City of College Park Council Meeting Review – October 28, 2025
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 October 28, 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 early voting will take place on Sunday, November 2nd, from 11am-4pm at Davis Hall and Election Day will take place on Tuesday, November 4 at City Hall. Parking on Election Day will be free at the downtown garage. Wonder Food Hall will have its long-awaited opening on Thursday, November 6. Mr. Young said the City of College Park will have the first Wonder in Maryland. The City of College Park will host the Maryland Travel and Tourism Conference November 17 -19.
Councilmember Hernandez thanked Councilmember Mackie for her work in bringing the tourism summit to College Park. He mentioned the interruption of SNAP benefits and asked if there is an opportunity for us to provide a surge of funding to the food distribution agencies. Mr. Young said we have seen an increase of grants for mortgage and food assistance. If there is an interest in doing so, we would need consensus and an amount. He said he bring this item back to Council.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell suggested that Councilmember Hernandez work offline to make a proposal for the 11/12 meeting. She asked whether we could put resources on our website in one area. Mr. Young said resources should be on the website, but he will ask Ms. Quiñones to help make it more prominent on our webpage.
Mayor Kabir asked if an announcement about grant funds could be included in the Monday Newsletter. Mr. Young said it could.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Bob Catlin, former District 2 councilmember
PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS
Mayor Kabir acknowledged first responders in the audience from the Prince George’s Police Department and Branchville Volunteer Fire Company.
AMENDMENTS TO AND APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Councilmember Hew made a motion to remove item 25-G-111 from Consent Agenda to Action Items.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Bob Catlin, resident – Holy Redeemer will hold it Harvest Bazaar from November 7 – 9, and the Berwyn District Civic Association will hold its annual bonfire on November 15. He said he wanted to talk about the Washington Post Printing and Distribution Center, which expanded their printing operations in 1996. They needed a 20-acre site with access to the Beltway and railroad. The building was not open until 2001. By 2009, the Washington Post reduced their printing and distribution operations, and they closed the plant. The University of Maryland bought the space for $12 million.
PRESENTATIONS
Middle Housing Presentation – Karen Mierow and John Parks, Prince George’s County Planning Department
Karen Mierow said the Prince George’s County Planning Department began to focus on the importance of providing missing middle housing in 2020, and they believe this program fits well into the housing revitalization conversation, saying it provides housing options.
She said form, scale and structure of missing middle housing falls in between single-family home and mid-rise. It is also called middle because it is affordable for those with middle incomes. It typically includes space for one off-street parking spot and accessible public transportation. They are meant to be well-designed, comfortable, and usable. They have the same scale and form of single-family homes.
She said historical policies like the Federal Housing Act and GI Bill fueled market demand for single-family homes. It contributed to the wealth gap that endures today as whites were able to build generational wealth while redlining prevented people of color and certain religions from buying.
Single Family Zoning in Prince Georges County is 94 percent single-family. She said diverse housing types exist in the county, but existing zoning laws do not allow for missing middle housing to be located in spaces where it should be located.
John Park said the overall issue is that people do not earn enough money to live in the county, saying many make too much to qualify for subsidized housing but too little to buy. He said rents and housing prices have been rising higher than incomes, and young residents are unable to live on their own. A household is considered cost-burdened if individuals are paying more than 30 percent of their income. He said there is an abundance of single-family houses and mid-rise buildings in Prince Georges County, what not much in between. As a result, the county cannot meet the needs of young professionals and seniors.
Mr. Park said missing middle housing offers opportunity for wealth building; supports mixed income communities; and promotes walkability which assists with retail sales.
Ms. Mierow said missing middle housing is all about price, size, and location. She said this is a paradigm shift in thinking about housing. This concept of missing middle housing has not previously been explored in Prince George’s County.
Mayor Kabir asked about the type of engagement the county planned to have with community members on this topic. Ms. Mierow said there will be surveys and discussions. He asked how the city can assist. Ms. Mierow said the city can support the program and any regulatory changes. They would appreciate hearing from residents.
Councilmember Esters asked when they anticipate the county to begin constructing missing-middle housing. Ms. Mierow said that there first needs to be legislative changes that allow for construction of such housing.
Councilmember Whitney asked if there was any discussion about missing middle housing during the time rezoning was done, if there were any consideration of incentives, and if scattered site housing been considered. Ms. Mierow mentioned referenced fast-track permitting, scaling fees, offering bonuses, allowing them by right, and pre-approved plans. She said developers could buy scattered sites. Mr. Park said they are studying what other jurisdictions are doing across the country. He said incentives and reducing regulatory barriers produce more housing than making requirements.
