Glenn Dale
Citizens Association
The meeting consisted mostly of factual updates, with few if any
opinions offered, with one exception:
The “outrage of the month” is that one must be willing to spend all day
in Upper Marlboro to attend a short hearing, because the planning board makes
no effort to announce the approximate times or order in which particular items
will be heard.
Opening The
meeting started at 7:40 PM. The
President was absent; the Vice President presided and brought cookies. The Treasurer wore a red sweater while the
Secretary wore a green shirt and red tie.
Secretary’s
Report. The previous minutes had one typo that needs
to be corrected, an incomplete sentence that we ought to remove. At this point, Mary explained background on
the issue. Minutes approved subject to
correcting the typos.
Treasurer Report
$We made 20
cents this month: $1561.50
Magruder Brannon House will be moved to the Zoglio property so that a doctor’s office can be built at the NE corner of MD-193 and MD-450. Temporarily the house will be brought to MD-193 with a fence built around it, until the new location is ready to receive it. Last month Henry said: “A group is going to be formed to keep an eye on the move and restoration. GDCA needs a representative.” No word on whether anyone took him up on that offer.
Glenn Dale Commons. December 7, conceptual site plan came before the planning board. This plan says where senior housing, townhouse/condos, and single family will be located. The single-family portion will have a preliminary plan because lots are individually platted. For platted, individual lots, one needs a preliminary plan. Preliminary plan has assessing of facility fee. But if you skip that, then the fees are assessed sooner. We are unclear why the townhouses aren’t being platted, but it sounds like it may be that the townhouses will be condo.
Recreational facilities. Larger dedication asked by staff for park last time. Then they were talking about ¾ acre park in the condo area. Now developer saying even ¾ acre is too much. Mary suggested 2 townhouses for an activity center. This issue will be deferred to the detailed site plan, which is where the procedures usually have these dedications created.
Staybridge Hotel. Outrage of the month: Mary had to wait from 10:00 AM until 5:30 before the Staybridge issue came up. Planning board puts out an agenda but does not hear cases in the order of the agenda. All present agreed to call this the outrage of the month. Jim added: “Maybe the planning board should hire Sears—at least they can tell you whether it’s before or after lunch.”
Lane additions being added, we think.
Signalization study for exit out of Eastgate shopping center. Mary said that we need a channel lane for left onto Lanham-Severn (MD-564). Planning wants to direct traffic onto Lanham-Severn. Even though most residents at the motel are expected to take MD-193 toward Greenbelt, the idea of routing traffic from the motel directly to MD-193 appears to be a nonstarter.
.
Sunday’s Washington Post had an article on Glenn Dale Hospital.
Update on Golf Course John: The plan is to move storm water management onto the golf course so that trees do not have to be cut. We have a 12-inch high-pressure gas main just barely underground. Unclear whether water will go over or under the gas line. Conceptual plan not yet been developed. A natural resources inventory is underway.
He How to get more participation at GDCA. Various ideas were presented, including:
Newspapers ad
The sign on MD-193
Homeowners associations
Joint meetings with other civic groups
Advertising.
Eric Olsen’s community association liason.
Debates on important issues
Get one or more speakers on specific issue; make business meeting very short.
Adjourned at 8:45.