News You Can Use

Governor Martin O’Malley, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown Announce Relocation Of Maryland Department Of Housing And Community Development

Transit-oriented development project will stimulate economic growth and job creation in Prince George’s County

NEW CARROLLTON, MD (September 19, 2011) - Governor Martin O’Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, joined by Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, today announced the relocation of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) from its current location in Crownsville, Maryland, to a building that will be newly constructed in New Carrollton, Maryland.

The new site, called “Metroview,” will locate DHCD’s headquarters in a new, retail, residential, and mixed-use facility in New Carrollton. When it is completed, it will also be convenient to the Purple Line light rail. The project is anticipated to generate a net public benefit (to both the State and County) of over $11 million over the course of the 15-year lease and create an estimated 300 jobs in its construction and an additional 80 retail jobs.

“Five years ago, Anthony and I made it a priority to place a State agency headquarters in Prince George’s County,” said Governor O’Malley. “Today, we are making a modern investment in a modern economy that will create jobs and build a transit-oriented development project to allow us to do the right thing for reducing traffic and sprawl, the right thing for our quality of life, and the right thing for our land, our water, and our air.”

In June of last year, the Governor and Lt. Governor announced plans to relocate DHCD to Prince George’s County to bring an agency dedicated to neighborhood revitalization closer to one of the population centers it serves most, while promoting smart growth and sustainable communities.

“With the relocation of DHCD to New Carrollton, we will not only fulfill our promise to bring a State agency to one of our most populous counties, but we will provide a significant economic boost to New Carrollton and Prince George’s County at a time when we most need it,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “This project, estimated to create over 350 jobs and generate millions of dollars in economic impact, demonstrates that by bringing the public and private sectors together with a focus on smart growth, we can create jobs, spur revenue, and build stronger communities in Prince George’s County and throughout Maryland.”

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a critical component of the State’s Smart, Green and Growing initiative aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, sprawl development and traffic congestion, while fostering economic growth. TOD creates compact, walkable neighborhoods around transit stations and increases transit ridership by creating destinations within a short walk of stations. It also offers residents a convenient commute to jobs, shopping and entertainment in the region.

“Over the past year, my office has worked closely with Governor O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Brown to move this County forward,” said County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III. “Today is no exception, and our partnership has once again led to a vital step forward for the County and the State. The new metro-accessible Department of Housing and Community Development will bring jobs and growth to Prince George’s County while helping build a greener, more sustainable Maryland.”

The developer for this project is Grand Central Development, whose principals include Mr. Carl Williams, a Prince George’s County resident. This new project received the highest score total out of the 16 qualified responses. It is a mixed-use development of retail, office, and apartments, where:

The first floor will consist of approximately 30,000 square feet of retail space;
The next four floors will be office space, leased primarily to DHCD, with a small portion being leased to the City of New Carrollton; and the upper 22 floors (400+ units) of market and affordable rental housing; and
Total square footage is nearly 700,000 square feet.

The expected move-in date for the project is late summer/early fall of 2013.

“We are both humbled and honored to be selected as the developers of the first state headquarters agency to locate in Prince George's County,” said Carl Williams, member of Grand Central Development. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to positively impact the community in which we live and work. This is a significant development for Prince George's County and we thank the Department of Housing and Community Development for being such an important partner in positioning our County as a thriving metropolis and one of the state's economic leaders. The Grand Central Team will do everything in its power to make sure that we continue to move forward in a positive direction and bring more economic growth to New Carrollton, Prince George's County and the Great State of Maryland.”

For more information:

Jacqueline Lampell
Director, Office of Communications and Marketing
410-514-7704
lampell@mdhousing.org

National Protect Your Groundwater Day, September 13, Provides Reminder About How to Protect This Valuable Resource

BALTIMORE, MD (September 13, 2011) – Every day, Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of fresh groundwater for public and private use, including for drinking water, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, and more. On September 13th, “Protect Your Groundwater Day,” the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) reminds all Marylanders about the value of clean groundwater and what citizens can do to protect this essential and valuable resource.

