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 April 15, 2025. By going to this link, you can 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 said the next spring cleanup Saturday will be held on Saturday, April 26 at public works from 7:30am – 12pm.  He said the last cleanup will be on May 17, and the city is looking forward to more participation.   

Councilmember Whitney asked if paint would be accepted, and Mr. Young said it would not be accepted until a fall event.  

Councilmember Esters asked if the last clean up day will be shared with and promoted to students who may be leaving the area at the end of the semester.  Mr. Young said yes it would be promoted to students and that is why it is held on the date.  He said it is right before students begin finals and will allow them to take advantage of getting rid of bulk items and not be charged by code enforcement.  The cleanup day has been successful in helping with student move out in most neighborhoods.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked if there is any update about the SGA elections.  Ms. Otte, SGA Liaison, mentioned a current controversy that will need to go before a board to determine if there will be disqualification in the election. 

PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS

1. Arbor Day (April 25) 

2. Children’s Mental Health Week (May 5 – 11) 

3. Asian American Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 

4. Mental Health Awareness Month 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Esters. 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Parizi Fida  – resident, student and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) member – wants to urge Council to allocate more funding toward infrastructure that will increase safety for pedestrians and road users who are not in cars.  BPAC has made a lot of recommendations for development and measures to make the city more hospitable. Some are not expensive, an others, like bike lanes, are.  She is President of Terps for Bikes Lanes and is an intern for the Rails and Trails Conservatory, and she understands the need for funding. Advancing recommendations would make College Park a leader in the state and nationwide.  

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked that the resident submit her testimony to the clerk and the Council.

CONSENT AGENDA

25-G-41 Approval of Pay Stations Contract – Jim Miller, Parking Enforcement Manager and Todd Brown, Contract and Procurement Specialist

Councilmember Rigg made a motion to accept the Consent Agenda, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell. It was unanimously approved.

ACTION ITEMS: 

25-O-04 Introduction of Ordinance 25-O-04, an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, Maryland to adopt the Fiscal Year 2026 General Fund, ARPA Allocation Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Capital Projects Fund budgets for the City of College Park – Gary Fields, Finance Director Public Hearing Date: May 6, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Fields introduced the budget. He said the residential and commercial tax rates are to remain the same in the proposed budget.  A public hearing for the budget will be on May 6 and the Council work session will be on May 13.   

Motion made by Councilmember Esters, seconded by Councilmember Hew.  

25-O-05 Introduction of Ordinance 25-O-05, an ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park to amend the City Code Chapter 179 “Tree and Landscape Maintenance”, Sections 179-5 A. Board Membership and Operation (2); to increase the voting members to nine (9) residents and remove the requirement for a CBE Chair or designee position. – Robert Marsili, Director of Public Services

Mr. Marsili introduced the amended ordinance of the Tree and Landscape Board to increase the membership and remove the requirement for the chair of the Committee for a Better Environment (CBE) or designee to attend every meeting of the Tree and Landscape Board (TLB). 

He said there are currently 5 members of the board who meet monthly to discuss ways to encourage residents to plan for tree and shrub planting. They write monthly news articles featured in the municipal scene and participate in events like Trolley Trail Day. Adding more members will help facilitate participation. It is difficult for five members to participate in the events they would like to attend. 

The CBE is requesting to remove the requirements that the CBE Chair attends the TLB meetings since and the shared information does not always require collaboration. The CBE would be available upon request for any meetings where collaboratin is needed. 

Councilmember Hew inquired about removing the required attendance for a CBE rep.  He said there is overlap between CBE, TLB and the Bee City Committee. He asked how competing and overlapping interests will be conveyed. Mr. Marsili said the chairs of the groups and city staff can communicate any relevant information that is shared. They can also be brought together to meet on occasion. Mayor Kabir said the groups also share minutes. Councilmember Hew acknowledged that the secretary is the same for each committee, which is helpful.  

Motion made by Councilmember Ranker, seconded by Councilmember Whitney and approved unanimously.

25-G-42 ZMA-2024-002, The Mark rezoning from RTO-L-E to RTO-PD for the re-development of a student housing facilities (involving the razing of College Park Towers and the construction of new student housing) located at 4330 Harwick Road and 4313 Knox Road. Planning Board Hearing tentatively scheduled for April 24, 2025- Miriam Bader, Director of Planning and Community Development and Carlos Nunes, Senior Planner.

