Planning Assistance to Municipalities & Communities

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Project Description

This project to promote commerce and economic development will build on the 2019 PAMC-funded MD 704 Streetscape Enhancement 30% Design and Engineering Report, which made recommendations to better accommodate and improve safety and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists within the available right-of-way.  

The objective of the assessment is to analyze the current market and economic conditions of Seat Pleasant, a gateway community to and from the District of Columbia. The research will produce a detailed report outlining the city’s capacity for economic growth and to offer strategic recommendations for enhancing the community’s economic prospects. This project will build upon the findings of the Central Avenue Blue/Silver Line Sector Plan’s existing conditions report, incorporating those insights while tailoring strategies to meet the needs identified by city staff. The assessment will propose actionable strategies for the municipality to foster sustainable quality economic development. The focus area identified for this project is the properties on either side of MD 704 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway) from 69th Place to the District of Columbia border.  

The assessment will be developed using County data, contributions from city staff and elected officials, business and property owners, field surveys, and analysis and interpretation by the consultant. The final work product will be a report.  

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Updates

Staff are finalizing the Draft Strategy which is expected to be published in August.

Project Description

 Lands with zones in Berwyn Heights conducive to development—IE (Industrial, Employment), RMF-48 (Residential, Multifamily-48), and CGO (Commercial, General and Office)—are found in the Town’s northwest corridors: Greenbelt Road to the north and Ballew Avenue to the west. The Town of Berwyn Heights is seeking to examine these commercial corridors and analyze the local economic context; identify economic opportunities and resources; and collaborate with stakeholders to anticipate needs and opportunities created by the Beltway Plaza redevelopment and the potential FBI headquarters facility (֫in Greenbelt.) This project would analyze, interpret, and understand the current market and economic conditions of the study area in these zones, develop a report that details the capacity of the study area for economic growth and provide recommendations to improve upon and advance the interests of not only the Town of Berwyn Heights but those of the adjacent cites—College Park and Greenbelt.

The project aims to produce a detailed report outlining the Town’s capacity for economic growth along these corridors and to offer strategic recommendations for enhancing the community’s economic prospects. The assessment will propose actionable strategies for the municipality to foster sustainable quality economic development. The assessment will be developed using County data, contributions from city staff and elected officials, business and property owners, field surveys, and analysis and interpretation by the consultant. The final work product will take the form of a report.

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Updates

UMD School of Public Policy in consultation with consultants and the City developed a community survey to gauge the impressions of the citizens of Hyattsville on climate change. The survey results guide the plan’s priorities. For a summary of the survey responses, follow the hyperlink to the survey report. To see the more detailed survey results, follow the hyperlink to the topline results.

Project Description

The Hyattsville Climate Action Plan will set sustainability and climate action goals for the City to meet, organize and prioritize action steps to achieve the goals, and galvanize and unify key stakeholders in shared sustainability practices. The plan will help the City to advance environmental justice and transition to a state of readiness for and adaptation to climate change and identify where the City can contribute toward County CAP goals achievement. The project includes an intensive, door-to-door climate change and sustainability survey designed and implemented by the University of Maryland School of Public Policy’s Saul I. Stern Civic Engagement Research Lab students; two Greenhouse Gas Emissions Community Inventories compiled by the Maryland-Washington Council of Governments, and consultants’ participation in a Hyattsville community event to further engage residents. The final plan will include an executive summary, prioritized risks and potential actions, and a road map for using the results of the findings.

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Project Description

The Grant Writing Workshop will be offered to staff from all Prince George’s County municipalities. The purpose of project is to ensure participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the grant process, how to communicate their project needs, and how to prioritize funding opportunities thereby enhancing municipalities’ capacity to secure funding for municipal projects. A comprehensive post-training package that includes both general grant writing guidelines and a specialized set of resources tailored to address issues or topics identified during the training will be provided. 

• Enhance Grant Acquisition Skills: Equip participants with the knowledge to identify and successfully apply for relevant grants.
• Strengthen Proposal Writing Abilities: Improve participants’ skills in writing effective and compelling grant proposals and effectively communicate their project details.
• Improve Grant Management Competencies: Train participants in best practices for efficient grant fund utilization and project execution in compliance with grant agreements.
  

