Category: Transit-Oriented Development

Building a shared prosperity for Prince George’s candidates briefing

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

A briefing for County Executive candidates on linking economic development, housing, and smart growth

Photo of sponsors and candidates of the Prince George's County Executive candidates briefing

February 18, 2025,  Solid Rock Church, Riverdale MD

ProgramDownload
Video Recording

Sponsors

RISE Prince George’s is a group of county residents and allies advocating for policies and practices that build shared, sustainable prosperity in Prince George’s County by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities. Platform brief 2025.

LISC – DC is a mission-based investor, convener and technical assistance provider. We work with a wide variety of partners to build neighborhoods where every person, regardless of race or income level has the chance to live and thrive. Briefing 2 pager

Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND) is a nonprofit membership collective working across the private, public, and social sectors to collaborate in the production and preservation of affordable housing in the Capital Region of Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond. Representing the ecosystem of partners who bring equitable communities to fruition, HAND works to disrupt the systems that perpetuate inequity in the communities we serve. We do this by embedding racial equity into our operations, practices, and programming, and activating our membership through policy forums and advocacy designed to drive impact for Black and brown communities residing at the sharpest intersections of inequity. HAND One Pager

Enterprise Community Partners’ mission: to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging, as well as platforms for resilience and upward mobility. Enterprise Mid-Atlantic Overview

The Capital Market (TCM) is a community-based farmers’ market that: provides healthy, affordable food options to our neighbors in the Capitol Heights neighborhood and surrounding vicinity; supports the growth of local-businesses and farms owned and operated by people of color; advocates for equitable and culturally-aware food systems.

Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development, Inc. (SEED) provides food, clothing, education and training while promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment directly to low- to moderate-income families and communities. Through community services, education and community development, SEED will create environments where all individuals are empowered, all children are nurtured, families are strengthened and communities are transformed. SEED is also the developer of 250 units of affordable housing on the Purple Line Corridor’s Riverdale Road Station in partnership with Lincoln Avenue Communities. SEED brochure

Housing Initiative Partnership, Inc. (HIP) develops innovative affordable housing, revitalizes neighborhoods, and equips people to achieve their housing and financial goals. Our vision is that every person lives in high-quality affordable housing in a thriving community. HIP handout

The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC) is a public-private-community collaborative working to leverage Maryland’s largest transit investment in the 21st century to ensure equitable change for all who live, work and invest in the corridor. PLCC flyer

Coalition for Smarter Growth advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. Blueprint for a Better Region

The sponsors are 501(c)(3) organizations and this is a permitted educational activity. By law, these organizations do not endorse or work on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Pictured: left to right: Pastor Mike Dickson, Solid Rock Church; Stanford Fraser, RISE Prince George’s; Sheila Somashekhar, Purple Line Corridor Coalition; Steven Palmer, HAND; Albert Slocum, candidate; Moisette Tonya Sweat, candidate; Kyle Reeder, The Capital Market and RISE Prince George’s; Marcellus Crews, candidate; Bryan Franklin, LISC; Stephanie Proestel, HIP; Cheryl Cort, CSG; David Bowers, Enterprise; Marcus Robinson, LISC; Bernard Holloway, RISE Prince George’s. Photo credit: Lesia R. Bullock, HIP

MD Testimony in Support of HB 80 / SB 190 – Transit-oriented development bill

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Testimony on HB 80

Land Use – Transit-Oriented Development – Alterations

House Environment and Transportation Committee

Date: January 27, 2025

Position: Support 

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) strongly supports HB 80. CSG advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. HB 80 would facilitate transit-oriented development around Maryland rail stations and transit corridors. Below are some of the reasons why.

Transit-oriented development (TOD) plays a critical role in resolving two key Maryland challenges: housing and transportation – Workers and families benefit from expanded transportation and housing options – and greater affordability. 

  • Transit commuters typically save over $13,000 per year by driving less and owning fewer household cars. 
  • State-owned TOD sites could support 5,000 new housing units in the Baltimore region and 3,000 new housing units along the MARC Penn Line.

Maryland’s economy and state and local finances have benefitted greatly from TOD – and continued development of underutilized sites would add to these annual benefits

  • In the Maryland suburbs of DC, development just on WMATA-owned property at Metrorail stations provides $66 million annually in local and state tax revenue. Currently active projects in Maryland will result in an additional $51 million in annual tax revenue. A further 13 million square feet of joint development is planned by WMATA in Maryland.
  • WMATA estimates that full build-out of its available properties across the tri-state Metrorail system would provide $340 million in annual tax revenues and $8.6 billion in potential annual economic impact. Twenty-four out of the 40 stations with these development opportunities are located in Maryland.  
  • MARC Penn Line sites could generate $800 million in new state and local revenue. 

HB 80 would help ensure that legacy zoning provisions not intended for TOD sites do not stand in the way of market demand for accessibly located housing and services  – The bill would remove minimum parking requirements (allowing developers to decide) for transit-oriented developments within proximity of rail transit stations. This is considered a national best practice to ensure housing affordability and remove market obstacles.  

Lastly, in a period of state fiscal constraint, transit-oriented development is a transportation solution that often takes advantage of existing infrastructure, leverages private investment and provides significant returns.
We ask for a favorable report for HB 80 by the committee. Thank you.

Testimony: U St Police Station Zone Modification (Support)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

We urge the Zoning Commission not to further shrink the housing capacity of the site, and to accommodate its other essential uses – a new police station and fire station. This is an important public land site for needed affordable housing. The proposed text amendment is a reasonable approach to making the most of the opportunity for new housing, supporting new public facilities, while also being respectful of the desires of nearby neighbors.

