RECENTLY COMPLETED PLANS AND STUDIES

Accokeek Town Center Planning Study-Consultant's final report

Addison Road Metro Sector Plan
The sector plan and sectional map amendment for the Addison Road Metro (ARM) Town Center and Vicinity was approved on October 24, 2000, by the District Council. The sector plan proposes a town center for the Metro core area, as well as the service area of the Addison Road Metro Station, within Planning Areas 72 and 75A. The plan establishes realistic development goals for creation of catalysts for revitalization of the ARM area. Also, as part of the approval of the sectional map amendment, the Development District Overlay Zone (DDOZ) and the Development District Standards were also approved by the District Council. The DDOZ is placed over the zones in the town center area. The standards establish a design framework to ensure quality development for proposals initiated by property owners or municipalities.

The standards were developed specifically to address development and revitalization proposals within the town center that were recommended in the sector plan. It is the intent of the plan to create a town center that serves as a community focal point providing for a broad mix of uses, while taking advantage of the proximity of the Metro station. Contact: Christine Osei, Project Planner, 301-952-3313.

Airport Regulations and Legislation

Annapolis Road Corridor Planning Study (Development Strategy Report)
This project was completed in February 2004. It produced an economic development strategy for that portion of the Annapolis Road (MD 450) corridor between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD 295) and the Capital Beltway (I-95/495). Sections of the corridor are included within the City of New Carrollton and the Town of Landover Hills. The study area is approximately three miles long and covers 1,178 acres. The uses along the corridor are mostly auto-oriented commercial services. The corridor contains approximately 1.3 million square feet of commercial space. Some 361,000 square feet of this space are vacant or under utilized.

The development strategy report is based on a detailed market analysis; extensive stakeholder interviews with elected municipal officials, business managers/owners, and neighborhood associations; and three community outreach meetings. The implementation framework identifies the actions necessary to transform the Annapolis Road corridor into the asset envisioned in the county’s General Plan.

The report points out the Annapolis Road corridor’s strategic location within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through its connections to regional highways. In addition, the New Carrollton Metro Station, with its connections to Metrorail, MARC, and Amtrak, is less than ½ mile from the corridor’s eastern end. The development strategy report also lists a number of challenges to the corridor’s redevelopment. These include vacant retail anchor stores, substandard physical appearance, perceived safety and security problems, the virtual absence of physical or functional connections between the corridor and the New Carrollton Metro Station, and the need for residents to go outside the Annapolis Road market area to shop for items like clothes and gifts and to receive legal, financial, and medical services.

Approved Anacostia Trails Heritage Area Management Plan
The plan constitutes Prince George's County's and the City of Laurel's management plan for heritage tourism in the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA). ATHA is located in the northern part of Prince George's county. The plan is an amendment to the General Plan for the Maryland-Washington Regional District Within Prince George's County, Maryland, approved by the County Council in 1982. The management plan must also be approved by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority in order for ATHA to be a state-certified heritage area. The plan describes ATHA and the heritage tourism resources contained therein; provides strategies for heritage tourism, interpretation, stewardship and linkages; and discusses implementation practices. For additional information, contact: Gail Rothrock, 301-952-3671.

Bi-County Transitway (formerly Purple Line) -International Corridor Planning Study

The Bi-County Transitway–International Corridor Planning Study was a preliminary evaluation of the social, physical and economic development potential provided by the Bi-County Transitway (formerly Purple Line) in the International Corridor. The International Corridor is an area approximately one-half mile deep along University Boulevard (MD 193) from West Park Drive to the border with Montgomery County and Takoma Park.

The planning study provided a demographic profile of the corridor and summarized a number of earlier studies and projects undertaken for this area. It included an initial evaluation of the transit-oriented development (TOD) potential of three nodes in this area, and it assessed the corridor’s economic and physical characteristics, particularly as they bore on the opportunities for and challenges to attracting quality transit-oriented development to this part of Prince George's County.

