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.
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.
SHOOTING at Amazon Club / Liquor License Hearing Wednesday May 3d
Click here to read this article on the Montpelier Hills web site.
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
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.
Stardust/Amazon Liquor Board Hearing Now May 3
Click here to read this article on the Montpelier Hills web site.
Liquor Board Hearing - Stardust/Amazon March 1
Click here to read this article on the Montpelier Hills web site.
Stardust /Amazon To Lose Exotic Dance Permit
Click here to read this article on the Montpelier Hills web site.
Route 1 & Contee Rd Construction Affects Traffic
Click here to read this article on the MH NEWS web site, about traffic impacts due to construction of the new shopping center at Route 1 & Contee Road, complete with graphics of the road construction plan and detour maps.
Cedarhurst Brick Yard Development Status
Maryland National Capital Park & Planning CommissionSeptember 22, 2005 Planning Board Agenda:
DSP-05024 THE BRICK YARD
(TCPII/118/05)
Council District: 01 Municipality: None.
Tier: Developing.
Located on Cedarhurst Drive northwest of its intersection with Muirkirk Road. (PA 62)
I-2 Zone (36.3 acres) (6/21/05)
Jackson-Shaw Company, Applicant
Request: 478,330 Square Feet of Office/Warehouse Space in Six Buildings.
70-day limit has been waived.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVAL of Request for Continuance (ESTES)
http://www.mncppc.org/pgco/planning/agendas/agcurrnt.htm
=============================================================
Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission
Development Activity Monitory System
Monthly Report of Urban Design Activity - JUNE 2005
DSP-05024
TITLE: THE BRICK YARD - SOUTH SECTION, CONSTRUCTION OF FLEX INDUSTRIAL PARK
DATE ACCEPTED: 6/21/2005
ACRES: 36.30
PLANNING AREA: 62
LOCATED ON: ON CEDARHUST N.W. OF IT'S INTERSECTION WITH MUIRKIRK ROAD
ELECTION DISTRICT: 10
TIER: DEVELOPING
APPLICANT: JACKSON SHAW COMPANY
STREET ADDRESS: 7100 MUIRKIRK ROAD
AGENT: BEN DYER ASSOCIATES, INC.
CITY:
OWNER(S): CHEROKEE MARYLAND PROPERTIES
TAX MAP & GRID: 009 F-4
200 SHEET: 216NE06
ZONING: I-2
ADJACENT TOWN(S):
Report name: dams20.rpt
http://www.mncppc.org/drd/dams0605.pdf
Citizens Need to Fight Delay of Laurel-Beltsville School
Letter to Laurel Leader Editor from District 1 County Councilman, Tom Dernoga, Sep 15, 2005
The Prince George's County Public Schools staff just proposed deferring the proposed Laurel-Beltsville Elementary School in favor of other projects.
This recommendation is not in the CEO's Capital Improvement Program released for public discussion. Instead, the deferral was raised in a committee work session outside the general public view.
When is the public to be informed? After the hearing process is over?
I suggest that citizens concerned with school overcrowding in the Laurel-Beltsville area attend the Board of Education's next (and last) CIP hearing next Monday night [Sep 10, 2005] at 7 p.m. at the Sasccer Building in Upper Marlboro. You have to call in advance to sign up to speak (301-952 -6308).
Slow School Zone Project Resumes Aug 22, 2005
This photo by Greg Dohler shows pupils crossing Muirkirk Rd. on their way to school. It was published in the Feb. 10, 2005 edition of The Laurel Gazette.
Montpelier Elementary School Cross-walk Safety Beacon Failed on First Day of School
Today's sunny and otherwise pleasant start of a new school year at Montpelier Elementary was tainted by the chronically broken cross-walk safety beacon at Lanner Road just west of the school cross-walk across Muirkirk Raceway. That beacon is supposed to alert drivers that they are approaching a school cross-walk.
That broken beacon not only failed to protect our children crossing Muirkirk Raceway, it also failed to protect our crossing guard, Ms. Lou, who was struck by a car in the crosswalk and hospitalized last January - she has been able to return to work only after months of recovery and physical therapy. Laurel Gazette article
That beacon has required maintenance many times during each and every shool year since it was installed several years ago at the request of the Montpelier Hills Homeowners Association. Either it doesn't flash during the designated crossing-guard times or it doesn't flash at all. It was checked by a P.G. Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) crew at the end of last school year -- so it should have worked properly on this first day of school. It didn't.
The other safety beacon just east of the school has never had any problems since it was installed at the same time -- something is wrong with the west-end beacon. Either it is defective and should be replaced or its solar panels are not powering the batteries properly. The solar panels are blocked by adjacent trees and not oriented toward open sky due south for maximum exposure to the sun.
After our crossing guard was struck, the totally ineffective response agreed to between DPW&T's and the County School system was to add a few no parking and no U-turn signs in front of the school.
It is time to bring highway and cross-walk safety at Montpelier Elementary up to exactly the same safety standards as at nearby Deerfield Elementary school - before a child is killed -- not after.
As a Montpelier Hills resident, I will again raise these chronic safety problems with the school and the county -- residents and parents who wish to add their voices please add your comments to this posting and also contact me directly at
Gary Stone
Montpelier Hills
That broken beacon not only failed to protect our children crossing Muirkirk Raceway, it also failed to protect our crossing guard, Ms. Lou, who was struck by a car in the crosswalk and hospitalized last January - she has been able to return to work only after months of recovery and physical therapy. Laurel Gazette article
That beacon has required maintenance many times during each and every shool year since it was installed several years ago at the request of the Montpelier Hills Homeowners Association. Either it doesn't flash during the designated crossing-guard times or it doesn't flash at all. It was checked by a P.G. Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) crew at the end of last school year -- so it should have worked properly on this first day of school. It didn't.
The other safety beacon just east of the school has never had any problems since it was installed at the same time -- something is wrong with the west-end beacon. Either it is defective and should be replaced or its solar panels are not powering the batteries properly. The solar panels are blocked by adjacent trees and not oriented toward open sky due south for maximum exposure to the sun.
After our crossing guard was struck, the totally ineffective response agreed to between DPW&T's and the County School system was to add a few no parking and no U-turn signs in front of the school.
It is time to bring highway and cross-walk safety at Montpelier Elementary up to exactly the same safety standards as at nearby Deerfield Elementary school - before a child is killed -- not after.
- We need two new speed limit signs closer to both ends of the school zone with FINES DOUBLED (just like Deerfield ES).
- The speed limit near all P.G. County Schools should be 25 miles/hour (as it is in Montgomery County) (just like Deerfield ES is trying to do with their informal 25 mile signs)
- We need a cross-guard controlled red light to bring traffic to a definite stop when children are crossing Muirkirk with a crossing-guard (just like Deerfield ES).
As a Montpelier Hills resident, I will again raise these chronic safety problems with the school and the county -- residents and parents who wish to add their voices please add your comments to this posting and also contact me directly at
Gary Stone
Montpelier Hills
Speed Enforcement on Muirkirk
Observed again at mid-day on July 27, Prince George's County and Maryland State police continue to conduct frequent speed enforcement throughout day-time hours in the 30 miles-per-hour zone along Muirkirk Rd between Lanner Drive and Route 197.
Muirkirk Rd to Become De Facto ICC Extension
On July 11, 2005, after decades of debate, Maryland Governor, John Ehrlich, Jr., announced the state's chosen route for the Inter-County Connector (ICC) between I-270 in Montgomery County and Prince George's County I-95 and eventually further east to Route 1.
- Click here for The Press Release
- Click here for Benefits of Selections
- Click here for a Map of the Preferred Alternative