Section V: Implementation

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SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION

Introduction ........................................... 251

Priority Strategies..................................... 252

Measuring Success .................................. 266

Plan Administration .................................. 270

Partnerships and Civic Engagement .................................... 272

Indicates that the definition of a word or term may be found in the Glossary of Terms, which starts on page 282.

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INTRODUCTION

As a comprehensive 20-year general plan, Plan 2035 is a blueprint for long-term growth and development in Prince George’s County. We started this process by establishing a shared vision for the future, conveyed through the plan’s eight elements and their associated goals, policies, and strategies. Our next step involves establishing priorities and committing, with the help of our implementing partners, to a clear course of action. Lastly, we must measure and report on our progress and pursue changes if we are not meeting our targets.

This chapter discusses four essential components of implementation—Priority Strategies (composed of the Plan 2035 Strategic Investment Program and Countywide Short-Term Implementation Strategies), Measuring Success, Plan Administration, and Partnerships and Civic Engagement.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PROGRAM

The Plan 2035 vision hinges on our commitment to strategically prioritize and target our resources. To that end, Plan 2035 includes critical initiatives, policies, and strategies for a new Strategic Investment Program to help implement the priorities laid out in the Strategic Investment Map; to guide federal, state, and county investment; and to provide a framework for the development of new plans, programs, and regulations.

The Strategic Investment Map (see Map 16) targets public sector funding and incentives to four areas: Downtown Prince George’s, the Innovation Corridor, Neighborhood Revitalization Areas, and Priority Preservation Areas. Please see the Blueprint for Tomorrow section for a detailed descriptions of these priority areas.

Where Do We Begin: Critical Initiatives

Plan 2035 includes a range of strategies important to the future of Prince George’s County that, not surprisingly, cannot all be pursued simultaneously (many face financial, staffing, and/or programmatic challenges while others, by nature, involve gradual change). To focus County efforts, the Plan 2035 Strategic Investment Program highlights three initiatives that should be integrated into the County’s work programs and budget immediately following Plan 2035’s approval (see below). Not only do these initiatives underpin the Strategic Investment Program’s policies and strategies, but they will move Prince George’s County toward its overall vision by yielding high economic returns and enhancing public services.

Plan 2035 critical initiatives:

1. Update the Prince George’s County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances

In order to begin implementation of Plan 2035, we must first undertake a comprehensive update of the County’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances to modernize, streamline, and simplify the County’s regulatory environment. Plan 2035 strategies that should be considered during the update are listed in Table 28.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

Map 16. Prince George’s County Strategic Investment Map

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DOWNTOWN PRINCE GEORGE’S PGP Prince George’s Plaza NC New Carrollton LTC Largo Town Center

Innovation Corridor Neighborhood Reinvestment Areas Priority Preservation Areas Growth Boundary Metrorail Proposed Purple Line Light Rail

Source: M-NCPPC, February 2014

2. Focus on the Downtowns and the Innovation Corridor

As targeted areas best suited to become economic engines and models for future development in the County, we must focus County funding and programmatic support for the next five years on our three designated Downtowns—the Prince George’s Plaza Metro, New Carrollton Metro, Largo Town Center Metro—and the Innovation Corridor. Policies and strategies specific to these areas are listed below (see Priority Policies and Strategies).

The Branch Avenue Metro and Suitland Metro Regional Transit Districts have been identified as the second round of Downtowns for Prince George’s County. Implementation of the second round of Downtowns should begin as soon as the first round of Downtowns have achieved their growth and development goals and are removed from the Strategic Investment Program.

3. Coordinate Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Review

We must annually coordinate the review of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) across all county agencies to align the priorities set forth in Plan 2035 with County programs and operating budgets. As part of this process, we must prioritize investments in publicly funded infrastructure and facilities that are consistent with the Strategic Investment Map.

Where Do We Begin: Priority Policies and Strategies

Downtown Prince George’s

Policy 1 Establish and direct the majority of County resources and investment to designated Downtowns to ensure their success.

PD1.1 Designate New Carrollton Metro, Largo Town Center Metro, and Prince George’s Plaza Metro as the initial Downtowns for Prince George’s County.

PD1.2 Enact legislation to confirm the initial Downtown designations and establish tax increment financing districts, parking districts, transportation demand management districts, and other targeted financial and implementation programs, as necessary and appropriate, to facilitate the development of Downtowns.

PD1.3 Develop implementation plans for each of the Downtowns to examine their “Completeness Score,” identify the lowest

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

performing elements, and prioritize resources and funding to address areas that require improvement.

PD1.4 Encourage the relocation of government agencies (county, state, and/or federal) to the Downtowns to catalyze development and investment.

PD1.5 Coordinate with municipalities and other government entities to ensure meaningful input, active collaboration, stakeholder buy in, and joint investments are leveraged to their highest potential.

