Recommended Goals and Outreach Strategy Report TAKOMA/LANGLEY CROSSROADS SECTOR PLAN

Transcription

1 Recommended Goals and Outreach Strategy Report TAKOMA/LANGLEY CROSSROADS SECTOR PLAN

2 INTRODUCTION The Prince George s County Planning Department and Montgomery County Planning Department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) have been directed by both County Councils to develop a bicounty sector plan and corresponding sectional map amendment (SMA) for the Takoma/Langley Crossroads sector area. The purpose of the bicounty Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan and corresponding SMA is to enhance the community character and provide for transitoriented development around planned transit facilities. This sector plan will contain policies, objectives and recommendations that will guide future growth and development around the proposed Purple Line stations. The SMA will implement the sector plan recommendations and policies by amending the zoning map. The new sector plan and SMA will amend the 1990 Langley Park-College Park-Greenbelt Approved Master Plan, the 1993 General Plan Refinement for Montgomery County, the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan, and the 2002 Prince George s County Approved General Plan. A 24-month, bicounty planning process has been created to facilitate this hybrid plan. The City of Takoma Park is a partner in this effort as well. The SMA for the respective counties will be undertaken separately. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Background One of the primary goals of this planning effort is to implement the transit-oriented development (TOD) recommendations of both the 2002 Prince George s County Approved General Plan and the 1993 General Plan Refinement for Montgomery County. Both plans seek to capitalize on the combined transportation and development advantages offered by a future Purple Line station at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) and University Boulevard (MD 193). The approved and adopted 1993 General Plan Refinement for Montgomery County designates the Takoma/Langley Crossroads an urban ring community. It is also a component of the state s Smart Growth Initiative, which guides development funds and incentives to appropriate growth areas away from agricultural and other precious resource areas. Highlights of the General Plan Refinement are included in Appendix 1.A. The unincorporated community of Langley Park was designated a community activity center by the 2002 Prince George s County General Plan because of the potential for a Purple Line station at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard. This area, which is now part of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads, is also located in the Developed Tier, and is along the University Boulevard corridor designated in the Prince George s County General Plan. The Prince George s County General Plan places particular development emphasis on centers within the Developed Tier, where there is a concentration of public transportation, particularly Metrorail and commuter rail service. Until the boundaries are refined by small area plans (including sector plans), centers are loosely defined and generally consist of the area within one-half mile or a five-minute walk of a transit station or stop. The core of the Langley Park Community Center is located within one-quarter mile or a five-minute walk of the major transit station planned for the Takoma/Langley Crossroads. The Prince George s County General Plan defines community centers as concentrations of activities, services and land uses that serve the immediate community near these Centers. These typically include a variety of public facilities and services integrated commercial, office and some residential 2

3 development and can include mixed-use and higher-intensity redevelopment in some communities. Community Centers should also be served by mass transit. Sector Plan Area Boundary/Description The Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan study area is broadly bounded to the east and southeast by a major PEPCO transmission line, to the south along Erskine Street, to the north by the Northwest Branch, Quebec Street, and Keokee Street, and to the west by Long Branch Creek, Carroll Avenue, and Merrimac Drive. The sector plan area extends to the commercial properties to the south of the convergence of Long Branch and Sligo Creek and the small commercial area at Carroll Avenue and Merrimac Drive. The study area will also include the University Boulevard/Riggs Road intersection to the east of the Crossroads. The sector plan study area includes two potential transit stops that will serve the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area. The first potential transit stop is located at New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) and University Boulevard (MD 193), and the second at the intersection of University Boulevard and Riggs Road (MD 212). The Takoma/Langley Crossroads area overlaps the borders of Montgomery and Prince George s Counties at University Boulevard where it intersects with New Hampshire Avenue. The area was named the Takoma/Langley Crossroads during the 1980s by a group of community business leaders who recognized an opportunity to unite the strengths of the businesses in unincorporated Langley Park in Prince George s County to those within the City of Takoma Park in Montgomery County. The Takoma/Langley Crossroads area is a densely populated area with a mixture of single-family residences, multifamily units, offices and retail spaces. It is a short drive from the University of Maryland and the revitalized Silver Spring Central Business District and is easily accessible to regional employment centers including Washington, D.C., and the Food and Drug Administration campus in White Oak. The primary impetus for the sector plan is the proposed Purple Line, a proposed 14-mile light rail or bus rapid transit line to connect the communities between Bethesda in Montgomery County and New Carrollton in Prince George s County. The Purple Line will link existing Red, Green and Orange Metrorail lines that radiate into suburban Maryland from Washington, D.C., and provide an east-west public transportation route. The Takoma/Langley Crossroads area residents rely on multiple modes of transportation more than other areas in Maryland. In 2000, less than 50 percent of employed Takoma/Langley Crossroads residents drove alone to work compared to county rates of almost 70 percent. One-quarter of workers carpooled and about 20 percent took public transportation. 3

