A chance to help shape a county's future

Looking to contribute to a blueprint for the future of Prince George's County, almost a thousand residents have signed up to participate next week in a meeting where they can offer their views on such issues as development around Metro stations, improving the school system and protecting the county's rural areas.

County officials said the Envision Prince George's 21st Century Town Meeting on March 20 will be an unprecedented event, drawing residents from various demographic groups from across the county.

The meeting wraps up a two-year campaign to gather residents' visions for the county over the next two decades.

"It will be unlike any [town hall meeting] Prince George's County has ever seen," said Andrea Davey, a spokesman for the Prince George's Planning Board, which is hosting the event with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

During the meeting, participants will gather in work groups of 10 to discuss the challenges facing the county and possible ways to solve them. The residents will answer survey questions about some of the topics that are being discussed. By the end of the day, organizers said, they will have information about ways to implement the residents' visions for 2030.

Samuel Parker Jr., chairman of the Planning Board, said he hopes to ensure that the blueprint does not become like many "plans and visions sitting on my shelf collecting dust."

Parker said that to avoid that, goals will have to be prioritized. He also wants to continue the exchange of ideas long after the town hall meeting.

"We want to create a movement, a continual dialogue," he said.

The Planning Board often hears from homeowners and older members of the community during land-use discussions, Parker said. With this project, officials tried to tap into a cross section of the community -- including youths, artists, Latinos, young professionals -- to try to find out what issues are important to them.

The commission worked with Washington-based AmericaSpeaks, a nonprofit organization that works to improve citizen involvement in government, to launch the project.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 20 at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. For information about Envision Prince George's, go to www.envisionprincegeorges.org. Anyone who wants to participate must register online.