Major Opportunities and Challenges

During development of this Plan, the project team conducted a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions and identified major opportunities and challenges.

LAND USE

Opportunities

• The light rail station with its proximity to UMD and US 1 increases market demand for a variety of housing and supportive uses that could benefit the university community and reduce the need for students and staff to drive to campus. • The small size of the Sector Plan area will allow for greater concentration of housing, which will take advantage of its proximity to both the university and the Purple Line station. Higher densities close to transit will promote greater transit ridership, walkability, and bicycle use.

Challenges

• Development interest in the area is high because of a number of factors, including the growth of the two universities, demand for new construction and shorter commutes, and the upcoming opening of the light rail station. • There is a need to address housing demand in the Residential Market Area. • The 1989 Approved Master Plan for Langley Park-

College Park-Greenbelt did not anticipate the

Purple Line Light Rail system. • Existing zoning within the Sector Plan boundary is inconsistent with the market demand, as well as Plan 2035’s vision. Lower-intensity zoning could push development to the east along the

US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) Corridor or to the west along the MD 193 (University Boulevard) Corridor.

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

Opportunities

• Newly constructed mixed-use buildings can support ground-floor spaces to provide neighborhood-scale retail, offices, institutions, and services that serve neighborhood residents, the UMD community, and Purple Line commuters.

Challenges

• Nonresidential uses often lag years behind residential or office uses in mixed-use buildings.

Vacant spaces can inhibit the vibrancy and attractiveness of the sector plan area.

TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY

Opportunities

• Completion of the Purple Line and the new Adelphi Road-UMD-UMGC Station will strengthen the transportation network of Prince

George’s County by spurring additional mobility options for local residents, workers, students, and visitors. • A Sector Plan can identify new pedestrian and bicycle facilities and missing connections to promote transit use and improve the pedestrian environment.

Challenges

• The intersection of Adelphi Road, Campus Drive, and MD 193 (University Boulevard) is challenging to navigate and problematic for walking and bicycling. • Existing bicycle and transit facilities are limited or minimal at best.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Opportunities

• The County’s new Zoning Ordinance contains tools to encourage green building and to preserve green open space. • The County’s new Urban Complete and Green

Street standards allow for innovative tree- planting and stormwater management measures. • Designing with nature and incentivizing green buildings and green infrastructure, paired with the County’s existing environmental regulations, can result in even more positive environmental impacts. • Promoting new development around transit facilities is consistent with the County’s General

Plan, Plan 2035.

Challenges

• Creating transit-oriented development, which more efficiently uses resources and existing public facilities and greatly reduces carbon footprints, can be challenging when trying to meet green infrastructure goals.

HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Opportunities

• More housing types, supported by neighborhood-serving commercial uses and green space/open space, can be added to an area adjacent to the Adelphi Road-UMGC- UMD

Purple Line Station and the state’s flagship public university.

COMMUNITY HERITAGE, CULTURE, AND DESIGN

Opportunities

• There may be lost cultural assets from the

Sector Plan area’s history, dating back to the late nineteenth century, that could be highlighted through interpretive signage and wayfinding as part of any new development or redevelopment.

HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Opportunities

• Proximity to the university and its recreational and public health resources can be leveraged by students and staff. • Proximity to parks in the Northwest Branch

Stream Valley can be leveraged by existing and new residents for recreational activities. • The provision of new housing and increased and improved connectivity can facilitate thousands of additional bike and walking trips per day.

PUBLIC FACILITIES

Opportunities

• There are opportunities to better connect residents to existing parks in the

Northwest Branch Stream Valley and the regional trail network. • New open spaces and gathering places could serve new and existing residents. The Plan also provides new destinations for public gathering and events and additional opportunities to provide safe pedestrian and bicycle connections to nearby parks and creative placemaking events.