M Square Developers Discuss Detailed Site Plan with Riverdale Park Council

Riverdale Park's mayor and council got a peek into the detailed site plan Tuesday, when representatives with the M Square development on River Road presented the plan to them.

Claire Sale, a consultant hired by the town to review its interests, gave recommendations on what should be changed in the plan to accommodate Riverdale Park's idea for development on the property.

M Square will be a two million square-foot research facility on 130 acres that spans across Riverdale Park and College Park. It's affiliated with the University of Maryland, however, private companies with ties to the university can use the space as well.

The USDA and NOAA own parts of the property alongside the facility and are developed or are in the process of building, while most of the research facility remains empty still.

Sale reviewed the documents that govern the site, for which M Square has planned three 150,000 square-foot office buildings. She recommended the following changes to the plan:

• Further differentiate building through changes within the development site while maintaining a consistent character.
• Install streetscape as called for in TDDP.
• Provide additional pedestrian amenities, such as plazas or other facilities, in order to enhance pedestrian access. Alternatively, re-orient the buildings to better relate to one another in order to create the pedestrian plazas.
• Install a crosswalk from the site across River Road.
• Reduce the number of curbcuts from the site from River Road.
• Incorporate Riverdale Park MARC station and University of Maryland shuttle service to the area.
• Submit a safety plan outlining the safety measures to be taken at the site.
• Confirm with M-NCPPC Transportation Planning Section that the number of parking spaces proposed is within the total allowable number of parking spaces for the TDOZ.
• Confirm conformance with existing and anticipated trip generation in the area with M-NCPPC Transportation Planning Section.
• Provide a Summary of phasing in regards to grading.
• Explore installing a light at a single entrance to the property along River Road.

Thomas H. Haller, an attorney with the project, discussed the group's effort to create a campus-like feel to the property, work with the USDA to create a cut-through trail for pedestrians and to create some green space.

The group has also had to work with the Maryland Historical Trust to maintain the artifacts they found on the property - like arrowheads and pottery, stalling the subdivision process for parts of the property.

In addition to the buildings, there will be a three-story tall parking garage with the capacity for 510 parked cars, another 640 spots will be in parking lots around the buildings.

Councilwoman Alice Ewen (Ward 1) asked that a bike lane also be installed on River Road to accommodate those commuters.