Planning Assistance to Municipalities & Communities

Project Planner

Project Description

This project to promote commerce and economic development will build on the 2019 PAMC-funded MD 704 Streetscape Enhancement 30% Design and Engineering Report, which made recommendations to better accommodate and improve safety and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists within the available right-of-way.  

The objective of the assessment is to analyze the current market and economic conditions of Seat Pleasant, a gateway community to and from the District of Columbia. The research will produce a detailed report outlining the city’s capacity for economic growth and to offer strategic recommendations for enhancing the community’s economic prospects. This project will build upon the findings of the Central Avenue Blue/Silver Line Sector Plan’s existing conditions report, incorporating those insights while tailoring strategies to meet the needs identified by city staff. The assessment will propose actionable strategies for the municipality to foster sustainable quality economic development. The focus area identified for this project are the properties on either side of MD 704 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway) from 69th Place to the District of Columbia border.  

The assessment will be developed using County data, contributions from city staff and elected officials, business and property owners, field surveys, and analysis and interpretation by the consultant. The final work product will take the form of a report.  

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Project Planner

Project Description

The PAMC-funded 2023 Accokeek Heritage Tourism Study recommends the development of a gateway plan that would be centered on the intersection of MD 210 and MD 373. The plan notes, “It has long been observed that MD 210 divides Accokeek into two parts, and, in some respects, into two communities. For example, majority of the approximately 7,000 acres to the northwest of the highway is either zoned AG (Agricultural and Preservation) or ROS (Reserved Open Space), while there are only 142 acres of ROS southwest of it, and no AG-zoned lands. In consideration of this aspect, it was determined by residents that the highway could not be reimagined as Accokeek’s ‘main street.’ Nevertheless, MD 210 has a major visual impact on Accokeek’s landscape. With that in mind, a shift in mindset is suggested: to not consider MD 210 as a divider but instead to focus on the highway as a gateway to Accokeek. From this perspective, MD 210 and the intersection with MD 373 (Livingston Road) present an opportunity to communicate to visitors that they have arrived at a special place and that their presence is welcome.” This new project will focus on a two-mile portion of MD 210, from Manning Road East north to Farmington Road; and a 2.2-mile portion of MD 373 (Livingston Road) from Schuyler Drive, east to Accokeek Road. The plan will identify and evaluate challenges and opportunities.  

The project goals include improving travel safety, particularly for pedestrians; identifying ways in which a gateway to the community can be established, one that identifies Accokeek as a welcoming community for those who live here and those who travel through the area; identifying potential economic growth and viability for Accokeek property owners and service providers along the corridor; and generally improving aesthetics and thereby improving livability. Since there is no public signage to acknowledge Accokeek or identify it as a community of any type, a basic project goal is to identify appropriate signage. A steering committee of eight members selected by GACA will guide the project.  

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Project Planner

Project Description

Several 2009 Approved Countywide Master Plan of Transportation (MPOT) planned bike facilities cross through and border the City of New Carrollton but they offer only indirect routes when connecting places within and outside the city. For example, planned shared-use roadways and side paths from the Metro station double-back on themselves before reaching the city’s northern border.  

New Carrollton’s only trail is the .64-mile recreational loop at West Field, which according to the city is well-used by joggers, bicyclists, walkers, and dog walkers. New Carrollton is a multimodal transportation hub, with access to Metro, MARC, Amtrak, and the future Purple Line. An improved bikeway system would, in theory, allow people to travel to New Carrollton and from there to almost any destination in the continental United States, car-free. This active transportation connectivity study for the City of New Carrollton will evaluate and diagnose pedestrian and bicyclist facility deficits and propose a system of intracity bikeways, sidewalks, and natural surface trails providing sustainable, safe, and equitable transportation options and more recreational opportunities within the municipal boundary. The proposed bikeways will connect with the MPOT planned bikeways, especially where they connect important extra-municipal destinations, such as the New Carrollton Metro Station. The study will build on the recommendations in the forthcoming New Carrollton Downtown Access & Connectivity Strategy. Also evaluated will be the status of secure bicycle parking facilities at major activity centers and make recommendations for improvement consistent with best practices, including Section 27-6309 of the Prince George’s County Subdivision Regulations.  