Mr. Nunes said a month ago there was an extensive presentation about the proposed development. The plan is to replace the current property with two dense apartment buildings.  Final architecture will be presented during the discussion of the detailed site plan. 

Staff is recommending that 200 of the beds be offered at an affordable rate.  After the presentation to Council where councilmembers expressed an interest in affordable housing options, the developer provided two options; option one is tied to the market, while option two is based upon state data. City staff recommend option two, saying. option one will defeat the purpose as it will price students out eventually.  

Councilmember Ranker asked if Average Medium Income (AMI) is based upon per unit or per bed.  What would be the cost of the beds or units? Mr. Nunes said we do not have data from the Mark about cost.  Ms. Bader said if the development were built today, the cost would be $1,713 per bed under Option 2.  Mr. Nunes said we need to have the developer provide information about cost. 

Councilmember Rigg said 80% AMI seems high for students and asked staff to remind the Council of criteria for the student housing subsidy pilot. Mr. Young said they used eligibility for Pell Grant to establish need. Councilmember Rigg said he remembered that AMI was set for Grad students. If 80% AMI is the correct threshold, he suggested that we include other eligibility. The rate is pretty high and would often be the rate for an apartment. Councilmember Rigg said we talked about comparing the cost to campus residences and asked if that conversation occurred with the applicant. Ms. Bader said staff recommended that eligibility be based upon Pell Eligibility and 60% AMI, but the developer sought to move forward with 80% AMI.

Councilmember Whitney asked when most students lease housing for the academic year.  She said the February 1 date in the proposal seems early.  SGA Liaison Otte said she believed that most students get housing in December. Otte asked that Pell eligibility be considered, but dependency should also be considered.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said her questions were already asked, but she appreciated the applicant putting forth the effort.

Councilmember Hernandez asked what is the applicant preparing to do for parkland and recreation? Ms. Bader said this is not required at the time of zoning. Councilmember Hernandez would like the applicant to build on site versus the paying the county. Hernandez asked given the amount of traffic, why staff is accepting the stacking proposed by the applicant. He said students will drive, and accommodating the request will cause issues. Ms. Bader said to clarify, the request related to the entrance to the garage is acceptable to staff. Councilmember Hernandez said the new standard is allowing for six cars and wonders why staff approved of it. Ms. Bader said staff did not believe entrance to the garage necessitated the need to increase the apron to the entrance of the garage.

Mr. Chris Hatcher, attorney for the developer, said this is a rezoning application. The units and costs are not required at this point, but the definitive number of units will be provided. He said The Standard has been able to work successfully with the city for over 5 years and they appreciate the partnership. He said what was heard was a general comfort subject to details to the architecture, stormwater management, and the public park (the greenway). He said the landscape architect met with staff to discuss interests. He said what they also heard was that council sought a partner that would listen to their interests. They produced two scenarios for two hundred beds or 10%, whichever is less. He said he understood there are details that will be fleshed out and included in the Declaration of Covenants. Mr. Hatcher said they can reduce the density to 140 per acre, but he did not believe that was the purpose of the request. 

Landmark’s Mr. Hamilton said the city is pushing 80 % AMI, which is difficult given that this is rented by the bed. He said based on research a 2-bedroom unit is around $1500, and a 30% discount would be $1,050 per bed.  

Councilmember Rigg said he acknowledged the engagement.  He said he wanted to provide an equitable arrangement for our residents. He asked how 80% AMI will work (both eligibility and renter perspective)?  How would city staff be able to determine how staff would be able to determine a market rate?  Is there a reason they would not want to base it upon campus housing rate? 

Mr. Hamilton said 80% AMI is something they would need to work on in the details.  He said the rate is based upon the family income. Councilmember Rigg asked how the developer would be able to verify family income. Mr. Hamilton said they verify family income. Councilmember Rigg asked rents would be based on a building rate versus a market rate. Mr. Hamilton said it would be the building rate.

Mr. Hatcher said there are ways to avoid a bad actor developer from jacking up prices.  Mr. Hamilton said they are willing to consider other measurements. Councilmember Rigg said we do not have to facilitate all the details tonight, but we would need to do so before building permits are pulled.

Councilmember Ranker said the rezoning has to be done before the details are worked out and the process makes him uncomfortable. He asked Ms. Anderson for legal advice on how to move forward.  Ms. Anderson said the applicant has come to the city to get buy-in on the zoning and part of the request includes affordable housing.  At this point we need to come up with a framework that assists us in moving forward.  We want to come up with a win-win, if possible. Mr. Ranker said he agrees but his concern is that once we get beyond this stage it is out of our hands. He said his request would be to have the affordable bed/units to be in the 5-bed room units.  

