12/13/2019
Please find below some of our key takeaways and summary of the December 7th Waldorf Economic Development Community Forum.
While we are a Democratic club and will continue our related activities in 2020, please be on the lookout for more local, policy-based discussions, collaborations, and actions in the near future! We'd love to have you join us!
Takeaways
CITIZENS' INTERESTS:
• More entertainment and recreation options for youth and adults vs spending dollars in Prince George's County, D.C., and other metropolitan area locations.
• Capital Clubhouse – Renovating and modernizing into a semi-sportsplex and/or entertainment complex.
• A variety of small community-driven retail options filling vacant spaces in the mall and other shopping centers vs building new buildings.
• Federal, state, and contractor work centers relocating to Waldorf.
PANELISTS' THOUGHTS:
• Waldorf’s unincorporated status makes economic development and citizen input into those plans challenging.
• While traffic congestion during peak commuting times spill over from Prince George’s County, there is a localized congestion and mobility problem within Waldorf.
◦ Scattered shopping centers and other commercial spaces.
◦ The lack of sidewalks for walking (although Western Parkway, the Westlake area, and around the mall are improving.
◦ VanGo is still a relatively young service (including not having Sunday hours).
• Waldorf needs better connectivity – “park once, shop multiple times.” The Westlake area around the mall could provide that.
• Better planned spaces and locations so that existing shops can thrive (before building new commerce centers).
• Small boutiques need smaller space configurations.
◦ Many existing vacancies are designed for larger retailers.
◦ St. Charles Towne Center and other shopping centers are beginning to understand this changing market trend.
• Public safety is a critical element in attracting and sustaining desirable economic development – equitable resources and planning are needed.
• Residents own spending and social media patterns influence the location of business, the variety of shopping options, and investment decisions.
◦ Marketing departments rely on different types of data to drive decisions.
◦ Residents need to be positive about the County via social media, not consistently negative because it only diminishes the efforts to increase economic growth.
• The County competes for Federal relocation and site opportunities but those chances are few and far in between. Charles County Economic Development points to the U.S. Army Recruiting and Training Facility in
White Plains as a recent example that is a boost to the local economy when it attracts personnel for training and exercises.
• Residents should seek existing opportunities to participate in County commissions, committees, and meetings to share their concerns with Charles County Economic Development, the Board of Charles County
Commissioners, and other stakeholders.
• Charles County Economic Development and the Commissioners can do a better job of sharing their strategic plan, action steps taken and schedule to implement that plan, their findings on best practices in the region or across the country for similar areas, and on opportunities for the public to participate in meetings.
• What is the County’s vision?
◦ While the location and investment decisions are largely private decisions, that private activity happens when the County is clear in its vision, planning, zoning, etc.
◦ For example, our various economic development areas (Indian Head, La Plata, Waldorf) and signature projects should be better coordinated so that it feels as if projects aren’t competing with each other for resources/attention/focus.
◦ We shouldn’t be competing against ourselves inside the county, but the County as a whole should be competing against the other local counties.
The Charles County Northern Democratic Club hosted a special forum on Saturday at Grille No. 13 in Waldorf, to seek varying perspectives from business and community stakeholders about what the