The study recommended that the TOD planning sequence contained in the Strategic Framework for Transit-Oriented Development in Prince George’s County be used to produce more detailed, site-specific development concepts for the two principal nodes in the International Corridor–at Riggs Road (MD 212) and New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650)–and closely coordinate land use planning for these nodes with the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) planning and engineering work on the Bi-County Transitway.

The study was completed in November 2003 and presented to the Planning Board on December 18, 2003. The Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee of the Prince George's County Council was briefed on the study on February 18, 2004.

Copies of the planning study are available at the Planning Information Services Section, Prince George's County Planning Department, M-NCPPC, ion the lower level of the County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro.

Information contact–John Funk, Supervisor; Community Planning Division; 301-952-4392; John.Funk@ppd.mncppc.org.

Biennial Growth Policy Update

The 2003 Biennial Growth Policy Update is a report on the implementation of the 2002 General Plan. In 2000, with the adoption of the Biennial Growth Policy Plan, Prince George’s County created this innovative instrument that helps keep policies up-to-date and implementation efforts on track. The report is the first Biennial Growth Policy Update completed since the approval of the 2000 Biennial Growth Policy Plan and the 2002 General Plan.

A Highlights section organized by the five countywide goals established in the 2002 General Plan. For each of these goals, the report summarizes relevant trends about each goal and a discussion of recent and upcoming implementation efforts.
A Findings section describes areas where progress has been made and where further efforts are needed. Because both the 2000 Biennial Plan and the 2002 General Plan are relatively new, the progress to date in implementing the objectives and policies is limited. However, this first Biennial Growth Policy Update identifies several areas where positive progress has been made and, conversely, where new or continuing efforts may be needed.
Two Appendices that provide more detail than contained in the Highlights section. Appendix I lists progress in attaining all of the General Plan objectives and Appendix II describes implementation efforts for each General Plan policy.

Broad Creek Historic District Preservation Plan
A 460-acre rural Historic District near Broad Creek was designated by the County Historic Preservation Commission in 1985. The present study, which updates the study that was completed before the district was designated, includes a detailed history and an architectural inventory, refines the design guidelines for the rehabilitation and infill construction, and clarifies county policies in protecting the district. The FY 2001 project involved field survey (including mapping, photography and architectural description) as well as analysis of environmental and design issues, in order to provide an updated guide to the protection and appropriate development of the Broad Creek Historic District. Publication is expected in early 2002. Contact: Susan Pearl, Project Leader, 301-952-3522.

Central Patuxent River - Special Area Planning Study - Click here to read the FINAL REPORT

Approved College Park US 1 Corridor Sector Plan
This sector plan was approved by the District Council on April 30, 2002 in Council Resolution CR-18-2000. The sector plan area extends along three miles along Baltimore Avenue from the Capital Beltway (I-95) to Guilford Road and includes approximately 442 acres. The purpose of the sector plan is to achieve a revitalized residential and business community, improve circulation and create an improved gateway entrance to the city along the US 1 corridor. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) partnered with the City of College Park, The University of Maryland and the State Highway Administration in this collaborative planning project. The sector plan provides policy recommendations for land use, urban design, transportation and circulation, environmental considerations, public facilities, and economic development strategies and projects. A Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) provides for the comprehensive rezoning of properties to bring them into conformance with the sector plan and to facilitate the mixed-use development character envisioned for the area. The SMA also establishes a Development District Overlay Zone (DDOZ). The DDOZ includes Development District Standards which pertain to urban design and development regulations for all properties within the sector plan area. The purpose of the DDOZ is to regulate new development as it relates to public areas (streetscape treatments, lighting and utilities), site design and building design issues and compatibility with adjacent land uses. Imposition of the Development District Standards is applied through mandatory site-plan review. Exemptions from site-plan review and compliance with Development District Standards is provided for existing uses and other special circumstances. A table is provided to specify which land uses are permitted and prohibited within the sector plan area and within different subareas along the corridor.