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Project Planner

Project Description

Fort Washington Forward, Inc., a nonprofit organization, was awarded funding for a consultant to develop a Branding and Wayfinding Plan for the greater Fort Washington community. Formed in December 2021, Fort Washington Forward’s mission is to 1) attract smart/holistic investment to the Fort Washington community that accentuates retail, the environment, and parks and recreation, and 2) enhance social connectivity and sustainability in the community. For this project, branding is that which differentiates a community or place by capturing its unique collective identity and representing it in a distinct manner using visual cues, words, and phrases. A successful brand unites the community and captures the imagination of people outside the area. Wayfinding is that which helps people successfully navigate through an area using visual and other sensory cues such as signs or mapping. Wayfinding tools and resources help orient people to their current location and assist them in planning and following a route to reach a different destination.  

The branding component will use community engagement to identify significant cultural, historic, and natural resources, define a Fort Washinton boundary and establish a Fort Washington brand to capture a shared identity and project a positive message by which the community can be known and recognized by residents, visitors, homebuyers, and businesses and their customers. The wayfinding component will inventory existing amenity signage and signage conditions, and, using the branding components developed, establish what future signage should look like; and where the signage should be located to highlight the region’s amenities and identify the location as “Fort Washington.”  

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Project Planner

Project Description

Approximately one-third of the Town of Capitol Heights was platted before the County’s Zoning Ordinance was established, and many of these lots do not meet the minimum lot size required for improvements. A historical prevalence of vacant properties, combined with dwelling demolitions over the years, has resulted in over 700 empty lots (17 percent of total lots) within the town’s corporate boundaries. The abundance of vacant lots means lower tax revenue and greater costs for the municipality. In addition, they give an appearance of blight that can lower the value of adjacent and nearby properties. They can make people feel less safe and create opportunities for criminal activity.

The privately owned vacant lots require continual monitoring by the town’s Property Standards Authority to ensure the lots are maintained and not overgrown. When an owner fails to maintain a property, town public works staff are deployed for grass cutting and cleanup, and the town cites the owner for failure to maintain the lot. The town then bills the owner for the cost of the cleanup. If the owner does not pay the invoice, the cost is added as a lien against the property for collection in tax sale. The enforcement and administrative process for monitoring privately owned lots costs the town significant material resources (mowing equipment use and gasoline) and staff time that could be put to better uses.

The Vacant Lot Strategy will be critical to determining the town’s next steps in managing its vacant lots and reducing the time and money spent on their maintenance. The project is composed of the following elements: 

• Background research and case studies
• Vacant Lot Inventory Consolidation and Reconciliation
• Analysis of vacant lots and development of lot typologies
• Development of strategies and recommendations
• Preparation and presentation of the final report

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Project Planner

Project Description

With the Strategic Wayfinding Plan, the City of Greenbelt seeks to orient, direct, and inform visitors and residents to both well-known and less well-known attractions within historic Greenbelt and the city as a whole. The plan will be developed with input from the City of Greenbelt’s Advisory Planning Board, Arts Advisory Board, residents, and city council. 

The wayfinding plan will facilitate travel to key sites by driving, walking, bicycling, or using transit by providing clear directions along safe and convenient routes. Specific attention will be given to directing residents and visitors to and around Roosevelt Center, the historic retail and cultural core of the community. Although the project is intended to comprehensively address wayfinding throughout the city, land owned and maintained by the National Park Service (for example, Greenbelt Park) is excluded from the project area. 

