At a meeting of the Prince George’s County Council on Tuesday September 15 2009, a small section of county history and more importantly the county’s ecosystem was saved for a while more. With all evidence pointing towards a decision to pave over acres of open space in the rural tier, the county council bravely reversed course and voted to save Woodland and parcels destined to become a shopping center called Crain’s Corner.
Now having passed this test, it is time to think about the land and its owners. How can they be compensated while protecting the environment and the history? Preservation is about more than just doing nothing with the land. The property owners have an economic burden incurred in the maintenance and defense of their large parcels against invasive species for example, and no one is expecting them to personally finance a public open space. One idea would be for the county agricultural marketing office to begin working on creative uses for what was once product farmland. Another would be to consider sustainable “green” residences as permitted by current zoning as a show place for what this county could do with 21st century designs sympathetic to the history and the environment of the area.
This said I want to take the public opportunity to thank my Councilman Samuel Dean, as well as others on the council. Mr. Dean, who has a commendable history of listening to communities first, for his work and vote that saved a piece of Prince George’s County for a better day. With his help and his vision to include communities in design and development from the beginning, we can boldly seize the moment and be an example to the rest of Maryland.
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