The overall emphasis of the sector plan focuses on implementing the community's vision of transforming US 1 into a gateway corridor containing mixed-use development in a pedestrian-friendly, functional and aesthetically appealing main street and town center development form. The plan implements Smart Growth concepts and endorses efforts by the State Highway Administration to reconstruct US 1 into an urban boulevard with a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly streetscape. Provision is made for redevelopment of the east campus of The University of Maryland and for the ultimate transformation of the three mile-long strip commercial corridor through redevelopment into several subareas having different development characteristics. The sector plan encourages residential development along the corridor and in proximity to the university as a means of reducing commuter traffic and spurring commercial development. It recognizes the variability of market conditions and provides for the flexible use of mixed-use zoning to accommodate such market conditions within the context of land use and design recommendations. The economic development strategy is intended to be used by the community and business sector in identifying potential redevelopment projects and the programs and strategies necessary to facilitate redevelopment.

In October 2001, the Planning Board adopted the sector plan and endorsed the SMA with several proposed amendments (see PGCPB Resolution No. 01-200). On November 6, 2001, the County Council met in work session to consider the joint public hearing testimony and the amendments proposed by the Planning Board. On November 19, the County Council proposed four additional amendments and set February 5, 2002 as the date for a second public hearing on all Planning Board and Council amendments (see Council Resolution CR-82-2001). The public hearing record closed on February 20, 2002. A summary of testimony was prepared and presented to the Planning Board on March 21, 2002. On April 19, 2002, the Council held a worksession to consider testimony presented at the second hearing. Final Council approval of the plan and SMA occurred on April 30, 2002, via approval of Council Resolution CR-18-2002. Copies of the approved sector plan and endorsed SMA are available at the lower level M-NCPPC Planning Information Services in the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro ($20.00 a copy). Contact: Community Planning Department, 301-952-3680

Community Improvement Initiatives for the International Corridor/University Boulevard Area
This document was prepared in spring 2002 by planning staff working in Montgomery County, the City of Takoma Park and Prince George's County, Maryland. It summarizes a variety of community improvement efforts in the vicinity of the International Corridor/University Boulevard (see Study Area Map below), a State highway that traverses all three jurisdictions. This booklet does not attempt to be a comprehensive summary of every governmental program in this area. Rather, it is a summary of major new initiatives that indicate a special public commitment to the future of this community. Contact: Joe Chang at 301-952-4797, M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department for further information.

Community Improvement Initiatives for the International Corridor/University Boulevard Area Map

Gateway Arts District Planning Study
The Prince George's Gateway Arts District Planning Study was completed in September 2001. The purpose of the study was to provide guidance for future planning and development activities in the Prince George's County Gateway Arts District. The area studied was the lower US 1 corridor extending from the District of Columbia northward for approximately two miles and including the "streetcar suburb" communities of Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood and Hyattsville. Many artists already live and work in the area, and through the joint efforts of the of Prince George's County and Artspace, Inc., a Minneapolis consulting and development firm, four anchor projects will be developed within the arts district, one in each of the four municipalities. The Prince George's County Gateway Arts District provides an opportunity to revitalize the lower US 1 corridor. Potentially, new investment and economic activities will result from the concentration of arts and culture in the area.

The study found that the four anchor projects alone will not be enough to create an arts district. A comprehensive action plan for facilities, programming and implementation must be developed. Several issues were identified that need to be addressed. Predominantly, the current zoning may impede artists' activities and discourage arts-oriented businesses. Other issues relate to geographic, transportation, management and social concerns. The corridor is two miles long; each community must maintain a unique flavor and yet form a strong identity as a part of a single arts district. There is also a concern that existing artists, businesses, and residents would be able to remain without being priced out of the area.

One of the outcomes of the study is a vision for the Prince George's County Gateway Arts District to help in evaluating future decisions. The community's vision emphasizes the district as a focal point for arts activities of all types, as well as for socializing, entertainment, dining, shopping and living-a vision that offers the richness and diversity of the metropolitan region, but retains, at its core, the hearts of four small towns. Contact: Dineene O'Connor, 301-952-3573.