4 Map 1 Proposed Sector Plan Boundary 4

5 People Takoma/Langley Crossroads is considered one of the most densely populated communities in the State of Maryland. Six U.S. census tracts define the area from which demographic characteristics detailed in the 2000 U.S. census are drawn. In 2000, approximately 29,000 people lived in this area. Between 1990 and 2000, the population gained approximately 3,350 people, a 13 percent increase across the decade. For a period of almost 30 years, the Washington region has served as a destination for immigrants from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa, and the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area now represents one of the region s largest concentrations of immigrant and international people, cultures, and religions. Hispanics with origins in El Salvador, other Central American countries, and South America comprise one of the largest ethnic groups in the area. Other significant immigrant groups include Vietnamese, Koreans, Indians, and West Africans. While most households rent (68 percent), the population is not as transient as would be expected; almost half of the population lived in the same residences five years prior to the 2000 U.S. census. The Takoma/Langley Crossroads area has strong minority and immigrant presence where two out of five residents in the area are foreign born. Also, about 80 percent of the area s foreign-born population were born in Latin America. Half of the residents speak Spanish and approximately 11,800 people, 45 percent of the area s population, rate their English speaking skills as less than very well. The 2000 U.S. census reported 9,150 housing units in the Crossroads area, of which 64 percent are multifamily units. One-third of the units are in buildings with ten or more units and 24 percent are in structures with five to nine units. About 27 percent (2,463 units) are single-family detached. Businesses/Economic Development The community s diverse racial and ethnic makeup supports an eclectic collection of retail, office, and commercial businesses that serve as a regional attraction. While most businesses draw customers and clients from nearby communities and the Metro region, others draw from throughout the Mid-Atlantic States due to their unique international offerings. The businesses are supported by the large volumes of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, ease of access from the two highways, and proximity to housing density. Commercial property vacancy rates are in the single digits due to the high demand for retail and office space. These businesses, combined with the supply of affordable housing, ensure that the Takoma/Langley Crossroads is an integral part of Maryland s International Corridor. PREPLANNING ACTIVITIES TO DATE Various public participation activities were undertaken during the summer of Through these activities, staff identified various concerns within the community that are important to the planning process. In addition, the project team recruited and retained PB Consulting to assist staff in developing an outreach program and overall development of the sector plan. Below is a list of activities that were performed during the months of April September Stakeholder Interviews and Project Briefings Spring 2007 Summer 2007 Organized a stakeholder list for ongoing planning activities. Conducted stakeholder analysis for key community leaders. 5

6 Community Survey Summer 2007 Present Collected and analyzed results of survey. Outreach to residents at community events. Langley Park Day Latino Expo National Night Out Langley Park Hispanic Festival Pedestrian Safety and Mobility Study Summer 2007 Award-winning study funded by a grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG). The study recommended short-term and long-term improvements at the intersection. Takoma/Langley Crossroads Website Summer Created online survey for citizens and stakeholders Created online project overview Summarized various planning efforts in the crossroads area Created an Interactive Forum for citizens and stakeholders Weed and Seed Task Force/Application Committee Summer 2007 Present Staff served on application committee to assist team with statistical and geographical data in the area. Marketing Materials and Products Set up and staffed bi-lingual telephone hotline Created and distributed rack cards during community events Distributed posters on Ride On Buses in Montgomery County Distributed posters on The Bus in Prince George s County Distributed Multiproject brochure Displayed posters at bus shelters in Takoma Park Developed plan/team logo RECOMMENDED SECTOR PLAN GOALS AND ISSUES The Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan will address the following categories of issues: land use, environmental infrastructure, transportation systems, public facilities, urban design, historic preservation, parks and open space, social concerns, and implementation. It will result in a preferred development concept that addresses both the properties that front along the intersections of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard as well as the residential area of the 6