PD1.6 Prioritize capital improvement projects that encourage new private investment and create walkable communities. Potential projects include public streets, streetscape amenities, underground utilities, and advanced information and communication technology infrastructure.

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PD1.7 Establish a by-right development approval process and fast track permit process for the Downtowns with clear and consistent regulatory standards and processes and shortened review periods. This can be accomplished through the proposed comprehensive update to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances or by exploring opportunities to further streamline the review of applications in the Downtowns.

PD1.8 Establish a flexible framework of design standards to facilitate development in the Downtowns, while ensuring a high level of development quality. The comprehensive update of the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances should support the elements of a "Complete Center" (see Appendix A).

PD1.9 Reduce surcharge fees or exempt the Downtowns from the public facility and school surcharge fees to facilitate development, in particular for multi-family units.

PD1.10 Amend the Level of Service standards or exempt the Downtowns from the adequate public facility transportation requirements to encourage development in transit locations. Since Downtowns rely on multimodal transportation, bike and pedestrian standards should not be reduced.

PD1.11 Market the Downtowns to prospective developers, federal agencies, nonprofits, and retail trade groups as the County's prime opportunity sites.

PD1.12 Incentivize compact development and the use of green building programs, such as LEED® for Neighborhood Development or similar comprehensive, sustainable development approach.

PD1.13 Update and expand the 2011 Economic Development Toolbox Update to identify those programs relevant to transit-oriented development.

PD1.14 Evaluate future updates to functional master plans to identify potential revisions to PlanMaryland’s Planning/Conservation Areas per Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) guidelines.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

The five areas are Priority Preservation Areas for Agriculture, Natural Resource Areas, Water Resource Areas, Historic and Cultural Resource Areas, and Climate Change Impact Areas.

The Innovation Corridor

Policy 2 Support the development of the Innovation Corridor around the College Park-U of MD and Greenbelt Metro Stations and along US 1 (Baltimore Avenue) and MD 193 (Greenbelt Road).

PA2.1 Define the boundaries of, and develop an implementation plan for, the Innovation Corridor to identify specific programs and investments required to meet the needs of the County’s premier regional employment area. The lead agencies for this effort are the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation and the Prince George’s County Planning Department.

PA2.2 Designate the Innovation Corridor for tax incentives and targeted infrastructure improvements to retain existing and attract new employers. New infrastructure may include advanced information and communication technology infrastructure, shared parking, bike amenities and lanes, sidewalks, public facilities, and other amenities to support research and development entities and enhanced access to public transportation.

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PA2.3 Coordinate with the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation; the University of Maryland, College Park; Beltsville Agricultural Research Center; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; College Park, Greenbelt, Riverdale Park, and Berwyn Heights civic and business organizations; and regional, state, and federal agencies to build on and leverage synergies between technology and healthcare and life science firms, business incubators, and research facilities.

Neighborhood Reinvestment Areas

Policy 3 Adequately fund neighborhood revitalization programs and coordinate resources to revitalize targeted neighborhoods.

NA3.1 Identify and apply existing county, state, and federal programs to address housing blight, commercial disinvestment, vandalism, and related issues.

NA3.2 As part of the Plan 2035 Annual Report (see Measuring Success, Plan 2035 Annual Report, later in this chapter) evaluate identified Neighborhood Reinvestment Areas to determine if new neighborhoods should be designated and if existing designated neighborhoods should be removed as they stabilize. Use the County’s Residential Market Value Analysis Study as a tool to assist with this evaluation.

NA3.3 Develop implementation plans for designated Neighborhood Reinvestment Areas with specific goals and action items to ensure recommendations are enacted.

NA3.4 Establish a long-term plan to commit county funding and resources, such as those from the Redevelopment Authority, to stabilize neighborhoods and municipalities and rehabilitate transitional communities before they qualify as Neighborhood Reinvestment Areas. Incorporate grant application partnerships, coordination with County agencies on critical infrastructure (such as sidewalks, street repair, and street lights), and infill development projects to spur reinvestment. Use the County’s Residential Market Value Analysis Study to help target investments.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

Priority Preservation Area Policy 4 Preserve the County’s remaining prime agricultural and forest resources by meeting the PPA’s goal to place 24,769 acres within easements.

PP4.1 Fund the acquisition of agricultural easements to permanently preserve agricultural and forest resources. Allocate additional funding to the Historic Agricultural Resource Preservation Program.

PP4.2 Develop and submit a Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation application to obtain certification from the State of Maryland. Maintain certification.

PP4.3 Coordinate and continue to work with the Soil Conservation District and the Department of Parks and Recreation on the acquisition of agricultural easements.

PP4.4 Partner with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and nonprofit organizations to identify forest lands for acquisition, preservation, or permanent protection.