As for the rezoning process, Mr. James Hunt said the intent was to do a one-to-one transition with the thought of returning to make improvements.
Councilmember Hew asked about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and where the county is on ADUs. Mr. Park said Governor Moore is requiring all jurisdictions to allow for ADUs by October 2026. Detached ADUs are not the only things being considered, basement, in-house and carriage housing are included. He said there are numerous benefits of ADUs to serve seniors, and AARP is a big advocate.
Councilmember Hernandez said he would be happy to make more affordable housing if M-NCPPC would allow us land use rights. He asked how they identify what the missing middle housing looks like. Ms. Mierow said developers have their formula to get a return on investment on government-supported affordable housing. She said this will be market-rate housing that is affordable and reflects and enhances the look of the community. Councilmember Hernandez asked what they would suggest in identifying space that would allow for that type of housing.
Councilmember Ranker said he hopes they were hearing from others about the need for zoning authority to move things forward. He said he wanted to bring up several cautions. He said many of the rentals are owned by out-of-town LLCs. We do not want to see owners taking advantage and cramming more students into them. It would be great for these to be owner-occupied homes. He said for-profit developers will be looking to get their cut out of the deals. They will still want to build as high and wide as they can. We need to look for more public housing options. He is a fan of inclusionary zoning, which we do not have.
Councilmember Rigg mentioned the Council of Governments (COG) regional housing targets. He asked how does the discussion about ADUs and Missing Middle factor into this discussion? How have other regions gotten beyond the status quo? Mr. Park said it is too soon to tell how the discussion fits within the targets given current factors. Councilmember Rigg asked if Prince George’s County has a majority of affordable housing within the state. Mr. Park said the county has its fair share of affordable housing, but it may not be affordable to county residents. There have been some stakeholder interviews about housing in the county, and many cannot afford the area. As they move through the process, they would like to hear from individuals about their interest in new housing types. They strongly believe that it will be important to lift the voices of people who need certain housing at different points of lives to ensure naysayers do not drown them out.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said the city has an Affordable Housing Task Force she would like them to present to. Developers need to know that we are indeed interested in Middle Missing Housing.
Councilmember Mackie said unfortunately people are starting to create ADUs without the proper regulations. There should be some regulations, and they should keep the character of the neighborhood. She acknowledged this is not an easy subject and said she is concerned about homes selling for $600,000 in her neighborhood and the kinds of incomes people will need to purchase them.
Councilmember Esters said Council should prioritize missing middle housing as we have prioritized other housing types. She mentioned a project in Lakeland which is a partnership with the CPT, Habitat for Humanity and could be a beacon and example for what missing middle housing could be.
Council Whitney said inclusionary zoning should be inclusionary within the building, not provided elsewhere in the county as is done in Montgomery County.
SGA Liaison DiSpirito said he worked in Montgomery County and asked that the process be transparent.
Presentation of and discussion on the 2025 Permit Fees Analysis conducted by the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS)– Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services
Mr. Khokhar introduced the report of the IBTS report on permit fee analysis. He said one of his tasks, in consultation with the city manager, was a fee review. The report from IBTS was a comparison of other nearby cities (Bowie, Hyattsville, and Laurel). While IBTS found that the City’s fee structure as it related to rental units did not require any changes, they identified several fee categories that the city may wish to adjust or add to the City’s Code including amusement devices, alcohol licenses, vendor/solicitor, temporary businesses, and missed permit-related inspections and re-inspections.
Paul Hancher (IBTS) said he was present to discuss the report on behalf of the principal author (Chris Miller). The analysis was to review current fees and to determine the need for any changes. Fees were compared to Rockville, Takoma Park, Bowie, Laurel, and Hyattsville. Click here to see full report.
Mr. Khokhar said our fees should be transparent and fair. He said we need to balance fees with services. He said that staff can go deeper for the body to bring back amounts. He said the city manager has tasked him with creating a formal structure for parades and special events which are currently done on an ad hoc basis. Soon they will bring back a business process to Council. There are bits and pieces of the study they are already working on.
ACTION ITEMS
25-G-111 Approval of a letter to the Governor Wes Moore, requesting the property at 9829 Rhode Island Ave, be evaluated as a site for affordable housing – Kenneth Young, City Manager
Mr. Young said this was an item approved for consideration. He said Councilmember Hernandez requested a letter to be sent to Gov. Moore for an evaluation of a property for senior or affordable housing. Councilmember Hernandez said the property is located at 9829 Rhode Island Ave.