The 2002 General Plan stresses intensive development in Centers, most of which are located around the county's Metro and MARC stations. The plan also divides the county into three development tiers (Developed, Developing and Rural) in recognition of differing goals and the need for different policies in attaining those goals in different parts of the county. The Environmental Element makes recommendations for the protection of important environmental lands, as well as the wise use of the county's natural resources. The Transportation Systems Element describes policies for transit, roads and pedestrian facilities. The Public Facilities Element provides guidance for schools, public safety, libraries, and water and sewer facilities. Other elements within the plan address economic development, housing, revitalization, urban design and historic preservation. For further details, visit the General Plan web page.

The Greenbelt Metro Area Sector Plan/Sectional Map Amendment (SMA)
The County Council approved the Greenbelt Metro Area Sector Plan on October 16, 2001 for an area surrounding the Greenbelt Metro station. The sector plan area covers approximately 1,600 acres and contains diverse land uses and neighborhoods associated with three municipalities (Berwyn Heights, College Park and Greenbelt) and major properties that are in both public and private ownership. The plan contains recommendations for land use, zoning, transportation, environmental, urban design, public facilities, parks and other important elements. The plan's concept was developed by applying planning principles including Smart Growth, transit, pedestrian and bicycle-oriented development, regional ecological systems, transit villages, and sense of community identity .The land use recommendations promote mixed-use development and redevelopment around the Greenbelt Metro and MARC stations with preservation of an environmental envelope. The plan recommends more than 300 development standards. A development district with an overlay zone was created for the major part of the planning area. The overlay zone which was superimposed over other zones modified development requirements within the underlying zones. The plan's development standards will be implemented through the subdivision, site plan and permit review process. Contact: Joe Chang, Project Planner, 301-952-4797.

International Corridor Issue Identification Study
The purpose of the International Corridor Issue Identification Study was to (1) identify planning issues associated with the International Corridor and (2) set a foundation for the next phase of planning which will be a comprehensive pre-planning study for the corridor beginning in FY 2003. The report produced from this study is presented in five sections: (1) the introduction section describes the purpose, scope, study area boundary; (2) the analysis of study area section describes historic resources, demographics, existing land use and zoning, transportation, public facilities, environmental features, economic development, urban design and adopted and approved plans; (3) the stakeholder survey section contains a summary and survey questions and responses; (4) the next steps section concludes the report by recommending future strategies; (5) the appendix section contains the survey questionnaire in English and Spanish.

Contact: Joe Chang, Project Leader, 301-952-4797 or team members or Dineene O'Connor at 301-952-3573 or Cheryl Harrington, Prince George's County Council at 301-952-4858 for further information.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway Gateway Signage Study
Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway Gateway Signage Study (Final Construction Drawings)

This project was completed in March 2004. It was undertaken under the Planning Assistance to Municipalities and Communities Program (PAMC) at the request of Seat Pleasant and Glenarden.

The 7½-mile Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway corridor is heavily commercialized and has a history of problems with vacant businesses, underutilized space, and maintenance deficiencies. Further, the commercial development is in a “strip” form that is characterized by numerous curb cuts, unscreened parking lots, inadequate buffering between the businesses and adjacent residences, inadequate or nonexistent sidewalks, and other problems.

Seat Pleasant and Glenarden’s mutual long-term goal is to revitalize the Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway corridor between the two municipalities. Their short-term goal is to construct new gateway signage to help establish a new identity for the corridor and show visible improvement along this important highway.

The study made recommendations for new gateway signage at three locations along the Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway (MD 704) corridor between the county line at Eastern Avenue and the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495). The three proposed locations for new gateway signage are (1) the village activity center for the City of Seat Pleasant at Eastern Avenue and MD 704, (2) the intersection of Dellwood Court and MD 704, and (3) the village activity center at Belle Haven Drive and MD 704. Final construction drawings and as-built site plans were prepared for the three locations. These were transmitted to the municipalities of Seat Pleasant and Glenarden in March 2004. However, no funds have been identified for construction of the three signs as of March 2004.

Strategic Framework for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Prince George's County
The Strategic Framework for Transit-Oriented Development in Prince George's County is a countywide planning document for attracting transit-oriented development (TOD) to Prince George's County as a means of achieving the development goals and objectives provided in the 2002 General Plan.

