University Park Council Disapproves Cafritz Detailed Site Plan

The University Park Town Council voted Wednesday to disapprove the Cafritz development Detailed Site Plan and is requesting that the Prince George's County Planning Board postpone Thursday's hearing on the plan.

The council voted 6-0 to disapprove with conditions. Council Member Heidi Sorensen (Ward 5) was absent. This vote comes nine days after the council voted to disapprove the preliminary plan. The planning board approved the preliminary plan May 16.

Mayor John Tabori advised that the council approve the DSP but with conditions, saying otherwise, the planning board won't listen to their conditions.

"The planning board has shown a willingness to listen to those who say 'We approve it, but we have real concerns,'" Tabori said. "They don't listen when you say, 'We disapprove. We don't want the project to go forward.'"

Council Member Arlene Christiansen (Ward 3) said she wasn't suggesting that the project not go forward and didn't appreciate the mayor implying that.

"We disapprove because we feel it's not where it is supposed to be at," Christiansen said.

Council Member Michael Cron (Ward 6) said voting to approve the plan would make the council seem "wishy washy," because it disapproved the preliminary plan a week ago.    

"We're not against the project, it will be built regardless how we feel," Cron said.

Council Member Roy Alvarez (Ward 7) suggested approving the plan with conditions.

"I think it was pretty clear [the planning board] didn't accept conditions of University Park because we suggested disapproval," he said. "They already said they are going to approve it. To go and say 'You're wrong,' politically, it's embarrassing to them."

Also Wednesday, the council voted 6-0 directing the town attorney to ask for a one-week postponement of Thursday's hearing because several issues about the plan have come up at the last minute.

Council Member Len Carey (Ward 4) said this "reinforces our point about what a disadvantage this puts small towns."

Town Attorney Suellen Ferguson said the letter from planning staff already was setting up a response against postponement. She said the letter suggested that even though those items were handed in later, they wouldn't have a significant impact on the project. She suggested the council make a list of all the items that came out after the technical staff report was released.

The council voted to take a positions on certain aspects of the detailed site plan such as pushing for a wall barrier on the development and serpentine sidewalk along Route 1 with public access instead of a straight sidewalk.

University Park is asking that a wall barrier be at least 4-feet high. However, the council also noted that it understands the wall might not be possible because of storm-water issues. If that's true, the council suggested shrubs and a fence to prevent ambient light from traversing the street.

The council is also asking the planning board to make sure that no internally-lit channel signs are allowed on the development.

Riverdale Park Council Member Jonathan Ebbeler (Ward 1) asked the University Park Council to support Riverdale Park's position to prohibit those signs except for the proposed Whole Foods building. He said Riverdale Park compromised with the developers about the Whole Foods building signage but he personally preferred that no internally lit signs be allowed on the development.

"We prefer you guys stand with us because it is a stronger voice," Ebbeler said.

Riverdale Park voted Sunday to approve the Cafritz property DSP with conditions. College Park voted last week to disapprove the DSP at the same meeting where it voted to disapprove preliminary plans for the development.