Submitted by: Ben Simasek
Submitting Department: Legislative
Agenda Section: Action
Item Title:
title
Letter to Maryland Department of Environment opposing Suffrage Pointe Nontidal Wetlands Permit
end
Suggested Action:
recommendation
I move that the Mayor and Council submit correspondence to the Maryland Department of Environment requesting 1) That Werrlein WSSC LLC’s application for a Maryland Wetlands and Waterways Permit be rejected,
2) That adjoining Hyattsville property owners to Suffrage Point’s 4017 Hamilton Street address receive the required notification of the hearing and,
3) That the public comment period be extended at least another 30 days to allow reasonable time for interested parties to participate in the public process.
end
Summary Background:
This action is consistent with the City of Hyattsville’s previous position regarding the lower parcel, regarding which the city is still a party in pending litigation.
In 2004, the city and county agreed that this appropriate zoning for this parcel would be open-space, given its location in the 100-year floodplain and its adjacency to what is now Driskell Park. It is important to consider long-term resiliency and risk in the face of increased occurrence of extreme weather events and flooding <https://www.floodfactor.com/zip/20781/20781_fsid> due to climate change. ’The Prince Georges County Draft Climate Action Plan <https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/38462/PGC-draft-Climate-Action-Plan-2021-REVISED-111021->, for which the city has registered its support, includes the following language:
As a first step and common-sense approach to building climate resilience, our County must immediately prohibit any new development within its floodplains. Our region is projected to receive more precipitation, often delivered in sudden extreme events without dependable frequency. With the rapid and intensifying impacts of climate change already occurring, there is simply no certainty that today’s engineering standards will be adequate into the future. Our County must stop the practice of permitting the reconfiguring of floodplain storage areas within a natural riverine system by creating alternate man-made storage to accommodate developments. This practice is unwise and it will be untenable if future precipitation patterns reveal that these modified storage areas are insufficient to accommodate flood waters.
Although the address for Suffrage Pointe is 4017 Hamilton Street, no adjoining property owners on Hamilton Street or 41st Ave received the required notification of this application (See: Suffrage_Point_Adjoining_Property_Owners.pdf (maryland.gov) <https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/WetlandsandWaterways/Documents/PN/Suffrage_Point_Adjoining_Property_Owners.pdf>. Without a reasonable extension of the comment period and notification, Hyattsville residents will be denied their right to participate in the public process.
Supporting Documentation:
Werrlein_WSSC (maryland.gov) <https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/WetlandsandWaterways/Pages/Werrlein_WSSC.aspx>
20781, Maryland | Flood Factor <https://www.floodfactor.com/zip/20781/20781_fsid>
PGC-draft-Climate-Action-Plan-2021-REVISED-111021- (princegeorgescountymd.gov) <https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/38462/PGC-draft-Climate-Action-Plan-2021-REVISED-111021->
Next Steps:
The City will send written correspondence to Maryland Department of the Environment, Wetlands and Waterways Program, Ryan Din, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 21230 or by email ryan.din@maryland.gov <mailto:ryan.din@maryland.gov> by 5:00 pm on January 15, 2022.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
City Administrator Comments:
N/A
Community Engagement:
N/A
Strategic Goals:
Goal 3 - Promote a Safe and Vibrant Community
Legal Review Required?
N/A