<div><font color="#000000">I want to share some information and concerns regarding DeMatha's most recent proposal for its new gateway at Madison Street and Route 1. </font>Hyattsville's City Council will hear a presentation from DeMatha this coming Monday May 15 at 8pm.
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<div>The project is entirely in Hyattsville, but the gateway is directly across the street from<br>Riverdale Park and is a legitimate interest of ours. Hyattsville's Mayor Bill Gardiner welcomes our input, and<br>is looking for support from neighbors. While our council has taken no official position at this point, I believe it is in our interest for Hyattsville to follow through on their zoning plans.
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<div><font color="#000000">As background, DeMatha is going to build a new Convocation Center and </font><span><font color="#000000">expand its parking facilities. This area is covered by the Gateway Arts Sector Plan (GASP) zoning
</font></span><font color="#000000">which is Hyattsville's complementary plan to Riverdale Park's MUTC covering our portion of Route 1. Both plans call for multistory buildings set close to the street in order to form a "main street"
<br></font><span><font color="#000000">feel. Parking is supposed to be in the rear, or off the main </font></span><font color="#000000">thoroughfare.<br><br>The DeMatha proposal calls for parking lots directly on Route One. This is a significant deviation from the Gateway Arts Sector revitalization vision. After talking with Mayor Gardiner there are some points that we should consider: 1) DeMatha and Eakin Youngentab could
</font><span><font color="#000000">"trade" some property that would enable conforming buildings to cover<br>at least part of the street front; 2) because the county can always override the decisions of towns, it is important for Riverdale Park
</font></span><font color="#000000">and Hyattsville to cooperate and reinforce our zoning plans if we want to see these plans realized.<br><br>I will attend the Monday meeting and say: 1) I am very happy that DeMatha is <br>
expanding its campus -- they are a wonderful part of our community; 2) </font><span><font color="#000000">it is important to follow through with the community developed zoning plans; 3) failure to follow through with GASP in Hyattsville may serve
</font></span><font color="#000000">to undermine Riverdale Park's MUTC zone.<br><br>I hope others will join me at Hyattsville's City Council meeting to view the proposal and champion the zoning plans that are designed to recreate Route 1 as a "main street." Should you reach a different conclusion from mine, it is never the less beneficial to know what is going on so close to our boarder.
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<div>Best wishes, </div>
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<div>Vern</div>