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Board affirms DPIE denial of floodplain waiver for College Park lot, citing unsafe access in 100-year event
Summary
The Board of Appeals affirmed Prince George's County DPIE's denial of a floodplain waiver for Joseph Magnotta's Lot 13 at 7510 Columbia Avenue in College Park, finding that flood depths at the site exceed the county's safety-of-access threshold and make the lot ineligible for a waiver.
The Prince George's County Board of Appeals on Sept. 24 voted 3-0 to affirm the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement's (DPIE) denial of a floodplain waiver for Lot 13 at 7510 Columbia Avenue in College Park, owned by Joseph Magnotta.
The board's action affirms DPIE's March 28, 2025 written determination that the site cannot demonstrate "safety of access" during a hundred-year flood event, a threshold DPIE and the county fire/EMS have set at no more than six inches of flood depth for assured emergency access. DPIE testimony said modeled flood depths at the site range from roughly 2.2 to 3.7 feet above street level, well above the county's six-inch safe-access threshold. Vice Chair Johnston moved to affirm DPIE's denial; Member Stanton seconded. Chair Bower, Vice Chair Johnston and Member Stanton voted aye.
DPIE associate director Reynaldo De Guzman told the board the county uses a separate county…
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