E-News in Brief – April 18, 2017

An Update from Councilman Mel Franklin

E-News in Brief for Community Leaders                                                                                                                      

‘Zombie’ Foreclosure Legislation Proposed in the County Council

“Our communities continue to feel the lingering impact of the Great Recession with a large number of vacant and foreclosed properties spread across the County.  Due to unclear ownership and a lack of accountability for these properties during and after the foreclosure process, these properties often fall into disrepair by the banks and nameless investors who own or control them, which damages the property values of our existing neighborhoods.  This vacant and foreclosed property legislation will make it clear that these banks and investors are responsible for these properties before and after the completion of the foreclosure process and hold them accountable for maintaining them.”

Full Press Release: https://www.melfranklin.net/councilman-mel-franklin-proposes-zombie-foreclosure-legislation/

WMATA: Metro invites public to comment on proposed joint development at College Park Station

Metro is inviting the public to provide feedback on proposed changes to transit facilities on the east side of the College Park Metrorail Station as part of a proposed transit-oriented joint development project. Metro is considering the redevelopment of the Park & Ride surface lot into a multifamily residential building with ground floor retail.  The public is encouraged to comment on the proposed changes. Feedback must be received by by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2017.

Full Details on Submitting Comments: https://www.wmata.com/about/news/College-Park-Joint-Development.cfm

PGCPS: School System Graduation Rate Reaches Record High

According to data released from the Maryland State Department of Education, the four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) rose 2.6 percentage points, moving from 78.8 to 81.4 percent. The PGCPS rate now exceeds 80 percent for the first time since the state began tracking cohort data in 2010.  Eight high schools meet the system’s goal of a minimum 90 percent graduation rate:

Academy of Health Sciences at PGCC (100 percent), Bowie (90.2 percent), Charles H. Flowers (91 percent), DuVal (92.4 percent), Gwynn Park (94.6 percent), Eleanor Roosevelt (91.5 percent), Frederick Douglass (92 percent) and Surrattsville (90.8 percent).

Full Details: http://www1.pgcps.org/Communications/Press-Releases/2016—2017/January/PGCPS-Graduation-Rate-Reaches-Record-High/

Council to Urge GSA and USCIS to Finalize Federal Headquarters for Camp Springs Project at Tuesday Session

At today’s Council session, the County Council will vote to send a letter to the leaders of the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) urging them to finalize the consolidation of the USCIS headquarters at the Town Center at Camp Springs, a mixed-use (residential, retail, and office) development at the Branch Avenue Metro Station.  The site received preliminary selection as the new location of the federal agency’s headquarters last summer, but the change in Administration in the White House has led to a delay in the finalization of the lease, which is the final step before construction of the project goes forward.

For more info, see related story: https://www.bisnow.com/washington-dc/news/mixed-use/peter-schwartz-gets-financing-for-100m-phase-2-of-branch-ave-mixed-use-project-73168

Reminder – Please Take the Once-a-Week Trash Feedback Survey: https://www.melfranklin.net/councilman-mel-franklin-launches-once-a-week-trash-feedback-survey/  

For more info, go to

Website: www.melfranklin.net/news/

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/melrfranklin