“Half of the water in Maryland’s rivers, streams, and reservoirs originates as groundwater, and all Marylanders get their drinking water from these sources,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Robert M. Summers. “Protecting Maryland’s groundwater is a critical component to restoring our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, our work to reduce polluted runoff from urban and agricultural sources, to properly dispose of and clean up hazardous waste, and to proceed cautiously as we study potential drilling in the Marcellus Shale all protect Maryland’s groundwater as well as our streams, rivers, and reservoirs. We encourage citizens to also do their part to protect our fresh water, including groundwater, today and every day.”

Groundwater is created from rain that falls on the land, running into waterways or soaking into the ground. Water that soaks into the ground is filtered as it passes through various layers of sand, clay, or rock. However, man-made chemicals such as gasoline, fertilizers, and pesticides may not get filtered and can contaminate groundwater.

Below are just a few of the ways citizens can help keep Maryland’s groundwater clean:

Support Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration effort and all of Maryland’s critical clean water initiatives to reduce pollution from wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, urban/suburban runoff, agricultural runoff and even air pollution controls, which reduce the nitrogen falling on our land and water from power plants, cars, and trucks.
Seventeen million gallons of gas are spilled each year in America during the re-fueling of lawn mowers -- fuel your lawn mower over impervious surfaces and be careful to not to overfill your tank.
Ensure your septic system was installed per current code standards and consider installing nitrogen reducing technology, which protects your drinking water and is good for the Bay.
Apply fertilizers and pesticides sparingly to reduce polluted runoff that can contaminate groundwater and water wells.
Use water wisely: Don’t pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it, such as watering your indoor plants or a garden, and don’t run a faucet when you’re not using water while brushing your teeth.

Learn more about groundwater and Protect Your Groundwater Day

Learn 15 things that will empower you.

CFLs use 75% less electricity than incandescents, last up to 10 times longer and can save you up to $65 over the life of the light bulb.
In top-loading washing machines, use cold water to save energy and up to $63 a year. Detergents formulated for cold water get clothes just as clean.
When not in use, unplug your TV. A plasma TV left plugged in costs an estimated $159.76 annually.
When not in use, unplug your TV. A plasma TV left plugged in costs an estimated $159.76 annually.
Install a low-flow showerhead to achieve savings of 25%–60%. Showers use less hot water than baths; also consider taking shorter showers.
When not in use, unplug your laptop. Leftplugged in, it costs an estimated $15.90 annually.
Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120 degrees). You’ll not only save energy, you’ll reduce the risk of scalding.
When not in use, unplug your gaming system. A game console left plugged in costs an estimated $25.73 annually.
Wash only full loads of dishes, air dry and use cold water if possible. If washing dishes by hand, do larger piles at a time and remember not to leave water running in between.
Windows account for 10%–25% of your energy bill. During the summer your air conditioner must work harder to cool hot air from sunny windows. Use curtains or shades to give your air conditioner and energy bill a break.
Ceiling and other fans provide additional cooling and better circulation so you can raise the thermostat and cut down on air conditioning costs.
Pump up your tires; properly inflated tires improves gas mileage by 3%.
You can save up to $115 per year on gasoline costs by reducing your miles driven 5% through biking, taking public transportation, walking or combining trips.
Turning your thermostat back 10%–15% for 8 hours can save as much as 10% on your energy bill. Using a programmable thermostat makes this a user-friendly process.
The average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Turn off lights when not in use. Wasted energy is wasted money.
Download Empower Maryland as a PDF

Wind turbine system transforms country home into "green" dream house

Skeptics of clean energy’s impact should consider Henry and Nancy Maier, the Allegany County couple who converted a charming, three-story farmhouse into their very own “green” paradise. The couple’s fully operational wind turbine system generates enough energy to power their 2,500 square foot residence with energy to spare.

“The wind technology is expensive up front, so grants are really the key for us,” said Henry. The couple received a $10,000 Windswept Grant, which reduced the preliminary costs of the turbine system significantly. MEA spearheaded efforts to acquire and install a Bergey 10 kW grid-tied wind turbine, which generates electricity by harnessing 10 to 75 mph winds.

MEA Home Performance Rebate Program

For a limited time, save up to 50% on home energy efficiency improvements!

The MEA Home Performance Rebate program offers homeowners bigger rebates than ever for home energy efficiency improvements. By combining a 35% rebate (up to $3,100 total) from the Maryland Energy Administration with a 15% rebate from your utility, you can save a total of 50% on home energy improvements. MEA encourages all homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes to ENERGY STAR standards.