Fee may threaten student housing
Nathan Cohen
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News
ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland General Assembly heard a bill this week which that targets the university by drastically reducing developers' incentives to build housing for students near the campus.
Amid the university's largest housing shortage in recent history, this bill could further discourage new housing projects by allowing Prince George's County to charge developers a onetime fee of $7,700 for each apartment in a new complex aimed at student housing, except in a small area surrounding the university. Currently, that surcharge only exists in areas that lie more that 1.5 miles away from the university.
The new legislation is more specific about the area exempt from the surcharge. Only a small fraction of off-campus land that is currently exempt would remain so if the bill passes.
The legislation aims to encourage housing development in areas such as east campus and redevelopment of the Knox Boxes to increase their capacity, said Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel), who introduced the bill in the senate.
Rosapepe, who testified in the bill's favor yesterday, said reducing developers' incentives to build student housing is not the bill's goal. Rather, the bill would do a better job of encouraging development closer to the campus than the current legislation does, he said.
"This bill is about where you put [developments], not where you pay for them," said Rosapepe.
The new development planwould also cut the university's transportation costs, Rosapepe said, since less would be spent on buses that transport students from far-away apartment complexes to the campus.
The surcharge funds Prince George's County Public Schools, but Rosapepe said that gaining revenue for the schools is not the primary goal. Schools would not likely receive much revenue because the bill would likely curb development in areas where the fee is required.
Blogger David Daddio, who documents College Park's growth on Rethinkcollegepark.net, disagrees. The current law does enhance housing growth close to the campus, as exemplified by University View and University Town Center, he said.
Daddio said that more nearby student complexes like those, where students can easily use university transportation to get to the campus, won't be developed anyway, even if the new plan passes, because none of the many development proposals for that area include student housing.
At any rate, the bill appears likely to pass. In 2006, a similarly worded law was passed in the House of Delegates, but was never voted on in the Senate, according to the bill's fiscal note.
Ross Stern, the university's lobbyist, said the university does not have an opinion regarding whether the bill should pass. The campus, however, was consulted in the bill's planning, said Sara Imhulse, assistant to the city manager.
At the university's request, an amendment was added to the senate bill that would exempt from the fee the land on which developers plan to redevelop Graduate Hills, a graduate-student complex .
Lawmakers from other municipalities in Prince George's County support the bill because it would generate more revenue from fees. The 1.5 mile radius not only includes College Park, but other municipalities like Hyattsville, Langley Park and Riverdale Park, Imhulse said.
Daddio said he understands the municipalities' perspective and believes the General Assembly should consider them, but does not believe that the current bill is the right direction.
"There's definitely a concern that the boundary is beyond College Park, and I understand that, but the recommended area is just too small," said Daddio. "It should include at least all of College Park."
Contact reporter Nathan Cohen at cohendbk@gmail.com.
Amid the university's largest housing shortage in recent history, this bill could further discourage new housing projects by allowing Prince George's County to charge developers a onetime fee of $7,700 for each apartment in a new complex aimed at student housing, except in a small area surrounding the university. Currently, that surcharge only exists in areas that lie more that 1.5 miles away from the university.
The new legislation is more specific about the area exempt from the surcharge. Only a small fraction of off-campus land that is currently exempt would remain so if the bill passes.
The legislation aims to encourage housing development in areas such as east campus and redevelopment of the Knox Boxes to increase their capacity, said Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel), who introduced the bill in the senate.
Rosapepe, who testified in the bill's favor yesterday, said reducing developers' incentives to build student housing is not the bill's goal. Rather, the bill would do a better job of encouraging development closer to the campus than the current legislation does, he said.
"This bill is about where you put [developments], not where you pay for them," said Rosapepe.
The new development planwould also cut the university's transportation costs, Rosapepe said, since less would be spent on buses that transport students from far-away apartment complexes to the campus.
The surcharge funds Prince George's County Public Schools, but Rosapepe said that gaining revenue for the schools is not the primary goal. Schools would not likely receive much revenue because the bill would likely curb development in areas where the fee is required.
Blogger David Daddio, who documents College Park's growth on Rethinkcollegepark.net, disagrees. The current law does enhance housing growth close to the campus, as exemplified by University View and University Town Center, he said.
Daddio said that more nearby student complexes like those, where students can easily use university transportation to get to the campus, won't be developed anyway, even if the new plan passes, because none of the many development proposals for that area include student housing.
At any rate, the bill appears likely to pass. In 2006, a similarly worded law was passed in the House of Delegates, but was never voted on in the Senate, according to the bill's fiscal note.
Ross Stern, the university's lobbyist, said the university does not have an opinion regarding whether the bill should pass. The campus, however, was consulted in the bill's planning, said Sara Imhulse, assistant to the city manager.
At the university's request, an amendment was added to the senate bill that would exempt from the fee the land on which developers plan to redevelop Graduate Hills, a graduate-student complex .
Lawmakers from other municipalities in Prince George's County support the bill because it would generate more revenue from fees. The 1.5 mile radius not only includes College Park, but other municipalities like Hyattsville, Langley Park and Riverdale Park, Imhulse said.
Daddio said he understands the municipalities' perspective and believes the General Assembly should consider them, but does not believe that the current bill is the right direction.
"There's definitely a concern that the boundary is beyond College Park, and I understand that, but the recommended area is just too small," said Daddio. "It should include at least all of College Park."
Contact reporter Nathan Cohen at cohendbk@gmail.com.
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