This project shall comprise the following elements:

• Inventory of existing wayfinding features: type, location, condition
• Identification of key sites and wayfinding gaps or deficiencies
• Development of sign design concepts
• Recommendations addressing new sign locations and replacement and removal/consolidation of signage
• Preparation and presentation of the final report

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Project Planner

Project Description

The Youth Wellness Survey is now closed. Thank you for your input. Please check back for updates and findings.

The Youth Wellness and Opportunities Assessment project aims to shed light on community-identified problems and provide solutions that will help reduce incidences of crime, violence, mental illness, and addiction and improve health and educational training. The assessment areas are the unincorporated areas of Boulevard Heights, Oakland-Ridgeway-Pennsylvania Avenue, and Walker Mill Road South. The purpose of the youth-centered community assessment is to:

• Explore the current landscape of youth-serving programs and services available, including the robust offerings provided by M-NCPPC’s Department of Parks and Recreation, the Prince George’s County Health Department, and Prince George’s County Public Schools; 
• Provide a community-built portrait of the strengths, weaknesses, problems, issues, assets, gaps, and opportunities experienced by youth; and 
• Present action-oriented findings and recommendations to inform the Walker Mill CDC and other shared initiatives; identify possibilities to leverage assets, address needs, and create more opportunities for youth. 
  
  The youth-centered community assessment will engage residents, especially those aged 24 and under. A mixed-method approach consisting of a review of secondary data, a service inventory, focus groups, interviews, and a community survey with a Youth Action Committee shall be used to gather responses. Outreach will be conducted to young people, parents, residents, leaders, and business and property owners to gain their perspectives on problems and solutions. The final work product will be a written wellness and opportunity assessment report with recommendations.

Project Boundary

1. Boulevard Heights
2. Oakland-Ridgeway Penn Place
3. Walker Mill Road South
4. Youth Wellness Survey Communities Jurisdictions

Project Planner

Project Description

This project is a feasibility and design study for a segment of the planned hard-surface Chesapeake Beach Rail Trail starting at MD 725 (Marlboro Pike) and potentially linking a portion of the planned Western Branch Trail to the Show Place Arena. The primary goal of this study is to provide the Town of Upper Marlboro with cost estimates, facility design options, funding sources, and additional information needed to apply for grant funding to construct this trail segment. 

The purpose of the project is to: 

• Explore and document the current conditions of the site in relation to the proposed construction of a shared-use path, including environmental, community, and development parameters; 
• Determine the logistical and financial requirements; 
• Explore and enumerate trail options, including the incorporation of an equestrian trail with the shared-use path and connections to residential streets; generate construction cost estimates based on a conceptual site and construction plan; and
• Determine the feasibility of developing a shared-use path as described while ensuring all aspects of feasibility are accounted for.

The project will be developed using County data, contributions from community residents and property owners, field surveys, and analysis and interpretation by the consultant. The consultant will conduct outreach with town staff, community members, and property owners to gain their perspectives on the proposed facility. The final work product will be a feasibility and design study that explores potential improvement concepts and their costs.

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Project Planner

Project Description

With this new management plan, the Town of Riverdale Park seeks to maintain, expand, and protect the town’s tree population and canopy; create fully treelined streets through annual tree planting, make data-driven funding and tree maintenance decisions, and educate and engage residents.

This project will assess the condition of trees in public rights-of-way within the municipal boundary and provide town staff with the tools and data to make informed decisions on protecting, maintaining, and expanding the town’s street tree inventory. Tree inventory data will be collected pursuant to the Maryland Roadway Tree Law and conducted by a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert (LTE) or equal (International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist). Data collected will be entered into the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation’s (DPW&T) PlanIt Geo TreePlotter software to generate graphic and spatial representations of existing conditions that reveal needs and opportunities to decision-makers, funders, and community members. The findings of the tree inventory and condition assessment will directly inform the tree management plan that is developed.