7 sector plan surrounding this intersection. It will also implement the goals and objectives of both General Plans. Planning Elements Land Use The land use goal of this plan is to provide for transit-oriented development consistent with the General Plan goals in each county. Issues: 1. The need for a vision that expresses the community s identity. 2. Facilitating densities and a mix of uses that reflect the vision of the area yet are supported by existing and proposed infrastructure, including: a. A range of housing choices b. Employment opportunities c. Community-serving retail d. Impact of Purple Line on land use Environmental Infrastructure The environmental infrastructure goal for this plan is to ensure that the unique environmental features in the study area are protected and all new development incorporates improvements to reduce the impact of the proposed uses on the environment. Issues: 1. Preserve, enhance and restore environmental features in accordance with the Prince George s County 2005 Approved Countywide Green Infrastructure Plan as well as the Green Infrastructure Plan underway in Montgomery County. 2, Expand the green infrastructure network and better integrate it into the urban infrastructure of the study area. 3. Identify the green building measures and applications that have the greatest benefit to the redevelopment of the area. 4. Identify locations for additional bioretention features to serve multiple properties and/or streets. 5. Identify opportunities where additional urban tree canopy can be provided. 6. Protect Sligo Creek, Long Branch, and Northwest Branch watersheds. 7. Reduce the impervious coverage (paved surfaces and rooftops) in the area. 7

8 Transportation System The transportation system goal is to create an effective and efficient multimodal transportation system that takes into account development near the proposed Purple Line and transit center and that balances with proposed development. Issues: Roadways: 1. Provide a safe and efficient circulation system that encourages connectivity a. Pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly streets b. Access to transit c. Maintain traffic flow 2. Provide future pedestrian and roadway improvements at the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard. 3. Examine and utilize the Pedestrian Mobility Study completed by MWCOG, Toole Design Group, and M-NCPPC for the planning area. 4. Improve streetscape along New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard for people walking, riding bicycles, or utilizing transit at the intersection. 5. Examine and minimize the impact of the construction of the transit center and Purple Line along New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard. 6. Improve access to the shopping centers along New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard. 7. Improve traffic flow along New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard. Transit: 1. Provide multimodal access to the future transit center and Purple Line. 2. Locate bus stops to make them efficient, safe and convenient for riders. 3. Implement transit-oriented development concepts into future redevelopment while incorporating pedestrian oriented design. Trails: 1. Provide neighborhood trail and bikeway connections to the existing M-NCPPC Sligo Creek Trail. 2. Provide safe, convenient and attractive bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue, including safe road crossings. 3. Identify priority sidewalk corridors to schools, parks, and other activity centers where sidewalk construction is required to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility. 8

9 4. Identify opportunities to implement the recommendations of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Pedestrian Access and Mobility Study. 5. Address the lack of adequate pedestrian and bicycle linkages to schools, parks, recreation areas, commercial areas, neighborhoods, and employment centers 6. Incorporate pedestrian-oriented design into new development or redevelopment within the study area. 7. Ensure adequate bicycle parking facilities (racks and lockers) for residents, employees and retail patrons. Community/Public Facilities The public facilities goal is to provide the facilities needed by the community and ensure access to those facilities. Issues: 1. Assess the adequacy of existing community facilities and the need to provide additional resources for schools, libraries, public safety, cultural, recreation, and social services. 2. Address the lack of a permanent location for the Crossroads Farmer s market. Urban Design The urban design goal is to achieve quality development that creates a sense of place in the Takoma/Langley Crossroads planning area. Issues: 1. Lack of community awareness, identity, and sense of place. 2. Poor image of commercial areas along University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue, inadequate pedestrian networks to serve abutting residential and commercial areas, and the overall lack of a unified and attractive streetscape. 3. A need to develop strategies to encourage quality pedestrian-oriented development along the intersection of University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue. 4. Additional opportunities to provide pedestrian linkages to community resources to help define the character of the neighborhood. 5. Multilingual signage and the use of design elements to contribute to the sense of identity and place. 6. Lack of public spaces in the area. Provide a gathering place and attractive urban open space near each Purple Line station. Provide urban amenity open spaces in connection with new development. 7. Integration of parking into the redevelopment opportunities. 9

