May 5, 2008
The Honorable Samuel Dean, Chair
Prince George’s County Council
County Administration Building
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Dear Chairman Dean:
As the County Council reviews the Proposed Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2009 and the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2009 – 2014, we ask that you and your colleagues consider the comments from the Bowie City Council, which are offered below.
EDUCATION
New Bowie Area High School
In the early eighties, a parcel of land on Mitchellville Road in Bowie was
dedicated as a high school site, because the County recognized that major
growth would take place in the area, requiring the need for a second high
school to serve the greater Bowie area. As predicted, the growth has occurred
and Bowie High School has been severely overcrowded for more than a decade.
Acknowledging this long-standing need, the County Council voted in 2006 to
include a new Bowie Area High School in the CIP to be constructed by FY 2010.
Last year the project was delayed when the Board of Education voted to place another high school project ahead of the new Bowie Area High School. The proposed CIP now shows another delay. The new Bowie Area High School is now planned for after the replacement of Oxon Hill High, the replacement of Fairmount Heights High, and the construction of another high school at an undetermined location in the northern part of the County. While we recognize the need for new school buildings exists throughout the County, we are deeply disappointed by these decisions that will now delay construction of the new Bowie Area High School until 2015 at the earliest. We strongly urge the Council to move the new Bowie Area High School project forward in the CIP.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Bowie Emergency Medical Services Facility
The City is pleased that the County will establish a new full-service Fire/EMS
facility on Health Center Drive near the Bowie Town Center. This facility
will be vital in providing timely response to an area that has seen much
residential and commercial growth in the last few years. The City supports
this important project and we look forward to the facility opening in 2009.
Police Staffing
The City began the establishment of a Bowie Police Department in 2006. Since
that time the department has hired over 30 officers and is patrolling the City
around the clock. We have a cooperative relationship with the County police
and recognize that both departments have a role in maintaining the safety of
our community. We encourage the County to continue its efforts to recruit and
retain officers to provide adequate service to the growing development, much
of which is in the greater Bowie/Upper Marlboro/Mitchellville areas.
TRANSFER STATION
The CIP includes a Waste Transfer Station Project to be completed by FY 2010,
to address solid waste disposal needs when the Brown Station Landfill reaches
capacity. According to the CIP, the site has not been determined. Because
a transfer station actually has the potential to generate more traffic than
a landfill, when the decision is made, we urge you to choose a site that
is centralized and that will not impact existing population centers with
increased truck traffic, odor or blowing debris.
SOUTH BOWIE BRANCH LIBRARY
The City is pleased to see the South Bowie Branch Library included again in
the CIP, and we are very anxious to see this project begin. However, the proposed
CIP indicates that all funding will be expended in FY 2008 and no additional
funds are budgeted in future years. Since neither site development nor building
construction have begun and the completion date for the project has been revised
from 6/2008 to 6/2009, it is recommended that all expenditures shown for FY
2008 be repeated in FY 2009. The County must ensure safe pedestrian access
to the library from nearby residential neighborhoods. To address this need,
additional funding for curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements to the County-maintained
portion of Hall Road should also be included in the CIP. A logical place to
identify these improvements would be under CIP Project #FD668525, Curb & Road
Rehabilitation.
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS
Church Road
The City’s highest priority for planning includes an upgrade of Church
Road; however, this project has been set back substantially in the proposed
CIP. As stated previously, we believe that the significant recommendations
of the Church Road Task Force should be funded aggressively. Because of the
overwhelming need for a safer road that provides adequate traffic carrying
capacity, full construction funding for the segment between Mount Oak Road
and MD 214 should be programmed to begin in the FY 2009 CIP so that the improvements
can complement the work scheduled for the Mount Oak Road/Woodmore Road intersection
with Church Road. We respectfully request that the Project Description, which
states: “City of Bowie has yet to commit to their 50% funding portion
of the project” be revised to delete this wording, as Church Road is
a County road.
Mount Oak Road/Woodmore Road Intersection With Church Road
The City Council greatly appreciates inclusion of over $12 million in funding
for this project over the next two fiscal years. The improvements, which
include relocation of Woodmore Road to create a standard four-way intersection
at Church Road, are urgently needed to improve safety and relieve a major
traffic bottleneck.
