Task force debates wording, climate and rural-growth language while approving Plan 20 35 annual report with edits

The Plant Prince George's 20 35 Implementation and Infrastructure Task Force on July 21 reviewed and revised its draft annual report and took a motion to accept the report with the edits discussed at the meeting. The report had been drafted in May; members discussed updating date references, aligning the reporting period with the fiscal year, and adding or changing language on climate guidance and environmental justice.

Task force members debated specific wording about environmental justice. Several members objected to language that would commit the task force to "remedy existing and historic environmental injustice" before the topic had been discussed as a group. The group agreed to change the wording to recommend that the task force "examine potential existing environmental justice issues" and to change a related phrase from "relying on" the 2019 Environmental Justice Task Force report to "reviewing" that report as part of future work.

The group also discussed additions and edits regarding rural, exurban and suburban greenfield development. Members debated whether references to "South County" or to "rural and agricultural areas" were the right framing. Several members proposed alternative phrasing such as "undeveloped parcels within the suburban tier" or language that references agricultural or undeveloped parcels more broadly. The planning staff and task force members agreed to refine the wording to avoid conflating legally defined "rural and agricultural" areas in Plan 20 35 with other types of lower-density development.

Director Lakeisha Hall, Planning Director for Prince George's County, confirmed that the planning department has reinitiated a fiscal impact study that will inform updates to the public safety master plan and other implementation items referenced in the report. Members asked staff to tie the water and sewer infrastructure evaluation to existing DPIE (Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement) water and sewer planning to ensure infill development has access to public lines.

The task force voted to accept the annual report as discussed at the meeting; Mr. Phelps moved acceptance and Mr. Weiss seconded. The chair instructed the planning staff to finalize the text with the agreed edits and to date the document July 21, 2025. The task force deferred final action on a separate work plan to allow park-and-planning staff time to review timing and deliverables and to coordinate the work plan with adopted budget timelines.

Ending: The report was accepted with the edits discussed; planning staff will finalize language changes (environmental justice phrasing, water and sewer coordination, rural/greenfield wording) and circulate the final document. The task force will revisit the proposed work plan at a later meeting after park-and-planning review.