The project comprises the following major work products:

• Tree Inventory
• Tree Condition Assessment
• Tree Management Plan
• Preparation and presentation of the final report

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Project Planner

Project Description

State of Place will be analyzing a portion of the Plan 2035 Bowie Local Town Center and two Bowie-Mitchellville and Vicinity Master Plan focus areas: Old Town Bowie and the MD 450 Corridor, the latter of which includes the Superior Lane Boulevard Concept and Free State Shopping Center/Bowie Marketplace Concept Plan. State of Place is an evidence-based, data-driven, technology-enabled approach that will assist the City of Bowie to: 

1. Identify and prioritize improvements to the built environment that will improve the quality of life and maximize the economic development potential of the city’s core commercial centers.
2. Quantify the value of investing in better urban design to streamline the buy-in, approvals, and funding required to deliver proposed projects.

State of Place will collect block-level data on over 125 urban design features using visual machine learning and upload it into the State of Place software, where the city can access the data to objectively diagnose built-environment assets and needs and create and test project scenarios.

State of Place will collect both built environment and economic development data for a broader geographical area outside of the City of Bowie and within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region to create an updated forecast model that quantifies the economic value of urban design. This statistical analysis of the relationship between the built environment and economic indicators will be translated into evidence-based urban design recommendations to boost the economic development value of the Bowie project areas and estimations of increased economic value tied to implementing such improvements. 

This project builds on the 2022 Approved Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan. It is a similar process to the General Plan’s Centers’ evaluation, with block-by-block detail and specific recommendations to improve walkability and sense of place.

Project Boundary Maps

Bowie State of Place Bowie Local Center

Bowie State of Place MD 450 Corridor

Bowie State of Place Old Town Bowie

Bowie State of Place Overview

Project Planners

Project Description

This project will explore the feasibility of constructing and operating a small community center on two lots adjacent to the town hall. The function of the community center would be to host community meetings and for limited indoor recreation. The purpose of the feasibility study is to:

• Explore and document the current conditions of the selected site in relation to the proposed program, including environmental and development parameters; 
• Determine and document the town’s programmatic needs and potential users of the proposed facility; 
• Develop conceptual site plans, conceptual floor plans, and conceptual renderings that accommodate the programmatic needs and environmental and development parameters, and 
• Provide cost estimates for construction and operation. 

The project will be developed using County data, contributions from town elected officials, town administrative staff, community residents, and property owners, field surveys, and analysis and interpretation by the consultant. The final product will take the form of a report.

Project Boundary

Related Documents

• Brochure
• Logo
• Branding Plan

Project Planner

Project Description

Located within the Anacostia Watershed along the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, approximately 164 acres, or 66 percent, of improved properties in the Town of Brentwood and 70 acres, or virtually 100 percent, of those in the Town of North Brentwood are located in a FEMA-designated flood zone, which does not account for climate change events. Although some work has been undertaken to identify which properties are prone to flooding and what causes it, and to mitigate it through infrastructure improvements, the towns lack a comprehensive understanding of current conditions and future predictions. Residents regularly experience flooding with extreme rain events, sometimes creating or exacerbating financial hardships and health problems. 

The purpose of the project is to provide the towns with data and tools to assess key current and possible hydrometeorological hazards, as well as their vulnerability and options for risk reduction and mitigation, and:

• Identify all private and municipal properties, infrastructure, and natural resources with flooding and/or stormwater hazard
• Identify the causes of those risks
• Categorize properties and infrastructure by flooding and/or stormwater risk
• Identify potential mitigation measures for each category
• Identify areawide infrastructure-related potential mitigation actions and analyze the regulatory structure required to implement such actions; and 
• Provide an analysis report and data that can be incorporated into the Brentwood Climate Action Plan, and used as a standalone document by both towns, working independently and together to reduce or eliminate flooding and stormwater as hazards.

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Project Planner

Project Description

Sustainable Brentwood will be a climate action plan that adapts and uses, as necessary and appropriate, the recommendations of the 2022 Prince George’s County Draft Climate Action Plan. The plan will set sustainability and climate action goals for the town to meet, organize, and prioritize action steps to achieve the goals, and galvanize and unify key stakeholders in shared sustainability practices. The Brentwood Climate Action Plan (CAP) will help the town advance environmental justice, transition to a state of readiness for and adaptation to climate change, and identify where the town can contribute toward achieving County CAP goals, given the municipality’s unique population and circumstances.