Mayor Kabir said he appreciated the developer listening to Council.  

Mr. Hatcher said the preliminary site plan and detailed site plan will come before Council.  The leverage is not legally binding but occurs between the developer and the city. 

Councilmember Whitney asked if the developer would consider tagging the rents to the affordable graduate students housing at Leonardtown which is new housing, with a 3% increase in the base rent each year. Mr. Hamilton said he does not know the number but would be willing to consider it. Whitney said the cost was $1,300 per bed. Ms. Bader said the rezoning board hearing is May 1.  

Councilmember Esters said many of her questions were asked. She said she appreciated the developer listening to Council and providing options for affordable student housing.  She said she is interested in understanding how many units will be offered and at what price.  

Councilmember Hernandez said the Park and Planning date can change, so why rush and do it now?  When we have had preliminary site plans and detailed site plan, Council input is often considered to be recommendations. He said we already have fifteen student housing units in the city. This development will be a net loss on affordable units. He offered a counter request that 25% of units be set at 80% and 10% at 60% AMI. Mr. Hatcher said he appreciated the comment.  

Councilmember Rigg asked if the proposal of cost is based upon 4 or 5-bedroom units.  He said he appreciated the consideration of Pell Grant Eligibility.  Mr. Hatcher said they would need time to consider what is proposed. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell referenced the planning board meeting on May 1 and asked what the process looks like. Mr. Hatcher said the city said it would be in the same position as the preliminary site plan; the county makes the decision, anything else would be considered recommendations. He said he believes the project would be brought back to Council by the end of the year.  

Ms. Anderson said we can only make recommendations that can be considered in the overall process for moving forward.  

Councilmember Hernandez asked what would happen if we did not approve it.  Ms. Anderson said it would not change the process but would be considered.  

Councilmember Rigg made a motion to lay aside, seconded by Hernandez.  

When Mayor and Council returned to the item, Councilmember Rigg made a motion to go with Option one (market rate-based) with the following changes:

1. 30% discount applied to comparably configured student apartments across College Park
2. Eligibility based upon Pell Grant or veteran status or other mutually agreed upon criteria. 

Roll Call Vote – unanimous. Councilmember Rigg said the motion will lay a foundation that gives staff guidance to allow them to move forward. 

25-G-43 Approval of two Business Retention Grant requests: Prime Time in the amount of $60,000 and Marathon Delicatessen in the amount of $30,000 – Michael Williams, Economic Development Manager

Mr. Williams said there were two requests for business retention. Marathon was established in 1972.  Economic Development is seeking $10,000 for Marathon to assist with interior space improvements and equipment purchases. Primetime had building costs over $1,000,000, and they made a five-year commitment to stay in the space. Economic Development is seeking $60,000 for Prime Time.  

Mr. Williams said there is a claw back feature of these grants; the Council and Economic Development determined that f in three years the recipient has not performed or closes, we can get the money back.  

Councilmember Hernandez asked what is left for 2025 and why we would give money to a big restaurant?

Mr. Williams said $80,000 is left in the grant fund for FY25. He said we are part of the Big 10 and want them to establish their brand here. It is bringing something first class to the community. Councilmember Hernandez asked if there was a discussion with Primetime during their recruitment about the existence of a grant. Mr. Williams said the city never negotiated with the company about what can be done for them. Mr. Hernandez asked what the $60,000 was for.  Mr. Williams said the funding was for furniture, training, payroll, and time spent on the entitlement process. 

Councilmember Esters said there is money and risk that people put into the process of opening and maintaining a business. We often talk about the money we give, but we do not often see the amount of money that business puts into the process. She asked if we have any current applications for grant funding as our fiscal year concludes at the end of June. Mr. Williams said there are a few applications for smaller businesses in District 1 for equipment needs. She asked if the applications would exceed the funding that is left. Mr. Williams said yes, but he wants to know the needs of the businesses.  

Councilmember Hernandez thanked Mr. Williams for working with the businesses and determining needs.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked Mr. Williams for his work. and asked about the long-term goals of the grants. Mr. Williams said his goal is to partner with businesses, saying the assistance offered is often not monetary. It’s assisting with the entitlement process.

