Seat Pleasant council approves public‑art activation at Seat Pleasant Elementary using DHCD grant funds

Sherry Bryant Moore, director of community grants and partnerships at the Prince George's Arts & Humanities Council, told the City Council on Nov. 3 that the council's office is seeking the city's approval to advance a public‑art activation at Seat Pleasant Elementary School funded through a Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development grant.

Moore said the project is part of the DHCD "Community Health and Safety Works" program and that "the grant that we received was $100,000," with projects required to be shovel‑ready by Dec. 1 so funds can be encumbered. She and project partners outlined a site‑selection process that weighted six criteria — time to implement, location within the Blue Line Corridor focus, documented community engagement, community partnerships, cost of implementation and overall feasibility — and presented four candidate sites in Seat Pleasant: Seat Pleasant Elementary School, Fun and Fitness Park (a city park whose retaining wall is county‑owned), Goodwin Park and the EJD building.

Britney Drakeford of the Capital Market, the consultant team working with the Arts Council, summarized the ranking: Seat Pleasant Elementary scored highest for meeting the grant's shovel‑ready requirement; Goodwin Park ranked second but had timing and cost questions due to concurrent neighborhood design work; the EJD building and the Fun and Fitness Park both presented uncertainties (city interest and wall ownership/feasibility, respectively).

Councilmembers raised two recurring concerns. Several asked for written confirmation of promised assistance from Prince George's County agencies and the city's Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) on site feasibility and future maintenance. Councilmembers also pressed for a citywide public‑art plan or roadmap so multiple sites can be evaluated together in future funding rounds rather than on a project‑by‑project basis.

After questions, Councilmember Reyna moved to proceed with the Seat Pleasant Elementary School activation; a colleague seconded the motion. The clerk reported an online roll‑call result of 5 votes in favor and 1 opposed; the motion was recorded as approved. The transcript does not include a roll‑call list of names tied to the individual yes/no votes.

Presenters and staff told council members they will return with written memoranda of understanding or other documentation that show partner commitments, and they asked for authorization to continue feasibility work on other potential sites so projects can be deployed quickly as funding becomes available. Moore emphasized that the Arts & Humanities Council views the grant as part of a multi‑site, ongoing initiative rather than a one‑off project.

Council members and staff said they want the agreements, timelines and any maintenance commitments in writing before work proceeds beyond feasibility and design.