This
project is to develop a new master plan and
sectional map amendment (SMA) for Subregion
I to replace the current plan that was approved
in 1990. Subregion I is approximately 39.74
square miles and consists of four planning
areas—60, 61, 62 and 64—located in
the northeastern area of the county. The City
of Laurel is not
included in Subregion I since the city has
its own planning and zoning authority.
The new plan and SMA will establish development
policies consistent with the intent of the
2002
Prince George’s County Approved
General Plan recommendations for
the subregion. The
2002
General Plan sets broad goals, objectives,
policies, and strategies to guide development.
It designates growth Tiers,
Centers and Corridors that establish the policy
basis for preparation of more detailed master
plans and provide the benchmark against which
plan recommendations can be evaluated. The
2002 General
Plan places the Subregion I area
into two growth policy Tiers, one Center, and
one Corridor. Over half of the subregion is
in the Developing Tier. This is intended
to be an area of low- to moderate-density suburban
residential communities, distinct commercial
centers, and employment hubs that are transit
serviceable. Its policies emphasize balancing
the pace of development with the demands for
adequate
roads and public facilities and encouraging
contiguous expansion of development where public
facilities and services can be more efficiently
provided.
The remainder of the subregion is in the Rural
Tier and the majority of these properties are
publicly owned and include large federal research
facilities such as the Beltsville Agricultural
Research Center and the Patuxent Research Refuge.
The Rural Tier policies encourage the protection
of woodlands for wildlife habitat, recreation,
and agricultural pursuits and preservation
of the rural character and vistas that now
exist. Planning policies in the Rural Tier
are intended to balance pressure for residential
development and landowners’ equity with
the desire to maintain rural environments and
character.
The vision for the Centers and Corridors is
mixed residential uses at moderate to high
densities and intensities, with a strong emphasis
on transit-oriented development. The General
Plan designates Konterra as a possible future
Regional Center and Baltimore Ave. (US
1)
as a Corridor. Regional Centers are locations
for
regionally marketed commercial and retail centers,
office and employment areas, some higher educational
facilities, and possibly sports and recreation
complexes primarily serving Prince George’s
County. High-density residential development
may be an option at these Centers if the needed
public facilities and services, particularly
schools and transit, can be provided. Regional
centers should be served by rail or bus mass
transit systems.
Konterra is a planned community that was included
in the 1990 master plan. Parts of the project,
including portions of the employment and residential
sections, have either been built or will be
in the near future. The master plan will re-examine
the remaining proposed development in light
of the General Plan recommendations.
US 1 was one of the seven Corridors designated
by the General Plan where more
intensive development and redevelopment should
be encouraged. In the Developing Tier it was
envisioned that the corridors would have moderate
intensity of residential and nonresidential
uses with a mix that
is more community-oriented in scope. The mixed
use development is to occur at designated Corridor
nodes and be planned as transit-oriented development.
The nodes, which will be identified as part
of this planning effort, should be within one-quarter
mile of major intersections or major transit
stops along the Corridor, in concert with existing
and planned investments in public infrastructure.
The overall goals of the master planning effort
are to enhance the quality and character of
the communities in Subregion I, encourage quality
economic development, preserve and protect
environmentally sensitive and scenic land,
and make efficient use of existing and proposed
county infrastructure and investment in the
subregion. The master plan will provide specific
recommendations to guide new development while
protecting adjacent properties and significant
environmental, historical and cultural features.
It will build upon the approved Countywide
Green Infrastructure Plan.
Analyses and population forecasts
will be included to determine the adequacy
of existing public facilities and land zoned
for different types of development to serve
future and current
needs. Strategies and recommendations to address
both the type of development, as well as the
look of the development, will be explored.
The accompanying SMA will implement the land
use
recommendations of the master plan.
The first phase of the planning process is to collect information
and data to determine priority community issues and needs concerning the development
of land and facilities in Subregion I. A public forum was
held on March 29, 2005, at Martin Luther King Middle School, to solicit testimony
from the community about local issues and concerns
that should be
addressed in the master plan and sectional map amendment. The testimony and
written comments from the hearing were used to finalize the proposed goals,
concepts, guidelines and public participation program approved by the Planning
Board and the County Council in May 2005.
Two community workshops were held to gather community input for this plan.
The first workshop, held on June 2, 2005, focused on Parks, Open Spaces,
Trails and the Green Infrastructure Plan. The second workshop, held on October
6, 2005, focused on public facilities which include libraries, schools, police
and fire facilities, historic preservation and transportation.
The charrette process for the Subregion I Plan began in September 2006. A
charrette is an open process that includes all interested parties. It consists
of workshops held on consecutive days to allow a series of short feedback loops.
This process is intended to produce consensus and a feasible plan. Visit www.charretteinstitute.org for
details.
The
Konterra Realty LLC sponsored the first
planning and design charrette on the Konterra
area, which was held on January
25 and January 26, 2006 at 6100 Frost Place,
Laurel. The public charrette took place
from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30
p.m. on both days. The general public was invited
to participate and develop design alternatives
for the Konterra town center and its vicinity,
including the land in the M-X-T, C-R-C and
R-R zones. For detailed information, visit: www.konterra.com.
The Konterra charrette team held two more workshops on February 15 and 24, 2006
to present the charrette results and to develop more detailed design elements
and guideline. The Konterra charrette team submitted a
preliminary draft document to the M-NCPPC Subregion 1 staff team in May
for
staff review.
The
M-NCPPC sponsored a five-day planning and
design charrette for the US 1 corridor, on
September 13-16 and 19, 2006. The five-day
charrette will lead to a
development concept
and implementation
strategy for the US 1 corridor. The development
concept will identify potential activity centers
along the Corridor and determine if any of these
activity centers meet the 2002 General Plan description
of a Developing Tier corridor node (a mix of
less intense residential and nonresidential uses
that are community-oriented in scope located
within one-quarter mile of major intersections
or major transit stops along the corridor). The
implementation strategy were recommend development/redevelopment
phasing, implementation tools and techniques,
and form-based zoning guidelines and standards.
(See community workshops below for more details).
In addition to the US 1 corridor charrette, the
M-NCPPC sponsored a series of community
planning workshops in October and
November
2006 to evaluate and analyze all existing
residential
communities
within the Subregion 1 area. (See community workshops
below for more details).
Please contact the Project Team Staff, Kierre McCune, 301-952-3211 for more
information.
