Stullich: Curry's Presence Could Have Impacted Book Exchange Hearing

A city councilwoman suggested this week that the presence of former County Executive Wayne Curry at a recent planning board hearing may have given a boost to the developers of the .

When the development team appeared before the Prince George's County’s Planning Board in December, Curry was there as their consultant. Current County Executive Rushern Baker also entered the hearing room, greeted Curry, sat down behind the developers, and left a few minutes later. Baker was accompanied by a student, whom Baker’s spokesman said was shadowing the county executive for the day.

“I’m sure it helped having Wayne Curry there,” City Councilwoman (Dist. 3) told lead developer Ilya Zusin and his attorney Michele La Rocca at . “I’m sure it helped having the current county executive come and sit behind the developers,” she added.

The College Park City Council for a student-housing complex where the Maryland Book Exchange currently sits, criticizing its size and arguing that it doesn’t fit in with the historic area. The county’s planning staff , in part because the height doesn’t taper on the side facing Yale Avenue.
But the planning board decided to give the developers a continuance instead, allowing them more time to revise their design.

Planning Board Chair Elizabeth Hewlett said that she wasn’t fazed by Curry’s role with the developers, and that she didn’t notice the county executive there in the hearing room.

“We were hoping that a continuance would be beneficial,” Hewlett said. “That’s not uncommon. We do that when we … think there is opportunity for refinement.”

La Rocca said that Curry is a logical member of the development team. He’s the current president of local real estate firm NAI/The Michael Companies, and he was a partner with her law firm before becoming Prince George’s county executive in 1994, she said.

Curry has a history in business, land use and development, according to a Washington Post article in March. He also served as aid to former County Executive Winfield Kelly Jr., and he was the former head of Baker’s transition team when he became county executive, the Post wrote.

Curry and La Rocca both said that they didn’t know Baker was going to show up at the hearing.

And Baker’s spokesman Scott Peterson said Baker didn’t know that Curry was in the room until he entered, and that he went in because he wanted to show the student a hearing. He added that Baker’s office does not yet have an official position on the Book Exchange project.

After Tuesday’s meeting, Stullich said she couldn’t say for sure that the presence of Curry and Baker at the hearing had an influence on the board’s decision to allow the developers more time.

“All I can say is that the College Park residents who were at the hearing saw the county executive sit with the developers and not come over to see us,” she said. “I don’t think that was appropriate at all.”

The planning board hearing will continue on Jan. 19 in Upper Marlboro, and it will be live streamed here. The ultimate approval for the development will fall on the Prince George’s County District Council.