MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll

DATE: August 30, 2007

Status Report

1. Mansionization and County Council Pending Legislation

On Wednesday, August 22nd, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) held the first of three planned public forums on the issue of “mansionization” in Prince George’s County. (“Mansionization” refers to the practice of building oversized homes on small lots in established neighborhoods consisting of existing houses that are smaller in bulk and mass.) Attached please find a flier with the dates of future meetings and legislative dates regarding this issue.

Planning staff attended the meeting and noted that Councilman Dernoga was in attendance along with some State delegates who are urging the County to draft mansionization legislation before the State does. M-NCPPC has hired two consultants to review the issue by looking at the existing, local regulatory system, identifying local mansionization examples, and learning how other jurisdictions in the region address the issue. The consultants presented a PowerPoint with local examples of mansionization. In addition, some of the attendees shared pictorial examples of mansionization in their own neighborhoods. The examples helped illustrate how an out-of-context home of mega proportions can wreak havoc on the existing character of a neighborhood.

Staff will attend future meetings and will keep the Council informed of the development of any legislation regarding this issue. A mansionization website has been established to keep citizens informed (see http://www.mncppc.org/pgco/planning/).

2. Church Road Park Update

This past Spring, City Council approved funds to regrade two of the Church Road fields, adjust the irrigation system, install perimeter drainage and install Bermuda Grass on fields 2 and 3. This work has been completed ahead of schedule and just under budget. The fields will be used by the South Bowie Boys and Girls Club starting this weekend, with games scheduled for mid-September. This work addresses the prior issues with the fields and provides for an excellent playing field. If your schedule permits, a visit to see this excellent product is worth it.

3. Household Hazardous Waste Day

Council previously budgeted $20,000 for the City of Bowie to hold a Household Hazardous Waste Day this fiscal year. Prince George's County holds these events at different County locations twice per year. Accordingly, our Public Works Department contacted the County for advice. The County actually held one of these events last October at the Prince George’s Stadium parking lot. Unfortunately, their local advertising may not have been as aggressive as it could have been.

Our Public Works Department has worked out an arrangement where the City will host this event with the support of the County. Hazardous waste and electronics will be recycled. In addition, people will be able to bring in their documents for shredding. The County indicated that this last feature has become very popular because of concerns regarding identity theft. In the past, the average cost to the County for these events has been about $20,000.

We propose to have the event at the Prince George’s Stadium parking lot on Sunday, November 4th. This is the first weekend day that the Baysox had available. The County indicated that it had major traffic problems when they tried to hold these events in school parking lots. The Baysox would also provide some support, including portable toilets. The County will administer the operation, with the City providing four employees to direct traffic. In addition, the City will provide all advertising. We intend to advertise in the next Spotlight, which should come out about a week before the event. In addition, we will advertise on the City’s web page, cable channels, and with the local newspapers. Public Works is also putting together a flyer.

In order to implement this event, we propose to execute an agreement with the County's hazardous waste contractor, Care Environmental. The unit costs will be in accordance with their bid with the County. Our not-to-exceed cost would be $20,000. The total cost will depend on the amount of material brought to the event. However, the County has agreed to cover any expenses over $20,000. This notification is consistent with Charter Section 62 of the City Code regarding cooperative bidding.