A plot of land at the intersection of Powder Mill and Old Gunpowder roads in Calverton is slated for high-density development, and several local groups, including the West Laurel Civic Association, are opposed.
The project would bring a mixed-use development of 314 mutifamily dwelling units and 8,000 square feet of commercial office space to the land, a 7.08-acre plot called the Tidler/Wardlaw property, according to Prince George's County zoning documents. The apartments and office space would be combined into a single, multi-story building, with the office portion facing Powder Mill Road.
The site currently houses three single-family detached homes and some woodland, and sits slightly east of the I-95 interchange at Powder Mill Road.
Plans for the development project, proposed by Baltimore-based partnership Migus LLC, were approved by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Planning Board in May.
But some nearby residents say the project is incompatible with their neighboring communities. Eight people came to testify against Migus LLC's proposal.
Marcia Van Horn, a Beltsville resident who lives in close proximity to the proposed development, said the project doesn't meet master plan goals for a mixed-use zone, which include walkability and transit-oriented requirements.
The property, located at a busy intersection near vacant lots and an office park, "wasn't walkable then [in 2010, when it received mixed-use zoning], and it isn't walkable now," Van Horn said.
"This project is wrong for an established community," she added. "The mere fact that it was rezoned to [mixed-use] does not mean it conforms to the master plan."
Barbara Sollner-Webb, the president of the West Laurel Civic Association, also presented testimony. The citizens' group submitted a letter in opposition to the project, along the grounds that it did not match master plan provisions outlined by the county.
Councilwoman Mary Lehman, a District 1 Democrat who represents Laurel and Calverton, said she had "a lot of concerns" about the project plans, "not the least of which is the presence of apartments in an area where none exist." She also cited concerns about traffic volume and the preservation of specimen trees on the south end of the property.
"But, really, the issue of compatibility with the neighborhood is my biggest concern," she said. "I would not personally have chosen to zone this [mixed-use], I want to be clear on that.
"But at this point, that's neither here nor there," she continued. "We are where we are, and this property will be developed eventually."
Lehman said she would take the matter under advisement.
In the meantime, she encouraged both residents and the developer to try to reach a compromise. Some neighbors indicated they might be open to lower density townhouses on the property.
If no compromise is reached, the County Council, sitting as the district council, will make a decision.