**REMINDER** College Park US 1 Corridor Sector Plan community meeting:       Wednesday 7-9pm @ Lakeland/College Park Community Center [5051 Pierce Ave]

The updated Sector Plan, once initiated, will be a PG County Planning document containing legal stipulations and overall vision for development of properties within its boundaries.  There is currently in place, an older version of the Sector Plan.  It is thought to have problems since it has been around for a while and the Rt.1 mixed-use development it envisioned has not been realized.  A property’s ultimate inclusion in the Sector Plan will ensure its rezoning and development [both if any] conform to  specifications and vision of the Plan.

The updated Sector Plan is still in its planning stage.  Wednesday’s meeting is part of a public process where updates to the Plan will be discussed.  A public design charrette [interactive community workshop] will be held in December for the same purpose.  More information about the Sector Plan @:

• RTCP Library page on Rt.1 Corridor Sector Plan [RTCP library can always be found on the right-hand column of the blog under "About This Site"]

• M-NCPPC page on the Sector Plan

M-NCPPC proposed to amend to the updated Sector Plan, properties in two separate swaths north and south of the current Sector.  The northern swath includes parts of the Ikea, Hollywood, and Cherry Hill Rd. neighborhoods.

The southern swath includes Rt.1-fronting properties between Guilford Rd. and East-West Hwy. (including Cafritz Property).  College Park and University Park both oppose this addition.  County Councilman Eric Olson is planning to not include the southern swath in October when time comes for him to motion initiation of the Sector Plan amendment to voting by County Council.  Once he does that, no one can make a backdoor effort to re-include the controversial properties.

The Sector Plan will also be discussed at a tentative M-NCPPC Planning Board meeting October 2nd, and at a tentative County Council public hearing (where Sector Plan update/amendment is initiated) October 21st.

County Councilman Tom Dernoga came to the City of College Park Council in September to present a road improvement project for Rhode Island Avenue. The project’s goal is to use traffic circles and install traffic lights to better manage the surge of traffic on the avenue. Residents have made it clear that they do not want Rhode Island Avenue turning into a four lane roadway for commuters to zip through, but would like to maintain the residential character of the neighborhood.

Dernoga and staff presented the three phases of the project: 1) installing a traffic light at Edgewood Road, 2) facilitating pedestrian and bike access, and overall safety north of College Park at Sunnyside Road, 3) burying utility poles and building traffic circles at the intersection of Rhode Island Ave, Indian Lane and Fox Street, and Rhode Island Ave and Hollywood. The plan includes building sidewalks only at the intersections, and continuing the bike trail north of College Park, where it abruptly stops.