Ms. Otte asked if no grant is given at this point, will they see profit. Mr. Williams said they will eventually make a profit. They probably won’t see profits for some time. Ms. Otte asked if that is typical for businesses here. Mr. Williams said all businesses have a ramp-up time. 

Richard Biffel, non-resident- said Happy Tax Day. He said let us remember it is taxpayer money being used. We should be careful using taxpayer money to private business. The subsidies can become a dangerous precedent. We do not have a shortage of restaurants in this town. He believes that taxpayer dollars are not needed by an established group.   

Councilmember Hernandez said businesses bring a certain vibe to the city. He said he thought we should speak to businesses about what we can provide them, and he acknowledged that Primetime provides a different alternative. He knows why we are doing this.  

Mr. Williams said as a resident and employee of College Park, there are several ways we can use our money. =We can use our money on acquisitions, and it does not always have to be restaurants.  

Councilmember Esters made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Whitney. The motion passed unanimously.

Councilmember Esters said this was an opportunity to support a long-standing restaurant like Marathon and a newer business like Primetime that we want to see in the city.

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said she had yet to complete a request form, but since money is given to non -profits we should put forth a process for audits. She said she would complete the form to bring the item forward. 

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER

Councilmember Mackie said thank you for the love and concern from colleagues and staff.  She appreciated the opportunity to join the meeting online. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said that she has received questions about the postal service not delivering mail on Saturday. She said that during the recent Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors meeting she and Mayor Kabir attended they learned that job losses at the Federal level are estimated to result in a total loss of $5 billion in lost revenue for local municipalities, to date.  She also learned that the estimate 44% of casual restaurants (in the District) are projecting they will close in 2025. All local entities should come together to deliver a message to the White House. 

Mayor Kabir said the COG Meeting provided alarming signs, and there will be much impact. There will be ongoing issues with workforce retention, and more people will be leaving the area. Federal workers make, on average, $127,000, which is double the salaries of other workers.  There will certainly be an impact on city income taxes. 

Councilmember Esters said she attended the COG FARM meeting (4/11) which focused on food insecurity and composting in Laurel and Arlington. She said she was proud of the city’s efforts related to composting/food waste. She said she attended a Restorative Practice Symposium on 4/15 and had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Dawn Collins, the mother of Lt. Richard Collins III who was tragically killed in College Park in 2017. She said Mrs. Collins invited her to a Restorative Justice event to be held at Bowie State University (BSU) on Friday, April 18. She said she would share the information with Council colleagues.  

Councilmember Hernandez mentioned the city’s tree program.  He wished everyone a Happy Easter and Happy Passover. 

MEETING ADJOURNED

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on May 6, 2025, when it is available. 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:

Presentation:

Council of Governments 101 – Clark Mercer, Executive Director 

Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session wrap-up – Leonard Lucchi, Esquire, O’Malley, Miles, Nylen & Gilmore, P.A.

Public Hearing: 

25-O-04: FY2026 Proposed Budget & CIP – Gary Fields, Finance Director 

Action:

Comments of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Budget –Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

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 April 1, 2025. By going to this link, you can 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 said the city’s Spring Cleanup events will be Saturday, April 5, April 12, April 26, and May 17. He mentioned the Council Budget Session to be held on Saturday, April 5. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Former Councilmember Robert Day 

PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS

College Park Volunteer Fire Department 100th Anniversary Proclamation 

AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Mackie. 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Ethan Pham, non-resident – UMD alumnus who graduated in 2024. He said he loves the City of College Park because of the residents and businesses. He wanted to serve the community and started the College Park flea market with SHOP Made in Maryland which served 35,000 patrons. The city has stopped operation due to zoning law. He learned this after quitting his job to run College Park Flea as his full-time job. In less than a week, he collected over three hundred signatures for a petition. He is asking the Council to consider allowing College Park Flea to continue operating while they consider how to work better together. 

CONSENT AGENDA

25-G-34 Award of four FY 2025 Education Grants: Berwyn Heights Elementary School in the amount of $2,750 for Books for Every Student Program; Paint Branch Elementary in the amount of $8,000 for Field Trips and Assemblies; Paint Branch Elementary PTO in the amount of $500 for meeting refreshments and activities and Hollywood Elementary PTO in the amount of $500 for meeting food/coffee and movie night – Kiaisha Barber, Youth, Family and Senior Services Director 

25-G-36 Approval of a letter of support for the application that Laurel Cats, Inc. is submitting in partnership with Beltsville Community Cats (BCC) for funding under the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Spay and Neuter Program for Fiscal Year 2026 – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services 

25-G-38 Approval of the appointment of Purdom Lindlad to the Childcare Task Force as the Education Advisory Committee member – Bill Gardiner, Assistant City Manager

Councilmember Esters made a motion to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Councilmember Hernandez. Approved unanimously.

