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 Distribution
U.S. Census Bureau
25%
United States
20%
College Park
Metro Area
15%
Prince George's
County
10%
5%
0%
Under
5
15 to
17
21
30 to
34
45 to
49
60
and
61
67 to
69
80 to
84
SETTING THE STAGE
College Town Age Distribution
U.S. Census Bureau
25%
20%
Ann Arbor, MI
15%
Berkely, CA
Champaign-Urbana, IL
10%
Chapel Hill, NC
College Park, MD
5%
0%
Under
5
years
15 to
17
years
21
years
30 to
34
years
45 to
49
years
Age
60
and
61
years
67 to
69
years
80 to
84
years
SETTING THE STAGE
Income Changes, 1990-2000
U.S. Census Bureau
60%
50%
40%
United States
30%
College Park
20%
Metro Area
10%
0%
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
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 1
CORRIDOR SECTOR PLAN-2002
Purposes of Plan
Existing
Future
• 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
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
Contrast and Contradiction
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
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
•
•
•
•
•
MIXED USE (Office/Retail/Hotel/Light Industrial)
PLANNED EMPLOYMENT (Office/Retail/Light Industrial)
MIXED USE (Office/Retail/Hotel/Residential)
RECREATION
•
OPEN SPACE
•
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
TRANSIT DISTICT DEVELOPMENT
PLAN (TDDP) – 1997
Contrast & Contradiction
Current proposed layout for M
Square Enterprise Campus
Alternate Master Plan for
Transit District and M Square
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