Christopher Anderson/The Gazette The Prince George’s County zoning board hears public comments Jan. 12 on the proposed Cafritz development in Riverdale Park at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.

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Christopher Anderson/The Gazette Chip Reed, an attorney for the real estate developer Cafritz, takes his seat in the chamber at a Prince George’s County zoning board hearing for the proposed Cafritz development in Riverdale Park on Jan. 12 at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.
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Christopher Anderson/The Gazette Community members from Riverdale, Hyattsville, University Park and College Park fill the chamber Jan. 12 at a Prince George’s County zoning board hearing for the proposed Cafritz development in Riverdale Park at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.
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Christopher Anderson/The Gazette Dorothy Bailey, vice chair of the Prince George’s County zoning board, led a Jan. 12 hearing for the proposed Cafritz development in Riverdale Park on Jan. 12 at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.
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Christopher Anderson/The Gazette The Prince George’s County zoning board, excluding its Chair Elizabeth Hewlett who recused herself, considers the $226 million, 36-acre mixed use town center development in Riverdale Park application Jan. 12 at the County Administration Building.

Christopher Anderson/The Gazette The Prince George’s County zoning board hears public comments Jan. 12 on the proposed Cafritz development in Riverdale Park at the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.

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University Park resident Barbara Morris said her family will consider moving out of the area if a proposed 36-acre mixed use town center is built on her “front yard” along U.S. Route 1, saying the addition would negatively impact the overall quality of life.

“I wholeheartedly and adamantly oppose this rezoning,” said Morris, a resident for 24 years. “It is critical that we stand up to developers who are proposing overdevelopment for their own financial gain.”

She was one of 70 area residents who signed up to voice their opinion on the proposed retail and residential development, the Cafritz Property, in Riverdale Park during the Jan. 12 Prince George’s County Planning Board rezoning hearing. The Cafritz Property is a $226 million development project situated between U.S. 1 to the west and a CSX railway to the east that would feature the county’s first Whole Foods grocery store, a fitness center, 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, small parks, a town center square and 995 dwelling units in the form of apartments and condominiums.

After the more than seven-hour deliberation, the Planning Board voted to continue the hearing 10 a.m. Feb 2, allowing time to review the consensus items the Cafritz Property developers, Calvert Tract, LLC, have agreed upon with the affected municipalities — Riverdale Park, University Park, College Park and Hyattsville.

“We need to give the staff time to consider,” said Planning Board Vice-Chair Dorothy Bailey. “Considered reflection is always helpful.”

At the start of the hearing, Planning Board chair Elizabeth Hewitt announced that she would recuse herself from the hearing because she previously met with the developers.

Chip Reed, Cafritz Property attorney and spokesman, said there are some conditions developers have agreed to adhere to moving forward such as ensuring that a vehicular crossing is built over the CSX railway to the east of the property during the earliest phase of the project.

Prior to the Board voting on Feb. 2, Reed urged the commissioners to reconvene at an earlier date, saying that their case was already issued a 30-day continuance in December.

“I feel compelled to say we are under a tremendous time pressure,” he said.

Susan Learuse, a Planning Board reviewer and coordinator, said she received the updated conditions on the morning of the hearing and suggested that the board take more time to review the proposal.

Bailey said while the hearing date will be Feb. 2, the board will expedite the resolution process so developers can receive the official documentation of their decision two weeks after the hearing, as opposed to the usual three.

Many residents who opposed the proposal spoke on traffic congestion, overcrowding in schools, potential property tax increases and potential for more property vacancies and town blight.

This will have a catastrophic impact on Route 1,” said Douglas Hamilton of College Park. “There’s too much new retail. There’s proposed excess retail when we already have a glut of underused retail.”

Faramarz Mokhtari, the Transportation Planning Board Technical Committee chairman, said they’ve estimated that the property would add 17,000 daily trips to that area of U.S. 1., which already sees 35,000 daily trip already.

Others came to voice their support for the project, saying that the development will spur economic development, add jobs to the area, bring new tax revenue and revitalize the Route 1 corridor.

“This proposal will greatly enhance the town and carry out the vision of the town,” said Patrick Prangley, a former Riverdale Park town administrator. “A high quality grocer is desperately needed in this area. It will lead to having other high quality retailers and restaurants wanting to come to Prince George’s.”

Reed said the development will bring about 1,880 new jobs during construction and will produce more than 430 full-time jobs when the project is complete.

The projected completion date for the Whole Foods and retail phase of the development is December 2014, while a completion for the entire project is undetermined.

Bailey said the Planning Board record will stay open until the Feb. 2 date so that residents and officials have to opportunity to submit new or additional testimony.

djgross@gazette.net