OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
Introduction
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This book categorizes and illuminates the stylistic attributes of the houses in Fairmount Heights, Maryland. Fairmount Heights is a historically African-American suburban town located in Prince George’s County along its border with Washington, D.C. This book identifies over 500 single-family dwellings, classifies and maps them by style and dates of construction, and provides photographs of each. It identifies unimproved lots and offers five new dwelling designs that are compatible with the existing town character. It builds upon and is a companion to the 1990 Fairmount Heights, Maryland, A History from its Beginnings (1900) to its Incorporation (1935) and the 1993 Fairmount Heights, Maryland Residential Façade and Improvement Guidelines, the latter of which is being reprinted and reissued with this publication. Not included in this pattern book are commercial and multifamily buildings, townhouses, churches, single-family dwellings repurposed for commercial uses, commercial buildings repurposed for singlefamily use, and land owned by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC)1. Generally, property that is not zoned RSF-65 ( Residential, Single Family, 65) is not included; the exceptions are the single-family dwellings on Eastern Avenue near its intersection with Sheriff Road where the land is zoned IE (Industrial, Employment).2
Why a Pattern Book? Seeking a framework on which to encourage restoration, compatible additions, and new dwelling construction, in 1991 the Town of Fairmount Heights applied for a set of design guidelines through M-NCPPC’s Planning Assistance to Municipalities and Communities (PAMC) program. The Fairmount Heights, Maryland Residential Façade and Improvement Guidelines, prepared by M-NCPPC’s Community Planning Division, was published in 1993. In 2019 the town applied and was accepted for an updated guide, again using the PAMC program. In planning for a new publication, M-NCPPC staff considered what information not found elsewhere would be most valuable and interesting for this town-specific publication. 1 In general, M-NCPPC acquires and retains land for conservation, transportation, or public recreation (see Maryland Code, Land Use Article, Section 17-101[b]). M-NCPPC does not acquire property intending to convey it to a private property owner; real property does not transfer to M-NCPPC, and ultimately to a private buyer, if a property owner fails to pay property taxes. For those reasons, staff did not consider any M-NCPPC property as a potential site for new single-family dwelling construction. However, staff identified some property under town or County ownership (such as that owned by the Redevelopment Authority) as suitable sites for infill development. 2 The IE (Industrial, Employment) Zone accommodates limited residential development. Zoning Ordinance, 27-4203(e).
Prince George’s County Planning Department | THE HOUSES OF FAIRMOUNT HEIGHTS: A PATTERN BOOK
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