Residents weigh in on Konterra development

Some suggest including attractive landscapes and green space as part of project

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

by Ayesha Ahmad

Staff Writer

The planned Konterra Town Center could feature everything from wide sidewalks and a light rail system to a children’s museum and a Wegman’s Food Market if developers take area residents’ suggestions into consideration.

That was the developers’ purpose for a focus group meeting held Feb. 15 as part of their ongoing process to gather public input to help shape Konterra’s place in the Prince George’s County Subregion I Master Plan review.

‘‘When we present [to county planners] what we think is reflective of this process... we can include some concepts for streetscape, building massing” and other aspects of the look of Konterra, said developer Caleb Gould, whose family owns the Town Center land.

The Town Center comprises 1,130 acres, variously zoned for mixed-use, retail, office and residential construction, on either side of Interstate 95 between the proposed interchanges with the planned Intercounty Connector and Contee Road.

Konterra’s charettes, or public input sessions, began Jan. 25 with a two-night project designed to gather suggestions from residents on how the various elements of retail, residential, office, green space and mixed-use planning should be shaped. The process ends Friday with a final charette to help shape design standards for Konterra. The developers then will submit their reports to the county.

Discussions among groups at the Feb. 15 meeting evoked some common themes.

Some were concerned that building mass be controlled, with the high-rise office and residential components kept toward the periphery.

‘‘I don’t like the idea of anything towering in the center,” said Judy Gretsch of Montpelier Hills, suggesting that residential units be limited to four or five stories in the center.

Others made specific suggestions for retail content to include specialty stores like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, upscale department stores and a mix of eating establishments. ‘‘This can be the new scene for Prince George’s County, bringing a dimension that’s not here,” said Karen Coakley, president of the Beltsville Citizens Association.