More News

Environmental experts gathered Monday night to urge the University of Maryland, College Park, to include improved stormwater management and public transportation in its upcoming East Campus development, a move College Park officials said could ease pollution and traffic, and improve the quality of life for city residents.

University officials also attended the discussion, held on campus and hosted by student group UMD for Clean Energy. Environmentalists spoke to about 60 attendees — mostly students — calling for green improvements to the $900 million project, which could bring 38 acres of housing and retail to Route 1, across from the university's main entrance.

"If we're going to do a development of this scope — the biggest investment in College Park in decades — then we should set a precedent and make it the next coming of green development," said group member Matt Dernoga.

While university officials have spoken in favor of sustainability — they've pledged to make UM carbon neutral by 2050 — speakers said East Campus would allow them to put rhetoric into practice.

Tom Liebel, a Baltimore-based architect, said natural lighting and better air circulation in businesses and office buildings would cost more initially, but could cut energy costs over time and increase morale and productivity.

Jim Foster, president of the Anacostia Watershed Society, said the university could curb flooding and stormwater runoff by building rain gardens, curb cuts to allow for easier drainage and plant-covered green roofs.

Foster and representatives from Purple Line NOW — a group advocating the $1.5 billion light rail from New Carrollton to Bethesda that is expected to be completed by 2020 — also argued that public transit could cut pollution.

"The biggest problem that we have with development today is it's too automobile-centric," Foster said. "We've got to rethink this ... we don't have enough land to do this stuff."

Ann Wylie, UM's vice president of administrative affairs, said the university has met with a community steering group to address environmental concerns, and will continue consulting the group throughout the building process.

East Campus' first phase — which includes graduate housing and a Birchmere music hall — is expected to be finished in three years, but the university still needs a developer after Rockville-based Foulger Pratt/Argo dropped out in November, citing financial difficulties.

The City Council could soon release $5 million in state funding to UM for the project. City Councilman Patrick Wojahn (Dist. 1) said he wants dialogue between the city, university and students to continue as the project moves along.

"There's going to be a lot more opportunities for city input down the road," Wojahn said. "I think it's critical that we continue to work together and continue to have a dialogue."

E-mail David Hill at dhill@gazette.net.