Planning
In Prince George's County is well thought out on a grand scale but ignored when
convenient. The triple tiers of developed, developing and rural serve as broad
guidelines for a future but not necessarily the future. In an attempt to bring predictability
and professionalism to the land use planning process, M-NCPPC was created by
the Maryland General Assembly in 1927 to develop and operate public park
systems and provide land use planning for the physical development of the
majority of Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, and to operate the public
recreation program in Prince George's County. State-of-the-art facilities and
national, regional and state award-winning programs have been the result. The
county planning department is charged with helping to "...preserve, protect
and manage the County's resources by providing the highest quality planning
services and growth management guidance and by facilitating effective
intergovernmental and citizen involvement through education and technical
assistance."[1]
Prince
George's County's growing population brings an ever greater interest in land
development processes and the public and private services that its citizens
expect. The planning department values community engagement and is committed to
enhancing knowledge and participation of the public in every element of its
work. All too often the citizens of the county, however, feel they are left out
of the process because of pressing family or business
concerns which are not focused at that moment on the long range concept and planning opportunities to participate early in the
planning process. In other words, we get excited and vocal when the
construction is ready to roll feeling left out of the visioning and conceptual piece
of the process. Part of this is the demand on time and perhaps someday Prince George's County will have webinar and wiki planning sessions so that residents can attend and participate on
line as well as in person in all the stages of planning.
Be that
what it may, tomorrow the planning department is holding a public forum: Where
and how should Prince George's grow?[2]
The forum appears to be in collaboration with Coalition for Smarter Growth.[3]
Event date: Thursday, January 26, 2012, from 6:30 PM to 8:00
PM
Location: CSC Building, 7900 Harkins Road, Lanham - by New
Carrollton Metro station
Date: Thursday,
January 26, 2012
Time: 6:30 p.m. -
8:00 p.m.
Location: CSC
Building, 7900 Harkins Road, Lanham - by New Carrollton Metro station
Contact: RSVP Required. Click
here to RSVP.
Comments:
Prince George’s grew by seven percent over the last decade,
yet little of it occurred at the 15 Metro stations or in established town
centers. Beginning in 2002, the county adopted a General Plan to provide an
overall land use approach to focus growth at transit stations, in new and
existing town centers, and to preserve rural lands. However, much of the
county’s growth over the last decade spread out across former fields and
forests, and far from transit stations. The county is preparing to launch a
update to its General Plan to guide where and how the county should grow.
This forum will begin a public conversation around how to
plan a better future for Prince George’s by taking stock of past experience and
addressing changing needs and emerging trends for the county and the region.
Hear from a former County Council Chairman, a new Council Member, and the
county’s leading economic development advisor on their vision for guiding a
more prosperous and sustainable county in the future.
Moderator:
Derick Berlage, Chief of Countywide Planning, Prince
George's County Planning Department
Panel:
Mel Franklin, District 9 County Council Member
David Harrington, former Prince George’s County Council
Chair, State Senator and Bladensburg Mayor
David Iannucci, Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative
Officer for Economic Development, Office of the County Executive, Prince
George's County
[1] About
Planning. [accessed January 25, 2012] http://www.pgplanning.org/About-Planning.htm
[3] Coalition
for Smarter Growth. Partner Organizations: Piedmont Environmental Council; Audubon
Naturalist Society; Sierra Club; Clean Water Action; Chesapeake Bay Foundation;
Partnership for Smarter Growth; Southern Environmental Law Center; Surface Transportation
Policy Project; Friends of the Earth/DC Environmental Network;
Environmental Defense; Prince William Conservation
Alliance; Campaign for Loudoun's Future;
Montgomery Countryside Alliance [accessed January 25,
2012] http://smartergrowth.net/anx/index.cfm/1,104,521,0,html/CSG-Partner-Organizations
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