Villas at Laurel Update

At a gathering of South Laurel Community Leaders at the Montpelier Arts Center on Dec 19 with the developer of the planned town house community Villas at Laurel, Mr. Kareem Abdus- Salaam, presented two new alternative plans which supersede all earlier plans.

There was frank and cordial discussion (described below) between the developer and the association leaders present on many still unresolved issues, and no commitments were made by the developer:


The two different schemes presented reflect primarily ongoing negotiations with WMATA, the state and the county about the placement of the bus lot, for purposes of convenient and safe ingress and egress by buses.

Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Both plans have 90 bus lot parking spaces

Scheme 1 will be changed to include a North Exit for residents and buses. That may reduce TH density a little.

Both new plans have now increased to 96 Town Houses

More TH Density: That is 11 more THs than the previous plan of 85.
No Rationale: The developer gave no rationale for this increase in THs & Density Claims Exception: The developer said that his "Transit Oriented Development" (TOD) "luxury townhouse" project allows him to have higher density than a regular Town House community plan (Euclidean?).

Still More Green Space Needed: The developer said that the District 1 County Councilman wants to see still more more green space in the Villas at Laurel plan -- which would consequentially reduce the number of town houses and density.

Scheme 1 has a neo-traditional park

The developer was asked to look at putting social focus centers of green space (picnic areas, etc) in several pockets distributed throughout the Villas. He was referred to an early but still representative conceptual plan (click to enlarge browser image) of the recently approved Montpelier Hills TH completion project.

Adequate Public Facilities for Schools -- The developer said that the county (and MNCPPC) rules calculating the number of public school students to be generated by Villas at Laurel -- for purposes of determining the
Adequate Public Facilities for Schools fee he will have to pay -- are not appropriate for his Transit Oriented Development (implying that the total APF fees the developer would have to pay the schools would be lower than a regular TH development) .

Schools are already over capacity: There ensued a lively discussion about this point between the developer and newly elected District 1 School Board representative Rosalind Johnson (present representing Applewalk HoA

Technical Amenities for Near-by Schools
A/V & Computers: The developer has met with the principals of the four nearby public schools (Oaklands ES, Deerfield Run ES, Montpelier ES and Eisenhower MS) and is discussing how best to donate and distribute technical amenities such as computers and networks, Audio-Visual systems, etc.

The Community Center in Villas at Laurel - status unclear -- issues remain

  • Will there really be a Community Center? How firm is this amenity in the plan?
  • Will it be publicly accessible (such as Seniors at adjacent Park View) or only for Villas at Laurel residents? Where? When asked where the community center was on the plans, the developer pointed generally to the area in the lower center of Scheme 1 where there are two buildings that don't look like town houses.
  • Who pays? The developer said that Parks ("Sam Parker" = MNCPPC?) would "maintain and operate public recreational and educational programs at the Community Center -- but nothing is firm yet.
  • Villas at Laurel Residents to Pay: The developer said that costs for Community Center maintenance, operation and insurance, etc. would be paid by Villas at Laurel residents through their association fees.
  • Technical Amenities at Community Center? Unlike the developer's offer of computers etc for the schools, there has been no discussion of such technical amenities for the possible Community Center (a computer center for checking email, web research, etc?) which would be particularly useful since there is no public library in South Laurel.
  • A Library Annex? The was no discussion of the Community Center serving as a P.G. County Library Annex, since South Laurel has no public library
Traffic Light - Promised
The developer seems confident that the county and state support his proposed traffic light at Briarcroft Lane and also his proposed intelligent signaling for pedestrian crossing (seconds to go display, etc). The new traffic light is to be synchronized with lights to the south up to Cherry Lane.

The developer said that this traffic light at Briarcroft lane would actually expedite traffic up and down Rt 197 and in and out of Briarcroft Lane (from the west in/out of the Briarwood community and from the east in/out of Park View and the Church. There was some question about that -- which may or may not be adequately addressed in the county's formal traffic required later in the formal approval process after formal site plan submission --- unless citizens participate vigilantly in that study.

Sidewalk - 8-foot wide - Promised
The developer promised an 8-foot wide sidewalk along the east side of Rt 197 along the Villas at Laurel property. He said he is telling State Highway Commission that they do not need to complete their narrower sidewalk in that area because of his plans.

