Saturday, May 25, 2013
Top stories from around Prince George's County the week of May 20, 2013.
Here are the most-read news stories from around Prince George's County this week: University Park Council Disapproves Cafritz Detailed Site Plan The council also looks to postpone Thursday's county planning board hearing on the plan. $280M Pledged for Purple Line Construction, Private Dollars Still Needed Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said government funding probably won't cover the more than $2 billion price tag. Realtor: Maryland Homes Selling at 'Rapid Pace' According to Long and Foster, the market is seeing 'positive trends.' Landover-based Businesses Face $60,000 in OSHA Fines The fines come after three employees were hospitalized with burns. Prince George's Woos Retailers at Vegas Convention For the first time, the county hosted its own …
Friday, May 24, 2013
Some city council members push for return of International Street Festival.
With the city of Hyattsville facing a $1.6 million budget shortfall next year, the Handmade on Hamilton street festival is set to be cut from the city's budget. According to Abby Sandel, director of the Hyattsville Department of Community Services, the festival, which aimed to celebrate handmade arts and crafts from around the world, Handmade on Hamilton was the most expensive event on the city's calendar last year. Expenses associated with closing the street, overtime for police and public works personnel, and event entertainment pushed the cost of the festival to roughly $46,000 "It's a little bit heartbreaking," said Sandel to the Hyattsville City Council on Wednesday evening. "What could we do?" West Hyattsville residents would still …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
For the first time, the county hosted its own reception at the Global Retail Real Estate Convention.
From Freakanomics to Zuckerbergs, Prince George's County officials rubbed elbows with bigwigs in the retail real estate, business and marketing industries at the Global Retail Real Estate Convention in Las Vegas. For the first time, Prince George’s boosters hosted a nighttime reception for developers and retailers, according to BizJournals.com. And, according to a county spokesperson, things went well. “We had a very successful event,” David Iannucci told BizJournals. Iannucci, the assistant deputy chief administrative officer for County Executive Rushern Baker, wouldn’t identify any specific prospects but he reportedly said the county had set up more than a dozen official meetings with developers and retailers. Iannucci told BizJournals …
The county planning board will continue reviewing the Cafritz property Detailed Site Plan next Thursday at 3 p.m.
Welcome to the live stream of the Prince George's County Planning Board hearing on the detailed site plans plans for the Cafritz property redevelopment in Riverdale Park. The project will come before the planning board around 1 p.m., though the schedule is subject to change. There's been a bit of action from the local municipalities involved with the project, which sits mostly in Riverdale Park, with a small portion in College Park and bordering University Park. Last night, the University Park Town Council voted to disapprove the Cafritz development Detailed Site Plan and is requesting that the Prince George's County Planning Board postpone Thursday's hearing on the plan. On Sunday, Riverdale Park voted to approve the Cafritz property …
An Upper Marlboro doctor discusses how schools prepare to safeguard students with allergies.
Q: I just heard that there are some states that require public schools to have epinephrine injectors not targeted for a specific child available in case of an emergency. Is this safe? - Sydney, Crofton A: This is a perfect topic to discuss as Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)’s Food Allergy Awareness Week, was last week. What you are referring to is called the “stock” epinephrine law, which has been enacted by about 20 states thus far, including Maryland and Virginia. It requires schools to keep epinephrine stocked for use in case of an emergency for children who do not have their own prescription epinephrine injectors at the school. When someone comes into contact with a food allergen, an immune response is triggered and …
City council presses for more budget details with legislative mandate.
The Hyattsville City Council voted last night to require Mayor Marc Tartaro and city administrators to produce a detailed budget proposal by the end of the month. The measure passed nine to zero, with Mayor Marc Tartaro abstaining from the vote. Council Member Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) was absent from the meeting, which saw the city council briefed on the proposed budgets for the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Department of Community Services, and a discussion of the city's retiree health care benefit liability. According to Council President Candace Hollingsworth (Ward 1), the move to mandate a deadline for a more detailed budget came because members of the city council did not feel they had enough information to …
The council also looks to postpone Thursday's county planning board hearing on the plan.
The University Park Town Council voted Wednesday to disapprove the Cafritz development Detailed Site Plan and is requesting that the Prince George's County Planning Board postpone Thursday's hearing on the plan. The council voted 6-0 to disapprove with conditions. Council Member Heidi Sorensen (Ward 5) was absent. This vote comes nine days after the council voted to disapprove the preliminary plan. The planning board approved the preliminary plan May 16. Mayor John Tabori advised that the council approve the DSP but with conditions, saying otherwise, the planning board won't listen to their conditions. "The planning board has shown a willingness to listen to those who say 'We approve it, but we have real concerns,'" Tabori said. "They don'…
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Is your ward being represented? Use this chart to see if your council members are attending meetings.
Attendance has been an issue for the Hyattsville city council in the past. Now, with a newly reconsituted city council, we're giving you a tool to help track your local leaders' attendance records. Key: Mayor, President, Vice President Are you a city council member who has missed a meeting? Let us know why in the comment section below.
Broad details of proposed budget released at Monday's city council meeting.
On Monday night, the newly reconstituted Hyattsville City Council got its first, broad overview of Mayor Marc Tartaro's proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The information released at Monday's meeting was just a statement of revenues, expenditures, and changes in the city's overall reserve fund balance. The document provides a line item budget number for each of the city's major departments and offices. Coming in at only two pages, though, some city council members wished there was more detail available. Hyattsville City Council Member Shani Warner (Ward 2), echoing comments from other council members, was disappointed that there was not yet more detailed budget information available to the public. "I was hoping we'd see a binder…
City stays with same property tax rate it has had since 2005.
Editor's Note - This article has been corrected. An earlier version of this article incorrectly described positions taken by Council Member Edouard Haba (Ward 4) during discussion of the tax rate at Monday's meeting. "My position on the issue has been misinterpreted. I would like the residents and The Patch readers to be informed that I am actually the one who moved that the Council votes that night and to keep the rate at $0.63/100 of assessed value," wrote Haba in an email to Patch noting the error. --- After a bit of debate, the Hyattsville City Council voted to keep the city's real property tax rate at the same place where it has been for the last eight years, at 63 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The city council passed …
Jonathan Ebbeler
11:58 am on Saturday, May 25, 2013
'Fred' - I read your comment concerning the 12 UP homes on US1 that would be looking towards the site/signage. I am unclear as to what the objection is especially given that the current view is a busy state highway. My comment on signage was that the interpretation of M-U-TC zoning requirements is factually incorrect. M-U-TC does not preclude the usage of the type of signage that was approved … more ›