Council Adopts Redistricting Plan, Applauds Route 1 Funding

The College Park City Council met Tuesday evening in a regular meeting that stretched all of 60 minutes, unanimously voting in favor of several items and briefly commenting over much-welcomed federal funds aimed at Route 1.

As by Patch Tuesday, nearly $9 million has been identified by the State Highway Administration that will help ease traffic and include medians and bike lanes along Baltimore Avenue between Campus Drive and Route 193.

Mayor Andrew Fellows called the funding a “spectacular announcement."

In other business, the council approved several items, foremost among them a new redistricting plan aimed at leveling out population numbers between the city’s four districts.

The plan, one of three presented to the council in May, eliminates a 43-percent population variance found between the largest and smallest districts in College Park. Details of the plan can be found here and .

Before the vote, Councilman Marcus Afzali (Dist. 4) said he was glad to see three adjacent dorm communities — Cambridge, Denton and Ellicott — now sharing District Four, adding that the change would make voting easier on students.

With that, Mayor Andrew Fellows capped off the ensuing unanimous vote with an “Alright. The Motion passes. We have districts.”

The council also approved a motion to expand those eligible for a homeownership grant to volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel who work within Prince George’s County.

The program, aimed at fostering more owner-occupied homes in College Park, can provide up to $7,500 in closing costs to those buyers willing to live within the property for five consecutive years.

“The purpose of the program is to encourage people to buy and live in the city,” said Councilman John Perry (Dist. 2), rather than rent homes out.

Longtime resident Jerry Anzulovich agreed, calling the program a great way to entice families to College Park.

The council also put its weight behind a letter postmarked to the county council in support of CB-15-2011, draft legislation meant to include heightened notification requirements among those filing stormwater concept plans. Municipalities, the letter states, “should be afforded an opportunity to participate in the discussion at each stage of the review process.”

The council also approved a class-B, beer and wine license for , located at 8300 Baltimore Ave. The restaraunt's draft Property Use Agreement includes an alcohol-to-food ratio of 35 percent to 65 percent. A hearing with the county Board of License Commissioners is scheduled for July 26.

After about one hour, the council shifted into an executive session to privately discuss a “personnel matter.”