WEEKLY BULLETIN | September 16, 2022

Fall Tree Giveaway

The City is planning a free tree giveaway this fall to provide residents with native trees to help begin the restoration of the tree canopy damaged by the July 12 storm.

Request up to two trees to plant on your property! City residents only. Today is the last day to register. 

To register, fill out this online form. 

Pick up trees on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Department of Public Works, 9217 51st Avenue, College Park, MD 20740

Have questions? Call 240-487-3595 or email horticulturist@colegeparkmd.gov. 

Redistricting Commission Meetings

The City Charter (§C2-2, "Districts") requires that the Council review council district boundaries at least once every 10 years, soon after the decennial census is available.

Since May 2022, the Redistricting Commission has been reviewing population data from the 2020 Census, the University of Maryland's residential population, and projections for residential projects under construction. 

Residents can review preliminary redistricting maps and provide public comment at

 www.collegeparkmdredistricting2022.com. 

Curbside Food Scrap Collection

The City of College Park is rolling out a new curbside food scrap collection program this fall!

If your household currently receives curbside trash and recycling collection within the City of College Park, then you are eligible to participate; residential collections only.

How Do I Sign Up?

Residents can sign up online and choose container(s). Participants are required to select either a 12-gallon wheeled cart ($13.00), or a 5-gallon bucket ($9.00). Participants can also choose to purchase a small kitchen pail ($5.00) to store food scraps inside their homes.

For more information, call 240-487-3590 or visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/foodscraps.

Rabies & Microchip Clinic

The City's Animal Control and Animal Welfare Committee are hosting a Rabies and Microchip Clinic for City pets on October 2, 2022 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. 

Appointments are required, please register here.

Slots are individual, you can only register one animal per spot. Appointments are in 10 minute slots, and space is limited. All animals MUST be leashed or properly confined to a carrier. No walk-ins.

For more information, click here.

Knox Road Closure Notice

Please be advised that the tower crane for the Aspen Development project at 4206 Knox Road is planned to be erected on Saturday, September 24. The road closure on Knox Road will begin at 4:30 am on September 24 and reopen at noon on Sunday, September 25.  Local, non-through traffic will be allowed up to the road closure.  Please follow all traffic notices. 

WSSC Emergency Work

WSSC will be repairing the water main that crosses under Rhode Island Avenue at Muskogee Street overnight on Friday, 9/15. As a result, traffic on Rhode Island Avenue may be temporarily detoured until the work is completed. 

Washington Gas Work

Resurface Inc., contractor for Washington Gas, will be working on street repairs in the Lakeland, Berwyn, and Branchville neighborhoods next week from Monday 9/19 to Friday 9/23, weather permitting. Parking restrictions have been posted by the contractor.

The following areas will be affected:

1. Intersection of 48^th Avenue and Navahoe Street
2. 8300-Block and 8500-Block of 49^th Avenue
3. 5000-Block of Roanoke Place
4. 8600-Block of 50^th Place
5. Intersection of Branchville Road and 48^th Place

 Please contact engineering@collegeparkmd.gov with any questions.

Street Repairs Notice

This month, NZI Construction, contractor for the City of College Park, will be working on miscellaneous repairs throughout the City. Please stay alert and slow down in work zones.

The following areas will be affected:

1. Edmonston Road between Old Calvert Road and Radcliffe Drive
2. Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail between Tecumseh Street and Greenbelt Road
3. 8500-Block of 48th Avenue
4. 8300-Block of 49th Avenue

Please contact engineering@collegeparkmd.gov with any questions.

Photograph by Dave Crissinger

Thank you to everyone who joined the City's Oktoberfest on Friday, September 9th! The final Friday Night LIVE event drew more than 400 individuals and featured traditional Oktoberfest music and dancing.

Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation

The City Council passed a proclamation declaring September 15 - October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate the achievements of Hispanic Americans. Their contributions lift up our communities and are a testament to the American dream. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Clean-Up Saturdays

The City of College Park Public Works facility will be open on Saturday, October 8th and Saturday, October 22 for City residents to drop-off bulky trash, white goods, electronics recycling, brush, and yard trim.

You must be a resident of the City of College Park and bring proof of City residency to participate.

Bulk trash brought to DPW on cleanup days does not count toward bulk trash limits, nor are any fees applied for appliances, televisions, or monitors.

College Park residents can get up to 5-cubic yards of wood mulch per cleanup day for FREE. 

There will also be document shredding services for one day only, on October 8 from 8:00am-12:00pm. 

College Park Day

Saturday, October 15 | 12:00-6:00pm | College Park Aviation Museum

Save the date for College Park Day on Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the College Park Aviation Museum and Airport (1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive)! The event is open to the public and free to attend.  

Learn more at collegeparkday.org

Monthly Public Safety Community Meeting

September is Emergency Preparedness Month, and we're learning how to sustain ourselves for 3-5 days in case of an emergency to allow emergency services to focus on life-threatening situations first. If you missed last week's Public Safety meeting, you can view resources from the Prince George's County Office of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Management here.

Join their next Community Basic CPR Certification course on November 22 to become CPR-trained. 

Join us at the next Public Safety Community Meeting on October 10 at 7pm via Zoom.