10 8. Placement of utility lines underground to improve the visual experience and safety of the roadway for automobiles and pedestrians. 9. The excessive size of surface parking lots and the number of curb cuts for automobile access to commercial properties from major roads should be reduced. Historic Preservation The historic preservation goal is to encourage the preservation and adaptive reuse of historic resources such as the McCormick-Goodhart Mansion/Langley Park as vital elements of any community redevelopment strategy. Issues: 1. Acknowledge the importance of the McCormick-Goodhart Mansion/Langley Park Mansion Historic Site as community asset and provide for the effective integration of the property through well-designed pedestrian connections to the larger community. Parks and Open Space The parks and open space goal is to create a strategy for development and improvement of park properties within the sector plan area. Issues: 1. Develop strategies for additional recreation and open spaces in the area. 2. Develop strategy for use of the Boys and Girls Club property. 3. Develop strategy for joint development opportunities for McCormick Elementary and Langley Park Recreation Center. 4. Create pedestrian link/connection of McCormick Mansion to nearby park properties and recreation center. 5. Address the future of the Takoma Park Community Center on New Hampshire Avenue. 6. Identify locations for improved pedestrian linkages across the stream valley parks to provide broader bicycle and pedestrian access to the future transit stop. 7. Consider acquisition of parkland in nearby adjacent areas to serve Takoma/Langley residents. Social/Quality of Life The social/quality of life goal is to facilitate relationship building among existing community-based organizations and leverage county agencies to address social priorities. 10

11 Issues: The following issues were compiled during preplanning outreach activities in the summer of 2007, including a community survey identifying citizens concerns. Although the plan will not directly solve the issues listed below, the planning process will identify issues and cultivate relationships with agencies that can address these issues. 1. Citizen concern and need for a more active police presence may be required to accomplish the following: a. Enhance public safety b. Reduce alcohol-related incidents c. Address nonviolent crimes such as petty theft 2. The physical land use development and urban design does not convey a sense of place or represent the culture of the community. 3. Lack of public space near the crossroads for community meetings, interaction or events. 4. Crime and public safety. 5. Poor aesthetics. 6. Continued supply and availability of affordable housing. 7. Access to jobs. 8. Access to health care. 9. Activities for at-risk youth. 10. Creation of more educational programs. 11. Immigration concerns. 12. Gentrification of surrounding neighborhoods due to transportation improvements and redevelopment of the area. 13. Effects of existing laws that prohibit street vendors and papusa trucks in the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area. Implementation The sector plan will guide land use policy for the sector plan area. The land use and design recommendations contained within the plan will be implemented most directly through the separate application of zoning in the Sectional Map Amendment (SMA). The SMA is an amendment to the county zoning map for the purpose of implementing sector plan recommendations. Both counties have different zoning designations and mapping tools. Therefore separation of the SMA process from the sector planning process is needed for both counties to complete the SMA. Issues (for subsequent SMA process) 11

12 1. Develop new zoning tools, if needed. 2. Apply zoning through the SMA to encourage mixed-use, pedestrian- and transit-oriented development. 3. Define the role of other government agencies in implementing the plan including the regulatory process. 4. Maintain ongoing communication with the community. OUTREACH STRATEGY The goal of the outreach strategy is to enable everyone who lives, works or visits the Takoma/Langley Crossroads area to participate in the sector plan process. The traditional means of engaging the community will not be sufficient to create ongoing interest and support in this area. A comprehensive strategy is needed to ensure effective outreach to all elements of the culturally diverse community and ensure that all relevant planning issues are identified and addressed. The strategy must be designed with a variety of tools since various participation techniques will be more effective than others with regard to individual groups within the community. As part of the project team s preplanning activities, community outreach for the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan actually began in July 2007 with the initiation of stakeholders meetings. Various mechanisms have already been utilized to publicize the upcoming sector plan effort, as described below. The outreach strategy recommended in this report involves the continuation of ongoing activities and the initiation of new activities that are designed to reach out to all elements of the community, including those who have not actively participated in the past. These activities will set the stage for a large community meeting in late spring 2008 followed by community workshops to discuss potential development scenarios and a planning and design charrette. After a preferred land use and design concept has been developed with the community, a community workshop will be held to refine and validate the preferred concept. As the implementation of this outreach strategy proceeds, it will be assessed and evaluated continually in terms of its effectiveness. The implementation of the strategy must occur pragmatically and adjustments will be made when necessary to pursue those efforts that are most effective. The outreach strategy for the sector plan will involve six major components: 1. A community engagement plan will be implemented with the assistance of our consultant, PB Placemaking. In order to ensure the involvement of both established organizations and historically under-represented communities, a Community Leadership Team will be recruited and trained in effective public participation. The Community Leadership Team will then serve to bridge the gap between the community and the project team (e.g., the staff and consultants). As part of the project team s pre-planning activities, our consultant (PB Placemaking) has begun to contact stakeholders informally regarding nominations for the Community Leadership Team. Community organizations that have been contacted include, but are not limited to, the following: CASA of Maryland IMPACT Silver Spring 12