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COUNTYWIDE SHORT-TERM IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

The Plan 2035 vision relies on a range of strategies to implement the vision. Recommendations in Plan 2035 are intended to occur over a 20 year horizon. To facilitate interagency coordination on implementation, strategies that should be pursued within the first five years following Plan 2035’s approval are listed in Table 24.

The identification of potential implementing partners in Table 24 is intended to identify agencies and partners that may have a role in implementing the strategy. The table may not be inclusive of all agencies and partners. As strategies are implemented, additional agencies partners may be identified to assist in implementation.

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PRIORITY STRATEGIES

Table 25: Countywide Short-Term Implementation Strategies

*There are many stakeholders who will be involved in the implementation of these strategies. This column identifies potential lead agencies for each strategy.

*There are many stakeholders who will be involved in the implementation of these strategies. This column identifies potential lead agencies for each strategy.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

*There are many stakeholders who will be involved in the implementation of these strategies. This column identifies potential lead agencies for each strategy.

*There are many stakeholders who will be involved in the implementation of these strategies. This column identifies potential lead agencies for each strategy.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES

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MEASURING SUCCESS

Regular evaluation and monitoring will help ensure accountability for implementing Plan 2035. It will enable the County Council, Planning Board, county administration and its agencies, partner organizations, and the general public to understand the County’s progress towards meeting the Plan 2035 vision and assess the plan’s effectiveness. Annual monitoring will also allow the County to adapt, manage, and adjust Plan 2035 policies and strategies to stay current with demographic, economic, social, and environmental trends impacting Prince George’s County.

Plan 2035 recommends a new way of measuring success and creates a structure for consistent data collection, regular reporting intervals, and integrated tracking across the County. Indicators to monitor success will be publicly reported on an annual basis. In order to consistently measure and track progress, the recommendation put forth in Plan 2035 is that the Planning Department assumes the lead in coordinating this county effort with dedicated personnel and resources.

Plan 2035 Annual Report (Program Monitoring)

The Plan 2035 Annual Report monitors the County’s progress in accomplishing the Plan 2035 vision and goals and builds on existing reporting requirements established in 2009 under the Smart, Green, and Growing Legislation. To assess state-level progress toward smart growth goals, this legislation requires local jurisdictions to track growth and development and report on:

• Development activity, including residential and non-residential subdivisions in process, as well as building and occupancy permits issued in and out of Priority Funding Areas (PFAs).
• Zoning map and text changes in and out of PFAs.
• Infrastructure projects completed in and out of PFAs.
• Ordinance and Master Plan Amendments approved for the calendar year.
• Lands preserved through acquisitions and/or easements.
• Changes in development capacity as a result of the above changes.

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) is charged with overseeing this process and has created a web-based tool to help streamline data collection from local jurisdictions. Prince George’s County already prepares this report annually and will expand its contents based on new Plan 2035 indicators (see Table 26). The report will continue to be submitted by the Planning Department to the Planning Board and County Council at the end of each fiscal year.

MEASURING SUCCESS

In addition to the requirements of the MDP Annual Report, the Plan 2035 Annual Report should be expanded to include:

• Projects and policies, especially capital improvement projects that support implementation and alignment of priority strategies that implement the Plan 2035 vision.
• The Planning Department’s work program for each fiscal year.
• The status of various implementation measures and their progression towards achieving the plan goals.

Plan 2035 Five-Year Evaluation (Performance Monitoring)

The Five-Year Evaluation analyzes the County’s progress toward meeting the Plan 2035 vision and goals in five-year intervals. This evaluation—informed by previously submitted annual reports—will provide insight into the implementation of the plan’s longer-range policies and strategies and will gauge their alignment with local, regional, and national demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental trends. It will also identify completed priority strategies, programs, and projects. The evaluation’s findings may help inform minor plan amendments and modifications.

Policy 1 Monitor, collect, and evaluate data on indicators at one- and five-year intervals (see Table 26).

Table 26. Indicators of Success

Also see Growth Management Goals (Table 17)

*Region Forward indicator

MEASURING SUCCESS

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Approved General Plan | 269

PLAN ADMINISTRATION

Plan Administration provides guidance on how the Planning Department can maintain consistency between Plan 2035 and ongoing and future planning activities and programs. It also outlines how Plan 2035 relates to approved plans.

CONSISTENCY WITH COUNTY PLANNING EFFORTS

Plan 2035 establishes the policy framework for all future planning efforts in Prince George’s County. All new County plans, studies, and programs should be consistent with the Plan 2035 vision, goals, policies, and strategies, Growth Policy Map, and Strategic Investment Map.

Future Planning Activities

The intensity of the planning work completed during the last ten years suggests new approaches be considered when updating current plans. While existing and market conditions may have changed, many of the policy recommendations in our current plans may have remained relevant. An evaluation of critical issues, constraints, and opportunities may help determine if a completely new master or sector plan is warranted or if minor amendments are more appropriate.