DEPARTMENT UPDATES

City Tree Programs

Trees provide many benefits such as reduction of cooling and heating costs, interception of rainwater, increasing property values and improving air quality. The City offers a few ways to help. More information is available at www.collegeparkmd.gov/trees. Fall street tree planning is happening now, send in your requests! 

REQUESTS FOR STREET TREES: The City has a program that pays for and provides street tree planting in the right-of-way area, which includes the grass strip between the curb and sidewalk. College Park residents interested in requesting a tree can contact Brenda Alexander at 240-487-3590 or horticulturist@collegeparkmd.gov. The location will be inspected to determine if it is suitable.

TREE CANOPY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (TCEP): City of College Park property owners can apply for reimbursement of up to $150.00 annually, for approved tree(s) planted on their residential lot. The completed application should be sent to horticulturist@collegeparkmd.gov for review and approval. Click here for a link to the guidelines and application.

TREE MAINTENANCE The City is responsible for tree maintenance in the rights-of-way, City maintained buildings and parks, and on public property. Trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner.

Urban Tree Protection: Ordinance 21-O-09

This Ordinance requires an application to be submitted for approval to obtain a permit to remove or prune a tree on residential land.

Beginning July 1, 2022, trees on residential property within the City of College Park, greater than 36 inches in circumference measured at 4.5 feet above ground level, on which the property owner wants to remove or prune live branches or wood more than 20% will need to submit an application to the Department of Public Works for a tree removal/pruning permit and receive approval prior to beginning planned tree work. A requirement of the tree removal/pruning permit is that urban tree(s) approved for removal are replaced.

You can find the permit application at www.collegeparkmd.gov/TreeRemovalApp

For more information, click here.

Yard Waste Collection

The storm-related waiver for the preparation of yard debris has expired. All yard waste and brush must be prepared correctly, and large collections needing the use of specialized equipment will incur a fee.

Soft yard waste and woody brush are processed independently into two different end products; therefore, these materials should be prepared separately for collection and further processing.

To learn more about soft and woody yard waste collection, visit the City's website.

Maryland Department of Agriculture's Mosquito Control Program

The City cooperates with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to identify and control mosquito populations by larviciding and spraying. MDA has designated Wednesday nights for adult mosquito spraying in the city (when thresholds are met). Spraying will only begin after dark and may continue until midnight or later. Spray applications are made by truck-mounted ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayers. If you see a truck in your community spraying during the day, please note that it is not from the State of Maryland. Please be aware that MDA does not spray individual properties, and the City is on a 2 or 3-week rotation based on mosquito thresholds.

For more information, visit the MDA’s Mosquito Control website (https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/pages/mosquito_control.aspx) which includes details about the program, including their policy, insecticides used, product labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS), and more.

REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM ADULT MOSQUITO CONTROL SERVICES

Residents can request exclusion from the adult spray program by completing an exemption form annually.

Department of Public Services

Weekly Highlights of Contract Police Activity

August 26 - September 1

9/6  Contract officer and Beat Officers responded to the 4400 block of Knox Road for an intoxicated male fighting a security officer. The male was transported to the hospital for a mental evaluation.

9/7  Contract officers assisted the Beat Officers from “C” Sector (Beltsville Station) with a pursuit involving a carjacked vehicle. The pursuit ended in the parking lot of the IKEA Store with one arrest and a handgun recovered.

9/8  Contract officer conducted a traffic assignment (Stop Sign Enforcement) at Edgewood Road and 51^st Avenue. 1 citation and 4 warnings were issued

8/8  Contract officers responded to the 8140 block of Baltimore Avenue to assist the Beat Officers with a fight and a taser deployment. The crowd was very disorderly as one arrest was made.

Loud Exhaust Enforcement Stats:

Citations: 0

Warnings: 0

SERO's: 0

Year to Date Statistics (starting 4/19/21):

Citations: 466

Warnings: 135

SERO's: 99

Sept. 5, 2022 to Sept. 11, 2022

There were no municipal infractions issued for the violation of the Noise Ordinance, Article I, 141-1 Danger to Public Safety/Health or Article II, 141-13 Unruly Social Gatherings

Statistical Data and issued

(7/15-7/21):

MD State Citations:14

Warnings: 80

Equipment Repair Orders: 5

Distracted Driving Citations: 0

Parking Citations: 0

Field Observation Report: 0

Youth Field Observation Report: 0

Citations in Lieu of Arrest: 0

Civil Citation: 0

Criminal Arrests: 0

DWS Arrest: 0

DWI Arrest: 0

Warrant Arrest: 0

Premise Checks: 10

Referral Student Code of Conduct: 0

Zone 1/Downtown Area Pedestrian Warnings: 33

Zone 1/Downtown Area Pedestrian Citations: 0

Zone 2/Berwyn-Lakeland Pedestrian Warnings: 0

Zone 2/ Berwyn-Lakeland Pedestrian Citations: 0

Zone 3/North College Park Pedestrian Warnings: 0

Zone 3/North College Park Pedestrian Citations: 0

Monthly Public Safety Maps



For monthly Prince George's County Police public safety maps and statistical data for the City of College Park, visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/publicsafety.

Community Meetings

Note: These are not City meetings but have City staff or Contract Police as a host.