City Council Members Criticize Maryland Book Exchange Approval

to build a retail and student-housing complex at the location of the , city council members are sharing discontentment with the decision.

The College Park City Council voted against the developers' plans last month, arguing that such a building violates the 2010 Approved Central US 1 Corridor Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment, which guides development along Baltimore Avenue in most of College Park.

"Why did we waste all this time, energy and money making the sector plan if the guidelines are going to be ignored?" Councilman Marcus Afzali (Dist. 4) asked The Diamondback.

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In its January vote against the detailed site plan, council also argued that the building wouldn't fit in with the adjacent Old Town College Park Historic District.

"It's not compatible with the neighborhood; it's too tall and doesn't transition into the neighborhood behind it," Councilman Patrick Wojahn (Dist. 1) told The Diamondback.

Read the full Diamondback article here.

that she plans to appeal the planning board's decision. This would force the District Council—comprised of Prince George’s County Council members—to hold a hearing or an oral argument on the case.