Council and advisory planning board debate development negotiations after Royal Farms approval

At a Greenbelt City Council work session, members of the Advisory Planning Board and council discussed recent development negotiations and the outcome of the Royal Farms review.

Ben Friedman, chair of the Advisory Planning Board, said APB negotiated concessions repeatedly with the developer but when council opposed the project those negotiated commitments were not enforceable at the county level. "We forfeited the ability to enforce the concessions that we gave," Friedman said. Council members and advisory chairs debated whether the city should have pursued a different path and how to avoid the outcome in future reviews.

The meeting included a broader discussion of land‑use authority in Prince George's County. One participant argued county control over municipal land use "enables corruption at the county level" and urged legal or legislative strategies to change that allocation of authority. Council members said options include a court challenge or seeking state legislation, while acknowledging both paths have significant obstacles.

Council and APB described current practice: planning department and APB review proposals and negotiate with developers in an iterative process, but the formal authority to enforce concessions depends on council action and county-level approvals. Speakers recommended documenting the review-and-approval process and improving communication between APB and council so expectations are clearer when a project goes to the county planning board.

No formal council vote or new ordinance was taken at the session; participants asked staff to prepare clearer process documentation and to consider outreach or coordination with neighboring jurisdictions on land-use strategy.