Politics & Government

Redevelopment of Maryland Book Exchange Has People Talking

What's everyone saying about the proposed student-housing complex in Old Town?

where the currently sits at U.S. Route 1 and College Avenue. Community members, students, developers and the city have all weighed in on the current design plan. Here’s a summary of what they’re saying: 

College Park City Staff: The planning department says the detailed site plan for the development to with all of the goals, principles, policies, and Development District Standards that apply to the project, nor the Central U.S. 1 Corridor Sector Plan.

College Park Council: Council , based on the city’s recommendation and testimony from Old Town residents. However, the fate of the project is ultimately in the hands of the county.

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Developer Attorney: Russell Warfel, who represented the developers at the council work session on Oct. 4 and the voting meeting on Oct. 11 said the . Warfel had no comment immediately following the council’s decision on Tuesday.

Developers: One of two developers for the project, Ilya Zusin, said after the city council voted to reject their application, that he believes the city’s opposition is not about the development itself, but rather it stems from a rocky relationship between students and residents that will continue whether the development is completed or not.

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Councilman Mark Cook (Dist. 3): A note from former Mayor Stephen A. Brayman, read at Tuesday’s council meeting, said that the developers contributed a donation to Cook. Zusin said it was a $150 donation about a year ago when Cook was running for a county-level seat. Cook said he returned the $150 donation. At Tuesday’s meeting, he proposed an amendment that the city will support the application if developers utilize a stepdown design, which would taper the six-story building on the side of Yale Avenue. The amendment failed. Cook chose not to participate in the vote for the initial motion to reject the application.

Architects: Peggy White, owner of Axiom Engineering Design, which created the detailed site plan, stands by the development as a great project that she believes is supported by the students. “The students want to be downtown,” she said after Tuesday’s meeting. “They all believe this is where the student housing should be,” she said.

Residents: More than a dozen College Park residents, most of them from the Old Town area, testified at Tuesday’s council meeting. One of them was Dennis Herschbach, who said the six-story complex doesn’t belong in that area. “When the density of students …. gets too high, you lose control, and I wonder if we’re there,” he said. “We want to save this community, and this is working toward the destruction of this community.” Leo Shapiro, who doesn’t live in Old Town, came out to support those who do. “There’s little doubt I think that this development does not conform to the … spirit of the law,” he said.

Old Town Civic Association: Civic Association President Kathy Bryant said at Tuesday’s meeting that the density of students at the complex would exacerbate the problems that nonstudent residents of Old Town already face. “[It] would be like pouring fuel on a fire while we are asking the fire department to put it out,” she said, and added that the development does not compliment the historic nature of the neighborhood.

UMd. Student Government Association: SGA President Kaiyi Xie said at Tuesday’s council meeting that he sympathized with Old Town residents, but urged the council to not reject the application simply because it’s student housing. He said he believes the close proximity of the complex to campus would draw students out of the residential neighborhoods and would stimulate the economy of the downtown area.

City’s Student Liaison: Marcella Morris said she couldn’t comment on how this design aligns with the city and county plans, but she agrees with the project in general, and believes it would draw students out of single-family rental homes, particularly because it’s close to campus.

Others Against the Development: The College Park Planning Advisory Commission, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Student Center all submitted letters to the city council between September and October, voicing their opposition to the development in its current design.

University of Maryland: In a letter to County Councilman Eric Olson, dated Aug. 2010, the university expressed its support of the project to house international graduate students and visiting faculty, and its belief that the project is consistent with the needs and goals of the university. The letter expressed support for the planned Fall 2013 opening.

Rethink College Park: Editors of the development-focused website weighed in on the project before Tuesday’s meeting: “The developer is mostly within the intent and bounds of the zoning for the property and could seek relief in the court system … There is definitely a gap between what the Sector Plan says and what the City’s staff wants it to say. Most (but not all) of the items listed in the city’s staff report are of questionable relevance,” according to the editors.

Please note: In an earlier version of this story, Patch incorrectly named the church east of the area to be developed. The story has been corrected. We regret the error.

Following the publication of this article, Student Liaison Marcella Morris e-mailed Patch and wished to clarify her viewpoint: "I feel that this project does go against the [U.S. Route] 1 Sector Plan in a lot of different areas, and I understand the city and county's issues with this proposal. However, student housing that close to campus would radically change student's housing choices and priorities. It could go as far as drawing students closer to campus and from Old Town but cost and infrastructure will also be key in this shift."


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