K-8 South County School Site Plan Package

(Click on the image for the briefing)

The site plan package was provided thanks to Jason Washington, Director, Public-Private Partnerships Program, Prince George's County Public Schools.

Jason added:

- the developer is aware of the frequency of significant runoff and attendant flooding in the area and will use that information to continue to inform their design approach as the design advances.

- there will be multiple stormwater practices (identified as #11 on the site plan) on the site, including: underground stormwater retention tanks, permeable pavement and other stormwater management practices (i.e. native plants, water diversion treatments) on the land.

Click here for audio of Jason's briefing to the October 28th virtual meeting of the South County Community Roundtable (SCCR).

Passing of Robert (Bob) West

 Dear Neighbors,

We are sad to report the passing of Bob West, father of TCA Treasurer, Keith West. Bob and his late wife Macy were long time residents of Surrey Circle Drive. Please keep Bob and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

From the Kalas website:

Robert Elmon West, 91, of Fort Washington, Maryland, beloved husband of the late Macy Cooper West, passed away October 22, 2020. He was born in Erwin, North Carolina, to the late Gertrude West Cooper and Elmon West.

Robert valued and exemplified love of family, generosity, loyalty, resilience, and love of country. He was a proud Korean War veteran. After military service, his career revolved around education and coaching. For many years, he was a physical education teacher and football coach at Oxon Hill Senior High School. He spent the remaining 20 years of his career as an educator and associate dean at Prince Georges Community College. He enjoyed being with his family and friends, golfing, watching sports, and spending time at Myrtle Beach, and the family lake house in North Carolina.

Robert was preceded in death by his wife and soulmate, Macy, to whom he was married for almost 66 years. He leaves to mourn his beloved children Keith West and Lynn Linde (Karl), grandchildren Macy Ketcham (Jeremy), Karl Linde (Renae), Clarissa Linde, Cooper Linde (Sarah), Dietrich Linde (Carlie), Caroline Vining (Louis) and his great-grandchildren Hope Ketcham, Caleb Ketcham, Hannah Ketcham, Kylie Ketcham, Kezia Ketcham, Jayden Linde, Priya Linde, Kevon Linde, Henry Linde, Cecilia Linde, and Annin Linde. Robert was predeceased by great-grandchildren Alvin Linde and Azzi Linde. He is survived by many nieces and nephews.

A Life Celebration will take place on Sunday, November 8, 2020, from 2 to 5 pm at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 6160 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill, MD, 20745. A Private Funeral Service will be held at the Oxon Hill United Methodist Church, 6400 Livingston Rd., Oxon Hill, MD, 20745. A Private Interment will follow at the Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Highway, Cheltenham, Maryland, 20623. Donations in Robert’s memory can be made to Oxon Hill United Methodist Church.

Swan Creek Rd. Drainage Improvements Project

•  A recording of the Zoom meeting is here. Use Access Passcode wJ*N%7+q
• The meeting starts at 15 minutes in and ends at 1 hour and 12 minutes.
• The Q&A portion includes the issues that residents of the 100 block of Swan Creek Rd are facing.
• DPW&T is "fast tracking" a mitigation of their flooding issues by installing a large pipe between 103 & 105 and 106 & 108 that ends at a golf course pond.
• Construction is estimated to start in 18 months.

$150/Tree Rebate for Planting a Native Tree on Your Residential Property

(Click on the image for the Prince George’s County Rain Check Rebate program)

Click here for the Urban Tree Canopy Fact Sheet.

Click here for a list of native trees.

"Prince George’s plan to build schools will help students and the community"

(Click on the image for CE Alsobrooks opinion in the Washington Post)

"Our children deserve the opportunity to be educated in school buildings that are conducive to learning and reflect the importance we place on their education. The people of Prince George’s don’t want political grandstanding, excuses or bureaucracy; they want us to deliver on the promises we have made to build exceptional schools and classrooms befitting of our children, and we will deliver."

"The county has an $8.5 billion backlog in school construction, with 40 percent of school buildings built 60 years ago. This is unacceptable. This week, the Board of Education will have the opportunity to approve the construction of six new county schools over the next three years, a process that would typically take 12 years, through an Alternative Construction Finance Program. Prince George’s County Public Schools chief executive Monica Goldson and her team have taken great care to ensure that safeguards are in place and the timeline of the program stays on track."

Alternative School Construction Financing Fact Sheet & Briefing

• At the bottom of this post is a list of county officials you can contact with your questions, comments and concerns.
• The People's P3 Debrief October 19, 2020
  
• ACF Town Hall on Monday, October 19, 6 PM, 855-756-7520 Ext.67775#

• Virtual school board meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 7 pm.
• https://zoom.us/j/99037483184? pwd= by9XaEZEcFdpY2N6TEpaL2luL3NFUT 09
  
  Passcode: 416352

 Thanks to Hazel Robinson for compiling this list.