The planning process will engage key community stakeholders (residents, businesses, and community groups), allowing community responses to shape the plan guidance and describe what steps need to be taken for the town to achieve climate resilience and mitigate climate disasters such as drought, heat, storms, and flooding. The plan will consider recent federal, state, and County legislation to incentivize sustainability and climate change preparedness and apply it to Brentwood’s particular circumstances. As with the County’s draft plan, inclusion and equitable planning and strategies are priority commitments, as the effects of climate change can be demonstrably punitive to disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The concurrent Flooding and Stormwater Hazard and Risk Management Analysis for the Towns of Brentwood and North Brentwood, Maryland, will also inform the project.

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Project Planner

Updates

The consultant presented the market summary to the Pike Partnership on April 18, 2024.

Project Description

The Marlboro Pike Market Feasibility Assessment will be undertaken for a portion of Marlboro Pike from Brooks Drive (5300 block) to Forestville Road (7600 block), north along Ritchie Road to Darcy Road, approximately three miles. Marlboro Pike originated as the Washington-Marlboro Turnpike, linking the county seat of Upper Marlboro with the District of Columbia, and grew significantly from the 1930s through the 1950s. Automobiles allowed people to move farther from Washington, D.C., without having to rely on street cars and trolleys, and a demand for houses provided a market for suburban growth.

In 1939, the area’s first shopping center was built at Coral Hills. Nearby major federal institutions, including the Census Bureau complex and Joint Base Andrews, further increased market demand for housing. The number of residents grew by 150 percent in the 1940s and doubled again in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Pennsylvania Avenue was extended from central Washington, D.C. to Upper Marlboro and beyond, effectively creating a bypass of the communities along Marlboro Pike. This was the start of a fundamental change in the character of the Pike, as it was no longer a main thoroughfare. Most traffic was rerouted, and the Pike lost the economic benefits of through traffic. The continuing availability of vacant land and the construction of the Capital Beltway contributed to the decline.

Over the years, areas of disinvestment have led to deterioration and what many residents perceive to be unsafe conditions. Many of the surrounding communities appear to have disassociated themselves from the Pike. The 2009 Approved Marlboro Pike Sector Plan contains comprehensive recommendations for revitalization of the Pike based on a market analysis, stakeholder input, project area inventories, and a SWOT analysis. However, a sector plan scorecard undertaken in February 2022 determined that only six percent, or nine of the 154 actionable recommendations, had been completed. After 14 years and transformative changes in the housing, retail, and office markets triggered by technology, demographics, the COVID-19 pandemic, and interest rates, the analysis is obsolete. The Marlboro Pike Partnership CDC was formed in 2020, and seeks revitalization ideas to spur investment and expand economic opportunity and safety for all residents and businesses along the Pike, as well as façade improvement and rebranding ideas to make it an attractive destination. Previous and current revitalization efforts include an application for ULI/COG TAP and ongoing meetings with County agencies and partners to address quality-of-life issues in this area. 

The purpose of the project is to:

• Analyze, interpret, and understand the current market and economic conditions of the study area; 
• Develop a report that details the capacity of the study area for economic growth and
• Provide recommendations to improve upon and advance the interests of the Marlboro Pike community based on an assessment of feasibility.

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Timeline

• Planning Board Approval: December 14, 2023
• Project Kickoff: February 6, 2024
• Field Tour: March 1, 2024
• Partnership Presentation I – Market Summary: April 18, 2024
• Key Informant Interview Process: April-July 2024
• Market Assessment and Development of Recommendations: June-August 2024
• Partnership Presentation II – Market Assessment Report: August 2024
• Final Report – Market Feasibility Assessment: October 2024