Brentwood

Elections reshape Route 1 corridor councils

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Hyattsville voters chose incumbent interim Mayor and Ward 1 City Councilor Kevin Ward as their next mayor, along with five other City Council members, concluding the spring 2021 municipal election season along the Route 1 corridor, with elections in Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Riverdale Park and University Park taking place the week before. 

The elections brought some firsts, as well. In Hyattsville Ward becomes the first African American man elected to the Mayor’s office. Ward is also the first African American man to serve as Mayor, though he earned that distinction in January when he succeeded former Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, who resigned her seat early to focus on other political ambitions. 

Ward handily beat campaign rivals in Ward Five City Councilor Joseph Solomon and political newcomer Austin Martinez. Ward received 1,606 votes to Solomon’s 823 and Martinez’s 247. With only 500 same-day votes uncounted, Ward’s 783-vote lead over Solomon is more than enough to secure the win.

Brentwood

Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Riverdale Park, University Park voters hit the polls

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Consider this Route 1 Reporter’s paean to the elections of the Prince George’s County Route 1 corridor’s smaller towns. Amid an historically-large field of candidates in Hyattsville this year, I was unable to provide the type of coverage I’d like for the other races in the corridor. Still, voters in Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Riverdale Park all have elections that are coming to a close today, May 3, 2021, while University Park will vote the next day. Below, a rundown of the races:

Brentwood

In Brentwood, a rhetorically contentious election pits two slates of candidates against each other. The Fair Leadership slate sees incumbent Mayor Rocio Treminio-Lopez court votes alongside council hopefuls Stefan Leggin, Quianna Taylor and Mary Vechery.

College Park

Tweaks in store for College Park Southern Gateway

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The development team behind the College Park Southern Gateway project is making some tweaks to its plans that will slightly reduce the retail space available at the site. 

The College Park Southern Gateway project would redevelop a now-vacant collection of properties that include the former Platos Restaurant and a Quality Inn along the city’s southern Baltimore Avenue corridor near Calvert Road. When finished, it will have 393 market-rate units, 70,000 square-feet of retail, a 230,000 square-foot parking garage, and is planned to be anchored by a large grocery store. In 2018, the project, backed by multifamily development titan Bozzuto, received tax incentives from College Park City Council and County Council. 

Officials with Bozzuto tell Route 1 Reporter construction is anticipated to begin this Spring. Procedurally, this is an amendment to the original detailed site plan for the project. The amendment would change the layout of the retail along Baltimore Avenue south a planned extension of Calvert Drive on the eastern side of Baltimore Avenue. 

In total, the layout changes will result in a slight deduction in the retail square footage.

College Park

College Park Council nixes tax break for Metro Apartments; Gives conditional support for plans

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College Park City Council voted to conditionally support plans for a proposed 450-unit apartment building near the city’s Metro Station. But citing disagreement with developers over proposed development concessions, Council also declined to consider an economic development tax credit application builder Gilbane Development Corp. sought from city officials. 

The matter now heads before the Prince George’s County Planning Board at its June 13 meeting. College Park City Council’s support of the development is contingent upon several conditions that Gilbane officials object to. They include a commitment to maintain street furniture and other improvements built as part of the project along River Road, and funding commitments for public art and bicycle and pedestrian enhancements.