Sustainability Ideas | Turning Vision For Forest Heights Into Reality

Forest Heights Mayor Jacqueline E. Goodall had grand visions for the town even before assuming office.
And in her first few months, residents and other leaders think the new mayor is making good on her promises to turn dream into reality, even when funding could be a problem.
Three recent events — a Forest Heights Cleanup week, which ended April 28, Oxon Run creek cleanup on April 23 and an April 28 presentation of sustainability ideas by students in the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources — have leaders taking notice of the once-troubled town.The events relate to Goodall's environmental focus and desire to transform Forest Heights into a socially, ecologically and economically sustainable municipality.
"I met with them periodically through all of the mayors that they had," said Del. Veronica Turner (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington, whose district includes Forest Heights. "They just had to find one that had a vision, that cared about making this place wonderful. Jackie [Goodall] has a vision and a heart and the passion to make things better, to turn things around."

 Turner said she would be willing to fight to bring funding to the town of 2,500 residents."I'm willing to work with them and help them get the money that they are going to need," she said. "All they have to do is have a vision."Goodall's dreams will not be cheap.
In January, Goodall, then a Ward 1 councilwoman, led the effort to bring in the Baltimore-based consulting engineering firm Pennoni Associates Inc., who estimated the town would need to spend nearly $10 million to revamp its storm water drainage system, which has been in place for more than six decades and has been prone to flooding.


The University of Maryland students outlined sustainability projects that detailed multimillion-dollar plans including a pedestrian bridge crossing Indian Head Highway and creating a Forest Heights arts district.
Students developed their plans as part of community design studio course after Goodall established a relationship with the university four years ago. The town bore no cost for the plans.
Goodall said there is no reason not to dream big, and she plans to lobby for state, county and federal grants to help pay for some of her plans. The town also has a speed camera fund totaling about $600,000, or 10 percent of the town's budget. That money can be allocated toward safety improvements.
"This is giving our citizens some visualization of what the possibilities are," Goodall said at the April 28 sustainability presentation. "Everything may not happen, but some of them will happen."
Most immediately, Goodall is planning to allocate about $200,000 of the speed camera fund to replace and fix sidewalks so they come into compliance with federal Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Fixes include installing ramps and repairing cracked surfaces and could total nearly $2 million, Goodall said.
Prince George's County Councilman Obie Patterson (D- Dist. 8) of Fort Washington said he has taken notice of the new mayor.
"She's very energetic and she has a good vision," Patterson said.But Patterson also said he wants to see the town straighten itself out before he commits to supporting any new projects. The Forest Heights council has been riddled with infighting in recent years, which has contributed to the early ousters of three mayors.
The town's previous mayor, Andrea McCutcheon, was praised for having an environmental focus, which included revamping the town's administration building and installing a "green" roof on the building, but she was criticized for not being transparent about the town's finances. McCutcheon was suspended after she failed to submit a quarterly budget report on time.
Residents want to see the town move forward with positive projects such as those presented April 28. Many were particularly struck by an idea by students Emily Yandoli and Charlie Williams to build a footbridge over Indian Head Highway, which bisects the center of the town. The students said such a bridge could be implemented for a few hundred thousand dollars, depending on the model.
"This is feasible now," said resident Habeeb Muhammad, saying pedestrians are not safe crossing the busy intersection.
Of course, even if ideas in Forest Heights look promising, the town's approximately $6 million budget can't pay for everything."Ideas are only good if they can be implemented," said Councilman Robert Barnes Jr. (Ward 1). "It's all about money."