November 2018 Newsletter
Dear Resident,
Over the past six years, I have been truly humbled by your willingness to place your trust in me to serve as your State Delegate. Last week, you gave me another opportunity to represent you as we won our second election by an overwhelming margin.
I want to personally thank every one of our volunteers and supporters who helped write thousands of postcards, knock on thousands of doors, and call thousands of residents as we spread our progressive vision for our District. I want to assure you that I will continue to listen to you and be your voice in Annapolis.
While we won our race, there is a lot at stake for Prince George’s County due to Governor Hogan’s re-election. Right now, we need bold and effective leadership to protect and represent the diverse needs of our County, which is why I am proud to announce that, this week, I was elected to serve as the First Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County House Delegation.
Through this role, I will work closely with the Chair of the Prince George’s County Delegation and our new County Executive to set the legislative agenda for the Delegation. Moving forward, I am committed to protecting our County from any funding cuts to public education proposed by the Hogan Administration, investing in economic development projects that serve the needs of the whole County, and resisting the MAGLEV train.
I encourage you to attend the Prince George’s County Delegation’s Public Local Bill Hearing on Wednesday, December 12th at 6:00pm in Riverdale Park. At this hearing, the Delegation will hear testimony on proposed local legislation for the 2019 Legislative Session. This is your opportunity provide your feedback on our bills before we head back to Annapolis in January. For a list of the local bills, click HERE. For more information on the Bill Hearing, read below.
New Hyattsville Libary Groundbreaking
After many years of waiting, ground will finally be broken on the new Hyattsville library on Monday, November 19th!
Located on the same lot as the old library, the new building will include an underground parking garage, a green roof, a tech lab, and the iconic flying-saucer canopy. Construction is anticipated to last 24 months with the opening of the new library scheduled for late 2020.
In terms of accessibility, the building will have centralized desk services and fewer segmented areas in order to create easier access for the disabled and make it feel more welcoming in general. If you are interested in attending the groundbreaking ceremony, it will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 19, at 6530 Adelphi Road in Hyattsville.
For those of you who might not be aware, I also encourage you to visit the recently renovated New Carrollton Library, which opened in September. The 58,500-square-foot library features an enlarged entrance with glass walls for more natural light, enhanced technology and additional meeting and study rooms. All public library services are on the main level for customer convenience. Through the Art in Public Places program, the central atrium showcases a colorful resin and aluminium mobile: Convergence of Knowledge by Alan Binstock.
The Discovery Reef children’s area features a 270-gallon saltwater aquarium, colorful overhead lighting that simulates the underwater experience, a reef wall seating area complete with life-like exotic fish, a storytime room that replicates a deep sea habitat and a glowing tube of moving bubbles. The library has 66 computers for public use & 15 laptops in the training room for public instruction. Other technology enhancements include 3D printing, virtual reality and gaming in the Teen Zone. Finally, the library’s current collection has more than 50,000 items (including books, DVDs, audiobooks and magazines) with a future capacity of 80,000 items. It also has a conference room, two meeting rooms, seven study rooms, a Whisper Room, a vending café, Friends bookstore, water bottle filling station and a dual-head charging station for electric vehicles in the parking lot.
MAGLEV Alternatives Report Now Available
Yesterday, the Alternatives Report for the proposed MAGLEV train was published on the project website.
The Alternatives Report follows the Preliminary Screening Report issued in January and considers written input and feedback received from the public, agency representatives, and local officials on what alternatives (or routes) should be studied in more detail.
The NEPA team will ultimately study information provided in this report in even greater detail and incorporate those findings into the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, anticipated to be complete in 2019.
Here are a few highlights featured in the Alternatives Report:
- Further refinements to route alternatives J and J1 (the two routes that run along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway) to minimize effects on human and natural resources;
- Identification and initial assessment of ancillary facilities such as a train maintenance yard (rolling stock depot) and ventilation facilities;
- Initial assessment of station locations in Baltimore, BWI Airport and Washington DC, which includes the identification of Baltimore station options at Camden Yards (underground) and Cherry Hill Light Rail (aboveground) and the identification of Washington DC station options at Mt. Vernon Square East (underground) and Mt. Vernon Square West (underground); and
- Summary of on-going agency coordination and comments.
To read the full Alternatives Report, click HERE.