Update: Opponents of Public-Private Partnership to Build Schools in Prince George's Holding Town Hall

(Click on the image for Tracee Wilkins' News4 report)

• Opponents of a public-private partnership to build public schools with private money in Prince George’s County held a virtual town hall Monday evening [Oct 12, 2020].
• Prince George's County has an $8.5 billion backlog in school construction needs.
• Prince George’s County Council postpones vote on P3 plan, facing opposition. Read Rachel Chason's Washington Post Report here.
• Video of the County Council's deliberations is here.

Tantallon Fall Clean-up Day

Dear Neighbors,

We had about 20 people volunteer for our clean-up day today [Oct 10, 2020]!  The weather was perfect.  We filled 50 paper yard bags with weeds and dirt growing in the gutters along West Tantallon Drive, from Fort Washington Road to Arrow Park Drive.  Troy Ford did a section on Surrey Circle Drive adjacent to the golf course where weeds have been growing for years.  This should improve drainage. 

 Volunteers included Tabitha Stewart, Henrieta Dzurikaninova, Troy Ford, Patti Holcomb, Diane Miceli, Jo Ann Davis, Judy Henry, William Nelson, Anthony Mitchell, Ski Markowski, Joe Ramsey, Calvin Martin, Dede Perkins, Laurie Bangart, Cassie Adams, Robert Straughter, Donna Weisner, Kim Vu, Karima, Alvin Burwell, Charlie Williamson, Zina Jemison, Carter Ferrington, and Sarita Burns.  My apologies if I missed anyone.  

 A special thank you to Cassie Straughter!  She owns a catering business, Cassie Moments LLC, and provided free fish sandwiches, chips, and a drink to our volunteers.   If you would like more information about her company, you can contact her at (301) 292-7203 or at cassiemoments@gmail.com. Since Thanksgiving is going to be different this year, she is preparing home cooked meals for smaller gatherings.  She will be frying turkeys and selling them whole, half or in quarters with sides. You can contact her by the end of the month if you want to place an order.   

Update: We're Getting a Fort Washington Middle School

On Wednesday, Oct 14th, the Tantallon Square Area Civic Association (TSACA) will host a virtual (Zoom) meeting to learn about the new K-8 school planned for Fort Washington. Edward Burroughs III, Vice Chair of the Prince George's County School Board, will participate.

Details of the meeting:

Time: Oct 14, 2020 07:30 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9124501782?pwd=NFRRQzBuVi8vYXU4ajFERHpGWUVuUT09

Meeting ID: 912 450 1782

Passcode: 6xERm0

One tap mobile

+13017158592,,9124501782#,,,,,,0#,,734974# US (Germantown)

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Dial by your location

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

• Today [October 7, 2020], Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Monica Goldson announced the next stage of the school system’s innovative and collaborative school construction program, a move designed to address rapid enrollment growth amid aging school buildings.
• Prince George’s County Education and Community Partners — which is comprised of Fengate Capital Management Ltd. and Gilbane Development Company, Inc., Gilbane Building Company, Stantec and Honeywell — will be recommended to the Prince George’s County Board of Education to lead the Alternative Construction Finance Program, a public-private partnership. The Board is expected to vote on the proposed developer during its Thursday, Oct. 21 meeting.
• With the Board’s approval, Fengate Capital Management Ltd., Gilbane Development Company, Inc., and Gilbane Building Company will serve as the design-builder; Stantec as the architect and design lead; and Honeywell as the lead services provider. The design-build team of Gilbane and Stantec combines the expertise of the nation’s top K-12 schools builder and designer with services provided by Honeywell through local school-based staff. 
• The new schools will result in upgraded learning environments for approximately 8,000 students. If approved, over the next four years the developer will build the new Drew-Freeman, Hyattsville, Kenmoor and Walker Mill middle schools in addition to an Adelphi area middle school and a south county kindergarten through eighth grade school. Under the normal process, it would take at least 12 years to build the new facilities. All schools are scheduled to be ready for occupancy July 2024. 

[June 27, 2019 post]

At the June 6, 2019 Board of Education meeting, the board voted to approve option 1 of the Action Summary to address overcrowding at Accokeek Academy.  This means that Potomac Landing will become a K-8 with 240 elementary students and an addition will be built for 400 middle school students by 2023. Potomac Landing 6th graders will start staying at Potomac Landing in 2020.
A briefing given at Accokeek Academy on March 19 is here. School CEO Dr. Goldson said that the money for option 1 was already secured.
Thanks to Phil VanWiltenburg for the information.