A southern Prince George’s County development is at risk of losing a vital health center if the County Council can’t fix a resolution dictating how to spend a multimillion-dollar fund for road improvements. The county approved the development of a medical services building in Brandywine earlier this year, a new facility that would house physicians, a pharmacy, physical therapy facilities and an ambulatory care center.
The facility would be a boon for an area of the county lacking in health care specialists, according to Councilman Mel Franklin, D-Accokeek.
But the medical facility’s construction is tied
to that of a larger Brandywine development: Stephen’s Crossing, a mixed-use development that was recently blocked from road funding on a technicality.
Franklin, who introduced the resolution blocking those funds, said his goal was to prevent further residential development in Brandywine, where an influx of commuters has flooded local roads. Cutting off funds for a road to the
health care facility was an unintended consequence of the resolution, Franklin said.
If rejected by Brandywine, the health center would likely be built in Waldorf, just outside Prince George’s County.
“The county has a huge deficit in health care specialists, primary care physicians and other medical specialists,” Franklin said. “It would certainly be a big loss to lose this medical services facility.”
The Brandywine Road Club has collected $2.6 million for road improvements from developers building along Route 301 in southern Prince George’s County. But most of the money has not been spent and no road improvements have been made.
Franklin has drafted an amendment to his resolution that would allow Stephen’s Crossing
access to the road club funds. However, he said he won’t introduce the amendment before getting feedback from Brandywine residents, who must choose between the potential loss of valuable medical services or the potential for more traffic once new houses are built.
Residents are asked to send Franklin their responses by Sept. 9.
The Maryland State Highway Administration has expressed interest in using the unspent funds to help build a new road to divert traffic off Brandywine Road and Route 301, providing better access to the medical building and other new developments, but can only do so if the resolution is amended.
