Comments are by Councilmembers Llatetra Brown Esters and Susan Whitney and are not approved or sanctioned by the City of College Park.
Click here to watch the video of the City of College Park Mayor & Council Meeting held on June 3, 2024. By going to this link, you are able to watch the discussion of specific agenda items you are interested in. If you have questions about Council actions and discussions, please email us at lbesters@collegeparkmd.gov and swhitney@collegeparkmd.gov.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Mr. Young thanked everyone for their efforts to make the International Town Gown Association (ITGA) conference a success. He mentioned a welcome reception to be held at City Hall on Tuesday, June 4, and another to be held at the Hall on Wednesday, June 5. He said he was looking forward to learning a lot. The next Friday Night Live concert on Friday, June 7 and will include food, beer, wine, and activities for kids.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Former District 2 Councilmember Maxine Gross
PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS
AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell made a motion to approve the agenda, motion seconded by Councilmember Hernandez.
CONSENT AGENDA
24-G-87 Authorization for the City Manager to sign a letter to Stewart Title Guaranty Company, as requested by the University of Maryland, stating that the City of College Park does not assert or maintain any ownership or have any rights in and to any portion of, the “paper street” shown as Hopkins Avenue, located on the land to the north of Norwich Road and owned by the University of Maryland College Park, as required for the University’s Graduate Student Housing Project whose new address will be 4646 Graduate Way, College Park, MD – Kenny Young, City Manager
24-R-03 Approval of Resolution 24-R-03, Resolution Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park Adopting The Recommendation Of The Advisory Planning Commission For Application Number CEO-2024-01, 9100 St. Andrews Place, College Park, Maryland, For A Variance From City Code §87-23 C To Recommend That The Portion Of The Fence Along Bridgewater Street And Turning In Towards The House Be Constructed At A Height Of 4-Feet-Tall Plus A 1-Foot Lattice, For A Total Of 5-Feet. The Portion Of The Fence Along The Property Line With The Adjoining Lot May Be 6-Feet-Tall. Both Sections Of Fence Shall Include Space Between The Boards To Incorporate A Moderate Level Of Openness. – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning (The appeal period ended May 28)
24-G-88 Approval of Minutes from the May 21, 2024, meeting.
Councilmember Esters made a motion to adopt the Consent Agenda, motion seconded by Councilmember Hernandez.
ACTION ITEMS:
24-R-05 Approval of Resolution 24-R-05, a Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park adopting a Scholarship Program as proposed by the City’s Restorative Justice Commission to provide grants/scholarships to certain descendants or former residents of the Lakeland community – Maxine Gross, Chair, Restorative Justice Commission
Ms. Gross discussed the purpose of the proposed Lakeland Legacy Scholarship to support Lakelanders engaged in self-improvement and the three categories of education to be supported: Restorative and Transformative Justice Education, Vocational Education, and those seeking classical post-secondary education (undergraduate & graduate studies). Those eligible to apply will include those who have direct lineage to Lakelanders who experienced Urban Renewal, and those living in the Lakeland community for at least 10 years.
Councilmember Esters asked about the timing of scholarship disbursements given where we are in FY’24. Ms. Gross said the commission will look to staff to determine when, but they wanted to do this some time ago. She would like to begin dispersing funds as soon as possible.
Councilmember Rigg asked about the requirement of 8 hours of work related to restorative justice and what that would look like. He said that could be done in a variety of ways, and Ms. Gross agreed.
Councilmember Mackie asked who would serve as the reviewers. Ms. Gross said members of the Restorative Justice Commission will help to review applications. Councilmember Mackie asked if academic scholarships will only be offered for studying restorative justice or would include African American studies and other disciplines. Ms. Gross said it would include other disciplines.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said she appreciated the work of the Restorative Justice Commission putting the proposed scholarship forward.
Councilmember Whitney also appreciated the scholarship and asked about the requirement that applicants have a “documented demonstration of academic success.” Would that require a certain GPA? Ms. Gross said that for some, their transcript would suffice. For others, the transcript might be accompanied by a letter of recommendation.
Councilmember Hernandez asked how many of these awards were made last year. Ms. Gross they were not offered last year, and this is the initial proposal. Councilmember Hernandez said he hoped the University would become more engaged and involved in supporting such scholarships.
Motion made by Councilmember Esters and seconded by Councilmember Whitney.
WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS
Discussion of Detailed Site Plan Application for LVCollective, Project Turtle (former Campus Village Shoppes) – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning
This agenda item was introduced by Ms. Bader as the detailed site plan for Project Turtle, which will include a 299-unit student housing complex, the Lakeland Legacy Center, parking and retail.
The applicant has requested 8 amendments, most of which are minor. The two most significant are related to height and shift from 355 to 286 parking spaces. Residents will not be eligible for neighborhood parking permits. They are requesting to move from 3 to 2 loading docks. Based upon feedback during the preliminary site plan, the developer will create a promenade that will be publicly accessible. The City and developer will create a Declaration of Covenants and Agreement.
Councilmember Rigg asked how many shops 13,000 Sq ft of retail would accommodate. The answer was that it depends on what retailers they get.
Mr. Haller, the attorney for the developer, introduced the development team and said they agree to most of the City’s recommendations. He said retail would be located on Baltimore Avenue. They anticipate an anchor on the north end. The North Side of the development will house loading functions. Commercial and public parking will be in the middle of the development. Pedestrian access will be at the North and South ends of the development. Two courtyards for the tenants, both active and passive. The active courtyard will include a heated pool, and the passive courtyard will include a walking path.