Past Municipal Grant Workshops

The Municipal Grant Writing Workshop was held on February 18, March 4 and 18, and April 1, 2026. It was attended by 14 municipalities across Prince George’s County and covered topics such as grant program planning, writing and responding to grant prompts, avoiding common grant writing mistakes, and grant implementation and compliance. Listed below are slides from the workshop sessions.

• Workshop Session 1: Grant Program Planning Slides
• Workshop Session 2: Mechanics of Grant Writing Slides
• Workshop Session 3: Writing and Responding Slides
• Workshop Session 4: Grant Implementation Slides
  

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Project Updates

Community Meeting Materials

On November 19, 2025, we held a community meeting to discuss preliminary ideas for the Accokeek Gateway Plan. View the presentation and exhibits.

Project Description

The PAMC-funded 2023 Accokeek Heritage Tourism Study recommends the development of a gateway plan that would be centered on the intersection of MD 210 and MD 373. The plan notes, “It has long been observed that MD 210 divides Accokeek into two parts, and, in some respects, into two communities. For example, majority of the approximately 7,000 acres to the northwest of the highway is either zoned AG (Agricultural and Preservation) or ROS (Reserved Open Space), while there are only 142 acres of ROS southwest of it, and no AG-zoned lands. In consideration of this aspect, it was determined by residents that the highway could not be reimagined as Accokeek’s ‘main street.’ Nevertheless, MD 210 has a major visual impact on Accokeek’s landscape. With that in mind, a shift in mindset is suggested: to not consider MD 210 as a divider but instead to focus on the highway as a gateway to Accokeek. From this perspective, MD 210 and the intersection with MD 373 (Livingston Road) present an opportunity to communicate to visitors that they have arrived at a special place and that their presence is welcome.” This new project will focus on a two-mile portion of MD 210, from Manning Road East north to Farmington Road; and a 2.2-mile portion of MD 373 (Livingston Road) from Schuyler Drive, east to Accokeek Road. The plan will identify and evaluate challenges and opportunities.  

The project goals include improving travel safety, particularly for pedestrians; identifying ways in which a gateway to the community can be established, one that identifies Accokeek as a welcoming community for those who live here and those who travel through the area; identifying potential economic growth and viability for Accokeek property owners and service providers along the corridor; and generally improving aesthetics and thereby improving livability. Since there is no public signage to acknowledge Accokeek or identify it as a community of any type, a basic project goal is to identify appropriate signage. A steering committee of eight members selected by GACA will guide the project.  

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Project Description

Several 2009 Approved Countywide Master Plan of Transportation (MPOT) planned bike facilities cross through and border the City of New Carrollton but they offer only indirect routes when connecting places within and outside the city. For example, planned shared-use roadways and side paths from the Metro station double-back on themselves before reaching the city’s northern border.  

New Carrollton’s only trail is the .64-mile recreational loop at West Field, which according to the city is well-used by joggers, bicyclists, walkers, and dog walkers. New Carrollton is a multimodal transportation hub, with access to Metro, MARC, Amtrak, and the future Purple Line. An improved bikeway system would, in theory, allow people to travel to New Carrollton and from there to almost any destination in the continental United States, car-free. This active transportation connectivity study for the City of New Carrollton will evaluate and diagnose pedestrian and bicyclist facility deficits and propose a system of intracity bikeways, sidewalks, and natural surface trails providing sustainable, safe, and equitable transportation options and more recreational opportunities within the municipal boundary. The proposed bikeways will connect with the MPOT planned bikeways, especially where they connect important extra-municipal destinations, such as the New Carrollton Metro Station. The study will build on the recommendations in the forthcoming New Carrollton Downtown Access & Connectivity Strategy. Also evaluated will be the status of secure bicycle parking facilities at major activity centers and make recommendations for improvement consistent with best practices, including Section 27-6309 of the Prince George’s County Subdivision Regulations.  