Sector, Master, and Functional Plans Approved Prior to Plan 2035

Plan 2035 represents a new vision for future growth and development in the County as well as new implementation tools, priorities, and strategies. Plan 2035 recognizes, however, that a number of master and sector plans, along with development and transit district plans associated with overlay zones, are based upon recommendations in the 2002 General Plan.¹ All planning documents which were duly adopted and approved prior to the date of adoption of Plan 2035 shall remain in full force and effect, except the designation of tiers, corridors,² and centers, until those plans are revised or superseded by subsequently adopted and approved plans. Plan 2035 is intended to represent a new vision which will be implemented over many years, through the adoption of small area sector, master and other development plans and studies, as well as through zoning via sectional map amendments. In the interim, prior to adoption or approval of superseding small area plans, and, as appropriate, Plan 2035 policies may be noted and discussed for purposes of required master plan conformance analysis.

PLAN ADMINISTRATION

AMENDMENTS AND UPDATES

Minor amendments to Plan 2035 may be warranted in response to major policy changes or new planned infrastructure, such as transit projects, to ensure the plan’s ongoing currency and relevancy. Sector plans, area master plans, and functional master plans may also amend Plan 2035.

RELATIONSHIP TO REGIONAL AND STATE ACTIVITIES

Plan 2035 may not align fully with ongoing activities within the region or previously approved priorities and infrastructure planning. This may require refinements to these activities, priorities, and planning efforts. Plan 2035 policies and strategies provide guidance on how these refinements can be pursued.

Policy 1: Align the priorities of County programs, master plans, and other studies with the priorities of Plan 2035.

S1.1: Update the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinancen to include a 10-year review cycle for all plans, including sector, master, and functional plans and the County’s general plan.

S1.2: Develop a coordinated annual work plan for the County that focuses on Plan 2035 priority programs and establishes how they will be implemented. These programs should be coordinated with other relevant agencies in order to maintain consistency, reduce duplication of work, and leverage public dollars in a more effective manner.

S1.3: Evaluate future updates to functional master plans to identify potential revisions to PlanMaryland’s Planning/Conservation Areas per MDP guidelines. The five Preservation/Conservation Areas are Priority Preservation Areas for Agriculture, Natural Resource Areas, Water Resource Areas, Historic and Cultural Resource Areas, and Climate Change Impact Areas.

Related Policies and Strategies

See Measuring Success for Measuring Progress towards Plan 2035 Implementation.

PARTNERSHIPS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Successful implementation of Plan 2035 begins with the full participation of all Prince Georgians and requires the efforts of every level of government: county, municipal, state, and federal. The following components are critical to future implementation efforts:

Civic Engagement—Plan 2035 hinges on continuous public engagement in the planning and execution process. Active participation by residents, businesses, and other stakeholders throughout this process, in particular early on, will help ensure project goals reflect stakeholder priorities and build buy-in and support.

Partnerships—New and existing relationships, extending across jurisdictional boundaries, with nonprofits, private sector entities, and public organizations will need to be created and reinforced to implement Plan 2035. Many Plan 2035 strategies will be best implemented through coordinated public-private partnerships. Such partnerships can generate cost-effective solutions that provide high-quality goods, services, and facilities for current and future Prince Georgians.

Municipalities—There are 27 municipalities in Prince George’s County that provide essential services to Prince Georgians. The importance of continued meaningful coordination and dialogue with its municipalities, especially with regards to implementing land use and zoning policies, cannot be overestimated. As critical implementing partners, municipalities can help leverage resources and build support for Plan 2035.

Intergovernmental Coordination—Prince George’s County engages with neighboring jurisdictions and a range of regional, state, and federal agencies on land use, housing, economic development, transportation, and environmental issues. It is essential we continue to strengthen these relationships and coordinate planning efforts to help reinforce and implement the Plan 2035 vision.

PARTNERSHIPS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Policy 1 Ensure continued public engagement in Plan 2035 implementation.

S1.1 Continue to use the Plan 2035 website and established social media outlets to engage and share information with the public on next steps, progress, ongoing efforts, timelines, and long-range plans related to Plan 2035 implementation.

Related Policies and Strategies

See Measuring Success for Annual Reporting Recommendations.

Policy 2 Strategically build partnerships with public and private stakeholders.

S2.1 Identify partners who can support and help to implement priority Capital Improvement Program projects.

Policy 3 Foster stronger relationships between County agencies and municipalities, including robust intergovernmental coordination, especially as it relates to zoning and land use policies.

S3.1 Identify funding options and partnerships with County agencies to assist with the master plan process and implementation.

S3.2 Coordinate with municipalities to implement identified actions in approved master and sector plans.

S3.3 Continue to assist municipalities with grant applications and provide planning assistance through the Planning Assistance to Municipalities and Communities Program.

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