Hearings for the controversial Cafritz project, a proposed $226 million Riverdale Park town center, will continue Monday, officials announced after six hours of testimony at a hearing Friday.

Similar sessions took place April 11 and April 30 as the developer seeks a rezoning to request to allow the project to be built, however, the other sessions also failed to make it to a vote from the Prince George’s County Council, which sits as the District Council when deciding zoning issues.

The proposed project, dubbed Cafritz after property owner Jane Cafritz, would bring 200,000 square feet of retail space, including the county’s first Whole Foods grocery store, and 995 town homes, apartments and senior housing units to the 36-acre wooded property in Riverdale Park.

The applicant, Calvert Tract LLC, and supporters contend the development meets legal requirements for the property to be rezoned from a single-family residential zone to a mixed-use town center zone. Prince George’s Planning Department’s technical staff agreed, recommending in February that the request be approved.

Opponents say the development will cause traffic congestion and increase air pollution, and that the residential units will strain resources, such as schools.

Testimony will continue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at the county administration building in Upper Marlboro.

Barbara Morris-Troiamo, who has lived about a block from the property in University Park for 25 years, is opposed to the project and said she and others opposed are getting frustrated with the hearing process.

“There have been multiple hearings late into the night, and no one knew when they were going to speak,” Morris-Troiamo said. “It’s been confusing, time consuming...and intimidating.”

hnunn@gazette.net