Woodmore Road/Mount Oak Road
In addition to the above projects, planning funding for improvements to Woodmore
and Mount Oak Roads should be placed in the first years of the CIP. These
projects were included in the 2003-2008 CIP, but again are not included in
the capital program. The approval of many large projects, such as 126 lots
at Pleasant Prospect on Woodmore Road, 191 lots at Fairview Manor (Collingbrook)
and 498 lots at the southern end of Fairwood will depend on these improvements
for safe access.
Old Stage Road
This County road has been partially improved by developers of adjacent subdivisions.
However, several gaps currently exist, which make traveling this road extremely
dangerous, especially near Old Stage Road's intersection with Church Road.
In addition, the Fairwood development will soon be adding 372 single-family
homes, east of Church Road, which will use Old Stage Road for their access.
Fairwood will extend Old Stage Road and establish a new connection to Church
Road, creating a continuous through street system. Additional homes now under
construction by Richmond American at the 21-lot Birchmere Landing project
will add even more traffic. The County should begin to budget for improvements
to upgrade Old Stage Road to handle the additional traffic demand.
Old Town Bowie - Chestnut Avenue and Old Laurel Bowie Road
Sidewalks are badly needed for pedestrian safety on both of these County roads,
which provide major transportation links to Old Town Bowie from the north
and south. As a result of a field walk in April 2005 with County officials,
the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation indicated that
sidewalks for these roadways would be evaluated as part of a future County-wide
project. The City respectfully requests that this evaluation occur in the
next fiscal year so that these important links can be improved sooner rather
than later. Upgrading these pedestrian facilities is in keeping with the
City Council's emphasis on Walkable Communities.
Race Track Road Traffic Capacity and Safety Improvements
A project to upgrade Race Track Road first appeared in the program several
years ago to address the community's concerns with traffic capacity, safety
and speeding. A comprehensive approach to these issues is needed and should
be to slow vehicle speeds in the vicinity of the Bowie Race Track. The Race
Track Road asphalt pedestrian path is also very old and has deteriorated severely.
The trail is uneven and has been encroached upon by utility poles and wires
to the point that major sections are unusable. Significant improvements are
needed to allow the trail to be used safely, especially by school-age children.
HIKER-BIKER TRAILS
The City greatly appreciates the very thoughtful efforts the County has made in planning for expansion of hiker-biker trails in the Bowie area. The City is anxious to work in partnership with The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) on several major trail initiatives, and we ask for your support on the following projects:
Former A-44 Right-of-Way Trail
The approved 2002 City of Bowie Trails Master Plan recommends the creation
of a public hiker-biker trail system using the former A-44 right-of-way,
a north-south transportation alignment located between Church Road and the
CSX railroad tracks. Construction of this major trail spine will link various
neighborhoods and provide an off-road pedestrian and bicycle alternative
to traveling on Church Road. City staff has been examining the feasibility
of a public trail system, using property already owned by the City or M-NCPPC.
The City would like to partner with the Commission in the construction of
a related trail system accessing the property known as the Church Road Conservation
Area in FY 2009.
Railroad Avenue Trail - Old Town Bowie to Bowie State University
The 2005 Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan recommends an off-road pedestrian trail
connection between Old Town Bowie and the MARC train station at Bowie State
University. This trail project will improve pedestrian circulation and safety
in Old Town Bowie and provide direct accessibility to the MARC commuter rail
train station at Bowie State University. In addition, the project will provide
access to a large, mixed-use development proposed near the university, which
is now the subject of an individual Sector Plan. The Railroad Avenue trail
project will help to link amenities in Old Town, such as restaurants, parks
and cultural facilities. It also has the potential to tie into the Patuxent
River trail network now being developed by M-NCPPC that will connect the
WB & A Trail to the MARC station. The County's participation in a separate
project, needed to extend the Railroad Avenue portion of the trail system
from the City limits to Bowie State University, is requested.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Budget and Capital Improvement Program. We feel these matters are important for the City of Bowie and for Prince George’s County, and hope you will give thoughtful consideration to our suggestions and requests for funding.
Sincerely,
Bowie City Council
G. Frederick Robinson, Mayor