MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll

DATE: August 23, 2007

Status Report

1. 2007 Election

There are now four candidates in the District 2 race - Kevin Conroy, James Golato, Diane Polangin, and Katie Costello who filed this week.

2. Solid Waste Transfer Station Site Criteria Study

The City has received notice of public meetings to be held by M-NCPPC staff regarding the creation of new criteria for siting of solid waste transfer stations in the County. As noted on the attached flier, a total of three (3) community meetings will be held, followed by a public session to summarize and present recommendations from the meetings. City Planning staff will be attending the September 6, 2007 meeting in Glenn Dale. This M-NCPPC study is the first part of a two-step process outlined by the County Council for examining transfer station alternatives. The second step will involve potential site selection using the newly developed criteria. Staff will keep Council informed of the progress of this effort.

3. New Restaurant Opens in Former Memphis BBQ Location

The Monterey Mexican restaurant has opened for business in the former Memphis BBQ location on Mitchellville Road in Bowie Gateway Center. The restaurant is a family owned operation based in the Hampton Roads/Newport News area of Virginia. This location is their second Maryland store; their first is in Lexington Park.

4. US 50 Interchange Stakeholders Meeting

On Wednesday, August 22, 2007 City staff held a Stakeholders Meeting regarding the need for a new interchange on US 50/301 between the existing interchange at MD 3 and the Patuxent River. A total of 20 stakeholders attended the meeting, in addition to Councilmembers Dennis Brady, Todd Turner and Kevin Conroy and staff. Mayor Robinson and Councilman Michael Lyles also attended part of the meeting.

Planning Director Joe Meinert discussed the history of the "trumpet" interchange originally intended to serve the Maryland Science and Technology Center (MSTC) at this location. A State Highway Administration (SHA) project planning study in 1988 produced seven (7) interchange alternates. City Council tentatively supported two of the alternates that would provide access to the MSTC only and prohibit access to the Southeast Quadrant of US 50/301. Because of the access issues raised by homeowners and businesses on Governor Bridge Road that emerged during the recent City review of the US 301/MD 197 interchange design, Councilman Brady requested that staff hold a Stakeholders Meeting to begin the process of discussion about a new interchange.

Questions and comments from the stakeholders included: questions about the original conditions of approval of the MSTC and its dependency on a second interchange for full development; the proposed level of development and trip caps imposed on the Melford Conceptual Site Plan; whether an interchange would actually attract additional business at the MSTC; the need for better accessibility for customers of the auto dealerships; and, concern about the future overloading of the proposed US 301 service roads by all local traffic (including motorists traveling to destinations both east and west of US 301) and the importance of separating traffic destined for the Southeast Quadrant from local service road traffic by allowing this traffic to stay on the through lanes and use the new interchange to access the Governor Bridge Road area. Planning Director Meinert pointed out that there is an opportunity to have this issue addressed over the next year, as the County is updating the Countywide Master Plan of Transportation. He noted that this is a highly political process and, if there is consensus, the community must work closely with County elected officials to ensure an interchange is included in the County's plans. He also observed that there appear to be very few options to connect a future interchange on US 50/301 to Governor Bridge Road, such as using streets in Longleaf subdivision or an access easement that exists between the auto dealerships and Longleaf.