The Development Update is a bi-monthly newsletter prepared by the City of College Park Planning, Community and Economic Development Department covering development activity in the City. This edition features updates on the Maryland Book Exchange redevelopment, Domain at College Park, Cafritz Property, and The Varsity. If you have any questions or would like to subscribe, please feel free to contact Michael Stiefvater at (240) 487-3543 or mstiefvater@collegeparkmd.gov.

The College Park Development Update is a bi-monthly newsletter prepared by the City of College Park Planning, Community and Economic Development Department covering development activity in the City. Please feel free to distribute this information as you see fit. Questions or comments can be directed to Economic Development Coordinator Michael Stiefvater at (240)487-3543 or msteifvater@collegeparkmd.gov.

On April 30, 2010 a Charrette was held in City Hall on the Domain project and the surrounding area. This also includes the area of the Mosaic at Turtle Creek. The goal was to come up with a overall vision for the area that can guide future development and create a mixed use neighborhood with tree-lined, predestrian and bicycle-friendly streets.

This area is located at the intersection of the Campus edge (near the Smith Business School) and a residential area. This is mostly on undeveloped property. There are many religious buildings in the immediate vicinity. The Domain project is located at the intersection of Campus Drive and Mowatt Lane while the Mosaic project located off Mowatt Lane.

The comprehensive vision includes 3 primary themes.

1) Create a compact, pedestrian-friendly mixed-use neighborhood

• Create a walkable neighborhood with a mix of housing types and neighborhood services
• Maximize transit-oriented opportunities
• Respect property owner objectives
• Improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity
• Improve internal circulation – disperse traffic efficiently
• Create a network of neighborhood greens, squares, and plazas
• Protect and enhance environmental resources
• 2- to 8-story buildings

2) Enhance Campus Drive as an attractive pedestrian-oriented “gateway” and calm traffic

• Transform as a “gateway” to campus and surrounding neighborhoods
• Reduce auto-oriented character with traffic calming and safe crosswalks
• Align curb-cuts and intersections
• Create standard streetscape design criteria to “activate the street”
• Encourage some neighborhood service and retail
• Enhance sidewalks with consistent build-to-line (varies per options from 18 to 35 feet)
• Maintain 4 lanes in all scenarios
• Consider bicycle lanes and/or on-street parking
• Streetscape enhancements support
• Purple Line options
  • Centerline or side-loaded platform
  • Understand dimensional standards/options

3) Improve MowattLane as a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly residential-scale street

• Improve and maintain as a 2-lane “residential street” with median (UMCP option – 2011)
• Establish streetscape design criteria for a “residential character”
• Maintain low, safe speeds
• Align curb cuts and intersections
• Preference: 2-lane street
• Consider bicycle lanes
• Review Options:
  • Allow for median to become leftturn “pockets” where needed to improve traffic flow (3-lane)
  • 4-lane option
• Understand dimensional standards/options

The Full  Presentation can be viewed HERE.

Located at the Corner of Campus Drive and Mowatt Lane, the Domain Project Area encompasses a series of mostly vacant properties just adjacent to campus near Van Munching Hall – the home of UMD’s business school. The project area includes Mosaic at Turtle Creek and The Domain at College Park – a proposed 5-story luxury multi-family building with 250 residential units and 5,000-10,000 square feet of retail. The Hanover Company will be the developer of the Domain project and market the it to graduate students, young professionals, visiting professors, and empty nesters similar to the way Mosaic is planned to be marketed.


Attend the charrette sessions this Wednesday, Thursday and/or Friday to learn about development plans, explore planning issues in this particular area, define a vision for future development, and interact with other stakeholders. See this PDF for scheduling information.