[This article contained an editing error and has been corrected.]
Think back to the first time you came to College Park. Think back to the first time you traveled along Route 1 in the area directly outside the campus. What were your first impressions of that stretch of road? What are your impressions now?
Like many of you, I am appalled by the utter lack of charm and character of this part of Route 1. Taking a left turn at many points along the road feels like a dangerous and risky act. Route 1 passes through the campus, and many students bike and walk across and along this road, but unfortunately, the area is anything but safe for bikers and pedestrians. Drivers speed through, as if to exit the locale as quickly as possible. And just try to find an upscale restaurant worthy of a special occasion or out-of-town guests.
There has been no clear guiding hand overseeing development, and this has resulted in an embarrassing mishmash of architectural styles and a dreary jumble of suburban sprawl-type development. We need more than a series of piecemeal, unrelated improvements. Clearly, Route 1 and the surrounding area are in dire need of a comprehensive new vision.
A cornerstone of the university’s new strategic plan is improving the surrounding area. University administrators understand we cannot advance to the upper echelons of international research institutions unless our location improves dramatically. You have to wonder how many prospective students, faculty and staff came to the campus for a visit, only to decide instead to move to a location such as Ann Arbor, Mich., or Berkeley, Calif. Clearly, the area surrounding the campus is holding us back.
East Campus’ 38 acres of upscale retail, office space, student and market rate housing will be a very important part of improving the Route 1 corridor, and hopefully, it will spur other improvements in the area. But we need to think about the area as a whole and think about what our vision is.
Fortunately, Prince George’s County – along with Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the City of College Park and the university – is embarking on a plan to rethink the Route 1 corridor surrounding the campus. In order for this plan to be successful, we need input from those most impacted: the people who live and work in the area. And this includes the entire campus community.
We need your feedback. As the plan progresses this fall, there will be many opportunities for public input, including a design charrette. The charrette will consist of multiple collaborative sessions with elected officials, planners, consultants and interested members of the public working together to formulate a shared vision. The sessions will be spread over six days, and participants may come to as many or as few as they like. We have hired nationally known planners to help in creating this plan and conducting the charrette to ensure this plan is truly a shared one.
We want the entire campus community – faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students – to be a part of this plan to re-envision the Route 1 area in College Park. Think about what you want the area to look like broadly. But think about the details too: Where should there be traffic signals or traffic circles along Route 1 and Rhode Island Avenue? Should there be bike lanes? Where should there be housing, retail outlets and offices? Where would you like to see student housing? What should it look like? What should the heights of buildings be in various locations? How far back should buildings be from the street? How does public transportation fit into this plan? What can we do to make the area safer for drivers, bikers and pedestrians?
This is your opportunity to make your voice heard and get involved in your community, whether you’re living in College Park or commuting from farther away. This is your home, so we need your input to make it reflect who we truly are as a community.
Laura Moore is a former president of the Graduate Student Government and now works in the office of Prince George’s County Councilman Tom Dernoga. She can be reached at laura@lauramoore.com.
