The Prince George’s County Council’s new progressive majority flexed its muscle in public on Monday, using its first formal voting session of the term to repeal a series of zoning provisions considered favorable to developers and commercial landowners.
The actions, which critics said bypassed traditional procedures, occurred during a sometimes tense two-hour session. They were repeatedly condemned by a handful of council members who had approved the measures, several of which were adopted just prior to the November elections, when the veteran lawmakers and their allies tended to hold the gavel.
Those critics on the council accused the panel’s new chair and his five allies of needless haste, and they said the group’s actions will deter private sector investment in the county. Councilmember Mel Franklin (D) said recently-elected lawmakers, many of whom campaigned on the need for improved housing and retail, were taking steps that could wind up thwarting those goals.
