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