2020 Winter Community Partners' Meeting

(Click on the image for the video)

DPW&T, the Department of the Environment, and the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement provided important information and updates as we head into the winter season.

DPW&T 2020 Virtual Snow Summit

(Click o the image for the video)

 DPW&T and partnering agencies provide information on services the County offers during inclement weather as well as important tips.

Passing of Mrs. Jennie Mae Smith

Dear Neighbors,

We are sad to report the passing of Jennie Mae Smith, mother of Michael Franklin. Michael and his wife, Claudette, are a long time residents of Monterey Cir. Please keep Michael and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

From the Pope Funeral Home Obituary:

Jennie Smith of Temple Hills passed away November 25, 2020. Services will be held on Thursday December 3,2020 at Pope Funeral Homes 5538 Marlboro Pike Forestville MD 20747 Viewing 10:00 am Service 11:00 am Interment Ft. Lincoln Cemetery.

New K-8 School Town Hall - Dec. 2, 2020

(Click on the image for the video)

•  K-8 School overview and design starts at 25 minutes.
• Q&A starts at 41 minutes.

Notes on the meeting thanks to Hazel Robinson, TSACA President:

• The Town Hall meeting was held on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, from 7 – 8 pm.  It was led by Mr. Jason Washington, Director, Public-Private Partnerships Program, Prince George's County Public Schools along with three other persons (I did not get their names and company). Also attending at the meeting were also School Board members Edward Burroughs, District 8 and Sonya Williams, District 9. There was approximately 50 people attending.
• Our unnamed school, but known as K-8 southern school will be bordered by Fort Washington Road to the West, Swan Creek Road to the north and Asbury Drive to the East. The main entrance to the school will be on Fort Washington Road, and a secondary entrance off of Swan Creek Road. The school will be designed so that school buses will come on to the school property without blocking Fort Washington Road.
• The school will hold 2,000 students (800 K-5 students & 1200 6-8 students) and will be built by July 15, 2023. They will start clearing the site this July 2021.  The $30 million a year maintenance agreement takes effect between the years 2023-2053. They will take a full two years for construction. Right now, the school board is in exclusive negotiation period with the builder or P3 Team which will last until mid-January and they are negotiation some areas that were previously locked. They did admit that there is standing water on the property that they would have to address through the storm water management.  They gave me the impression that this was not a show- stopper.
• You can find the hearing and PowerPoint presentation of the townhall on www.pgcpsschoolsnow.com.  They will be uploaded by December 31, 2020.  The County & School Board will have a townhall meeting every other month and our next meeting will be in February 2021, date unknown.  They will be hosting other townhall meetings for the other schools that they plan to build, and you are welcome to attend those.
• Participants could submit questions.  Not all questions were answered last night but will be answered and placed on the website.

The questions that were answered last night:

1. What was the reason for this meeting? To educate and inform the public where we are with the building of the school.
2. Are environmental impact studies being done? Yes, and additional environmental impact studies will be done along the way.
3. Why is the school only being identified as a K-8 school in the southern area? Because the school has not be named, and they wanted to be general and just give a geographic location.
4. What is the mitigation strategy for traffic? There is none. They mentioned the two entrances: Fort Washington Road and Swan Creek to the school

Swan Creek Rd. Drainage Improvements Meeting #2 - Dec 10, 7-8:30 PM

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DPW&T would like to invite you to attend the Swan Creek Storm Drain Meeting. This meeting has been scheduled by DPW&T to discuss updates and answer questions regarding the storm drainage maintenance and improvements. A meeting reminder will be forwarded by postal mail.

• Topic: Swan Creek Storm Drain Maintenance
• Time: December 10, 2020 at 7:00 P.M. EST.
• Where: Virtual Zoom Meeting

 

Town Hall Webinar on the New South County K-8 School - Dec 2, 7-8 pm

(Click on the image for the flyer)

• Prince George’s County Public Schools and the selected ACF (alternative construction finance) partner, PGCECP will provide an overview of the program and specific updates on individual school projects. 
• Topics include: a program re-introduction, status of school project designs and community benefits including internships and scholarships, employment and apprenticeships, business opportunities and Mentor-Protégé programs.
• Facilitators will be available to address meeting participants’ questions/comments throughout the presentation.

Click here to register for the New Southern K-8 webinar

GIANT - LIVINGSTON SQUARE HAS BEEN SOLD!

 Thanks to Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker:

"Giant - Livingston Square has been sold! Velocity Cos. announced 11/12/20 that it acquired the Giant-anchored Livingston Square shopping center in Fort Washington, MD from Giant's real estate arm. A Velocity spokesperson shared that it acquired the 11-acre property for $5.2 million and plans to invest additional money in the renovation.
We have reached out to the new owner to arrange a meeting to discuss District 8 community needs."

Thanks to Herb Jones, President, TNACA, for the link to the new owner's announcement:

https://thevelocitycompanies.com/2020/11/12/award-winning-regional-developer-to-lead-the-revitalization-of-livingston-square-as-a-community-shopping-center-hub/

Free Access to National Parks for U.S. Military Veterans and Gold Star Families

(Click on the image for the National Park Service news release)

Access is free for everyone on November 11, 2020
 

Affordable Transportation to National Harbor

 

(Click on the image for more information and to get the app)

• For the initial microtransit pilot, DPW&T selected the Fort Washington zone to develop a service area that extends from the Oxon Hill-National Harbor area to the Old Fort Village Shopping Center along E. Swan Creek Road, including neighborhoods along MD-210 corridor and the Fort Washington Hospital.
• Service Hours:   10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, accepts only same day reservations.
• Fare: $2 with the Transloc app.  Cash, Tokens and Smartrip cards are not accepted on PGC Link vehicles.

Halloween in Tantallon - 2020

From Jamie Crist:

The weather was perfect for our Tantallon Halloween Parade!   About 40 neighbors participated, with candy bags for everyone, dogs in costumes, music, and of course, conversation.  It was a great way to socialize with friends as well as meet new neighbors!  A number of people along the route set up tables with various treats.   Thanks to everyone who participated and we look forward to another parade next year!

(Click on the image for the complete album)

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

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        +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.

New report underscores conditions that made Prince George’s vulnerable to covid-19

(Tents set up to accommodate an overflow of coronavirus patients in April at Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

From Rachel Chason's report in The Washington Post:

"Long before Prince George’s County reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in Maryland, the conditions that would make the majority-Black suburb vulnerable to the virus were present, according to a report released Tuesday.
Overcrowded housing, high rates of uninsurance and preexisting health conditions are all more prevalent in the county than in the state and are concentrated in communities that have been hit particularly hard by covid-19, the report by the Rand Corp. said.
The nonprofit think tank — hired by the Prince George’s County Council two years ago to assess the health of county residents and make recommendations about how to improve it — also found that the county historically has invested less than neighboring jurisdictions in health and human services, and it recommended that the government study how it allocates such funding."

The Rand Corp. brief to the County Council Sitting as the Board of Health is here.

A video of the briefing is here.

The Rand report, "Assessing Health and Health Care in Prince George's County" is here.