Prince George’s county executive picks Betty Hewlett for key development post

Baker said his nominees will maintain integrity and transparency at the parks and planning agency “at a time when it is vitally important to show that. . . . I think we will be in good stead.”

Hewlett said she had tried “extraordinarily hard” to balance competing interests between the community and developers during her previous time on the board.

Personal Post

“I want to maintain the highest integrity,” she said. “I want to build on what my predecessor has done and what I did before.”

Baker has said that he wants to see the county encourage a mix of residential and commercial development that is walkable and near transit — in particular, close to the county’s underdeveloped Metro stations.

Hewlett has supported that type of development. In her Largo legal practice, which she would leave if her nomination is confirmed, she has also represented more traditional developers on projects that sometimes have caused heartburn in residential neighborhoods.

During Hewlett’s 10 years on the Planning Board, the panel approved thousands of housing units in traditional suburban settings that helped set the stage for what Baker has said is now an imbalance in the county’s tax base and development scheme. Baker has said he thinks that the county needs to expand its commercial property tax base to rectify its over-reliance on revenue from fluctuating residential property values.

Vaughns said he did not foresee Hewlett’s return.

“She has a great interest in this county moving forward,” Vaughns said. “I have no disappointment on my side.”

Hewlett’s nomination also will come at a time of tension between Baker and the County Council over his signature $50 million economic development fund. While the council said it wants to enhance the county’s efforts to expand its commercial tax base, it also has expressed concerns that the fund, as envisioned by Baker, would give him and future county executives carte blanche to hand out grants and loans to favored developers with limited council oversight.

The terms of the five current Planning Board members, including Chairman Samuel J. Parker Jr., have expired. Board members serve four-year terms and are paid $25,000 for the part-time post. The chairman’s position is considered full time.