LANGLEY PARK, MD – The Prince George’s County Council voted to approve the Countywide Map Amendment today, which will harm the predominantly immigrant and Latino community of Langley Park. Immigrant advocacy organization CASA has been working closely with the County Council and Park and Planning staff as the Zoning Rewrite moved forward.
“CASA is deeply disappointed that the Prince George’s County Council approved a roadmap charting significant gentrification in Langley Park,” said Gustavo Torres, CASA Executive Director. “Our voices weren’t heard though we raised every alarm to protect the community. The immigrants and low-income families who call Langley Park home will be pushed out by developers and their luxury apartments if we don’t immediately change course and have a zoning process that values community voices over those of developers.”
CASA recently testified that the proposed intensified zones in Langley Park would fast track change in Langley Park. The organization recognizes that change is needed to match current capacity levels since most residential multifamily parcels in Langley Park are currently in nonconforming use. CASA pushed for the Countywide Map Amendment (CMA) to provide fair and consistent zones and requested the CMA apply the Neighborhood Activity Center (NAC) zone instead of Local Transit Oriented (LTO) zones to the Takoma/Langley Crossroads Local Transit Center.
From Mexico, Isabel Espinoza is a mother of three children who has worked in construction, childcare and cleaning. Espinoza has lived in Langley Park for 20 years. Closes Espinoza, “With these zoning changes, it is convenient for the owners of Bedford/Victoria Station to sell the land, but how will it affect us? I will keep struggling, speaking out and protesting to not throw us out of Langley Park. This land is our land, not the land of the rich.”