13 Maryland Multicultural Youth Center Takoma/Langley Crossroads Development Authority Maryland International Corridor Community Development Corporation Action Langley Park The Archdiocese of Washington Comite de Padres Hispanos Caribbean Self-Help Center Vietnamese Boat People SOS African Peoples Action Committee New Hampshire Estates Civic Association Hillwood Manor New Hampshire Gardens (See Appendix 1.B with listing of all stakeholders.) A letter has been prepared from the Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Commission, as well as the Mayor of Takoma Park, requesting that these organizations formally nominate members of the Community Leadership Team. The membership of the Community Leadership Team will be transmitted to the two Planning Boards in late January for confirmation. The Community Leadership Team will not be a traditional master plan advisory committee. It will focus on building relationships with the community and helping to make the planning effort more tangible for the community by conveying the importance of participating in the planning process. After the full Commission has confirmed the members of the Community Leadership Team, the project team will engage them in a short leadership training program designed to help them fully understand their roles and develop their skills. The Community Leadership Team will then help the project team devise and implement techniques to reach out and engage the community, thereby facilitating two-way dialogue. The Community Leadership Team will solicit input from community members and help to identify issues of importance for the staff and consultants. In doing so, it will serve as an important conduit of information between the staff and the community. In addition to the Community Leadership Team, the project team will also initiate a student engagement plan. The project team will work with area high schools (e.g., Blair, High Point, and Northwestern), and colleges (e.g., the University of Maryland, Montgomery College, and Columbia Union College) to identify the most effective ways to engage their students and involve them as both volunteers and participants in the process. 2. Marketing activities that commenced during the preplanning phase will continue. Ongoing marketing activities include the distribution of printed materials such as brochures, rack cards, and posters featuring the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan logo. Posters advertising the sector plan effort have already been placed in buses, bus shelters, and numerous store fronts in the Crossroads. These will be updated as the planning process moves forward. Publications and public notices will be available in English and Spanish. A web site has already been created to provide detailed information about the sector plan process; it will be updated regularly. A telephone hotline has also been established to enable interested people to provide input to the project team in English or Spanish. 3. An aggressive media campaign will be used to publicize the sector plan process with a special focus on the Spanish media. It will include communication with local newspaper reporters and editors, as well as radio and television show producers. The Spanish language newspaper, El 13

14 Pregonero, has already featured a story on the upcoming sector plan effort. The project team has also scheduled guest spots on local cable television and radio shows with the goal of reaching a broad section of the community. Presentations to the Takoma Park City Council are also broadcast on local cable television. 4. The project team will continue participating in community events (e.g., festivals and community days) and will initiate new events designed to publicize and solicit input into the sector plan process. Interpreters will be provided to facilitate communication with the multilingual community. 5. Members of the project team will participate in the outreach events associated with the state s Purple Line planning project and the associated functional master plan efforts in both counties. Purple Line outreach events provide an opportunity to inform the community about related land use planning efforts such as the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan. A multijurisdictional Purple Line coordinating committee has also been formed to ensure that the various planning efforts are coordinated and opportunities to communicate with the public are not missed. 6. Traditional public participation tools will also be utilized, including: Meetings with stakeholders, including businesses, property owners, PTAs and churches will continue. Public notices will be mailed and ed to the comprehensive list of stakeholders. Advertised public meetings will be held in the Crossroads community, including full Commission public hearings regarding the sector plan. A planning charrette will be held in the community to elaborate upon preliminary design concepts and help develop a preferred concept. Planning commissioners and elected officials will be kept informed as the sector plan effort proceeds. As part of this effort, public notices and documents will be provided in both English and Spanish and language interpreters will be provided at public meetings. 14

15 PROJECT TIMETABLE The proposed timetable for preparation of the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Sector Plan is as follows: JOINT COUNTY PROCEDURES PRINCE GEORGE S COUNTY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PREPLANNING Consultant Selection Initial Community Outreach Building Background Information Establishing Resource Team PLANNING Authorization/Initiation Preparation of the Preliminary Plan Permission to Print Public Hearing #1 PB Adoption/Endorsement District Council Approval Public Hearing #2 District Council Approval Executive Fiscal Analysis County Council Public Hearing (Spring Summer 2007) January 2008 January October 2008 November 2008 February 2009 May 2009 September 2009 November 2009 January 2010 July 2009 September 2009 January 2010 County Council Approval Full Commission Adoption of the Plan March 2010 Initiate SMA Process January/February