FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 15, 2013

CONTACT:           Cheryl Cort, CSG Policy Director, (202) 675-0016, ext 122
Alex Posorske, CSG Managing Director (202) 675-0016, ext 126

UPPER MARLBORO – Today, the Coalition for Smarter Growth delivered a petition to Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, urging him to choose a Metro station site for the planned Regional Medical Center. Over 1,000 Prince George’s residents signed the petition.

“The petition demonstrates how many people in our county want  the new medical center at a convenient Metro site,” said Coalition for Smarter Growth staff representative and Cheverly resident Reba Watkins, who delivered the petition. “As a Prince George’s resident, this issue is important to me. Right now, without a car, I have to go to Bethesda or D.C. for quality, convenient care. We can do better.”

The petition adds to growing consensus that the new hospital should be located at a Metro station site. On March 6, the Washington Examiner ran an editorial endorsing the Largo Town Center Metro station site and this week, the Washington Business Journal reported that the  Largo site garnered overwhelming support as the hospital site from the public at a recent Town Hall-style meeting.

The Coalition for Smarter Growth has previously documented the many advantages of the Largo Metro Station site.

“Largo Town Center Metro station is an ideal location,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director at the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “We’ve offered documentation of well-designed urban, walkable and transit-accessible hospitals on sites similar to the scale of the Largo Town Center Metro location. In addition, that site has multiple advantages that start with Metro, and include Beltway access, adjacent mixed uses, and a central location in the county.”

In addition to Largo Town Center, three additional sites are under consideration for the new medical center: Landover Mall, Woodmore Town Centre, and Morgan Boulevard. A decision on the new medical center’s location will be finalized this fall.

About the Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington D.C. region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies needed to make those communities flourish. The Coalition’s website is www.smartergrowth.net.

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Photo: Reba Watkins delivers the petition to County Executive Baker’s office on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. Photo credit: Aimee Custis.