Open Letter to County Executive Angela Alsobrooks on 2021 Grand Slam Economic Development Plan
From Janet Gingold
July 6, 2021

Dear County Executive Alsobrooks,

Having recently reviewed the 2021 Grand Slam Economic Development Plan, as a concerned resident and Chair of the Prince George’s Sierra Club, I must express my concern about its stated goals and priorities. The plan includes some innovative and forward thinking projects, including transit-oriented mixed-use development, infill developments, and a microgrid project. However, examination through a climate-focused lens reveals some fundamental gaps that should be addressed as the plan moves forward. In 2021, we need an Economic Development Plan that elevates equity, climate mitigation, and community resilience as fundamental goals.

Land-use decisions inevitably require hard choices, putting our values to the test. Especially in light of the tragic infrastructure failure in Surfside, economic development plans must no longer be considered separate from environmental protection. To safeguard community well-being and economic interests, the goals for any economic development plan must include decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for more heat and extreme weather events--front and center, starting now. Yes, we need microgrids to decrease our reliance on electricity that travels hundreds of miles over vulnerable and inefficient transmission lines. However, perhaps there is a better location for Pepco’s Smart Community that would not involve razing a forest in a flood plain.

Even though our County’s Climate Action Plan is still a work in progress, we need our County planners to embed climate mitigation and adaption considerations into all decisions about transportation, land use, and infrastructure. These decisions will impact greenhouse gas emissions and climate readiness for decades. There is no great mystery about what needs to be done. Our County’s policies should be in alignment with regional goals as outlined in the MWCOG 2030 Climate and Energy Action Plan. While it will take time to retrofit existing infrastructure, any new projects need to be designed for the new normals of the future.

 I appreciate your efforts with the Beautification Initiative. The ongoing advertising campaign (“Litter is Sad,” “Being Dumped Sucks,” etc.) and organizing clean ups are important steps toward engaging the public in environmental stewardship. But if we don’t address the systemic problems that create the excess waste products that “trash” our planet, including greenhouse gases as well as single-use plastics, beautification is like putting wallpaper on cracks in an apartment building with a crumbling foundation.

Your success in mobilizing the community to combat the COVID19 pandemic has shown us that public education campaigns and local leadership can change the behavior of ordinary citizens. The well-being of the people of Prince George’s County – now and in decades to come -- depends on the decisions we make today about what to build where. We need our County Executive to lead on Climate Action. We need aggressive action that mobilizes people to create the change we need for a sustainable future, with transit-oriented development and fewer vehicle miles traveled, a rapid and just transition to renewable energy, and use of nature-based solutions for protecting the population and their property from the hazards of excess heat and extreme precipitation.

I hope you will intensify efforts to embed climate considerations into all planning decisions, especially regarding transportation, land use, and new infrastructure—including the evaluation of Grand Slam proposals through a climate-focused lens to make the best use of county resources for addressing the systemic problems underlying climate change and social injustice.

All best wishes,
Janet Gingold
Chair, Prince George’s Sierra Club
13107 Whiteholm Drive
Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
301-814-1223