PROGRAM GOALS The Neighborhood Planning Academy should:
Help community stakeholders understand opportunities for input and empowerment.
Proposed Program Design
Support residents in understanding how the development process works, how to better engage, and advocate for community goals and visions.
Buildings upon existing community engagement strategies from our master and sector planning process and using the feedback collected from peer Planning Departments, stakeholder interviews, and staff interviews, staff identified the following design for the Neighborhood Planning Academy for Prince George’s County. This proposed program builds upon the existing Planning and Zoning 101 and the Remix the Block youth program.
Support all municipalities in Prince George’s County, except Laurel, which has its own planning and zoning authority.
Program Budget It is critical to have dedicated funding for the Neighborhood Planning Academy, as this will ensure that the program can support residents of all socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the County. The team proposes two budgets for this program to accommodate COVID-19 social distancing requirements. A budget of $5,000 is needed to successfully implement the program virtually and $7,500 is needed conduct the program in person. This budget includes funding for printing, certificates, and translation services. The Planning Department estimates that implementing the pilot program will require approximately five staff for 60 hours each (a total of about 300 staff hours). This includes time for team members to review participant applications, develop weekly lesson plans, facilitate weekly sessions, and conduct a post-program evaluation. As the program moves into the subsequent classes, required staff hours will decrease.
Prince George’s County Planning Department
Support local developers with understanding how to navigate the development process.
PROPOSED STAFFING NEEDS Category
Hours
Program Design
50
Application Review
40
Marketing & Recruitment
20
Program Coordination
20
Program Facilitation
120
Evaluation
40
TOTAL
290
Developing a Neighborhood Planning Academy for Prince George’s County• Page 27