Mitigate Development Uncertainty

Most of the current USDOT and FTA grant programs are used to finance regional infrastructure projects rather than to support TOD, rendering them less applicable to the needs of TLC. The HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities (which included both the DOT Livability Initiative and FTA’s Livable and Sustainable Communities Initiative) was one of the only programs to provide direct financial support for TOD, but this partnership and its grant programs ended in 2016. Similar grant programs at the federal level may reemerge, though in the near- to intermediate-term, the majority of federal funds are likely to be targeted to COVID-19 recovery efforts.

The only federal program that directly supports the integration of land use with transit infrastructure is the FTA’s Pilot Program for TOD Planning. This competitive grant program, which was initiated in 2015, only provides funding for regional TOD-related planning. The only recipient of the grant in Maryland is the Maryland Department of Transportation, which in 2018 received a $2 million grant to support transportation planning around the anticipated Purple Line. The Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC) is currently involved in the administration of these funds. M-NCPPC should coordinate with PLCC to allocate a portion of the FTA funding to support community engagement and transportation planning around the Takoma/Langley and Riggs Road Purple Line stations. As part of the planning process, M-NCPPC should work with CASA de Maryland and Northern Gateway CDC to facilitate stakeholder engagement and ensure that local residents and businesses are represented.

The development community has cited that one of the most significant barriers to development is the “call-up” review process. This is the process through which the County Council, acting as the District Council (the local zoning authority), can subject a development project that is applying for an exemption from the zoning code to additional review. Extended review procedures can lead to increased delays and uncertainty, which cost developers money and add risk to projects. TLC is anticipated to be under LTO zoning, which is designed to expand opportunities for by-right development and make sites eligible for “fast-track” regulatory approval, both of which may allow developers to avoid lengthy review processes. However, given the perception among some regional developers that Prince George’s County can be a difficult place to engage in real estate development due to “call-up,” the County should invest in marketing TLC as an area for “fast-track” development projects and work proactively with potential development partners and current property owners to support project feasibility.