The framework discussed the history and employment of TOD, including other jurisdictions’ best practices and lessons learned elsewhere in the metropolitan region and the United States. It identified opportunities, challenges, and policymaking issues associated with employing TOD planning in Prince George's County. The framework provided criteria for evaluating the TOD potential of 15 Metrorail and 2 stand-alone MARC (commuter rail) stations in the county and included descriptions of those station areas. It provided a TOD plan and development concept and strategy for the West Hyattsville Metrorail station area as a case study, and it made planning, community outreach, procedural and interagency and intergovernmental coordination recommendations for attracting transit-oriented development to the county.

The framework was completed in May 2003 and presented to the Planning Board on May 29, 2003. The Economic Development Cluster was briefed on June 18, 2003. The framework was published in March 2004.

Copies of the framework are available from the Planning Information Services Section, Prince George's County Planning Department, M-NCPPC, on the lower level of the County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro. For information contact–John Funk, Supervisor; Community Planning Division; 301-952-4392; John.Funk@ppd.mncppc.org.

The Heights Master Plan Amendment/Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) Revision
The County Council approved the Heights Master Plan and Sectional Map Amendment on November 21, 2000, per CB-80-2000. This master plan revision provides an updated guide for land use, zoning, public facilities, transportation and development policy in Planning Area 76A, a predominantly developed area of 12+ square miles with three metro stations (Branch Avenue, Naylor Road and Southern Avenue stations). Planning Area 76A includes that part of Subregion VII located inside the Beltway — including the municipalities of Forest Heights and Morningside and the communities of Glassmanor, Hillcrest Heights, and Silver Hill. The approved plan updates policies set by the 1981 Subregion VII Master Plan and 1984 SMA. An emphasis of the plan is on the land use and zoning for the areas adjacent to the Metro stations, to promote transit-oriented development. The plan addresses issues relating to the entire planning area. Contact: Community Planning Division, 301-952-4225.

Town of Brentwood Mixed-Use Town Center Zone Development Plan and Design Guidelines
The Brentwood Mixed-Use Town Center area is relatively small concentrating on the 100 percent of the Town of Brentwood located at 38th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, between Quincy Street, Bunker Hill Road and the shared municipal boundary with Mount Rainier. The Mixed-Use Town Center Zone was recommended to replace the existing zones in the Planning Area 68 Master Plan and Sectional Map Amendment which was approved on May 17, 1994.

The Prince George's County District Council approved the Brentwood Mixed-Use Town Center Zone Development Plan and Design Guidelines in May 2000 (CR-25-2000). A primary amendment to change the boundary to exclude properties within the municipal boundary of the City of Mount Rainier from the Brentwood M-U-TC Zone was approved on April 24, 2001 (CR-14-2001).

For additional information, contact: Chidy Umeozulu, Project Planner, 301-952-4198 or Dineene O'Connor, 301-952-3573.

Tuxedo Road/Arbor Street Commercial and Industrial Area Planning Study
The Planning Area 69, Bladensburg, New Carrollton and Vicinity Master Plan recommends a special study be conducted to examine the appropriate planning and development actions for the Tuxedo Road/Arbor Street Commercial and Industrial Area. The master plan notes that the area occupies a very strategic position at the confluence of major transportation routes adjacent to the District of Columbia and is seen as a gateway to Prince George's County and the State of Maryland. As cited in the plan, this area appears to have unrealized potential, but has not yet attracted high capital intensive uses.

The Prince George's County Planning Department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) retained the services of the planning consultant team of Rhodeside and Harwell Inc. to undertake the study. The goal of the study was to assess the physical and economic vitality of the area and recommend appropriate planning action leading to the revitalization or redevelopment of the area.

The area is generally located on the eastern quadrant at the intersection of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Kenilworth Avenue and US 50. It includes all industrial uses west of the railroad track and all commercial and industrial uses on both sides of Arbor Street.

This planning effort is designed to incorporate public participation, especially property owners, business owners, neighboring residents and public stakeholders. Copies of questionnaire forms were sent to property owners, business owners and key public stakeholders. A public workshop was held and several meetings with a planning group (a group of volunteers made up of public officials, property owners, business owners and residents) to review issues and present ideas.