Andrew Fellows: 'We are a Safer City Today, but We Can Be Even Safer'

Andrew Fellows has led the city as mayor for two years, and now he's running for another term.

first served from 2001 to 2007 as a District 3 College Park City Council representative, and before that was a four-year president of the Calvert Hill Citizens Association.

He has worked for Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund’s since 1999, and was named as Chesapeake Regional Director in 2008.

Although it's an uncontested race, we sent Fellows a few questions about what he sees as the biggest goals and challenges over the last two years, and the two years ahead.

Here are his responses:

College Park Patch: As you look over your past term as mayor, what contribution are you most proud of?

Andrew Fellows: I’m proudest of a less contentious College Park. Of course, I am not entirely responsible for the improvement, but I believe that work sessions, council meetings, relations with the University of Maryland and Prince George’s County have been less combative. I think that I have brought a more collaborative atmosphere to the city’s approach to ongoing challenges and opportunities.

This answer is somewhat paradoxical; others’ contributions are critical to this success. In particular, the university’s new President Dr. Wallace Loh (and the Board of Regents for seeking city input and choosing Dr. Loh), the city council, City Manager Joe Nagro, Prince George’s County Councilmembers Eric Olson and Mary Lehman, County Executive Rushern Baker and the 21st District delegation deserve credit, as well as former Mayor Steve Brayman for making the transition two years ago so smooth.  I believe that most if not all College Park successes are collaborative.

Patch: Do you have any regrets from the past term?

Fellows: I wish that the Prince George’s County School Board had approved changing Paint Branch Elementary School from kindergarten through sixth grade (K-6) to K-8th grade. Great and quiet work was done that almost made it happen, and it is among the many approaches to improving public education opportunities for our youth that are ongoing. I believe that both and will eventually make that change, along with most if not all of the county’s public elementary schools, and it would have been great for College Park to have a school among the first.

Patch: You said at the Calvert Hills candidate forum that you are running for re-election because it takes more than two years to accomplish the things you'd like to accomplish. Can you be more specific about what that unfinished business is?

Fellows: Creating significant and visible change often takes more than two years.  Creating a College Park public charter school, transforming U.S. Route 1, achieving visible progress on East Campus, developing the College Park Metro Station, building College Park’s reputation as a green city, and a number of other collaborative city/county/university successes have taken more than two years. 

We are a safer city today, but we can be even safer. We are a good college town, but there is vast room for improvement as the sustainable, diverse, cultural, intellectual and economic hub in the county, state and region that we can be.  The creation of a University District can help us make great strides toward all these goals in the next two years.

Perhaps it goes without being so explicit, but that there will be “unfinished business” after two more years, and that the task of becoming the great college town will be the ongoing work of future mayors and councils.

Patch: You also said that back when you were a council representative, you realized that two of the most important things for the city to do were foster better relationships with the county and with the university. Why, and how do you see those relationships continuing to grow in your next two years?

Fellows: College Park is justifiably most known as the home of the flagship campus of the University of Maryland System. For every challenge that faces the City of College Park, the university is our most powerful institution with applicable resources. For every challenge the university faces, it makes sense for the city to assist where possible. If the city is successful, it makes the university a more attractive place to attend, work and visit. The university’s successes benefit the city.

Prince George’s County is our larger community, with the governmental responsibilities of transportation, land use, education, public safety and many other public sector decisions that affect our quality of life.  

By building on collaborative structures such as the City University Partnership (which now includes County participation), we can interact to devise and implement common strategies to improve safety, transportation, housing and development, education and sustainability.

Patch: And finally, there's been a whole lot of talk about turning College Park into a top 20 college town. How do you define a top 20 college town, and how will that relate to your next term as mayor?

Fellows:

• Notable academic strength of the University
• A satisfied student, faculty and university staff who enjoy living, working and playing in College Park
• A regional if not national reputation for cultural attractions and events
• A good music scene
• Retail including book stores, coffee shops, and other places to meet
• The deserved reputation of a safe place to live
• A great place to raise kids
• A diverse and interactive community
• A fun place to live
• For College Park, with its proximity to the nation’s capital, a national reputation that encourages the federal government to invest in public higher education

In the next two years, developing College Park Metro, revitalizing U.S. Route 1 and solidifying a structured collaborative relationship between College Park, the University of Maryland and Prince George’s County will make great strides toward becoming a top 20 college town.