Councilmember Hew said he would like the letter to include the words “mixed-use” since there have been discussions over time about commercial use for the property.
Councilmember Esters said if we are asking for an assessment, she did not believe we need to include such details, saying we can explore those ideas moving forward.
Councilmember Hew said he believed it should include a reference to mixed-use.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell said we should wait before focusing on mixed-use.
Councilmember Ranker asked if there was any motion.
Councilmember Hew made a motion to add the interest of mixed-use to the letter, seconded by Councilmember Hernandez
Councilmember Ranker said he supports the intent of discussing mixed-use, but it does not need to be added to the letter.
Councilmember Mackie asked Councilmember Hew where he wanted to add the language.
Mr. Young said he did not believe such specific language should be added to this preliminary letter. He said the North College Park Community Center will be at the other end of the shopping center. He said he understood what Councilmember Hew was asking for, but it seems premature. One of the disadvantages of adding mixed-use would be that it would require building to go much higher. If the Council would like to craft language, he is fine, but he does not believe it should be added as a mandate.
Vote – 7-1 against Councilmember Hew’s motion
Councilmember Hernandez – made a motion to send the original letter, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell. The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor Kabir asked that the spelling of his name be corrected and to include the 21st Delegation and our County representatives.
25-O-15 Introduction of Ordinance 25-O-15, An Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park Amending Chapter 87 Building Construction § 87-23 “Fences, C. Front yard fences., to increase the maximum allowable height of front yard fences from three (3) feet to four (4) feet – Miriam Bader, Director of Planning and Carlos Nunes, Senior Planner
Ms. Bader said she was asking the Mayor and Council to introduce an ordinance to increase front fence height to four from three feet. Three feet is a safety concern for animals and children and is inconsistent with the county regulation. The conflict with the county’s regulations reflects poorly on the city. We are stressing people out unnecessarily and causing strain. This item was brought before the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) and approved.
Councilmember Whitney made the motion, seconded by Esters.
25-G-112 Agenda Items for the Four Cities Meeting in Berwyn Heights on November 6, 2025 – Yvette Allen, City Clerk
Ms. Allen introduced and listed the items currently on the Four Cities meeting agenda for the upcoming meeting.
Numerous Councilmembers mentioned concern with how many items were already on the agenda. There was a request to reduce the number of items.
Councilmember Esters said it would be helpful to add a discussion of efforts to assist federal workers and those losing SNAP benefits.
Mayor Pro Tem Mitchell made a motion. It was seconded and unanimously approved.
COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, STUDENT LIAISON OR CITY MANAGER
Councilmember Mackie said CPCUP (College Park City-University Partnership) celebrated the 100th house sold through the Live + Work program. She thanked the Laurel Crocheting Club and other groups who helped with Good Neighbor Day.
Mayor Kabir congratulated CPCUP on their 100th sale. He said he appreciated the opportunity to speak to Secretary Day during a recent meeting in College Park
Councilmember Whitney said she attended her last CBE meeting as a councilmember. She applauded the committee for its extensive work.
Councilmember Esters said she wanted to acknowledge city staff who worked the fall clean up.
Councilmember Hernandez said he appreciated Councilmember Whitney serving as an advocate for the CBE. He said the CPCUP Live Where You Work grant is $20,000. They highlighted that many of the homes have been in District 1. Councilmember Hernandez thanked city staff for their work at both the fall clean up and Good Neighbor Day. He said he had the chance to work at the Pregnancy Aid center during Good Neighbor Day, and it is a great community resource.
SGA Liaison DiSpirito said he was excited for upcoming SGA Candidate Forum. He wished everyone a happy Halloween.
MEETING ADJOURNED
Click here to see the full agenda for the City of College Park Mayor & Council Hybrid Meeting on November 12 when it is available. Tune in, show up, or share your thoughts/concerns about the following anticipated Consent Agenda and Action Items, and Worksession 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:
- Enhancing Energy Efficiency
- Approval of the License Agreement for the College Park Shopping Center
Public Hearing:
- Early Lease Ordinance to establish the timeframe in which property owners must communicate an offer for a successive lease or notice of non-renewal to a current tenant
- Ordinance to allow for amendments to Chapter 110-2, Penalties, as it is applied to Chapters, 87, 115, 125,138, 141, and 144 of the Code of the City of College Park
Action:
- Approval of a liquor license – Jatinder Khokhar, Director of Public Services and Stephanie Anderson
Worksession:
- Review and discussion of Parking Statutes, Policies and Coinciding Fees and Penalties
The College Park District 2 Digest 