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County Government
Here are some public hearings that are taking place this week on March 7.
APPT-5-23 Appointment of the following individuals to the Prince George's County Police Accountability Board: Daniel Armando Jones Appointment Term Expiration: June 30, 2024. Request to Speak / Comments
APPT-6-23 Appointment of the following individuals as members of the Human Rights Commission for Prince George's County: Ms. Turkessa L. Brown Appointment Replacing: Wade Woolfolk Term Expiration: 6/30/2025 Ms. Regina C. Gilmore Appointment Replacing: MaKelia D. Mitchell Term Expiration: 6/30/2023 Full Term: 6/30/2026. Request to Speak / Comments
CB-002-2023 AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING ADMINISTRATION - PROCEDURES - LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS to amend the procedures for public notice, review, consideration, and approval of legislative amendments to the text of the Zoning Ordinance of Prince George's County. Request to Speak / Comments
CB-003-2023 AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING APPLICATION-SPECIFIC REVIEW PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS-DETAILED SITE PLANS AND SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS to amend the decision standards for approval of detailed site plan and special exception applications to include master plan consistency as a required standard for site plan approval. Request to Speak / Comments
CB-005-2023 AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING GENERAL PROVISIONS - DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THE PRIOR ORDINANCE-GAS STATION USES for the purpose of amending the period in the Zoning Ordinance for development of Gas Station uses under the prior Ordinance. Request to Speak / Comments
CB-009-2023 AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING TOBACCO SHOPS, ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE SHOPS, OR RETAIL TOBACCO BUSINESSES to amend the Zoning Ordinance to include reasonable parameters as to hours of operation, sign displays as criteria for approval of Special Exceptions; amending the Zoning use tables concerning such use in Non-Residential Base Zones, Transit Oriented/Activity Center Base Zones, and Planned Development Zones, for Tobacco Shops, Electronic Cigarette Shops, or Retail Tobacco Business uses; and providing for an amortization period by December 31, 2025, in furtherance of the public safety, health, and welfare of citizens and residents of Prince George's County. Request to Speak / Comments
COUNTY COUNCIL TOWN HALL MEETING - Strengthening Procurement in Prince George's County at 6:00 PM (In-Person). Request to Speak / Comments
Local News Links
Prince George’s Co. gets new cameras to catch litterbugs
Excerpt: The Prince George’s County Department of the Environment was able to buy new cameras through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“You’re not going to spot them at all, in the daytime nor in the night,” said Tiaa Rutherford, the Litter Reduction Program Manager, also known as the County’s Litter Czar. The county described the cameras as “advanced” in their usage.
“They’re 24 hours. They’re not as sensitive as our other cameras are, so the technology is absolutely going to help us to see very clearly, persons and vehicles that are being used in the commission of an environmental crime,” Rutherford said.
The cameras are mobile and work in all conditions to capture license plates. They can even work in poorly lit places.
Goldson leaving a Prince George’s system still struggling to rebound from pandemic
Excerpt: When Monica Goldson was appointed permanently as CEO of Prince George’s County Public Schools in 2019, the school system was still recovering from several scandals under the previous district chief. She was widely supported by the community for her deep county ties and reputation as a collaborator, and she had big plans. During her first school year as permanent chief, the pandemic hit, derailing some of her goals of improving academic performance for the district’s most struggling students. After guiding the system through online learning, reacclimating students to classrooms and implementing recovery programs, Goldson announced her retirement in January and is scheduled to step down at the end of the school year.
East Coast’s First Monument To Civil War Buffalo Soldiers Coming To Eastern Shore
Excerpt: A first-of-its kind historic site is coming to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, paying homage to the Black Americans who served in the U.S. Army after the Civil War, the Buffalo Soldiers.
After the war, the United States Colored Troops became 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry, serving to protect westward-bound settlers, guard mail routes, and act as guides and caretakers of national parks. They fought in the Spanish-American War alongside with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, whose success on San Juan Hill would have been impossible without them. They were given the name Buffalo Soldiers by Native Americans who were often their enemy in battle but considered them an opponent worthy of respect.
Congressional Black Caucus announces agenda for 118th Congress
Excerpt: The Congressional Black Caucus on March 2 announced its agenda for the 118th Congress during the House Democrats 2023 Issues Conference held in Baltimore City at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor.
Under the theme of “delivering for our communities, housing, jobs and justice,” CBC Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and several other members announced the group’s priorities, including accessibility of jobs, housing affordability, transportation and gun violence.
Prince George’s Co. native creates diabetes-friendly skin care line
Excerpt: Joy Johnson is the founder and CEO of Joy of Beauty, which sells diabetic-friendly products.
Watching her mother die of metastasized breast cancer when she was 16 caused her to want to work with people from health sensitive communities, she said. Johnson described her mother as “always put together, not vain, but well put together.”
DC’s historic districts may be preserving racial segregation
Excerpt: It is well-known that the District’s demographics have changed significantly in recent decades. In 2010, according to the U.S. Census, the Black population of DC was 305,125. By the 2020 U.S. census, Black population in DC was 285,810, a net decrease of nearly 20,000 Black residents.
How does this loss of the Black residents differ within and outside of historic districts? Let’s look at two in the heart of DC LeDroit Park has been designated historic for nearly 50 years, and Bloomingdale, which was designated historic between the last two Censuses; both were majority black in 2010. We can also compare these neighborhoods with surrounding areas that are not within historic districts.
Unpredictable cherry blossom bloom underscores climate change concerns
Excerpt: After a mild winter in the Washington metro region triggered some local cherry blossom trees to bloom in early February, the National Park Service announced Wednesday that this spring’s peak bloom for the iconic trees will occur between March 23-25.
The announcement signals that warmer winter weather across the region may not significantly disrupt the typical bloom cycle for the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, which usually peak around the last week of March or the first week of April each year.
Purple Line construction frustrates UMD commuters who park in Lot 1
Excerpt: Traffic detours implemented this semester at the University of Maryland to accommodate Purple Line construction makes it difficult to find a parking spot in the lot most commuter students use.
Lot 1, located behind Tawes Hall and Cole Field House, is one of the largest parking lots on the campus and is reserved for students with a permit from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. During the day, it can be difficult to find a spot — a problem commuters say has worsened this semester as new traffic patterns block three of the five entrances to the lot.
86,000 Sq Ft Rec Center Planned on Site of Former Synagogue in Hyattsville
Excerpt: A multigenerational recreational center is planned for the former site of the Beth Torah synagogue in Hyattsville.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission plans to use a wooded lot next to the synagogue building at 6710 Adelphi Rd. and other neighboring properties totaling 5.3 acres to build the rec center.
The rest of the synagogue property is slated for a 321-unit apartment building with shops on the ground floor.
Built in 1985, the current rec center at 6600 Adelphi Rd. is about 13,000 square feet. It will be torn down to make way for an 86,000-square-foot facility with a gym, fitness center, indoor track and multipurpose rooms.