MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager
SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll
DATE: September 13, 2007
Status Report
1. West Bowie Village - Hardware City
The Hardware City store in West Bowie Village will close October 31, 2007.
The owners have already begun consolidating inventory back to the Kensington
store location. Corporate representatives tell staff that all current Bowie
employees will be offered their same jobs at Kensington. Hardware City
owns their Bowie location; corporate officials have not yet decided future
plans for the property.
2. 2007 Election
The City Clerk received a letter from Mr. Steve Walton, who filed for the
District 4 seat last week, withdrawing his name.
As of today, the following have filed for office: Fred Robinson, Mike Lyles – Mayor; Jimmy Marcos – District 1; Diane Polangin, James Golato, Kevin Conroy, Katie Costello – District 2; Todd Turner, Mary Ellen Winlund, Henri Gardner – District 3; Isaac Trouth – District 4; Leon Buck, Jr., Geraldine Valentino-Smith, Dennis Brady – At-Large.
3. District Council Results - Melford Conceptual Site Plan
Tuesday, the District Council voted unanimously to approve an Order modifying
and affirming in part the Planning Board's decision on the Melford Conceptual
Site Plan. At yesterday's District Council meeting, Council Member Ingrid
Turner proposed the attached draft Order that eliminates the majority of
residential use from the Conceptual Site Plan. One of the approved modifications
states that "any residential development should complement and support
the office and employment uses." The Order specifically approves the
commercial uses shown on the CSP, including the proposed hotel, but also
states that: "Residential development as currently shown in this CSP
cannot be approved." The approved Order also includes stronger conditions
relating to transportation, the environment, and treatment of the historic
Melford house. All of the Planning Board's conditions relating to residential development were deleted. The first two pages of
the Order describe the rationale for retaining the property principally
as an employment center.
4. Economic Development Committee (EDC)
The Bowie EDC met on Wednesday. Only five members attended, so no quorum
was present to conduct business. The EDC discussed the recent action by
the County regarding Melford development plans and will continue to follow
the matter.
Vice Chairman Coppola brought a serious matter to the attention of those
present -- one 15-employee technology business has decided to leave Bowie
for Annapolis because they were concerned about the repeated power failures
they have experienced at their Mitchellville Road location. Two other attendees
also noted that their business locations on Mitchellville Road had also experienced
power outages that kept them from conducting their business activities. Staff
has brought this matter to the attention of BGE officials and will also communicate
the infor-mation to the City's BGE Task Force.
The next regular meeting of the EDC is Wednesday, October 10, 2007 beginning
at 7:30 a.m.
5. Mitchellville Montessori (Detailed Site Plan #04005/01)
Today, the Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the Detailed Site
Plan for the proposed Mitchellville Montessori School. The proposed plan
includes an 8,370 sq. ft., 132-student private school on five (5) acres
located on the west side of Hillmeade Road, south of Fletchertown Road.
The City Council previously voted to recommend approval with eight (8)
conditions, all of which were included and approved in the final plan.