Hyattsville Asks for New Pr. George's Plaza Plans

The Hyattsville City Council unanimously approved a measure to lobby the Prince George's County Council and Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to update the Prince George's Plaza Transit District Development Plan (TDDP for short). 

The plan lays out development guidelines in an area around the Prince George's Plaza Metro Station, including the Mall at Prince George's, University Town Center, Post Park and the Toledo Terrace apartment complexes. The guidelines are geared towards creating a walkable, mass-transit oriented hub of mixed-use development. 

When adopted in the late 1990s, it was one of the first transit oriented development plans implemented in Prince George's County. But the original plan will turn 15 next year, and Chandler, writing in a memo to city council, said that the plan is showing its age.

"Due in large part to it being one of the original planning efforts, it is in many ways deficient as compared to more recently completed plans, including those for West Hyattsville and New Carrollton, which take into account factors such as urban density, traffic mitigation and sustainable design," wrote Chandler. Last night, he noted that the plan itself calls for revisions and updates by this time.  

It would cost an estimated $200,000 to develop a new TDDP for the Prince George's Plaza area, according to Chandler's memo, a cost which he said should be paid by county and regional planners. 

The M-NCPPC is currently working up their budget for the next fiscal year. As a result of last night's council vote, Hyattsville city staff will draft a letter to send to the county council and M-NCPPC asking for the plan to be updated next year.