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I find it fascinating that the editorial writers of the Washington Post and the authors and many of the commenters do not live in this area, and do not present any information about the state of the infrastructure or retail or housing markets(Route 1, D or F; portable classrooms outside University Park Elementary; polluted waters and flooding in the area due to failed stormwater infrastructure; Prince George's County overbuilt with apartments, etc.), and still conclude that the original development or proposed development will work, despite a massive number of empty store fronts in the area and the recent UTC foreclosure. I'm all for transit-oriented development, but this is about a mile from the metro stations, present or future, and every study I've ever seen shows that transit stations have to be closer than that to be "walkable." So yes, location does matter! Also, studies show that townhouses are the most costly kind of development in terms of infrastructure demands and do not pay for themselves in terms of tax revenues. "Smart growth" and energy-saving LEED buildings sound great but do not build NEIGHBORHOODS and LEED ND does not even REQUIRE excellent stormwater management. How about some real analysis on the benefits and impacts on Hyattsville, Riverdale, UP and College Park before we make our conclusions!?!

by Dana in University Park on Aug 18, 2011 2:17 pm • link • report