Author: Cheryl Cort

Streamline development review in Prince George’s – reduce uncertainty & excessive process, oppose LDR 153-2026 (Maryland)

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

July 30, 2026

Prince George’s County Planning Board, M-NCPPC

1616 McCormick Drive, Largo MD  Via: pgcpb@mncppc.org

RE: Oppose LDR 153-2026, reduce uncertainty & excessive process

Dear members of the Board:

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG), advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. We also support and work closely with RISE Prince George’s, a group of county residents and allies advocating for policies and practices that build shared, sustainable prosperity in Prince George’s County by creating safe, walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented communities. 

On behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, we urge the Planning Board to work with Planning Department staff and County Council members to create better development streamlining procedures instead of supporting this LDR. This LDR lacks legal soundness and misses key issues in improving the county’s development review process. 

Prince George’s development review process is out of step with best practices. This harms the county by discouraging competitive, quality developers from wanting to take a chance on the county. It short changes community members who want to see planning turn into quality homes, and mixed use places.  

The zoning rewrite was supposed to remove procedural burdens. The key goals of zoning rewrite were to streamline and create predictability. It was supposed to provide clear input from the public at the outset. The new zoning rules require a pre-application meeting with the community which is designed to get stakeholders’ feedback at the beginning of the process — before the development team had invested in costly plans and advanced designs. Before this requirement, the community often found out about a project in their area with a Planning Board hearing notice.

As part of the modernization of the zoning regulations — the zoning rewrite set a clear baseline that could be reviewed administratively. The code was made more regulatory, providing more detailed, form-based standards. 

The new zoning code would streamline review with increased public engagement on the front end, followed by administrative, matter-of-right review that did not require additional steps of discretionary or political-level review on the back end. However, the administrative unpredictability was retained through “election to review” or “call up” by the County Council. This meant zoning regulations were more detailed but all the procedural uncertainties remained. This is not the improvement and streamlining we had hoped for. 

Far more development review could be done administratively. Detailed Site Plans (DSPs) are often a poor use of everyone’s time. The staff report for LDR 153-2026 recommends exempting single-family detached and three family dwellings from DSP review, citing the negligible value added after a subdivision review, which addresses all the major impacts and requirements. Two-family dwellings could also be grouped with townhouse dwellings and the DSP threshold increased. 

Most importantly, retaining the District Council election to review an application or “call up” — stands out as a major impediment to predictability for the review process. The public engagement is on the front side of planning and individual projects. Call up generates uncertainty on the back end that takes applicable laws, zoning regulations, and master plan recommendations into a political realm. If the county cannot catch up to other jurisdictions by eliminating call up, it should at least set new parameters around it to limit the downsides of this approach.

Thank you for your consideration. 

Sincerely,

Cheryl Cort

DC & Prince George’s Policy Director

Event materials: How innovative zoning can make DC a more livable and equitable city

Event materials: How innovative zoning can make DC a more livable and equitable city

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

Pictured from left to right: Lisa Wise, Randy Hutcheson, Peter Park, Ellen McCarthy

This July 15, 2026 online event explored how a design-based approach to zoning can be used to increase housing opportunities and support the graceful evolution of neighborhoods across the city. Learn from the discussion with national thought leaders and practitioners as we explore how the DC 2050 Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map can set the foundation for zoning reform. DC 2050 is the city’s updated comprehensive plan to guide growth over the next 25 years.

Featured speakers:

Lisa Wise, CEO and Principal, Lisa Wise Consulting; Lisa has over 30 years of experience in code audits and updates, long-range planning, housing policy, and land use economics, including working on code updates for Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and San Francisco, California.  

Randy Hutcheson, former Planning Manager at the City of Fort Worth, Texas; Randy has over 25 years of experience in writing, reviewing, and administering design-based codes, including overseeing downtown design, historic preservation, municipal code review.

Peter Park, former Planning Director, cities of Milwaukee and Denver; Peter has overseen preparation of numerous plans, comprehensive zoning code updates, and implementation of major infrastructure and development projects. He has over 25 years of, including special expertise in zoning code reform, transit-oriented development, and urban highway removal.

Ellen McCarthy, former DC Planning Director; adjunct professor, Georgetown University Urban and Regional Planning program.