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Project Description

Fort Washington Forward, Inc., a nonprofit organization, was awarded funding for a consultant to develop a Branding and Wayfinding Plan for the greater Fort Washington community. Formed in December 2021, Fort Washington Forward’s mission is to 1) attract smart/holistic investment to the Fort Washington community that accentuates retail, the environment, and parks and recreation, and 2) enhance social connectivity and sustainability in the community. For this project, branding is that which differentiates a community or place by capturing its unique collective identity and representing it in a distinct manner using visual cues, words, and phrases. A successful brand unites the community and captures the imagination of people outside the area. Wayfinding is that which helps people successfully navigate through an area using visual and other sensory cues such as signs or mapping. Wayfinding tools and resources help orient people to their current location and assist them in planning and following a route to reach a different destination.  

The branding component will use community engagement to identify significant cultural, historic, and natural resources, define a Fort Washington boundary, and establish a Fort Washington brand to capture a shared identity and project a positive message by which the community can be known and recognized by residents, visitors, homebuyers, and businesses, and their customers. The wayfinding component will inventory existing amenity signage and signage conditions, and, using the branding components developed, establish what future signage should look like and where the signage should be located to highlight the region’s amenities and identify the location as “Fort Washington.”  

The final logo, created with guidance from a resident steering committee and two community engagement sessions, is shown below: 

View or download the Final Presentation Slides here.  

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Update

At a public meeting hosted by the Town of Brentwood on May 01, 2025, consultants Charles P. Johnson and Associates presented the Draft Flooding and Stormwater Hazard and Risk Management Analysis for the Towns of Brentwood and North Brentwood.

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Project Description

Located within the Anacostia Watershed along the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, approximately 164 acres, or 66 percent, of improved properties in the Town of Brentwood and 70 acres, or virtually 100 percent, of those in the Town of North Brentwood are located in a FEMA-designated flood zone, which does not account for climate change events. Although some work has been undertaken to identify which properties are prone to flooding and what causes it, and to mitigate it through infrastructure improvements, the towns lack a comprehensive understanding of current conditions and future predictions. Residents regularly experience flooding with extreme rain events, sometimes creating or exacerbating financial hardships and health problems. 

The purpose of the project is to provide the towns with data and tools to assess key current and possible hydrometeorological hazards, as well as their vulnerability and options for risk reduction and mitigation, and:

• Identify all private and municipal properties, infrastructure, and natural resources with flooding and/or stormwater hazard
• Identify the causes of those risks
• Categorize properties and infrastructure by flooding and/or stormwater risk
• Identify potential mitigation measures for each category
• Identify areawide infrastructure-related potential mitigation actions and analyze the regulatory structure required to implement such actions; and 
• Provide an analysis report and data that can be incorporated into the Brentwood Climate Action Plan, and used as a standalone document by both towns, working independently and together to reduce or eliminate flooding and stormwater as hazards.

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Project Description

Sustainable Brentwood will be a climate action plan that adapts and uses, as necessary and appropriate, the recommendations of the 2022 Prince George’s County Draft Climate Action Plan. The plan will set sustainability and climate action goals for the town to meet, organize, and prioritize action steps to achieve the goals, and galvanize and unify key stakeholders in shared sustainability practices. The Brentwood Climate Action Plan (CAP) will help the town advance environmental justice, transition to a state of readiness for and adaptation to climate change, and identify where the town can contribute toward achieving County CAP goals, given the municipality’s unique population and circumstances.

The planning process will engage key community stakeholders (residents, businesses, and community groups), allowing community responses to shape the plan guidance and describe what steps need to be taken for the town to achieve climate resilience and mitigate climate disasters such as drought, heat, storms, and flooding. The plan will consider recent federal, state, and County legislation to incentivize sustainability and climate change preparedness and apply it to Brentwood’s particular circumstances. As with the County’s draft plan, inclusion and equitable planning and strategies are priority commitments, as the effects of climate change can be demonstrably punitive to disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The concurrent Flooding and Stormwater Hazard and Risk Management Analysis for the Towns of Brentwood and North Brentwood, Maryland, will also inform the project.

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