No Pool
A pool was deemed to be too expensive for a small community to pay for.

No Tot Lots
Rationale Unclear: The developer could not yet describe the predominant demographic for buyers of these town houses -- (Dual Income No Kids (DINKs)?. Young families?) He said he wasn't seeking senior buyers (no kids) because of so many other nearby Senior Living communities.

What Children's Recreation? There are no recreational facilities at all, much less for kids. Recreational facilities would increase open space and reduce TH density.

Homeowners Association or Condominium Association? -- Issue not Discussed.
In meetings with the developer to date, the issue has not come up whether the town houses would be owned as fee-simple homes (in a Homeowners Association) or as condominium units (in a Condominium Association) -- so any issues related to such differences have also not been discussed.

Prices & Features:
No elevations (TH exterior designs) are available yet
$450-$500K, 2300 square feet, 3-level, Rear 2-car garage, 4 to 5 Bedrooms

Buy-Down: Developer said that the PG Redevelopment authority may agree to buy-down the selling price of 10% of the units by 25-50% to create "affordable housing". Discussion suggested that Villas at Laurel may or may not qualify for redevelopment funds -- and if so, PG Redevelopment may not buy-down 25-50% for 10% of the units

TH & Guest Parking - no public visitor parking in all of Villas at Laurel. The current plans have a 2-car garage and 4 more parking spaces in each private driveway -- but no other guest/visitor parking spaces. In other words, the only parking in the plan is on private property -- so if you have more than 4 visitors -- there is no place for them park. The developer suggested visitors could use the bus lot -- but it was pointed out that the buses run at night so bus lot spaces are not always going to be available and that only helps a little for THs on the east end of Villas, and is not a very safe option at night in any case. The developer referred to the county's low parking requirements for TH parking (Euclidian?) -- It was pointed out that the current lack of real visitor parking did not constitute "luxury townhouses". The developer promised to redo visitor parking some where other than just private property. That may reduce the TH density.

Green Development
Maybe:
When asked, the developer mentioned only generally some environmentally friendly features of his other developments but did not say anything specific about "green" features and options for Villas at Laurel -- such as whether roof-top solar panels would be offered.


Major Transformation of Laurel Mall?

This very informative article from the Just Up the Pike blog is a detailed and comprehensive Special Report on soon to be announced plans for major transformation of the Laurel Mall complete with photos and graphics of the proposed plans.

For a growing compilation of information related to this development project, see the link Laurel Mall under Nearby Development in the sidebar menu of this site.

Montpelier ES Lock-Down, Code Red Dec 12

During the afternoon of Dec 12, 2006 Montpelier Elementary School (and possibly other public schools in South Laurel, such as Oaklands E.S and Eisenhower M.S.) apparently instituted "lock-down (code red)" procedures to ensure student safety, possibly related to the double homicide that NBC News reported occurred earlier in the day 3-miles away on Engleman Dr. in South Laurel.

Liquor Licenses Renewal Hearings & Protest Deadline 2007

P.G. County Liquor Board - OFFICIAL NOTICE

Pursuant to Section 10-302 of Article 2B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Notice is hereby given that all alcoholic beverage licenses in Prince George's County will expire as follows:

Class A, Licenses expire on April 30th
Class B, Licenses expire on May 31st
Class C, Licenses expire on June 30th
Class D, Licenses expire on June 30th

In order to process a protest against the granting of the 2007 - 2008 License Renewal, a protest notice must be submitted to the Board of License Commissioners no later than March 1, 2007.

Protest of a renewal shall be filed on or before March 1, 2007 at the Board of License Commissioners, Room 204, County Service Building, 5012 Rhode Island Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Board's Office at 301-699-2770.

BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS
(LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD)
FRANKLIN D. JACKSON, CHAIRMAN
SHAIHI MWALIMU, VICE CHAIRMAN
ARMANDO CAMACHO, COMMISSIONER
EARL J. HOWARD, COMMISSIONER
DAVID DAESOK SON, COMMISSIONER
Attest:
Diane M. Bryant
Administrative Assistant
November 13, 2006





P.G. Board of Education Meetings TV Schedule

Beginning, December 15th, 2006 all School Board Meetings will be rebroadcast on Channel 96 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 7 PM and Monday at 2 PM.