PRESENTATIONS: 

State of the City – Mayor Kabir 

College Park Academy Presentation – Sandy Abu-Arja, Executive Director and Nicole 

Nelson, Director of External Relations, Chair of the Board of Directors Robert Day

Dr. Abu-Arja acknowledged Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell as a former member of the College Park Academy (CPA) Board. She also acknowledged the City of College Park, the University of Maryland and Prince George’s County for their involvement in the development of the school and its ongoing success. Dr. Abu-Arja said CPA was established in 2014 and offers a rigorous educational experience for grades 6-12 and the school offers admissions via lottery system. She explained that CPA works to meet students where they are and offers them opportunities to excel. She also invited the council to visit the academy and take a tour with student ambassadors. She mentioned 6 signature programs of CPA that align with University of Maryland programs (Business / BSOS / Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences/ Education / Engineering / Public Health). 

Ms. Nelson said the school has partnerships with various entities including the City of College Park, UMD Discovery District, Prince George’s Community College, Bowie State University and Capitol Technology University that allow students to earn college credits, provide extracurricular opportunities, and foster innovation. She said CPA invites individuals to share their expertise and welcomes visitors and internships. 

Dr. Abu Arja said CPA has been recognized as the number one high school in Prince George’s County and said if there were opportunities for community service they would like to be involved. She said CPA students obtain their required Student Service Learning (SSL) credits prior to high school, which allows them to focus on their studies, attend conferences, and be thought partners. She said six board members are from the University of Maryland. She said they are fortunate to have high student and staff retention. Each year CPA has identified AP scholars and for the past two years the school has achieved the Platinum Award from the College Board. She said rigorous college prep is their mission. All students are required to take AP courses, 93% of students attend college and 35% are accepted at and attend the University of Maryland. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said that if it were not for Dr. Loh, former UMD President, we would not have CPA. She asked about how CPA students were prepared to pivot during COVID. Dr. Abu-Arja said she was surprised at how quickly they could pivot. She said very little training was needed for staff, and they were asked to help eleven other districts in transitioning to online and hybrid and get them back face-to-face. 

Mr. Day said during Covid, 99% of Maryland schools dropped classroom participation to 50%, but CPA kept their participation rate at 97%. 

Councilmember Esters asked how their student alumni attending University of Maryland interact with current students. Ms. Nelson said CPA created an alumni association and alumni who attend University of Maryland and other schools come back to participate in an Alumni Panel and Alumni Day. 

Councilmember Hernandez asked if they would help with the county. He mentioned his understanding of their interest in expanding CPA in Prince George’s County and asked how they are seeking ways to expand. Mr. Day said if they do not build another school, they are looking to build into an existing school and would like to expand into the College Park if they can. Councilmember Hernandez asked about CPA’s relationships with elementary schools in the city. Dr. Abu-Arja said when CPA started, they did not have a catchment area. Currently, about 35% of sixth graders are from thethe College Park area, and 55% of the population has a sibling connection. She said they have 1500 students on their waiting list every year. Councilmember Hernandez mentioned Congressman Ivey’s funding for service academies and mentioned he did not see any service academies at CPA. Mr. Day said he has known Congressman Ivey for years and they are working closely with the Congressman who will be their commencement speaker this year. 

Councilmember Mackie asked for a timeline for College Park Academy Elementary. Mr. Day said they cannot do that at this time, but they are working with the superintendent to understand parameters. 

Mayor Kabir said all members of the Council are talented and would welcome the chance to talk to students. Mr. Day said he would hold the Council accountable for coming to CPA to do a tour with an ambassador. 

Councilmember Whitney asked if there are tours for interested families. Dr. Abu-Ajar said they do not normally do individual tours with prospective families, but they do host three prospective parent nights. She said there is also a virtual tour they can share with prospective students and parents. 

PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION:

25-O-01 – An Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, amending City Code Chapter 125-10, “Housing Regulations”; “Chapter 141-6 “Refuse Toter and Recycling Containers; and Chapter 110 Fees and Penalties – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services and Stephanie Anderson, City Attorney

Mr. Khokhar introduced the item. He said that during the February 11^th Council meeting staff were instructed to move forward in introducing an ordinance to restrict the storage of tables or other surfaces from being used for drinking games and being kept a semi-permanent fixture. The proposed ordinance amends Chapter 141-6-A to ensure refuse and recycling carts are used only for the intended purpose and to require the placement for storage of such carts in the rear of the property or the side of a house adjacent to the main structure at a certain time after pickup and provide for violation notices and payment of penalties. Ms. Anderson, City Attorney, said there was some confusion about the date of the hearing per the notice. So, the item will be kept open to allow for comment. 

Councilmember Rigg asked why no action would be taken tonight. Ms. Anderson said both April 1 and April 8 were listed as hearing dates in the notice so there is a desire to allow opportunity for public comment. Councilmember Rigg said the purpose of the ordinance is to limit the storage of beer pong tables in the front year and the use of toters for beer pong. There was an error in the College Park Here and Now about the purposes of the ordinance. 

Councilmember Mackie asked if the city could post the link to the correction of the article that led to some confusion.

Councilmember Hernandez mentioned previous consternation regarding overreach of where the toters are located but said he had since had the displeasure of seeing for himself the issue Councilmember Rigg is trying to address. He said he would be supporting the amendment. 

Councilmember Ranker asked, as someone who is new, if it is already in the code that the trash carts should be stored in the rear or side of homes. Ms. Anderson said the reference to cart storage is in code 119-3-B and 141-6-A. She said that language was not changed in the amendment. 

Councilmember Ranker asked if passed would we see an increase in the number of violations. Director Khokar said he did not anticipate increased notices of violation.

William Sullivan, resident and Manager of Fraternity House – Every year he works with residents and neighbors, and they are organized in their effort to understand and abide by regulations. He asked if people are familiar with IFC and Panhellenic. He said each year there is an opportunity to meet with the house facilities managers at least twice a year and suggested communication with these individuals. 

Councilmember Hernandez said that the council had previously talked about lack of student input and asked if Mr. Khokhar could meet with groups. Mr. Young said each year there are knock and inform activities to ensure that areas with large student populations are informed. 

Councilmember Hew said students need to understand the regulations and the University needs to be part of the conversation. 

Ms. Anderson said the record will remain open on this item through April 8. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked if anything would go out to inform residents they can still comment. 

WORKSESSION DISCUSSIONS

Residential over-occupancy – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services

Mr. Khokhar provided background on this subject and said the issue of residential over-occupancy has come up over the last 10 years. He said if they receive a complaint they inspect and look for violations for overoccupancy, then occupants are given time to remedy the issue. They have found understairs areas used for sleeping purposes, emergency egress violations, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector issues. He mentioned the IBTS (Institute for Building Technology and Safety). He said that with the residential parking permit (RPP) zones, the Parking Department will verify the number of people on the lease before they issue permits, but they have not requested a copy of the lease. He thinks they could make that a requirement. He mentioned a recent listing for a College Park house with 8 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said we are trying to ensure the best quality of life for those who rent properties. She said she has concerns about investors having eight -10 bedrooms where they claim family, but it becomes an Airbnb. She said anything we can do to make the rules more stringent would help. She said the announced inspection is an issue; they should be done unannounced. 

Mayor Kabir asked if Code Enforcement can show up unannounced and if they can go if there is a complaint. Mr. Young said we need to have access to the interior of the property. If we show up unannounced, we are just wasting our time. Ms. Anderson said in order to properly enforce, we need to get inside. 

Councilmember Mackie said this is a subject that will require a couple work sessions. Residents can also make complaints using the app. She stressed that code enforcement officers need our help. She said that rental ads, unregistered rentals, and the amount of trash from these homes are ongoing issues. She said her mother lived next door to such a property. 

Mayor Kabir asked about council options. Ms. Anderson asked Mr. Khokhar to look at the code and identify where it can be strengthened. 

Councilmember Esters said this was an ongoing issue. She said we see advertisements for homes with numerous bedrooms but have been told that a house can have many bedrooms despite the regulation of only five unrelated people. She said these ads are red flags and asked where these are seen that special attention be paid to these homes. 

Councilmember Whitney said she has been hearing the same complaints from everyone and being told that it is not enforceable. She asked about other solutions/ideas that may be done in other college towns. She suggested posting on all advertisements through the University information about the regulation of five unrelated people in a home and asking Off-campus housing to share this information. She suggested we might require notice be posted on the doors of all rentals about the regulation with a warning that some could lose their housing for overoccupancy. She stressed that, while overoccupancy might make rent more affordable, it makes homeownership less affordable. Finally, she suggested that landlords who are repeat offenders lose their rental occupancy license. 

