everywhere as they window shop College Park’s finest retailers.”

Lynch: “30 years is quite a view into the future, however, I would envision College Park to be the picture of prosperity, with mixed use commerce, shopping and restaurants, theater and housing for its residents with a method of mass transit that affords the opportunity for travel that is efficient and environmentally friendly.”

Scarato: “City with a centeral plaza and multiple community events for both families and students”

4. What do you think is the ideal mix of retail for the city? What would you do to achieve it?

Cook: “Retail is only one component the city is composed of. If I had to say, chain restaurants would make up only 40% of the mix, hotels/motels 30% and clothing/food/misc. 30%. I would actively work with the CP Planning Department to attract new businesses although I know that the individuals working in that department have worked hard to do so already.”

Aragon: “An ideal College Park retail mix is one that achieves one very important goal: it makes it desirable and possible for College Park residents and students to stay in College Park. This means increasing the number of upscale food and beverage establishments, attracting a variety of additional retailers, fostering unique local businesses, and securing space for quality entertainment venues (like a cinema or performance venue). To achieve this, I would support giving the City zoning authority, streamlining the approval process for upscale retailers and developers, increasing owner-occupied housing to stabilize the market, lobby the county to change the Route One sector plan to better fit our needs, and provide better incentives to businesses that fit our ideals for a diverse and flourishing market.”

Lynch: “I don’t think there is an IDEAL mix of retail for this city. I think it requires a balancing act to make sure the city maintains its character AND continues growing.”

Scarato: “collee shops/resturants/food stores/clothing and hi tec shops … Assist community organizations to create a power base to to support issue resolution”

5. How do you feel about high density construction (9 - 16 stories)?

Cook: “High density construction is not what most residents in the city would like to see and is not part of the city’s Sector Plan. It is logical, however, to house students and residents in high density condo or apartment buildings near the university which use less green space. If such construction was undertaken with Smart Growth and Green Building principles in mind, it might be feasible.”

Aragon: “High-density construction is not inherently bad, but if it is not planned properly, it can disrupt the practical and aesthetic qualities we should be looking for in good development. Furthermore, when governments and developers do not adequately plan for the resources needed to support higher density projects, they can substantially change the lifestyle of the existing community (sewer and water usage; traffic and parking; police and first-responder ratios; education systems, etc.). As development in College Park continues, we must expand the City’s infrastructure to minimize our growing pains, and advocate development that creates an attractive – and unified – look in our City.”

Lynch: “I think some high density housing is a necessary component and could be palatable; however the College Park I envision would be one that limits it because an overabundance would diminish the College Park city flavor.”

Scarato: “Not Good! Unless there is the necessary infrastructure concurrently developed including water, sewerage, parking, traffic, open space, walking a biking lanes, lighting, pleducation, etc. with out these supporting facilities”

6. What is your position on the Connector Road and why?

Cook: “Let me expand on your original question. Any type of road which impinges on the existing neighborhoods should only be considered in the rarest of circumstances. As for the Connector Road, it will damage BARC, remove only 10% of the traffic from Route 1, divert dollars which can be used to improving Rt. 1, and impinge on College Park Woods.”

Aragon: “I do not support the Connector Road and I think it would be harmful to College Park. To make College Park the “great college town” and vibrant community we all desire, we need to devote our attention and resources to Route One redevelopment. The Connector Road will divert tens of millions of dollars away from that redevelopment and local businesses, as well as infringing on the quality of life in our residential communities. To reduce traffic we have to promote strategies that take cars off of the road, not displace them to other parts of the City. I have signed the West College Park Civic Association’s petition in opposition to the Connector Road, and encourage others to do the same.”

Lynch: “As proposed I have very strong reservations about the impact on the abutted neighborhoods and the damage it will do to the green space in and around the city.”

Scarato: “The CR will not resolve the traffic problem in the City.”

7. Do you support the Purple Line?

Cook: “As an ardent advocate of transit alternatives, I definitely support the Purple Line. I am all for any type of transportation that results in less traffic and pollution.”

Aragon: “Absolutely! Traffic is one of the most pressing issues facing our City, and it must be addressed by providing convenient, prompt, and reliable public transportation – bus and Metro. The Purple Line needs to be both on and off campus to maximize its convenience, accessibility, and usage. The Purple line will take hundreds of cars off of our City’s streets thereby truly reducing traffic, not displacing it as the Connector Road would do.”

Lynch: “I think mass transit is a necessary piece of the infrastructure that needs to be developed to support the growth of the city. Mass transit also has the added bonus of relieving some of the surrounding traffic.”

Scarato: “Yes”

8. How do you think the city council can work to alleviate the student housing crunch?

Cook: “My question to is: Is that really the city council’s responsibility? The university is a state institution which still has land on which it can build, so perhaps the city council can promote that space be used for affordable housing rather than constructing another hotel and more restaurants..”

