Quick Answer #1: Wondering About All Those Political Signs?
2009 05 07: Spring Public Meeting

2008 09 28: Public Forum on the county's Public Safety Master Plan

2008 09 04: Citizens Advisory Council annual forum announcement

2008 08 25: IHHAAC board meeting notes

2008 07 28: Maryland State Highway Administration update

2004 10 24: IHHAAC annual meeting notes

2003 10 08: Park & Planning Commission budget hearing notes

QUICK ANSWER #1: Political Signs

A Prince George's County ordinance prohibits the posting of political campaign signs in the "Public Right of Way" on private property. The "Public Right of Way" is defined as 10 feet from the curb (away from the street). Therefore, county home and business owners who have posted such signs should move the signs to be in compliance with the law.

A companion ordinance requires that political campaign signs must be 50 feet from the curb of the nearest corner of an street intersection in the county.

In addition, political campaigns must receive permission from the owners to post signs on property belonging to public entities, such as police and fire stations. The school board has been notified about the numerous signs posted on its property at the southeast corner of the traffic circle at Swan Creek and Fort Washington Roads.

Signs may not be erected earlier than 45 days before the election (primary and general). Signs for unsuccessful primary election candidates must be removed 10 days after the primary election. All other political campaign signs must be removed 10 days after the general election.

*Answer courtesy of Judy Meade, Tantallon Citizens Association

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A public meeting was held on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at John Addison Concert Hall/Harmony Hall Reginal Center located at 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744 at 7:00 PM.

Draft Agenda

• 7:00 PM: Greeting & Introduction--Steve Pyles, IHHAAC President
• 7:10 PM: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act--Congressman Steny Hoyer(invited)
• 7:35 PM: State of Prince George’s County(Budget; Stimulus; BRAC; District VII)--Executive Jack Johnson (invited)/(Alt: Mike Herman)
• 8:05 PM: BRAC--Asuntha Chiang-Smith, Executive Director (invited)
• 8:30 PM: National Harbor--Andre Gingles & Peterson Rep
• 8:55 PM: Public Safety--Roberto L. Hylton, Chief of Police (Alt:Maj Cunningham, Dist. IV)
• 9:10 PM: WSSC--Richard Krueger
• 9:20 PM: Other Business--Steve Pyles
• 9:30 PM: Adjournment

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The 2004 Annual Meeting was held on Wednesday, October 24, 2004 at the new Accokeek Library. Those who arrived early were treated to a tour of the new facility. The business meeting began shortly after 7PM. A briefing was given on the Public Safety Master Plan, which is being revised for the first time since 1990. (Click here to read our testimony at the initial hearing in September; see next item for more.) After a brief discussion, it was decided to support CB-89 which will require better police staffing before new development is allowed to proceed. There was also a short presentation by a representative of ACORN relative to proposed charter amendments including Question H. No position was taken by IHHAAC. We also talked about the issue of illegal real estate directional signs, but due to time constraints the discussion was cut short and no action was taken.

Officers were elected for the 2005 year; there being no opposition (nor new volunteers) the current officers were re-elected to another term.

Our guest speakers were Charlynn Flaherty and Wayne McBride, who are respectively the Director and Deputy Director of Public Safety Communications (the 911 Call Center) for the county. They gave a presentation on the workings of the county's 911 telephone center, which handles calls for police, fire/rescue, and the sheriff's department. 

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A Public Forum on the county's Public Safety Master Plan was held on Wednesday, September 29 at 7:00 PM in the council hearing room at the county administration building. This is an early step leading to amending the existing plan that was last updated in 1990 (copies of the information brochure were supposed to be available at all county libraries and fire stations, but we couldn't find them and the libraries had no idea what we were looking for). As you might expect, we've got some STRONG feelings on the subject. IHHAAC Vice President Stan Fetter spoke at the hearing for IHHAAC; Click here to read his testimony.

This is just the beginning; the purpose of this hearing was to solicit comment on what the county should concentrate on as they go through this process. The record will remain open for written comments until October 27, which can be faxed to 301-952-5074 or submitted through the MNCPPC web site. The staff person in charge is Chris Izzo, who's been with Park & Planning for quite a while and is probably the best choice they could have made. Feel free to contact him for additional information at (301) 952-3680 or chris.izzo@ppd.mncppc.org.