Councilmember Ranker said he would like to see more legal options taken to address the issues. It impacts both those in violation and those who are in compliance. He asked for an interactive map to show which homes are registered as rentals. 

Councilmember Hew, who is part of the International Town and Gown Association (ITGA), said it would be hard to retroactively do, but we could limit the number of rentals in the city. This could be a competitive lottery for landlords who win these lotteries. It was done in a college town in Montana. Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said there was legislation in 2015 regarding this and it did not go through due to pushback from landlords and residents. 

Councilmember Hernandez said in his review of this matter he thought about his background. He said there are some tenants who respect the rules and then there are 4 to 6 properties that are known as problem neighbors. These homes often have many cars with different out-of-town tags. The property owners tend to be out of state. He said he would like to see focus on solutions that fit within existing codes. He said solutions to over-occupancy will result in negative impacts on affordable housing. 

Councilmember Rigg said one of the issues around overcrowding includes the overcrowding streets with parking. Each property has five parking permits and three visitor passes. What about a policy that restricts the number of parking permits and visitor passes? If we are willing to take this on, we should expect pushback. There used to be a comprehensive listing of landlords and rent properties on the city’s website. He said residents have the right to know who to go to if there’s a problematic rental property on their street. He said Ann Arbor posts the landlord info on the door of the residence.

Mr. Khokar said we currently require a local agent within a 10-mile radius but said we could consider restricting that. They said he would need to take the comments to the City Attorney to determine what is possible.

Councilmember Esters said she understood the need for a listing of property owners but has concerns about making that information public due to privacy concerns and well as potential harassment. 

Councilmember Whitney said she did not want us to lose sight of this as an affordable housing issue for people who want to buy homes and settle in College Park. She said the house she and Councilmember Esters toured had two full kitchens. She suggested Council could address some of Councilmember Hernandez’s concerns by advocating for changes at the county level that would allow 2 families to share a home.

Councilmember Hew said there was a need for responsible permitting, we are providing unlimited rental permits and parking permits. 

SGA Liaison Otte said parking is definitely an issue. She said students rely on the affordability of housing within the community. If a change occurs, students can be kicked out before the school year starts because they learn their landlord are renting to them illegally. 

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell mentioned the former Quality of Life Committee. She suggested Mr. Khokhar and his staff have conversations that allow him to come back with recommendations. 

Mr. Young said investors have been able to dictate our housing market. We have to treat all family dwelling units the same regardless of whether a family lives there or the owner is using it as a business. He suggested we could partner with 21^st delegation to push legislation forward to have different tax rates for single family homes used as businesses.

Mayor Kabir asked Ms. Allen, City Clerk, to provide the Council with a copy of the Quality-of-Life Report. 

Mr. Khokhar said he will have conversations with other college towns to identify best practices. 

Legislative Review 

Mr. Gardner, Assistant City Manager, said the state legislative session will be over the week of April 7. He provided updates on the following:

• Bond bills submitted for Attick Towers and housing development by the airport.
• Governor Moore’s major legislation is the Housing for Jobs Act
• Bike lane bill allows for 30-minute stops for delivery. If passed out of committee, our lobbyist will lobby against it. 
• The city requested two bond bills, one for Attick Towers redevelopment ($350 thousand) and one for landscaping and a garden at Youth and Family Services for 4250 or $275 thousand. 
•  Bond bill to CPCUP to cover stormwater requirements for Aviation Landing project and possible the tennis center project.
• Mayor asked once the budget passes if we can have a list of all we gained for a press release.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell asked how the Governor’s budget impacts municipalities. Mr. Gardiner said the state budget will have a direct impact on the County government. State and County Youth and Family Services grants may be reduced. Mr. Young said SHA is looking at cities taking on street lighting costs. Municipalities will fight to keep that from happening. 

Four Cities Meetings Agenda Items: Greenbelt: April 24, 2025 –Limit to two agenda items

Mayor Kabir asked if there has been a response from Chief Green to the letter from the Four Cities about support for fire departments. Mr. Young said there has not been a response. 

Councilmember Mackie suggested a discussion regarding the anticipated cost of utilities, and the Director of the Environment to talk about bringing a composting site to North County.  

