Council takes Harmony Garden townhouse project under advisement after neighbors raise traffic, stormwater and master-plan concerns

Prince George's County District Council on March 10, 2025 heard DET-2024-004 (Harmony Garden), a detailed site plan by Potomac Realty Company to develop 67 single-family attached townhouse units on a 7.75-acre site at the southeast corner of Old Baltimore Pike and Amandale Way in Council District 1. After presentations by planning staff and the applicant and extended public comment, the council voted to take the case under advisement for further consideration.

Emery Huang (Urban Design Section, Prince George's County Planning Department) told the council the planning board approved the detailed site plan on Nov. 14, 2024 and adopted resolution number 2024-119 on Dec. 5, 2024, subject to four conditions. Huang summarized the proposal: 67 townhouses (one 20-foot-wide model with 2-car rear-loaded garages), a density of 8.6 dwelling units per acre (below the CGO zone maximum for townhouses), 283 parking spaces (staff said this exceeds the required 138 spaces), internal sidewalks and an 8-foot shared-use path along Old Baltimore Pike, and a central green of about 0.43 acres with a multi-age play structure and bicycle parking.

Applicant counsel Nathaniel Foreman (O—Malley Miles Nylen & Gilmore) and owner Csiao Bai (Potomac Realty Company) emphasized that townhouses are a permitted use in the CGO zone and described outreach to neighbors. The applicant cited projected surcharges and impact fees that would be due if permits were issued: $1,370,000 for school facilities and about $650,000 for public safety and a behavioral-health surcharge (numbers the applicant presented as per-unit surcharges adjusted by the consumer price index).

Opposition testimony came from Oscar Gregory (self-identified as an independent researcher engaged with the Beltsville/Vansville community). Gregory said the community intended the site for small convenience retail under the master plan and asked that the application be remanded to planning staff. He also raised concerns about traffic safety at Old Baltimore Pike and Amandale Way, potential runoff and water-logging of the site (including mold and long-term maintenance), and suggested the developer provide ongoing funding to address future mold mitigation and make donations to the local elementary school.

Council discussion covered technical and community concerns. Council member De Noga moved that the council take the case under advisement; the motion passed (the transcript records the motion to take under advisement and the hearing was placed in that posture). Planning-board counsel (Mr. Brown) recommended several conditions for the council to consider if it affirms approval: a collective brick-or-stone façade percentage (historically the council has used about 40% as a threshold on some projects), EV-ready garages equipped with 250-volt connections to meet residential EV-readiness expectations referenced in the record, and documentation of noise-attenuation ratings for units that front the roadway so the council can assess whether façade/wall construction will mitigate traffic noise.

Why this matters: the matter pits a planning-board-approved residential project the county describes as meeting zoning and design standards against neighborhood concerns about master-plan intent, traffic safety at a nearby intersection, stormwater/runoff risk on a sloped site, and longer-term maintenance/liability for remediation of water-related damage. The council took the application under advisement to allow time to resolve technical details and any required conditions before issuing a written order.

Key numbers and clarifications from the hearing: site area 7.75 acres; 67 proposed townhouses; density about 8.6 dwelling units per acre; 283 parking spaces proposed (138 required); central green roughly 0.43 acres; applicant—s stated school facilities surcharge ~$1,370,000 and public safety/behavioral health surcharge ~$650,000 (figures presented by the applicant as per-record surcharges if building permits were issued). Planning-board resolution: PGCPB 2024-119.

Speakers and roles recorded in the hearing: Emery Huang (Urban Design Section, Prince George's County Planning Department); Nathaniel Foreman (attorney for applicant, O—Malley Miles Nylen & Gilmore); Csiao Bai (owner, Potomac Realty Company); Oscar Gregory (public commenter, community member); Mr. Brown (Planning Board counsel); Council member De Noga (mover to take under advisement). The council did not adopt a final written order at the March 10 session; the case was taken under advisement for follow-up.