This is an important change. The new board wanted the citizens of Prince George's County to have more opportunities to monitor their proceedings on TV, soon after each public meeting.

This information was provided by our newly elected Board of Education local District 1 Representative, Rosalind Johnson.

Tony's Liquor License Hearing Jan 23, 2007

No apparent opposition has arisen against this requested liquor license transfer for continued use at Tony's Liquors in the Crystal Plaza.

QUOTE:

BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS
(LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD)
HEARING
JANUARY 23, 2007

A hearing on the [below] application [among others] will be held at the County Service Building, 5012 Rhode Island Avenue, Hearing Room 200, Hyattsville, 20781, 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at which time anyone wishing to testify either for or against the application may attend the hearing. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Board's Office at 301-699-2770.

Eyaya Arega, President/Secretary/Treasurer for a Class A, Beer, Wine and Liquor License for the use of HCH Liquors, Inc., t/a Tony's Liquors, 12637 Laurel Bowie Road, Laurel, 20708 transfer from Edric, Inc., t/a Tony's Liquors, 12637 Laurel Bowie Road, Laurel, 20708, Sung Joo Kim, President/Secretary/Treasurer, Bo Kan So, Vice President.

Atty: Simon Osnos, Esquire

Opposition: [none]

A Public Hearing is also scheduled for Regular Session/Administrative Voting Session on February 7, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. and Regular Session/Administrative Voting Session on February 14, 2007 at 7:00 p.m., Hearing Room 200, County Service Building, 5012 Rhode Island Avenue, Hyattsville, 20781. At the meeting the Board will consider the agenda as posted that day and any other matters taken under advisement from previous meetings.

END QUOTE:

New Passport Requirements in 2007

City of Laurel

Official Press Release

New Passport Requirements for Travelers in 2007

Mayor Craig A. Moe would like residents to know that, [according to changes in federal law] beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document.

As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

Applications for passports are accepted at the Laurel Municipal Building, Passport Office on Mondays and Thursdays, from10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Tuesdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Applicants will need the following items to apply for a U.S. passport: proof of citizenship, proof of identity, and two passport photos. Please call the Passport Information Line at 301-725-5305 for more details and information.

END QUOTE

Anyone can use the City of Laurel passport office -- not just Laurel residents.

Subregion I Living Areas Public Meeting Nov 18

Marylan Park & Planning Commission
Subregion I Living Areas
Summary Session and Open House

November 18, 2006 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission recently conducted three half-day workshops (October 19th, 21st, and 26th) focusing on the living areas within the Subregion I Master Plan Area. This is the final community meeting regarding the all Subregion I Living Areas. This open house will serve as a wrap-up and summary meeting for the October workshops.

Purpose:

· Present issues and concerns regarding living Areas within Subregion I
· Present preliminary recommendations
· Solicit community input on issues, concerns, and recommendations as they relate to the Subregion I Master Plan and SMA

When: Saturday, November 18, 2006
8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School

4545 Ammendale Road, Beltsville, MD 20705

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can also visit our web page at http://www.mncppc.org/cpd/sub1background.htm

Kierre McCune
Senior Planner, Community Planning Division
Prince George's County Planning Department
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Voice: 301-952-3211
Fax: 301-952-4121
kierre.mccune@ppd.mncppc.org

Maryland General Election 2006 Results

This Washington Post report of the 2006 Maryland General Election results is updated daily as the final vote counts become available.

Nov 7 Voter Guides PG County, State, & Federal Elections

I've posted links to Nov 7 Voter Guides from the Gazette, Laurel Leader and Washington Post.

These are not endorsement lists -- just lists of candidates for each office, candidate descriptions and explanations of ballot issues.

Click on "News" in Local Candidates (News) in the sidebar menu.

Laurel City Halloween Activities for Kids

http://www.laurel.md.us/pract.htm

Picture of Flying Witch Picture of Haunted HousePicture of Spooky Ghost!

2006

October 20 and 21, 2006 - ALL NEW! HAUNTED TRAIL - Riverfront Park
Join us from 7:00 - 10:00 PM at the Laurel Municipal Pool. Begin your terrifying adventure as you board a hayride that take you into the woods where you must make your way back through a haunted trail. Not recommended for small children! Cost $5.00 per person.

