June 23, 2009

Thank you for taking the time this evening to hear my testimony.  My name is Jacob Feinspan, and I am the Executive Director of Jews United for Justice.  Jews United for Justice is an organization that leads Washington-area Jews to act on our shared Jewish values by pursuing justice and equality in our local community.

As a grassroots organization focused on local social and economic justice issues, Jews United for Justice is partnering with Casa of Maryland and the Coalition for Smarter Growth to ensure that the people who would most benefit from the Purple Line are not priced out of their community.  We are guided by the teaching of Maimonides, one of our greatest scholars, and his commentary on Leviticus: "The highest form of charity is to step in with help to prevent a person from becoming poor.  This includes offering a loan or employment, investing in a business, or any other form of assistance that will avoid poverty.  The basis for this principle is the commandment in our passage: you shall strengthen the poor."

The Purple Line would benefit everyone, but presents a particular opportunity to strengthen the poor, as is it is low income residents who stand to benefit the most from reduced commuting times, new businesses attracted to the region, and increased access to higher paying jobs. 

But if development along the route is not thoughtful, with due consideration given to the communities that already live there, the Purple Line, which has the potential to bring so many opportunities to these communities, could be their kiss of death.  

As you know, Langley Park boasts an incredibly diverse population; small family-owned ethnic restaurants and cafes weave the fabric of the neighborhood, mirroring the international makeup of the community.  But these communities are lower-income than surrounding areas, and therefore more susceptible to being priced out of their homes and businesses.

The current Sector Plan could result in massive displacement of renters and provides little support for maintaining existing small businesses. The plan rezones all rental housing, without providing clear guidelines on what might replace it.

I am here to ask Prince George's County to give current residents and business owners a fighting chance to remain in their homes and shops and preserve character of their community by revising the Sector Plan in the following ways:

• Encourage responsible development of integrated commercial and residential spaces by targeting specific areas for "mixed-use" development that prioritizes retention of existing small businesses and affordable housing.
• Create new commercial and residential spaces, allowing developers to exceed current density restrictions only if they commit to small business retention and including workforce housing.
• Commit to the maintenance and improvement of the existing stock of rental housing.  Local businesses depend strongly on the economic support of local residents, and tens of thousands of these residents live in rental housing. The County should not rezone the rental housing areas until there is a clear plan in place to maintain the number of affordable rental units in the area. 

These revisions to the Sector Plan will offer tenants a fair opportunity to remain in their homes and communities, while still allowing for all the economic benefits of the Purple Line. 

The Purple Line holds great promise. Prince George's County must now take action to ensure that the people who live here get to realize those promises. 

Thank you again for your time and thoughtful consideration.