First Listening Session Touches On Data Centers, Environment And Development Surrounding Adventist Health Care Hospital

By Raoul Dennis

The County Executive took in the stories and requests from nearly three dozen residents and leaders in Fort Washington held on Jan. 12 at Harmony Hall.

County Executive Aisha Braveboy heard and navigated through requests that ranged from greater attention to pets and rabbits to food insecurities to data centers and local economic development.

The listening sessions are a tradition in the county that allows residents to voice their most profound concerns and to request funding support for specific groups and issues in the planning for the upcoming budget year. There are usually three sessions – each held in the south, central, and northern sections of the county. The next event will be held at Kingdom Fellowship A.M.E. Church in Calverton on Jan 21, and the third session will be at the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building on Jan 29.

But FY2027 sessions launched with residents in Fort Washington.

Shannon Mouton, executive director of Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS) came to the session ready to win.

“We are a human services organization that provides food, financial support, and homeless services to low-income and homeless individuals and families in Northern Prince George's County. In FY25, Lars provided more than $98,000 in eviction prevention funds and distributed over 19,000 bags of groceries, equating to 95,000 meals, and through strategic partnerships, we gave nearly 31 tons of fresh produce and over 72, 000 diapers and wipes,” she began. “To continue this vital work, LARS requests $200,000 from the county.”

Mouton says the funds will help Prince Georgians in “Greenbelt, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Riverdale, Adelphi, and Hyattsville fed, housed warm and connected to the resources they need to survive in the DMV.”

Grant Walker, president of the Prince George's County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, sought upgrade support for the 60-year, 1,800-member organization.

“Our historic model of providing services no longer meets the modern demands of our County. We're at a critical juncture that requires us to move from a patchwork solution to a sustainable and professional investment.”

The change in status is clear.

“On any given day, up to 10 firehouses are out of service,” he explained. “It's important to be clear why this is happening. It's the result of a nationwide decline and volunteer participation, combined with a lack of available career personnel to fill those seats. Right now, we simply do not have the manpower to bridge the gap.”

The issue of commercial growth is important to Herbert Jones.

“Our commercial growth has to be strategic,” Jones said. “We have to have commercial growth. I understand the kind of pressure that you're under to generate revenue, but we have to be strategic about it and think it all the way through and use best practices [applied] in other states.”

He warned that data centers may seem to be a solution, but that leaders need to be careful not to misstep. He also thanked County Executive Braveboy for her improvements with the 311 system.

Dave Owens, president of Fort Washington Forward, a 501-c3 focused on development and growth in the area, called for local economic growth through the support of Adventist Healthcare Hospital.

“We are strongly recommending that county and state budgets include full financial support of the Adventist Healthcare Hospital campus project along Maryland 210.”

He made the case.

“Adventist Healthcare has expressed its desire to build the campus to address a health access void that Southern Maryland residents, particularly those along the Maryland 210 Corridor, currently experience, Owens continued. “In 2022, the hospital reported that nearly 80 percent of the County's Southwestern residents leave the community for medical care. County and state funding would help address this problem. Additionally, the hospital campus will be a major economic driver for the Maryland 210 Corridor during the day. Most working-age adults here leave the area, and they go to work somewhere else. Thus, the communities in Maryland 210 are car-centric pass-throughs, leading to limited retail possibilities. A hospital campus along Maryland 210 represents a golden opportunity. A hospital campus along Maryland 210 represents a golden opportunity to create an innovative economic development model right here.”

With the hospital as the anchor, Owens described nearby Friendly High School (which teaches hospital training) and available land in the area as additional contributing factors in creating a thriving economic hub and commercial tax contributor for the future.”

Christian Osterman registered more of a warning about another development in the area.

“I want to register my deep, deep concern about the plan Global Logistics Warehouse on Livingston Road just up the road here. The plant Warehouse is planned warehouses likely to compound and dire traffic situation in the Palma rooms or Old Forge Road 210 corridor.”

Osterman says: “[These developments] seem to be proceeding, despite apparently unanimous, certainly widespread criticism and opposition by Fort Washington residents.”

Dr. Tamara Johnson, a doctor of physical therapy and business owner, offered a critique – with a grain of sugar.

“Our taxes are high, and it's time that we finally get a return on our investment. You say that we're stable, but I don't feel stable. I'm always trying to take up for Prince George's County when others are talking down about us. I'm not from here. I'm originally from Norfolk, Virginia, but I moved to this area as a military wife where I raised our family. The first thing that I see is that there is a huge difference between exit 11 and above and exit 11 and below.

For instance, did you know that our school's report card is graded on absenteeism? We have a bad grade if our kids don't come to school, and when we have students and families that are from another country, a lot of those kids have to go to work to help feed their families, and they can't come to school. Another area is that we're graded on how well our ESL students speak and comprehend English. But how can they when you're not testing them in the language of their land, so we get greater value for that? And did you know that most of our kids take algebra in middle school, but we get graded on how many people pass algebra in high school, but what about the people who already passed algebra? We don't get credit for that, so our school report cards end up being a C, which is not a good grade. So, when families move to the area, and they do their research, and they see that [the schools] have a grade of C, they don't want to move here, nor do they want their kids to go to our schools. Small businesses are suffering: We don't need any more check cashing places, nail salons, tobacco vape stores, storage units, or data centers. We need grants. The rent is high in this area. The expenses are going up, but we can't maintain a business if we don't get help from the county in which not only are we paying our taxes, but we also get hit twice with self-employment taxes.

But please let me end on a high note because I talked all negative, but let me talk positive, right? I know my neighborhood. I love living in Prince George's County, and I love working here. It's from my house, where I can help rehabilitate people that I go to church with, people that my kids go to school with and people that I see every day. Both of my sons are in college right now, debt-free because of the education that they received in Prince George's County.

All of our schools are not bad, but we just need better.”