OCTOBER 28, 2006 - Halloween Spooktacular
Join us from 2:00 PM at Laurel Community Center, Co-sponsored by the Laurel Lions. Come dressed for some Halloween fun with entertainment, food, prized and costume judging for all ages. Admission is free.


Citizen Input Sought for County Master Plans

This is your opportunity to contribute your ideas to Prince George's County planning for the next 10 years and beyond for for public safety (police, fire, emergency medical), schools, parks, transportation, etc. Please take the enclosed survey.

In the next few weeks you will see press releases and articles in the newspapers about the Subregion I Master Plan study that is currently being conducted for our area of Prince George's county. A series of public Living Area Workshops will involve county residents directly in updating the county's master plans.

The "Living Areas Workshop" for our area (East of Route 1) is:

Thursday, Oct 19, 2006, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Corporate Offices of Hope Christian Church
6251 Ammendale Road
Beltsville, MD 20705

Please fill out this survey, and return it by email to
kierre.mccune@ppd.mncppc.org

CTV 76 News Interviews Education Board Candidates in October

Prince George's County cable television (CTV 76 News) plans to feature candidates for the upcoming school board elections from October 9th to November 3rd. These individual candidate spotlight interviews will give the voters more insight into each candidate's platform and vision for the upcoming school board.

The one or two minute segments will be part of the live CTV 76 news (Channel 76) broadcast at 4:40 pm and will re-air at 5:30, 8:30, and 11:30 pm. Following are the air dates for each candidate interviews:

MONDAY OCTOBER 9
Donna Hathaway-Beck (At-large)

TUESDAY OCTOBER 10
Ron Watson (At-large)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11
Jeana Jacobs (At-large)

THURSDAY OCTOBER 12
Howard Stone (At-large)

FRIDAY OCTOBER 13
Nate Thomas (At-large)

MONDAY OCTOBER 16-Columbus Day no show

TUESDAY OCTOBER 17
Ken Johnson (At-large)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18
Alicia Darensbourg (At-large)

THURSDAY OCTOBER 19
Rosalind Johnson (District 1)

FRIDAY OCTOBER 20
Robin Barnes-Shell (District 1)

MONDAY OCTOBER 23
Amber Waller (District 2)

TUESDAY OCTOBER 24
Heather Iliff (District 2)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25
Pat Fletcher (District 3)

THURSDAY OCTOBER 26
Regina Williams (District 3)

FRIDAY OCTOBER 27
Judy Mickens Murray (District 3)

MONDAY OCTOBER 30
Steven Morris (District 4)

TUESDAY OCTOBER 31
Linda Thomas (District 4)

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1
Owen Johnson (District 5)

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2
Katie Costello (District 5)

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3
At-Large Candidate (TBA)

ICC Impact on Muirkirk RD & RT 197 Becoming Clearer

Ok. But there are still no plans ("proposed transportation projects") for how to handle predictably much higher traffic volumes and speeds eastbound and westbound along Muirkirk Rd and Rt. 197 between the east end of the ICC and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.Proposed Route Said Crucial to Success of Konterra 'Mini-City' Project
Washington Post article, Sep 26, 2006 A01 http://tinyurl.com/nk9o3

New Emergency Warning System Coming to Laurel

Laurel City Press Release - Sep 25, 2006

Mayor Craig A. Moe is pleased to inform the residents of Laurel that the City has entered into a contract with Code RED to purchase a state of the art Emergency Warning System.

The Code RED Emergency Notification System is an extremely fast communication service available for mass Emergency Notifications. Code RED employs a one-of-a-kind Internet mapping capability for geographic targeting of calls, coupled with a high speed telephone calling system capable of delivering customized pre-recorded emergency messages directly to homes and businesses, live individuals and answering machines, at the rate of up to 60,000 calls per hour.

Mayor Craig Moe envisions using Code Red to notify residents and businesses during natural and man-made disasters, as well as warn residents and businesses in Laurel as to when flooding is possible.

