PLANNING IN A COLLEGE TOWN

Implementing Smart Growth in College Park, Maryland

SETTING THE STAGE

• City is home/host to University of Maryland

• City population – 25,000 • UM population – 48,000• UM campus is 40% of land

area of city & boundaries are expanding

• UM functions autonomously• UM exempt from city/county

zoning & permit requirements & real estate taxes

• City demographics reflect college town

SETTING THE STAGE

Area Age DistributionU.S. Census Bureau

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Under5

15 to17

21 30 to34

45 to49

60and61

67 to69

80 to84

United States

College Park

Metro Area

Prince George'sCounty

SETTING THE STAGE

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Under5

years

15 to17

years

21years

30 to34

years

45 to49

years

60and61

years

67 to69

years

80 to84

years

Age

Ann Arbor, MI

Berkely, CA

Champaign-Urbana, IL

Chapel Hill, NC

College Park, MD

College Town Age DistributionU.S. Census Bureau

SETTING THE STAGE

Income Changes, 1990-2000U.S. Census Bureau

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Median Household Income Per Capita Income

United States

College Park

Metro Area

FORMAL TOWN-GOWN RELATIONS

Checkered Past – Hopeful Future

• 1995 City Comprehensive Plan

• 2001-2020 UM Facilities Master Plan

• Memorandum of Understanding between City and UM

-Advisory Planning Commission

-Facilities Council Meetings

• College Park City-University Partnership

• 2003 City Housing Plan/2005 UM Housing Market Study

• 2005 City Economic Development Plan

• Student representative on City Council

VISION STATEMENTS

CITY-UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

From the City Comprehensive Plan:

College Park is a harmonious college town with a diverse population of short-term and long-term residents. The University and City regularly communicate and cooperate on issues and reflect an integrated view of the campus and City as one community. They work together to coordinate decision-making, share resources and address mutual problems and opportunities for a better quality of life for all.

From the UM Facilities Master Plan:

Reinforce the campus’s role as a good neighbor in the larger community by the careful development of sites on the campus periphery or in outlying areas that link us to the community.

PLANNING INITIATIVES

1. US 1 Corridor Sector Plan - 2002

2. Transit District Development Plan - 1997

3. East Campus District Project - New

COLLEGE PARK US 1CORRIDOR SECTOR PLAN-2002

Purposes of Plan

• Change strip commercial zoning to allow residential and mixed use

• Promote compact, infill development & redevelopment

• Revitalize city main street and gateway to university

• Establish new development standards and design guidelines

Existing

Future

COLLEGE PARK US 1 CORRIDOR SECTOR PLAN

Roles and Expectations• City requested plan; M-NCPPC lead

agency; team created• University decision to have own property

rezoned• Active participation by senior university

administrators in process• Improved environment for recruitment of

students & faculty• Opportunities for student housing needs to

be met by off-campus private development• Opportunities for UM affiliated partners and

organizations to move closer to campus in new offices

• More vibrant college town with quality retail, restaurant, hotel and entertainment facilities

COLLEGE PARK US 1 CORRIDOR SECTION PLAN - 2002

Implementation Realities

• New M-U-I / DDOZ zoning & development review streamlining has attracted much developer interest

• Redevelopment is still tough when land assembly, business relocation and high land costs are factors

• Developer’s proposals not always consistent with plan and many plan amendments sought

• Community opposition to increased density & traffic congestion

• Disagreement between city & university on support for specific projects

COLLEGE PARK US 1 CORRIDOR SECTOR PLAN – 2002

16-story student housing project built on west side of Route 1 with view of campus

4-story luxury apartment project proposed on east side of Route 1 and opposed by civic association

Contrast and Contradiction

TRANSIT DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN (TDDP) – 1997 COLLEGE PARK-UNIVERSITY OF

MARYLAND METRO STATION AREA

Purposes of Plan

• Create a transit district for 300 acres on east side of Metro Station

• Redevelop underutilized industrial area

• Provide economic development opportunities

• Revise approved land uses and rezone target properties

• Protect single family residential area to the west

TRANSIT DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN (TDDP) - 1997

Roles & Expectations

• M-NCPPC- lead process; city & university participation including architecture studio (also Town of Riverdale Park)

• University is property owner in area• WMATA joint development

opportunity at station• Vocal citizen opposition to

residential uses (fear of student & low-income housing) and tall buildings

• City vision for new urban, mixed-use neighborhood not realized

TRANSIT DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN (TDDP) - 1997

Implementation Realities 

• Fractured planning process led to many plan compromises

• Residential uses severely limited; height limits vary from 60’-90’

• Urban setting in north & suburban campus setting in south

• Federal agencies relocated or planned include USDA, FDA & NOAA

• University assembled 130 acres & has launched M Square, a 2.8 million square foot research park (first 3 office buildings in design phase)

• Other development stalled – no opportunity to meet housing demand

• Recent city plans call for revisiting TDDP for possible amendment

MIXED USE (Office/Retail/Hotel/Light Industrial)

PLANNED EMPLOYMENT (Office/Retail/Light Industrial)

MIXED USE (Office/Retail/Hotel/Residential)

RECREATION

OPEN SPACE

TRANSIT DISTICT DEVELOPMENT PLAN (TDDP) – 1997

Current proposed layout for M Square Enterprise Campus

Alternate Master Plan for Transit District and M Square

Contrast & Contradiction

EAST CAMPUS DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

New Initiative Approved

• 35 Acres of university land between Route 1 and the Metro Station proposed for redevelopment

• Property rezoned to M-U-I as part of US 1 Sector Plan

• Unique opportunity to extend Downtown and create Town Center

• Proposed RFP process and private development partner

• Importance of early city involvement in planning process

FUTURE OF SMART GROWTH IN COLLEGE PARK

• University is a catalyst for new development and is expanding it’s role and influence in the development process

• University is becoming a major developer (in partnership with the private sector) of land within the City of College Park

• Community interests must be seriously addressed by the university

• The City of College Park and the University of Maryland must engage in continuous collaborative planning and implementation

• EPA Smart Growth Implementation Assistance planned for January 2006