Event Materials: Fixing zoning to build more affordable housing & walkable communities (DC)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

How can we build more homes while ensuring neighborhood-friendly buildings and great public spaces? Emerging approaches to zoning offer simpler rules for creating great places, while reducing delay, uncertainty, and the cost of new housing.

Testimony: West Hyattsville-Queens Chapel Sector Plan and Proposed Sectional Map Amendment (Prince George’s, Support)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of the Staff Draft West Hyattsville-Queens Chapel Sector Plan and Proposed Sectional Map Amendment (SMA) (CR-002-2022). This plan will shape growth and change in this area to enhance housing choices, improve walk and bicycle access, and better connect the community to two Metrorail stations. This plan would provide increased access to jobs, services and homes, in a way that minimizes automobile trips and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This plan is comprehensive and extensive. We will only be able highlight a few of the important recommendations.

Testimony: Silver Spring mixed-use development at Georgia and Cameron (Support, Montgomery County)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

We wish to express our support for the proposed mixed-use development at 8676 Georgia Avenue and 8601 Cameron Street. This development will provide up to 525 additional transit-accessible homes in downtown Silver Spring; improve pedestrian and bike infrastructure in the surrounding area; and offer additional retail and commercial space to serve this neighborhood and its many residents and visitors just blocks from the Silver Spring Metro.

CSG Testimony: Support ZC 23-25 Chevy Chase DC rezoning

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

We wish to express our support for the proposed zoning changes to Chevy Chase DC’s main street. We have participated in and tracked closely the entire process – the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map, the Housing Equity Report, the Small Area Plan, the “Our RFP” public process for the library site, and this rezoning proposal.

Comments: AlexWest Draft Recommendations (Alexandria, Support)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

The Coalition for Smarter Growth supports the overall recommendations for a more walkable, transit-friendly, mixed-use and inclusive West End, with greater housing security and opportunities for families to live in its neighborhoods. We also appreciate the City’s thoughtful planning process that has emphasized proactive engagement for all communities to participate.

Testimony: CB 15 – Omnibus revisions to Zoning Ordinance to implement Plan 2035 (Prince George’s, Support)

Posted on by Ayesha Amsa

March 20, 2024 (updated 4/17/2024)

Hon. Tom Dernoga, Chair
PHED Committee
Prince George’s County Council 
Wayne Curry Administration Building
1301 McCormick Drive, Largo MD

Dear Chair Dernoga and members of the Committee:

Please accept this testimony on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG), the leading organization advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. We also support and work closely with RISE Prince George’s, a group of county residents and allies advocating for policies and practices that build shared, sustainable prosperity in Prince George’s County by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities.

We urge your support for CB 15. This is essential legislation to ensure the efficient, transparent, and effective use of the new zoning code, which implements the goals of Plan 2035. This new code supports Plan 2035’s priority focus on transit-oriented mixed use centers as a leading approach for strengthening the county’s economic competitiveness and tax base, and livability and sustainability. Much of the county’s future success depends on implementing the new, modern zoning code.

We participated in the extensive process to create the new zoning code, following the adoption of Plan 2035 in 2014. The new zoning code replaced a 50-year-old, outdated, confusing ordinance. It was a major advance for the county. It has been effective since April 2022. During this time, the need for further refinements to the code have been identified. CB 15 addresses these needs by including these key provisions: 

  • clarifying transition provisions – such as: grandfathering, access to prior zone uses for 10 years, fire loss reconstruction provisions, Woodmore Town Center access to prior approvals
  • Limitations on residential growth in the (Commercial, General and Office) CGO Zone outside the Beltway
  • Increased baseline residential density for Transit-Oriented/Activity Center zones

We strongly support the proposed changes to the NAC, TAC, LTO and RTO zones to allow increased numbers of homes per acre and some adjustments in height.  We have long expressed concern about the low densities permitted around transit stations in the new zoning code. The importance of allowing sufficient housing capacity around transit stations and major transit corridors is to attract quality investment that is feasible. Limiting sites in close proximity to high-capacity transit stations to low numbers of homes will waste the value of the taxpayer investment in transit, the many benefits of accessibility of transit, and discourage investment in quality mixed-use development.

We need more homes in multifamily buildings around transit stations and transit corridors to create a vibrant, mixed use, energetic environment that fosters walkability, thriving retail streets, and the kind of places that more people want to live in, work in, and visit. The proposed increased densities for Transit-Oriented/Activity Center zones help to advance the vision of great, walkable, transit-oriented communities.

We also support adding location standards to ensure that Transit-Oriented/Activity Centers are limited to the transit stations best suited for the level of development we expect in these centers.

Limiting residential growth outside the Beltway

We support the approach in the original legislation requiring that residential development outside the beltway in the CGO zone be reviewed and approved only through a Planned Development process. While the Planning Board revised this recommendation to allow multifamily, two-family, and townhouse dwellings on CGO sites of 25 or fewer acres with the approval of a Special Exception, we disagree. Given the permissibility of a Special Exception and the significant impact of growth outside the beltway, we recommend either specifying detailed Special Exception criteria or at least scaling back the number of acres allowed for Special Exception to five acres or less, or both. 

We know that many in the development industry are urging further delay in implementation of the new zoning code. We think further delay harms the county’s ability to attract new quality investment. The new code offers streamlined, easy to understand zoning regulations, and omnibus bill CB 15 provides helpful revisions.

We urge the Council to pass this bill without delay, while continuing to work to ensure the zoning code is supporting Plan 2035’s goals to focus most growth in Regional and Local transit centers, and inside the beltway.  

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely,
Cheryl Cort
Policy Director