Mayor Craig Moe is pleased that this new technology is now available to help keep the residents and businesses of Laurel informed and encourages everyone interested to visit www.coderedweb.com and check out their capabilities. If you have any questions, please call Emergency Operations Director, Marty Flemion, at 301-725-5300 ext. 203.

Town Center Face Lift - Update















Photo Sep 25, 2006

See July 30 article

Road Closed Under Main St. Railroad Bridge Sep 13

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF LAUREL
Information Technology and Community Services Public Information Office

8103 Sandy Spring Road ·Laurel, Maryland 20707 (301) 725-5300 ext. 244
http://www.laurel.md.us · E- Mail - jcollins@laurel.md.us Fax (301) 490-5068

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Date of Release: September 11, 2006

For Additional Information Contact: Jim Collins

Road Closure

Mayor Craig A. Moe is advising the public that WSSC is scheduled to repair an underground water leak on Main Street and Lafayette Avenue, located under the railroad bridge, on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, weather permitting.

The road will be closed to ALL traffic, vehicular and pedestrian, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. that day.
The residents and businesses on Lafayette Avenue will be informed of this work.

If you have any questions, please contact Joseph Ajayi, the Public Works Inspector, at 301-725-0088 ext. 208

School Board Candidates on Cable Channel 76

Schedule of School Board candidate interviews on COMCAST Channel 76

According to COMCAST, these interviews will occur in the last half of a P.G. County Community Television (CTV76) 1/2-hour news show, which airs live Monday through Friday at 4:30 pm, and repeats at 5:30 pm, 8:30 pm, and 11:30 pm.

WEEK ONE
MONDAY 07/31
Tammie Page (at large)
Walter Searcy (at large)
Sherry Strother (at large)

TUESDAY 08/01
Carletta Fellows (at large)
Kenneth Fox (at large)
Howard Stone (at large)

WEDNESDAY 08/02
Donna Hathaway Beck (at large)
Jacques Chevalier II (district/circuit 002)
Gloria Lawlah (at large)

THURSDAY 08/03
Deborah Driver (at large)
Tonya Jefferson (district 5)
Steven Morris (district 4)

FRIDAY 08/04
Dennis Whitley III (district 1)
Katie Costello (district 5)
Linda Thomas (district 4)

WEEK TWO
MONDAY 08/07
Minerva Sanders (district 4)
Ron Watson (at large)
Peggy Anne Valentine (district 5)

TUESDAY 08/08
Jeana Jacobs (at large)
Owen Johnson (district 5)
Fred Price Jr. (district 3)

WEDNESDAY 08/09
Tim Pollard (district 4)
Amber Waller (district 2)
Regina Williams (district 3)

THURSDAY 08/10
Alicia Darensbourough (at large)
Ken Johnson (at large)
Nate Thomas (at large)

FRIDAY 08/11
Heather Iliff (district 2)
Judy Mickens-Muray (district 3)
Robin Barnes Shell (district 1)

WEEK THREE - Dates to be announced
Probably Rosalind Johnson District 1
Possibly others

Maryland Sales Tax Holiday: August 23-27, 2006

Read this item on the MH NEWS web site

How the School Board Election Will Work

This year's Prince George's County School Board election will be a little complicated. The following explanation is adapted from campaign literature of District 1 School Board Candidate, Rosalind Johnson.

Here is how the school board election will work:

The new elected school board will have 9 members. There will be one member from each of 5 districts and 4 at-large members

Step 1: Primary Election Voting
On September 12th, your ballot will show the candidates who are running in the school board District 1 race and the school board at-large race. You will be voting for 1 candidate in the District 1 Race and for 4 candidates in the at-large race.

Step 2: Primary Election Outcome

The top 2 vote getters in each District race and the top 8 vote getters in the at-large race will compete in the General Election.

Step 3: General Election
On November 7th, your ballot will show a total of 18 school board candidates: 2 Candidates in each of the 5 school board districts and 8 at-large candidates. You will be voting for 1 candidate in each of the district races and four candidates in the at-large race.

There will be 9 winners, who will become the new school board for Prince George's County.

The communities included in the new School Board District 1 are: Berwyn Heights, Glen Dale, Greenbelt, Laurel, Beltsville, New Carrollton, and a part of Good Luck Road at Duval High School that runs along Greenbelt Road into Lanham/Seabrook.

