District Council Approves Cafritz Rezoning Plan, 7-2

By a 7-2 vote, the Prince George's County District Council approved the Cafritz rezoning plan Monday afternoon, setting the stage for a sweeping and long-debated mixed-use development on the north end of Riverdale Park.

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The approval means the 37-acre parcel will be redesignated from single-family detached residential (R-55) to mixed-use town center (M-UTC), easing the way for the construction of more than 900 units of housing, a 35,000-square-foot Whole Foods, a 120-room hotel, and additional office and retail space.

Supporters say the project will spur economic growth and bring a desirable mix of retail and residential development to the area. 

Critics have charged that the plan will impose extreme fiscal, environmental, and traffic pressure on the surrounding communities.