Council Meeting Preview: Rent Stabilization, U.S. Route 1 Market Study, Maryland Book Exchange and More

Mayor and Council will gather at 8 p.m. today in the Council Chambers of for a regular voting meeting.

Anyone attending the meeting can get a parking pass at the customer service windows inside City Hall.

Below is a summary of some agenda items for tonight. A complete agenda accompanies this post.

Rent Stabilization

The council will decide if an updated report regarding the rational of the city’s should be pursued. The law is set to end in 2012.

Market Analysis

, hungry for new development, but just what kind of businesses should fill those buildings? The Hyattsville Community Development Corporation (CDC) has proposed a U.S. Route 1 market analysis, stretching from College Park to Hyattsville to help answer that question. Council will vote on whether or not to participate in the study for the price of $5,000. The study is estimated to cost a total $25,000. CDC is also requesting funds from Hyattsville, University Park, Riverdale Park, and other entities, like the .

Development of Maryland Book Exchange

Council will vote on whether or not it supports the . Council might send a letter to the Prince George’s County Planning Board voicing this disapproval, in part because the detailed site plan does not complement the adjacent Historic District.

Signs = Fines

The city is in the works of strengthening its city code against those who , reflecting the new Maryland law that allows city officials to remove the signs from state roads — like U.S. Route 1 — and charge a $25 fee per sign. Hanging a sign on a city-owned road could also cost. The fee is $100 for the initial violation, and then $200 for any subsequent violation within the same year. The adjusted code will be introduced tonight and then discussed at a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9.