National Night Out Tuesday Aug 1

23rd Annual National Night Out

On Tuesday, August 1, 2006, the District VI Police Station is inviting neighborhoods throughout Beltsville and Laurel to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the 23rd Annual National Night Out. National Night Out brings our community together to:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness
• Generate support and participation in local anticrime efforts
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

Please join us for this event and cookout from 6pm to 8pm at District VI located at 4321 Sellman Rd in Beltsville. There will be a variety of specialty units such as a K-9 Unit, Helicopter Unit, Fire Department Bomb Robot Unit, Motorcycle and Bicycle Displays, Patrol Vehicle Display and Maryland Park Police Mounted Unit. This will be a night for all communities to stand together to promote awareness, safety and neighborhood unity.

Town Center Face Lift

According to a gaggle of project managers i ran into on the sidewalk in front of the Sapphire Indian resturaunt a few days ago the stores in the Town Center strip mall on Route 197 at Contee Rd. are about to get a "face lift". The encounter was brief, but i assume they meant that they are going to replace or repaint the current blue mansard-style roofs.

Vansville Festival, Sunday, July 16, 1 - 5 pm

Don't miss the Vansville annual Community Day Festival, Sunday, July 16 from 1 pm to 5 pm. At nearby Vansville Park, on Old Baltimore Pike, 1/2 mile south of Muirkirk Rd.

Bottom Dollar Update July 8, 2006

Between now and July 19, when the Food Lion in Crystal Plaza on Rt. 197 at Muirkirk Rd converts to a Bottom Dollar store, they are drawing down their inventory.
Based on signs in the store and answers given by store management, all remaining grocery items are now 30% off until Sunday, July 9. From Monday, July 10 through Tuesday, July 18, remaining grocery items will be 60% off.

Starting with the opening of the Bottom Dollar store on Wednesday, July 19, customers will need a free Bottom Dollar membership card to shop at the store. Customers will not be able to check out without a membership card. Free membership cards will be issed at the front door and at the check-out stations.

Bottom Dollar stores do not participate in Food Lion advertised prices.

Rite Aid Open / Camerons Seafood Coming

Some things are looking up for the Crystal Plaza shopping center on Route 197 at Muirkirk Rd.

The Rite Aid opened today. They have an advanced KODAK self-serve kiosk with USB for printing digital photos from thumb drives, as well as from the usual memory cards and from CD/DVDs.

The new Rite Aid is giving a $20 gift card if you transfer a drug prescription to their pharmacy.

Here is the Rite Aid Weekly Sale Items circular, which is now also listed in the SLNV menu.

A Camerons Seafood market will open in the storefront on the west end of the row that has the Subway in it. It remains to be seen if they will sell prepared foods. http://cameronsseafood.com/

FREE "Club" Wheel Locks Deter Theft of Cars and Air Bags

Bar-style steering wheel locks like "The Club" deter not only car theft, but for some cars they can also deter the increasingly common theft of air-bags.
FREE CLUB STEERING WHEEL LOCK
I just confirmed that P.G. Police District 6 is still offering free Club steering wheel locks for participation in the free Watch Your Car program. For information about Watch Your Car, see http://www.mdautotheft.org/wycprogram.htm but the web site does not offer the free Club steering-wheel lock.

To Register for Watch Your Car and get your free club lock, just drop by the P.G. Police District 6 statioin, 4321 Sellman Rd, Beltsville, MD (interactive map) and ask for Corporal Robison who usually is at the station Monday - Friday 8 am to 4 pm. Or you may call her at the station number 301 937-0910 to make an appointment.

Given what is at stake, even buying a club-style steering wheel lock may be a good investment.

Galaxy Billiards Cafe Eyes Amazon Liquor License

South Laurel News and Views recently learned that the owner of one of the nearby Galaxy Billiards Cafes (which one was unspecified) is in discussions with Club Amazon owners about buying the Amazon's recently relinquished liquor license. It is likely, but not certain, that the license would be used at the Club Amazon location. Earlier, a "Cheese Burger Paradise" had expressed interest in the site and liquor license. Anyone who acquires the Amazon's Class "B" liquor license (for a family restaurant) would be bound by the same conditions imposed on Club Amazon by the P.G. Liquor Board.