Aragon: “To alleviate the student-housing crunch, we must improve the cooperation and coordination between four groups: the City Council, University, County, and developers. If these groups work together instead of against one another, we could build attractive, affordable, and accessible student housing close to campus. However, each group acts separately from the others, which makes the process of bringing student housing to College Park extremely difficult. The City and University must improve their relationship so that we are not sending mixed messages to the County and developers on how we address the student-housing crunch.”

Lynch: “By consulting with the university to gather information on housing needs and being supportive with the things the city can do.”

Scarato: “support funds for new dorms VS new event facilities”

9. Do you support owner occupancy requirements for new residential developments? Where would you like to see students living in the city?

Cook: “Certainly, owner occupancy requirements must be in place and enforced. These are in place for the safety of the students and their neighbors. Preferably, the students should be situated in housing on or near the campus which would allow them to walk to their classes.”

Aragon: “I cautiously support owner occupancy requirements, if they are limited to certain areas of the City. The closer you get to the University, the less credible I find these requirements because I feel new student housing is more effective when students are within walking distance of campus. By increasing the number of students walking to campus we reduce the amount of cars on Route One thereby improving traffic. As developments get closer to the Metro and generally father away from the University, I am more supportive of these requirements because it is very desirable for working people to have greater access to the Beltway and public transportation. Again, by putting working people closer to where they need to go to get to work, we help alleviate our traffic situation.”

Lynch: “Not really, I believe the city would be making a serious mistake by interfering in who home owners allow to live in their property. It should not matter where students live in the city. Homeowners should not be aware, unless they ask, if students are living next door or across the street. Campus life is different than living in a city community, hence; students living off campus must adopt the community’s posture.”

Scarato: “in dorms”

10. If elected, how will you engage the city and campus communities?

Cook: “I would encourage the students to get involved on city committees and neighborhood civic associations. As in the past, we will continue to invite the participation of the university’s administration on particular issues as well, as we did with the Committee for Transit Alternatives.”

Aragon: “A big part of my campaign is about bridging the gap between the City and University; between students and residents; and between long-term residents and the many new members of our communities. Having been heavily involved as a student leader at the University, I feel my connections and experience with the administration and student leadership community put me in the best position to engage the campus community. I have been engaging the city community throughout my campaign by reaching out to District Four community leaders, in addition to getting all of my candidacy petition signatures from people in the community. While in Student Government, I supported opening Shuttle-UM to city residents, funding for the City’s fall festival, and funding for Taste of College Park – all initiates aimed at bridging the gap between these communities.”

Lynch: “I would attempt consistent and on going dialogue between campus communities and the city. I think there should be a standing committee comprised of campus community members and city members whose primary function is to brings issues from both camps to the council.”

Scarato: “Expand the polictical power base at the State level to support University development with the necessary concurrent infrastructure without placing undue burdens on the surrounding community”

11. What special ideas or plans would you like our readers to know about? (optional)

Cook: “It is very important to realize that the students have a very different perspective of College Park than the residents, some of whom have lived here for 45 years or more. The issues which the residents believe to be important are not necessarily the ones brought up in this survey. They are concerned with traffic and safety, but also with noise and parking, trash pick-up and code enforcement, among others.”

Scarato: “I have over 40 years experience as an engineer and economist in planning and building community facilities with the necessary constituent support.”

While we were compiling the results of the candidates survey we circulated for the January 16 Special Election, we noticed two District 4 candidates have created campaign websites. Russell Scarato’s website features a platform statement as well as a link to a video message to voters on Google Video. The other candidate to launch a website is Nick Aragon, who has launched a website with a variety of information for voters.

If anyone knows of another candidate with a website, please post a link below. Also, we will post the responses to the questionnaire tomorrow.

> Russell Scarato campaign website
> Nick Aragon campaign website

On January 16th, the city of College Park will be holding a special election to fill two vacancies on the City Council. A description of the two districts where the election will be held is to the right in red, and the city has posted some information about the election including a link to the absentee ballot application. Any registered voter who will be “unavoidably absent” from College Park on election day can request an absentee ballot at least 7 days before the election, so the deadline is January 9th. Although it is too late to register to vote for this election, we suggest confirming your district and registration status before election day.

In order to learn more about the candidates and their views about the city’s development, we will be conducting a candidate survey. We will post the results from the survey to the site this Friday, January 5th. The final list of candidates are as follows:

District 3:
Stephanie Stullich
Robert Massey
Jutta Hagner

District 4:
Mary Cook
Nick Aragon
Linda Lynch
Rosario (Russell) Scarato

We have contacted all the candidates and all but one have either completed our candidate questionnaire or promised to send it before the deadline. Click “read more” to read the questions we have circulated.

(more…)