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Troubling developments
Our View: Politicians are failing students when it comes to creating a supply of adequate housing.
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Opinion
The Prince George's County Council is holding back approval for the construction of a 630-bed apartment complex at a ransom of nearly $1.7 million. The Mazza Grandmarc Apartments, set to be located in North College Park, is a desperately needed development geared primarily toward graduate student housing.
Even the College Park City Council, which often seems to take deep moral offense that students would dare live in the city, is in support of the project. The county council needs to expedite approval for this long-delayed project immediately, and bring needed housing relief and development to College Park.
The primary concern appears to be over the tax status of the Mazza complex - a bill exempting student housing within one and a half miles of the university from fees relating to public educational facilities has yet to pass the state Senate, but controversy at the local level is low. John Krouse, the city councilman representing North College Park, has expressed confusion as to why a development purportedly for graduate-student housing should be charged a development fee designed to alleviate the burden on the city's K-12 system.
We're confused too. A piffling five percent of graduate students are housed in graduate-student-exclusive buildings in College Park, and the facts of the matter are simple. The university has a desperate housing crunch, and the Mazza complex, which has already been in the development stage for five years, can alleviate the situation.
Even with immediate approval, the complex will take years to construct, and will be more of a stop-gap measure than a solution. But there is no alternative. It's difficult for us to understand how politicians can so easily rationalize away facts. College Park needs more student housing. The problem is getting worse by the semester. And nobody seems to care.
Even the College Park City Council, which often seems to take deep moral offense that students would dare live in the city, is in support of the project. The county council needs to expedite approval for this long-delayed project immediately, and bring needed housing relief and development to College Park.
The primary concern appears to be over the tax status of the Mazza complex - a bill exempting student housing within one and a half miles of the university from fees relating to public educational facilities has yet to pass the state Senate, but controversy at the local level is low. John Krouse, the city councilman representing North College Park, has expressed confusion as to why a development purportedly for graduate-student housing should be charged a development fee designed to alleviate the burden on the city's K-12 system.
We're confused too. A piffling five percent of graduate students are housed in graduate-student-exclusive buildings in College Park, and the facts of the matter are simple. The university has a desperate housing crunch, and the Mazza complex, which has already been in the development stage for five years, can alleviate the situation.
Even with immediate approval, the complex will take years to construct, and will be more of a stop-gap measure than a solution. But there is no alternative. It's difficult for us to understand how politicians can so easily rationalize away facts. College Park needs more student housing. The problem is getting worse by the semester. And nobody seems to care.
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