Here is a December 17, 2004 article about one of the Galaxy Billiards Cafes in Silver Spring, MD.

[July 31, 2007:
For information about the bar that replaced Club Amazon see link Rio Sports Bar & Grille which is also under NEWS at the South Laurel News & Views Blog.

Final Liquor Board Ruling on Club Amazon, June 15, 2006

The following letter was sent to Club Amazon legal counsel and all Parties of Record:

QUOTE:

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY GOVERNMENT BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS

June 15,2006

Mishonda Baldwin, Esquire 6240 Wilde Swan Way Columbia, Maryland 21045

RE: t/a Amazon Class B, Beer, Wine and Liquor

Dear Ms. Baldwin:

During Regular Session on June 14, 2006, the Board of License Commissioners met regarding the above captioned.

The Commissioners found your client in violation of Sections 10-401 (a)(ii)(2), 16-301(a), 20-202(v)(l)(B) of Article 2B and Rules 25, 26(A)(I), 26(A)(3), 26(A)(14), 26(B)(4), 26(B)(7), 26(B)(10), 26(B)(12), 26(B)(14), 46(B), 46(1), of the local rules and regulations of the Board of License Commissioners. A fine of$5,000 was imposed. A certified check, cashier's check or money order in the amount of$5,000 is due and payable to Prince George's County within seven (7) days.

Additionally, the Commissioners granted your client a ninety (90) day closure of the licensed establishment for the sole purpose of transferring the alcoholic beverage license at this location or to another location within Prince George's County. Should the Class B, Beer, Wine and Liquor license be transferred to parties that continue to remain at the location of 13501 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland, the operation of the business must be that of a family friendly sit down restaurant operation. It was also proffered that grandfather rights regarding CB-49-2005 do not transfer at the address of 13501 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland. The Commissioners accepted proffers that under no circumstance would the current licensees, Robyn Kim, President and Nick Gladen, Secretary/Treasurer re-open at this location. In addition, the Board determined that customer dancing was not authorized at the licensed premises and no such "right" was available to transfer in any instance.

The proffers that the licensee made to the Board were instrumental in the Board's determination of the type of penalty to impose as well as the Board's decision to grant the ninety (90) day closure for the purpose of transferring the license. Should the proffers not be strictly adhered to, the Board would consider such act a potential violation and the proper subject of a show cause hearing.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Sincerely yours,

[signature]

Franklin D. Jackson
Chairman

CC:
The Honorable John A. Giannetti, Jr.
The Honorable Leo Green
The Honorable Brain Moe
The Honorable Pauline Menes
The Honorable Barbara Frush
The Honorable Thomas E. Demoga
The Honorable Douglas J.J. Peters
The Honorable Craig A. Moe
All Parties of Record

County Service Building, Room 204, 5012 Rhode Island Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland 20781-2037 (301) 699-2770

END QUOTE:

Child --Taylor Stubbs -- Missing Since May 24, 2006

Taylor Stubbs -- Missing since May 24, 2006

Taylor Stubbs is a 12-year-old girl who is 5'3" (160 cm) and weighs 125 lbs (57 kg).

The local connection is that she lived in BELTSVILLE and attended Kingsford and Woodmore elementary schools. She possibly moved to Florida with her mother in sixth grade -- before disappearing from SILVER SPRING, MD on May 24, 2006.

If you live in Maryland or know people who do, then please click here. With a few clicks of your mouse, you could start an Internet word-of-mouth buzz that could easily reach hundreds of thousands of people. You could be responsible for saving Taylor's life. This actually works --

The missing child was last seen wearing sunglasses, blue jeans and a white and black polo shirt. Her hair is styled in a purple and black Mohawk.

If you have any information regarding Taylor Stubbs, please contact:
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
800-843-5678 (800-THE-LOST)

The case number for Taylor Stubbs is: USMDw06028086

Other Maryland children recently missing and found
through th National Center for Missing & Expolited Chldren (This continually updated link is also under NEWS in the SLN&V sidebar.)

