Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Mayor Andrew Fellows broke a tie vote of the City Council Tuesday night.
The College Park City Council rejected a motion Tuesday night to appeal last month's District Council approval of the Cafritz property rezoning plan. Mayor Andrew Fellows broke a tie vote of the council, which split 4-4 on the measure. The city faced an Aug. 17 deadline to file an appeal. Councilmembers Patrick Wojahn (Dist. 1), Monroe Dennis (Dist. 2), Robert Day (Dist. 3), and Stephanie Stullich (Dist. 3) supported an appeal, while councilmembers Fazul Kabir (Dist. 1), Bob Catlin (Dist. 2), Marcus Afzali (Dist. 3), and Denise Mitchell (Dist. 4) were opposed. Though Mitchell and Afzali both voted against the project when it came before the council in January, Afzali said Tuesday that he did not support the use of municipal resources for …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Members will also consider applying for a $180,000 grant from Community Legacy.
The mayor and council of College Park are set to meet tonight (Tuesday, Aug. 14) at 7:30 p.m. at city hall. Below are several of the items up for discussion and/or action: View the agenda and full packet of meeting materials here.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The council voted to keep the ordinance on the books for another year while delaying enforcement to seek common ground with landlords.
The city council voted Tuesday night to extend College Park's rent stabilization ordinance through 2013 while simultaneously suspending its enforcement, effectively lifting the law for one year as councilmembers work to address opponents' concerns. First passed in 2005, the ordinance aims to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing in College Park by capping residential rents. (The ceiling affects one- and two-family homes but not large apartment buildings.) Critics—led by the city's landlords—charge that the restrictions are overly burdensome for property owners and unfairly limit the housing stock available to students. The intense debate surrounding the measure drew dozens of supporters and opponents to a public hearing on Monday…
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Fourth-grade students of College Park read their Maryland Municipal League essays in the Council Chambers full of family, friends and city dignitaries.
Fourth-grade students who entered the Maryland Municipal League's "If I Were Mayor" essay contest read their blueprint plans for College Park at Tuesday night's mayor and council meeting. Among the group honored were school-wide winners, statewide semi-finalists and one Maryland Municipal League winner—Holy Redeemer School's Ella Lannon. Her essay highlighted improvements that she’d like to see in College Park—new environmental programs, recreational facilities, and crime and pedestrian safety measures. She was recently honored at a ceremony in Annapolis, along with the other state winners. Check out the gallery to find out what schools the students attend, and what they would focus on to improve College Park, if they were mayor.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Colleagues of former city councilman Jack Perry said they often disagreed with him, but his love for the city ran deep.
Longtime City Councilman John Edward “Jack” Perry of Berwyn—a man of strong convictions, conservative politics, and a love of family and community—died Monday morning, at the age of 69. Just months after retiring from council, he succumbed to the liver cancer he battled since 2009. During his 26 years on the council, Perry became known as a watchdog for taxpayer money who spoke bluntly and often dissented from the majority vote, though he always provided the rationale for his beliefs. "Yes, a lot of times I didn't agree with people here," Perry said at his last council meeting in December. "But you have to have a 'nay' vote ... If you weren't making waves, you weren't moving." He was honored at a reception that month, when so many leaders…
Monday, April 16, 2012
College Park community mourns the loss of longtime public servant.
Former College Park City Councilman Jack Perry died Monday morning, according to The Gazette which cited city officials. Perry, 69, represented District 2 on city council for 26 years— first from 1979 to 1983 and then from 1989 to 2011. He also served as mayor pro tem under two mayors. He chose not to run for re-election in 2011 due to an illness. “[The job] has gotten old, and I’ve gotten older,” he told Patch in January. In that interview earlier this year, Perry couldn't point to one accomplishment from his tenure that made him “most proud,” saying instead he “feels good about all of them.” Perry and his wife Kathleen lived in College Park for 40 years, raising their six children. His retirement from council was a mutual decision, he …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
With the District Council set to review the hotly-debated development Wednesday, Patch runs down the 'consensus conditions' and how they came to be.
Editor's note: The District Council's hearing on the Cafritz property is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. Check back with Patch throughout the day for the latest news out of Upper Marlboro. Back in December, as many were busy preparing for the holidays, local and county officials were hard at work crafting a list of conditions for the proposed Cafritz development. Now, those same conditions—along with the rest of the project—will face a key test as the Cafritz rezoning plan comes before the District Council on Wednesday. Composed of the members of the Prince George's County Council, the body will have the final legislative word on the developer's application. Working up to today's hearing, in meeting after meeting, lawmakers, civil …
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Patch has a summery of College Park news from the week.
If you're trying to play catchup on this week's College Park action, here's a summary: UMd. Students returned to College Park this week, with classes at the University of Maryland starting up on Wednesday. That night, the Duke University basketball team also visited the city. Though police stood ready for post-game rioting, it was an uneventful night after the Terps lost 74-61 to the Blue Devils. Murder Case The plea hearing was postponed for Deandre Ricardo Williams, who is charged for the shooting murder of UMd. student Justin DeSha-Overcash. A new date was yet to be announced, as of Friday. Development College Park officials and developers are exploring ways to obtain a beer and wine license for a future grocery store, hoping to attract…
Friday, January 27, 2012
The council isn't voting consistently, editorial board writes.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
College Park City Council voted on several action items Tuesday night. Here's a roundup.
The College Park City Council voted on several action items at its Tuesday evening meeting, including a decision to support pending county legislation that would instate a disposable bag fee. See a roundup below. East Campus Funds The council voted to approve the release of $3.3 million in state funds from a 2010 appropriation for the East Campus project. This portion of the funds is intended to clear the East Campus site for redevelopment and, possibly, for infrastructure improvements, according to a letter from the University of Maryland office of administrative affairs to the city. Carlo Colella of facilities management at UMd. said he was unsure of when a detailed site plan would be available. Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich (Dist. 3) …
Peggy Anne
11:56 pm on Friday, August 17, 2012
I like the trees. Let the trees live there. Who needs more housing ?? Why should the cash crop be more and more people piled on top of each other ? I would hate to see the surrounding area even more frantic and congested. Hasn't it been through enough "restructuring" ? I wish I could turn the clock back to 1954. more ›