Mayor Kabir suggested we discuss the impacts of Executive Orders and what the other cities are doing to address them.

Four Cities Meeting had been scheduled for April 24 in Greenbelt but was changed to May 1

REQUESTS FOR / STATUS OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Councilmember Rigg said SGA Liaison Otte has been trying to get student apartments to post a notice telling their tenants how to access the city’s mental health services but has not gotten a response. He asked that Council back her by sending letters to local student apartments making the same request and asked that a draft letter be put on next week’s Consent Agenda. Council supported the suggestion.

Councilmember Hernandez asked when back Vote 16 will come back to the council now that all seats are full. He was told it was scheduled for the April 8^th agenda. 

COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER

Conner Johnson, resident- it would be important to have rental data to make informed decisions.

William Sullivan, resident – many students have entered the university and become residents of College Park. The landlord contract is an overburdening contract of despair that they have no control over. There are instances where landlords do not care, and during the pandemic cost increased. He said during home inspections, students come to his office to hide so their house is not fined. 

Husain, non-resident – spoke about transformative economic efficiencies.

Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell thanked the owners of Prime Time for their recent opening and Mr. Williams, Director of Economic Development, for helping bring them to the city. 

Councilmember Hew said April marks the recognition of the Earth. Earth Day is in a few days (April 22), and No Mow April helps pollinators. Councilmember Hernandez said he attended the CPCUP unveiling of the last goldfish (7415 B Baltimore Ave), and said Eid Mubarak to those celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

MEETING ADJOURN

Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on April 8, 2025. 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:

• Resolution establishing an Affordable Housing Task Force – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning

Action Item(s)

• Introduction of an Ordinance: Stop Sign Monitoring, Systems
• Adoption of an Ordinance: Placement of refuse or recycling carts
• Adoption of Charter Resolution: Extending voting rights to College Park Residents aged 16 and 17 in City Elections only
• Adoption of Charter Resolution: Amending the time frame of how a Council vacancy can be filled – Special Election or Appointment:

Worksession Discussions

• Draft Ordinance establishing a vacant property registry – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning and Community Development and Nate Foreman, City Attorney 
• Discussion on VEO Rideshare Proposed Amendments to the Contract – Carlos Nunes, Senior Planner

WMATA provided the following information after Councilmember Esters followed up on resident’s inquiries:

“Beginning April 1, 2025, the Berwyn Road Pedestrian Bridge will temporarily close for approximately one month for preservation maintenance. The work should take approximately 30 days and is estimated to reopen to the public on Thursday, May 1, 2025.  These repairs are necessary to ensure continued safety and security of pedestrian traffic.

Alternate Pedestrian Access:

There are two alternate pedestrian access points to cross over the tracks and pedestrians are reminded to please use all crosswalks and traffic signals for their safety.

•            Greenbelt Road overpass using the sidewalks

•            College Park-U of Md Metrorail Station pedestrian tunnels 

Additional Project Information: 

The Berwyn Road Pedestrian Bridge will introduce features that improve the customer experience with Metro, including installing bird deterrents to keep animals in their natural habitat, improving customer safety and animal welfare. 

We will keep you informed of any delays. Thank you for your patience as we make the necessary improvements to the pedestrian bridge.”

There has been a request for basic directions to alternate routes to be added to the signage.  We will keep you abreast of any delays or additional information. 

On Sunday, April 6th, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the City of College Park will be closing several streets in the Old Town area for a collegiate bicycle race organized by the University of Maryland Cycling Team entitled “Route 1 Rampage.” Between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., driving and parking will be prohibited along the racecourse which includes:

• 4500 – 4600 blocks of College Avenue 
• 7400 block of Rhode Island Avenue
• 4500 – 4600 blocks of Knox Road 
• 7400 block of Yale Avenue.

Crossing of the racecourse will only be permitted on foot when cyclists are not present. All driveways not directly on the race route are accessible to Baltimore Ave via other side streets. Please see the map below for more information. Expect traffic delays during this time. Zone 6 City permit holders who normally park along the race route need to relocate their vehicles to the City’s Parking Garage located at 4509 Knox Road (above Ledo’s Pizza) beginning on Saturday, April 5th at 6:00 p.m. Cars still parked on the racecourse by Sunday, April 6th at 6:00 a.m. will be towed to the lot behind The Hotel.

The public is encouraged to spectate Route 1 Rampage. This bicycle race is organized by the University of Maryland Cycling Team and draws collegiate riders from across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.