LV Collective’s Andre Sahakian mentioned the Lakeland Legacy Center. LV Collective worked with Ms. Gross, the Lakeland Civic Association (LCA) and Lakeland Community Heritage Project (LCHP). The center will include space for archives, a working catering kitchen, and space/opportunity for collaboration with the University. There is accessibility from the ground floor of the building.
Councilmember Esters thanked the developer for their work with the Lakeland community. She asked about the price point for the complex, citing recent discussions with students regarding housing affordability. The developer was unable to provide price point or price range but said the costs were competitive.
Councilmember Whitney asked where the HVAC System would be located… She also asked the developer if they had a plan to ensure no further issues related to overgrown weeds and if the construction site will be screened. The developer will be working with the property manager to maintain the grounds for several months until construction. The construction site will be screened.
The developer said they anticipate could be a maximum of 6 to 7 vendors in the complex. Mayor Kabir asked about the return of Taqueria Habanero and Hanami and was told they have been offered the opportunity to come back.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked if they will offer ADA-compliant rooms (They will.). She also asked if the developer would be working with City staff to ensure that workers do not park in the neighborhood (They have a plan to prevent the issue.). Finally, she asked that students from Lakeland be given priority for any affordable units.
Councilmember Hew asked about the height of development. Ms. Bader said the development meets FAA requirements. He also asked about a timeline to meet with the retailers who will be returning. The developer plans to meet with them one year before the building is delivered. He asked that any fencing /screening about the construction site not interfere with sightlines for drivers.
Councilmember Hernandez asked why they didn’t include the additional floor at the time of the preliminary site plan. The developer said this is the first time they have discussed height; at no time did they propose a smaller building. Councilmember Hernandez emphasized the need to ensure that the leases for commercial residents are not difficult to manage. He also asked about the lighting. Pedestrian streetlights will be around 3 sides of the building. Sconces will be on the east side of the building.
Councilmember Rigg asked if the town homes were true town homes and how many bedrooms they would have. Mr. Sahakian said they would have 2 to 4 bedrooms and would have an accessible entrance into the unit. Rigg also asked that consideration be given to a retail space that sells small sundry items, which is currently lacking in the city.
Councilmember Mackie asked why solar panels hadn’t been considered. Mr. Sahakian said solar is not feasible for wood frame buildings.
Councilmember Esters asked about the passive courtyard and if it would be accessible to the public. She was told the passive courtyard would be accessible to the public. She then asked about the security of the building. The building will be secured with smart door access, and all stairwells and exterior doors will be monitored to ensure they are not propped open.
Councilmember Whtiney asked if security measures will be included for the Lakeland Legacy Center (Yes).
Mr. Haller said the developer is making great effort to ensure the building is leasable and viable. He discussed the question of affordability and said there is no ability to set aside any percentage of affordable housing. He said a mid-block crosswalk on Navahoe has been shown but does the developer does not believe it is the best place for it. There will be follow up with the city engineer to determine the best place for the crosswalk. He mentioned the recent inclusion of lighting improvements along the trolley trail, which were not included in the original listing by staff. He said the developer planned for the items that were on the original list provided by staff.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
Maxine Gross, resident – LV Collective have been more than professional, but in listening to the discussion she realized that the city does not have a plan for its focus on affordable housing. There should be policy that indicates that if developments come to us, they should include affordable housing options. She referenced recent comments from a social psychologist who said the city has done a lot of damage by meeting the needs of the University but not the community.
COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell responded to Ms. Gross and said the Mayor and Council put forth the establishment of Taskforce on Affordable Housing. Through the task force, we aim to put policies in place to ensure affordable housing in the city.
Councilmember Hew said he and Mayor were recently acknowledged for their commitment to the Asian/Pacific Islander community. He will be traveling to Sacramento to participate in a National League of Cities Environmental Committee meeting.
Councilmember Hernandez said he recently attended International Night at Hollywood elementary. He acknowledged the great work done by the school, staff and PTA.
Councilmember Rigg mentioned the Calvert Hill Ice Cream Social to be held on Saturday night. The event will feature a new ice cream shop slated to open soon in District 3. He expressed gratitude to the council for the new wrought iron fence around the Calvert School designed and approved by the City Manager.
Mr. Young reminded the Council of the closed session immediately following the regular meeting.
ADJOURN
INFORMATION REPORTS
a) FY 24 Animal Control report – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services
Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on June 11, 2024. Tune in, show up or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Workshop discussions proposed to be on the agenda that may interest District 2 residents. Please contact us as soon as possible if you need accommodations to participate in a meeting, including language translation:
CONSENT ITEM(S):
Annual appointments to City advisory boards for terms that begin on July 1.
ACTION ITEM(S):
Approval of Property Use Agreement in support of an application for a Class B, (BLX), Beer, Wine, and Liquor License for the use of Everland, Inc., t/a LaTao Hotpot College Park, 8700 Baltimore Avenue, Suites A & B, College Park, 20740.
Award of contract for RFP CP-24-05 (Request for Proposals for Research Consultant for the Restorative Justice Commission) and authorize the City Attorney and City Manager to execute the contract. Discuss and approve FY ’25 Strategic Plan One-Year Objectives.
The College Park District 2 Digest 