Moderated by Marta Goldsmith, Ward3Vision Steering Committee

Presentations and Resources

Support for the B26-0684 – Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026 (DC)

Support for the B26-0684 – Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026 (DC)

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

July 2, 2026

The Honorable Charles Allen

Chair, Committee on Transportation and the Environment, Council of the District of Columbia

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,Washington, DC 20004

Re: Support for the B26-0684 – Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026 

Chair Allen and Committee Members:

Our organization advocates for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the Washington, DC region to grow and provide opportunities for all. We have been working in the District of Columbia for 29 years. 

The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) supports Chair Allen’s bill, B26-0684, in particular its important provisions for: 

  • Reporting operations and safety data, including VMT and zero-passenger miles
  • Vehicle miles traveled tax
  • Supporting public transit 
  • Serving all wards
  • User interface for individuals with disabilities

CSG believes that autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to improve roadway safety and provide an additional transportation option to persons without a car or unable to drive (especially in areas with limited transit options), and that AVs also have the potential to degrade our cities and towns by adding more traffic, car dependency, and control of public streets and curbspace by unaccountable private companies. Council Member Allen’s bill seeks to address these issues.

The District of Columbia must manage AVs to support adopted District policy that prioritizes people over vehicles. 

Specifically, DC’s transportation plan, MoveDC, has these policies: 

  • Policy H: Design and manage public space and the space along the roadway to be people-focused, promoting livability and public health by improving accessibility, sustainability, safety, and placemaking.
  • Policy I: Permit and program social, cultural, commercial, and flexible use of public space to improve the quality of life for current and future residents.
  • Policy Q: Promote partnerships and programs such as travel demand management to achieve 75% non-auto mode commute trips by 2032.
  • Policy R: Adapt policies to ensure equitable service, privacy protections, and data driven decision making as technology and new transportation services arise.

Multiple studies have concluded that unregulated AVs would have major impacts on traffic volumes. 

A recent academic synthesis of 26 studies found that shared AV adoption would increase total city traffic volumes by 5.3%, measured in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This increase is enough to jam up key intersections and busy urban corridors. A 2020 DC scenario study of AV proliferation in the District of Columbia, likewise found that VMT and congestion would rise significantly without strong policy measures like congestion pricing.

AV legislation must discourage excess traffic, support transit, help travelers with disabilities, and ensure accountability and transparency by AV companies

We ask, in particular, that the following critical provisions of bill B26-0684 be incorporated in a new permitting system for shared or personal autonomous vehicles in the District:

  • Reporting operations and safety data, including VMT and zero-passenger miles
  • Vehicle miles traveled tax
  • Supporting public transit 
  • Serving all wards
  • User interface for individuals with disabilities

Thank you for your consideration. We urge the committee to recommend the bill to the full Council. 

Sincerely,

Cheryl Cort

DC & Prince George’s Policy Director

Event materials: What’s the future vision for how Ward 3 and DC will grow & change?

Event materials: What’s the future vision for how Ward 3 and DC will grow & change?

Posted on by Cheryl Cort
photo by Cheryl Cort

This event was a discussion with DC Office of Planning to learn about DC 2050, District’s next Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map.

April 27, 2026, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library

Speakers: Nick Kushner, Senior Cross-Systems Planner, DC Office of Planning

Radhika Mohan, Deputy Director, DC Office of Planning

Ellen McCarthy, Moderator, Ward3Vision

DC Office of Planning staff presented the planning process to date, and discussed proposed changes for the Future Land Use Map. DC 2050 will guide where and how we build new housing, grow job opportunities, and connect neighborhoods. DC 2050 aims to align land use policies and investments to make the District more equitable, affordable, and resilient. See DC 2050.

This event was co-sponsored by CSG, Ward3Vision, and Cleveland Park Smart Growth.

DC OP DC 2050 FLUM_Ward 3 VisionDownload
Citywide DC 2050 Phase 2B PresentationDownload
Testimony at DPR oversight hearing in support of Chevy Chase DC library redevelopment with increased affordable housing (DC)

Testimony at DPR oversight hearing in support of Chevy Chase DC library redevelopment with increased affordable housing (DC)

Posted on by Cheryl Cort

We are pleased to express our support for the capital funds for a new Chevy Chase recreation center, along with a new library, civic and outdoor recreation space, and affordable, mixed-income homes at the Chevy Chase Civic Core site.