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Citizens Advisory Council
District IV Police Department
5135 Indian Head Highway
Oxon Hill, Maryland 20748

September 4, 2008

Dear Community Leaders,

The Prince George’s County Police District IV, Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), will host its annual community forum on Monday, October 6, 2008, from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. at the Oxon Hill Library, 6200 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill, Maryland 20745. The theme of this year’s forum is “Youth in Our Communities – Bridging the Divide”.

The CAC felt this would be an appropriate topic because our youth have been a constant issue of concern voiced at many community meetings. Our youth have also been vocal on the subject at recent youth meetings and will be active participants at the forum. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a Mix and Mingle and light refreshments. The forum will begin at 7:00 p.m. Participants will have an opportunity to address youth concerns from both adult and youth perspectives. We will also focus on developing positive strategies that communities can implement to foster better relationships with the youth living in their neighborhoods.

Major Gary Cunningham, Prince George’s County Police - District IV, will close the evening by providing us with an update on police actions in District IV and the most current information available regarding the change in leadership in the Prince George’s County Police Department.

We strongly encourage you and members of your community, both adult and youth, to join us at our CAC Forum. Informational flyers will be sent to you within the next few weeks for distribution within your community. Please feel free to contract Zack Berry, Vice President, District IV CAC if you have any questions or need additional information. He can be reached via e-mail at ZB2125@aol.com or by telephone on (301) 505-2202.

The District IV CAC looks forward to your community’s presence at its forum on Monday, October 6, 2008.

Sincerely,

Citizens Advisory Council
Prince George’s County Police – District IV

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The IHHAAC Board met on August 25, 2008. Here are some of the issues we're looking at that you will hear more about at the October meeting:

• We remain very concerned about the level of police staffing in the county, especially given the pace of development and county's methodology for determining if police facilities are adequate. Response times are measured in hours, and patrols are essentially non-existent. The new District 7 station is still a figment of our imagination. But, we've got a plan. Ever heard that before?

• The 210 corridor is home to a whole list of historic resources that could become quite an asset, if not a draw. Thoughts on preservation and promotion?

• Trashing the neighborhood: Illegal signs, and what we're going to do about it.

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The Maryland State Highway Administration has announced the availability of the final Environmental Impact Study and the public hearing transcript from the 210 Multi-Modal Study. The selected improvement alternative is 5A, which includes grade-separated interchanges at six current intersections and a variety of improvements at several others. Copies of both documents are available now at the following as well as at the new Accokeek library:

Woodrow Wilson Bridge Study Office

One Constellation Centre
6009 Oxon Hill Road, Suite 410, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
Mon-Fri: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Study Office can be reached by taking Exit 4 from the Beltway onto MD414 - Saint Barnabas Road south toward Oxon Hill. Just off the interchange, the
Constellation Centre Office Park is immediately on the right.

From 210 south of the beltway, turn right on Oxon Hill Road (the signal just before the beltway). Go straight through the next light, which is Livingston Road. The Constellation Centre is about a mile on the left, just past the shopping center.

 

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The Harmony Hall Community Center

10701 Livingston Road
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Mon-Fri: 6:30 AM - 9:30 PM; Sat: 8:00 AM - 3:45 PM

Harmony Hall can be reached by taking MD 210 south, followed by a right onto Fort Washington Road. Make the first right after the shopping center onto Livingston Road and a quick left into the Community Center.

Further information is available from Heather Lowe at the SHA, at (410) 545-8526 or hlowe@sha.state.md.us.
 

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One of two Park & Planning Commission budget hearings was held on October 8, 2003 at Harmony Hall. Numerous local civic groups, youth clubs, educators and the like testified that south county has long suffered from a lack of recreation facilities, and asked that we begin to get what we've been paying for all these years. The Fairlands complex in Laurel was mentioned again and again as an example of the inequities that exist.

IHHAAC testified as well, offering support for these requests. We also:

• Testified in support of completing the enclosure of the Tucker Road Ice Rink, and thanked Senator Lawlah and Delegate Patterson for their past support on this project. The new budget shows it as 90% complete; we offered that this last 10% seemed to be taking longer than it should have and said that it would be very nice to get the facility finished and open.

• Testified in support of the completion and improvement of the Henson Valley Trail system.

• Testified in support of the proposed Southern Regional Tech Center.

• Asked for more of a commitment from all levels of government to the Broad Creek Historic District, and to the idea of tying together all of the rest of the area's numerous underutilized historic and natural resources into the outstanding historic corridor that we could have. This concept should be included in the planning process, including the Sub region VII study now getting underway.

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