College Park hosts comprehensive-plan charrette; city announces $230,000 parks grant

Councilmember Joe Carn opened a community update at Hawthorne Station, urging residents to participate in charrettes that will help shape College Park’s five-year comprehensive plan.

"This is a citywide initiative…we’re in the midst of" updating the comprehensive plan, Carn said, and he asked residents to take part in interactive exercises to set priorities for growth, housing and investment.

Megan Barrow of Inspire Placemaking Collective, the city’s consultant for the update, said the plan is a guidance document the city updates about every five years. "If we want money from the state," she said, "the state wants to see that your community has created some kind of a unified vision." Barrow invited residents to place pins on maps and vote on investment priorities during the session.

City Manager Michael Hicks said the comprehensive plan is embedded in the city’s strategic plan and will guide budgeting and project decisions over the next five years. Hicks asked residents to review the posters and speak with the Inspire team to ensure neighborhood preferences are captured.

Councilmember Carn also announced the city secured a $230,000 grant for parks and described ongoing improvements at Brandon Park, including a community garden and plans to fence a small dog park. "When you all are ready to go, please let us know and we can come and assist," he said, inviting residents to help operate the garden plots and use new amenities.

The charrette activities are intended to collect resident priorities on housing types, public spaces and investment choices that the city will incorporate into the updated comprehensive plan and use when applying for state grants and loans.

Next steps: residents were asked to sign in to document participation and to follow the city’s website and social channels for the release of a small-business rebate program and other follow-up materials.