This information is from LINKTILES: Missing Children

Lost Dog

UPDATE: Laurel Leader June 15, 2006

This lost dog was last seen on Ashford Blvd
(previously on Cambridge Circle) off Cherry Lane west of Route 1 in the vicinity of Laurel Lakes. It might stay near the lake or the upstream pond for food and water. When last approached the dog fled, so please call the owner before approaching it, unless it comes up to you on its own.

Here's a scrollable map of the Cambridge Circle area. The dog's home on Maple St. is east of Route 1 near Cypress (just north of Contee Rd at Route 1)-- so it has crossed Route 1 at least once already. So it might end up anywhere in only a few more days.

Meet Our Councilman Tom Dernoga July 2, 2006

Here's an informal opportunity to meet our District 1 County Councilman, Tom Dernoga hosted by Rosalind Johnson at Applewalk Condominiums.




"Villas at Laurel" Town Homes in Rt 197 Bus Lot

According to information gathered by Rosalind Johnson, Applewalk HoA:

The land development and management company, Structures Unlimited, CEO Kareem Abdus-Salaam, "specializing in Transit Oriented Development", plans to build an "up-scale" "Villa-style" community of about 85 Town Homes, priced at $500K and up, on the current Metro Bus lot at Route 197 Laurel-Bowie Rd and Briarcroft Lane, near the Park View Senior Apartments. No newspaper items were found about this development.

Only an average of 30 of the currently 686 [A] bus lot parking spaces have been used on a daily basis. The plan leaves 86 parking spaces for bus riders. The "transit oriented development" concept is to encourage more use of the buses by Villas at Laurel residents and others nearby. Metro buses run on a regular basis from that lot to the Greenbelt and New Carrollton metro subway stations.

The Villas at Laurel town homes will average 2100-2500 square feet. Landscaping is said to comply with new standards established under Prince George's "Livable Communities" initiative.

The developers may propose that a new traffic signal be installed at Route 197 and Briarcroft to facilitate pedestrians from Villas at Laurel, Park View and the Church and Day Care facility wanting to cross Rt. 197 to get to the Giant and other stores at the north end of the shopping center, without having to walk south to the existing traffic signal at Snowhill Estates Lane.

See the Concept Plan at this link, which appears to show only 64 Town Homes, but is subject to revision in the Specific Design Plan.

The developers have been working on this project since 2003 and now hope to go to Specific Design Plan (SDP) hearings and approval by July this year. Meanwhile, they have been contacting nearby property owners and say they welcome opportunities to work on the Specific Design Plan with area residents.


Contact info:
Structures Unlimited, Ltd.
CEO Mr. Kareen Abdus-Salaam
2121 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 261-6547
http://suionline.com

[A] May 23, 2006: This is a correction. The original post incorrectly said "160+" spaces.

Wed Mar 22 7 PM - Police Chief's Crime Report & Action Workshop

Please Join

Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin C. High

District 6 Commander Major Tom Connolly

and Police Department Staff

on

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Martin Luther Middle School

4545 Ammendale Road

Beltsville, Maryland

A Report to the Community

on Crime & Action Workshop

Hosted by

The Prince George’s County Police Chief's

Citizen’s Advisory Council

and the District 6 Citizen’s Advisory Council

Your local elected officials have also been invited to attend

Senator John Giannetti

Delegates Barbara Frush, Paulene Menes and Brian Moe

Councilman Tom Dernoga

Refreshments will be served.
MAP

Recent Rash of Car Thefts Along Muirkirk - Take Precautions

According to word from the President of the nearby Beltsville Citizens Association, there has recently been a rash increase in auto thefts in the South Laurel area along Muirkirk Road. The vehicles of choice appear to be Chryler and Dodge products.
Statistic show that a majority of the vehicles that are stolen are left unattended with the keys in the ignition, or unlocked.
Also consider taking other precautions, such as using steering wheel locks, like the Club, etc.
Dates and locations of vehicle thefts and other crimes in our Police District 6 and for each of the other five police districts are reported in the P.G. Crime Report in the Thursday P.G. Extras section of the Washington Post, which you may review at the Regional Crime link that i update each week on the MH News web site.

Stardust/Amazon Liquor Board Hearing Now May 3

City of Laurel -- Official Press Release -- February 21, 2006

Stardust/Amazon Liquor Board Hearing Now May 3

Click here to read this article on the Montpelier Hills web site.