Meeting Roundup: Arts Initiative Passed, Cafritz Update, Purple Line Supported

Riverdale Park’s mayor and town council met for a regular legislative meeting on Monday, March 4. Below is a summary of some of their discussion and the decisions that were made.

• Larry Taub, the lead attorney with the Cafritz development project presented updates to the project by announcing the intention to introduce new preliminary site plans by this Friday, March 8, and further introduce detailed site plans by the end of the month.
• The council unanimously passed a motion to close the Town Center from 2 a.m. on May 4 until 7 p.m. May 5 in support of the Arts Fest taking place.
• The council unanimously passed a motion authorizing Town Administrator Sara Imhulse to sign and send a letter of support for the funding of the Purple Line of the Metro. The funding must be addressed by the Maryland State Legislature or risk being put on hold. The Purple Line would have three stops in the Riverdale Park area.
• The council unanimously passed a resolution to adopt a public arts initiative in Riverdale Park. The resolution allows to investigate and peruse initiatives to bring art to the town's public spaces by fiscal year 2014. This initiative may be done in cooperation with the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation, which proposed project management options during the Feb. 25 special legislative session, and the Riverdale Park Arts Council.
• The council passed, unanimously, a resolution to implement a consent agenda in council meetings, which would allow some non-controversial administrative items to be grouped together and voted on all at once instead of one-by-one, with each member able to remove anything on the list at anytime prior. The intent is to increase efficiency in meetings, items will still have committees and work sessions as in the past.
• Councilmember Alan Thompson (Ward 2) introduced an ordinance increasing the prices of multiple services from the town, including cost of police department fingerprinting and copies of CDs or DVDs.
• Councilmember Jonathan Ebbeler (Ward 1) introduced an ordinance that would authorize the acquisition of 5731 Baltimore Ave by eminent domain. The property currently belongs to Jeyakody Edwards, and is where Jey’s Auto exists. The intent is to create a public park on the property instead. A legal representative at the meeting announced that Edwards would oppose any action to acquire his property, with more details to be presented at a later date. View map of 5731 Baltimore Ave
• Capt. Patrick Timmons announced that the DUI checkpoint held Saturday, Mar 2, had 673 cars pass through, with three arrests being made.
• Public Works Director Leonard Addison announced a mosquito control project that would occur later this month to reduce mosquito populations. He also announced the start of utility reconstruction projects that would last for the next year and a half. The reconstruction addresses issues with water pipes. The first phase is set to begin the end of this month, and would start at Queensbury Road at 44th place and down. The nature of the problem is such that the crews will have to work in the road.
• Imhulse announced the Easter Egg hunt for elementary school kids would take place March 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Riversdale House Museum Mansion.