Together, Strengthening our Community

Across District 3, Eric Olson has made a difference strengthening our community. Since 2006, Eric has worked hard to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods, and has tackled the tough issues to move Prince George’s County forward.

Empowering Communities, Addressing Quality of Life

Eric has visited and walked 31 neighborhoods in the district, giving residents an opportunity to show Eric and his staff their concerns first-hand in their neighborhood.

He has empowered communities by helping organize civic associations in neighborhoods that did not have a voice. Now those neighborhoods advocate for their interests.

Eric has focused on residents’ neighborhood quality of life concerns to help better ensure clean, safe neighborhoods. Eric has also fought against the illegal signs that littered our roadways, by putting greater County attention on enforcement and penalties, and on cleaning up the signs when they appear. He has sponsored legislation to reduce compliance time and increase fines on lingering code problems.

Eric worked with the greater Riverdale community and Seabrook area to successfully prevent new liquor stores/clubs in the community. He worked with neighborhoods to obtain speed humps to slow traffic and worked with Park and Planning to update community playgrounds.

Crime and Public Safety

Pawn Shops – He has cracked down on pawn shops, preventing any new pawn shops from opening, which will also reduce their numbers over time. Eric has also placed greater restrictions on how pawn shops can operate, and tightened regulations on items they can accept.

Gang Prevention – Eric has been a leader bringing together the non-profit community, schools, social services and others around gang prevention. He led a Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force that made recommendations to focus more County attention on at-risk youth. Eric has been a leader in the effort to allocate significant funding to non-profits to work with young people to help them on a positive, responsible path.

Police Funding – Eric has supported efforts to increase police staffing, and to support “Community-Oriented Policing,” where each neighborhood has a specific officer who knows that community and is in touch with local civic leaders. Eric has also insisted on increased training and accountability.

Responsible Economic Development & Planning

Smart Growth, Not Sprawl – Eric is a strong advocate for investment to revitalize our older commercial centers and downtowns. He has worked hard with smart growth developers to identify opportunities for revitalization. Several thousand private, student housing beds are being built to accommodate University of Maryland students, which help revitalize Route 1, put students in walking distance to campus, and add to the County tax base. Eric has prioritized redevelopment at Metro stations like College Park and New Carrollton, and has voted against plans for sprawling development into rural areas.

Planning – Eric is a strong advocate for proper planning for our community’s future. Under Eric’s leadership, five planning processes have engaged community members throughout our district. They have included planning for the future of Glenn Dale-Lanham-Seabrook; the New Carrollton Metro station area; the Central Annapolis Road area; Kenilworth Avenue; and the Route 1 corridor in College Park. These plans will help guide future development according to the community’s wishes.

Involving communities in decisions about their future — Whenever a developer seeks to build, Eric sends them to the community surrounding the proposed project and demands that developers listen to the community.

Environment, Energy & Transportation

Eric insists that new development in District 3 is built in a green, environmentally sensitive manner.

Eric has been a leader demanding strong stormwater regulations, and protection of our waterways.

Eric has passed several bills to reduce energy use and encourage clean energy. One of Council Member Olson’s bills provides homeowners a tax credit if they install solar panels or geothermal systems.

Eric has been a consistent supporter of the Purple Line light rail that will connect our communities from New Carrollton, Annapolis Road, Riverdale Heights, Riverdale Park, College Park and the University of Maryland to Silver Spring and Bethesda and to Metro’s Orange, Green and Red lines. It will take thousands of cars off the local roads, connect job centers, and create opportunities for job creation and redevelopment.

Eric has been working to create better pedestrian and bike connections throughout the district.

Education

Eric successfully pushed the school system to include character education in schools and has always sought more funding for schools, leading an effort to restore $11 million to schools in FY10 and $18 million in FY11. He has also led efforts for school construction in northern Prince George’s, which will add hundreds of student seats in new classrooms.

Fiscal Responsibility & Good Government

Eric was a leader successfully opposing a “sweatheart” stadium deal, which would have put the financial risk of building a new $195 million stadium on taxpayers, not on the professional sports team.

Eric proposed legislation to ensure that if County employees do not receive a cost of living adjustment, the County Executive and County Council should also not receive one.