From the Office of Council Member Tom Dernoga September 2025

Council Member Dernoga's Team Pairing for 400+ Guests at the Konterra Town Hall (left to right)- Daniel Douglas, Liya Shewakena, Katherine Fuentes, Nathan Arbach, Genesis Báez, Michelle García, and Mary Cook

Subregion 1 Master Plan Amendment for Konterra & the Surrounding Area Town Hall

On Monday, July 28, our office held a Town Hall on the Subregion 1 Master Plan and Sectional Map Amendment for the Konterra and the Surrounding Area at the Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center. We had a large turnout, with almost 400 residents who attended in person. Councilmember Dernoga, Scott Rowe from the Community Planning Division of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Planning Board, Jim Soltesz from the engineering firm SOLTESZ LLC, Jay Mittal, SVP Operations & Strategy from the University of Maryland Capital Regional Medical Center, and Caleb Gould and Chris Hatcher from Konterra Realty, presented and facilitated this meeting.

Please go to https://tinyurl.com/D1KonterraResources for the complete list of resources and information about the proposed Konterra development. Within the online folder, the public information is posted for you to review.

Details about the Subregion I Master Plan and Minor Plan Amendment

After six years of pressure from Councilmember Dernoga, a "Minor Plan Amendment" for Subregion 1 will be initiated by the Planning Department. It will cover a large portion of Council District 1. The current Master Plan for our area is the Subregion I Master Plan and Sectional Map Amendment approved in 2010.

A "Minor Plan Amendment" will be implemented since a complete revision of the Subregion I Master Plan would take approximately three years and may fail to address many key issues. This process will primarily focus on the undeveloped properties in and around Konterra. The Minor Plan Amendment should take approximately 15 months to complete, taking into account preliminary research, analysis, and public participation.

Additional preliminary steps include M-NCPPC staff and consultants identifying priority implementation actions in the current plan, and engaging in an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in Subregion I. Then, M-NCPPC staff and the consultants will identify proposed changes that should be made to the existing Subregion I Master Plan.

The official "Initiation" of the Minor Plan Amendment will occur early next year, and M-NCPPC will issue its proposal for the Amendment. A "Joint Public Hearing" must be held within 60 days. Please go to https://tinyurl.com/D1KonterraResources for all the information about the proposed Konterra development, including files for the Subregion I Master Plan and Section Map Amendment approved in 2010, and the Minor Plan Amendment files.

Reminder: Stop for School Buses

Please remember to stop for all school buses as we begin the 2025 School Year. If you see a school bus parked with flashing lights and the stop sign out, you could be fined $250 if you do not stop and are recorded by the school bus's camera. If a police officer stops you, the fine will be $570 with an additional three-point penalty on the driver’s license. All drivers must stop at least 20 feet away from the bus until the stop sign closes and the bus resumes motion.

Children are most vulnerable to being hit when they are waiting for, boarding, or exiting a school bus. This “danger zone” extends 10 feet from each side of the bus. When a bus is preparing to stop, it will begin by flashing its yellow lights. When the bus stops, the stop-arm signals and flashing red lights are visible to drivers.

Drivers must come to a complete stop if they are traveling in the same direction as the school bus, regardless of whether the road has one lane, multiple lanes, or a center turn lane. They must also stop if they are traveling in the opposite direction, and the road does not have dirt, grass, or a physical barrier median separating the lanes.

Back to School Vaccines at High Point High School: Saturday, September 27

A free back-to-school vaccine clinic is coming to High Point High School on Saturday, September 27, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Flu, COVID-19, and any school-related vaccines will be administered at the vaccine clinic event. Students ages 4 - 18 will be able to receive service. Please go to https://tinyurl.com/D1HPHSVaccines to schedule an appointment. There are a limited number of available appointments.

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We will email you about twice a month to provide you with updates on local happenings and, on occasion, alert you to important county news. Sign up at https://bit.ly/D1eNewsletterOptIn.

 

Contact Us

Please keep in touch. You can email us at councildistrict1@co.pg.md.us or call 301-952-3887. Se habla español. አማርኛ እንናገራለን. Follow us on Facebook, X, Threads, and Instagram: @TomDernogaD1.