Business View Magazine September 2018

106 107 with a fitness court in- stalled alongside an exist- ing trail. Gerbes adds, “Another space we just finished is a food forest with all plant- ings that are edible. Our arborists will go out twice a year and teach the commu- nity about growing these types of plants themselves. Also, it’s open to the public. You can go in, pick an apple, and eat it on the way to wherever you’re going. That’s been a bit longer term, but we’ve been making good headway.We’re redoing the parks with low impact design and stormwater management features – keeping in mind as we’re investing in these assets that they’ll last a long time.” There are many bodies of water on the periph- ery of the City, and several of the parks are within the flood plain. Parks are a great use of that space, but it does come with challeng- es. Hyattsville is trying to find ways of solving those challenges by combining green and recreational aspects for the community. The City and Prince George’s County are also working on bringing the D.C.-based Capital Bikeshare system into Hyattsville. There is currently one station in the City, and it hopes to have nine or ten by next spring, allowing people to cycle around town and take advantage of the trail systems for recreation and as a commuter mode. Hyattsville Mayor, Candace Hollingsworth, chimes in on sustainability: “As a city, we look at sustainability in the context of environmental stewardship to ensure longevity and that we HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND KATIE GERBES COMMUNITY PLANNER JIM CHANDLER ASSISTANT CITY ADMINISTRATOR ARE YOU READY? You have a responsibility. And every decision… every expenditure…impacts the public trust. CohnReznick’s advisory, assurance, and tax professionals help government agencies maintain transparency and improve operational efficiencies. Our partner-led teams will manage large-scale government programs, provide “boots on the ground” disaster recovery assistance, and help you navigate complex federal and state accounting and financial regulations. So, you move ahead with confidence. Let’s get going. Visit cohnreznick.com/government are building with materials that are environmentally friendly and appreciate that context in our natural envi- ronment. The other sustainability piece is making sure the city grows in a way that allows it to be sustainable over time, in terms of tax revenue and who’s living here. As population changes and attractions change within the City, we want a variety of residents –young people, families, seniors – so the demographic has some level of stability.We have amenities and quality of life initia- tives with parks and recreation, transportation, housing, and affordability, all taking place to promote sustain- ability in that way.” Housing is the number one economic driver in Hy- attsville, as it is in most D.C. region communities. Prior to 2003, the City was almost exclusively single-family, detached homes with a mix of some garden apart- ments. Since then, there has been significant town-