Fewer Residents May Testify at Book Exchange Hearing

Just like last month, developers will face the Prince George's County Planning Board next week without support from the College Park City Council nor the county’s planning staff for a student housing design where the Maryland Book Exchange sits.

But this time around, there might not be a group of determined residents at the hearing to voice their disapproval for the project. for its density, size and design.

The vice president of the Old Town Civic Association said he has been encouraging residents to wait until the next stage of approval — after the planning board hearing — to voice their concerns again.

“We’re suggesting people save themselves for the District Council,” Bob Schnabel said. He is the husband of City Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich (Dist. 3) who has been outspoken against the project.

Another 'No' Vote

The City Council unanimously voted to support her motion at Tuesday night’s council meeting, to recommend that the Prince George’s County Planning Board oppose the project as well.

This is the . Since their first vote in October, the developers revised their design at the .

The developers on the east side of the six-story building. According to the city and county planning staffs, the Central U.S. 1 Corridor Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment requires the building taper to a maximum of two or three stories, since it faces residential zoning across Yale Avenue. The developers have said that because it doesn’t face single family homes, but rather a church and small student housing residence, they aren’t required to have a stepback.

“We brought forth the current plan in hopes of a compromise,” lead developer Ilya Zusin said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We believe we are in full compliance of the Sector Plan.” 

The revised plans also alter the exterior composition on the east side of the building to address the city and county planning staff’s argument that the design does not fit in with the surrounding historic district.

Resident Concerns

“The architecture team took an ugly building and made it even uglier,” James McFadden said. He was among seven residents who testified against the plan Tuesday.

Some of them expressed their concern about how the , when both former County Executive Wayne Curry and current County Executive Rushern Baker were in the room.

The developers defended Curry, the president of a real estate firm, as a logical member of their team. Baker’s staff have said that he was showing a student around Upper Marlboro that day, and didn’t know what hearing was going on when he took the student into the room. His staff also emphasized that his office has no position on the project. 

The scenario that day was “extremely disappointing,” resident Aaron Springer said.

It's the Students

But Zusin didn’t reply to any of the concerns when given the chance.

“I think we’ve said everything,” Zusin said.

Zusin has said that he believes the main opposition from the city stems from their desire to avoid student housing at that location. Although city officials and residents have said they don’t support the density of the project — beds for nearly 1,000 students — city officials have said it’s not the student housing itself that is drawing their opposition.

Student Liaison Marcella Morris, who serves as a communication link between the university’s student body and the city, called the spot along U.S. Route 1 a “homerun” for student housing.

“It is directly adjacent to the university … I and [the] students understand the concerns about this project, but this location for development is prime,” she said.

The planning board hearing is scheduled to continue Thursday, Jan. 19 in Upper Marlboro.

This was the first of two development propositions that the council voted to oppose Tuesday, the second being the .  That motion was also made by Councilwoman Stullich.

“Some people are going to characterize my position as anti-development, anti-smart growth, anti-transit-oriented development, and nothing could be farther from the truth,” she said.

Editor's Note: This story has been corrected. A previous version incorrectly stated the name of the Old Town Civic Association vice president. We regret the error.