[RP TownTalk] Quality development in Pince Geoges County

[Melissa Avery]

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  Action Alert: Take Action for Quality Development in Prince George's County!
JULY 18, 2011  

Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 19, 2001, Prince George's County faces a historic choice regarding the future of development in the county.  At stake is clean, green, attractive development versus more of the same from a backward looking development community that is all together too powerful. Citizens consistently ask for more attractive, higher quality development in the county, while the development community continually opposes any measures aimed at such improvements. Will the Prince George's County Council set a new vision for the county's development or will the developers win the day again?

The clean water bill (CB-15-2011) which the council will take up tomorrow, sets stormwater management standards for future development in Prince George's County. The development community says they can't afford to meet higher standards, but the truth is citizens can't afford the bills for wet basements, flooded roads, eroded streams and damaged infrastructure that result from inadequate management of stormwater runoff. Why should citizens pick up the tab for costs passed on from developers who don't adequately manage their stormwater runoff?


 
A gorge dug by stormwater runoff in Prince George's County 
Science shows that at least 1" of stormwater runoff must be managed to protect water quality and there is an emerging regional consensus around this standard: DC, Montgomery County, Tysons Corner, and Philadelphia are all at or above a 1" redevelopment stormwater standard. Yet CB-15 requires management of only the state minimum 0.5" until 2016, when the standard rises to 0.75". Prince George's County won't reach the needed 1" of treatment until 2019 - why wait eight years to implement a standard that is needed right now?


Sadly, even the modest provisions of CB-15 are too much for the development community, which is pressing hard for weakening amendments.  While they work the county council, developers are also reaching out to communities and telling them that strong stormwater standards will prevent economic development from coming to their communities.  This fear mongering is the worst sort of cynicism - developers have ignored our established communities for decades while building luxury projects outside the Beltway.

Prince Georgians want attractive, high quality development and the best projects include green infrastructure measures like green roofs, shade trees, permeable pavement and open green spaces that are project amenities which provide space to walk, sit, and be with family and friends.   These types of projects are being built right next door in DC and Montgomery County, but won't be built in Prince George's County because CB-15 doesn't require enough of developers.    

If you are tired of Prince George's County being treated as second rate please contact county council and tell them not to weaken CB-15, but rather to amend the bill to implement the 1" redevelopment standard immediately. 

Please call (301) 952-3794 and ask to speak to your member of council.  

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best,
Brent Bolin
Director of Advocacy
bbolin at anacostiaws.org   
    

The Anacostia Watershed Society
The George Washington House
4302 Baltimore Avenue
Bladensburg, MD 20710

Office: (301) 699-6204
Fax: (301) 699-3317
E-mail: info at anacostiaws.org
Website: www.anacostiaws.org
   
Anacostia Watershed Society
Clean the Water, Recover the Shores, Honor the Heritage       
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