Tuxedo-Cheverly Firestation Letter, June 2010

The Honorable Jack Johnson
County Executive, Prince George’s County
County Administration Building, 5th Floor
Governor Oden Bowie Drive

Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772

Dear County Executive Johnson,

The Town of Cheverly learned, in a recent letter from Chief Jones, that the Tuxedo/Cheverly Fire Station would be closing in August of this year.  The residents of Cheverly are greatly disappointed with this news, as the station has long provided outstanding service to our town.  While we are very confident in the neighboring volunteer departments (Bladensburg, Chapel Oaks, and Kentland) we are disappointed that the county budget limitations require our station to be closed and the career firefighters to be redeployed.     

The Tuxedo/Cheverly Department is located one quarter of a mile from the Cheverly Metro in the heart of the area addressed by the Tuxedo Road/Arbor Street/Cheverly Metro Area Sector Plan and Sectional Map Amendment, developed by MNPPC in 2005.  If the station needs to be closed due to financial considerations, the Town of Cheverly respectfully requests that the station and property be donated to the town.   

If Cheverly were able to control the future of this key site, we are very confident that we could influence the direction, pace and character of redevelopment of this critical industrial/commercial area. Thus far, it has been difficult and little has been done to make this redevelopment plan a reality.  The Town is fearful that if this building is left vacant, like so many other buildings and homes in these economic hard times, that the redevelopment efforts for this area would negatively impacted rather than advance.  If the County were to deed this building to Cheverly, we would make it the strategic starting point for the redevelopment of the Tuxedo/Cheverly corridor.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Mike Callahan
Mayor