7009 Garrett Road, Derwood 

As prepared 

Good afternoon! I am excited to be here for the Parc Redland groundbreaking.  

This is not just a groundbreaking, it is the first groundbreaking of its kind for a neighborhood of accessible homes – these homes will be fully accessible for residents and their visitors.  

When these 19 townhomes are complete, the Parc Redland community will be 100-percent inclusive. 

These new townhomeswill accommodate the disabled, such as wounded veterans; patients recovering from an injury or surgery;multigenerational families and their guests -- allowing residents to age in place.  

A Design for Life community, each of these homes will have hallways, counters, fixtures, bathrooms, and bedrooms that can be navigated by someone with a walker, a wheelchair or even a baby stroller.  

I want to congratulate Universal Communities for embracing Design for Life for the Parc Redland community.  

I have long-recognized the need for more accessible housing, because accessible homes benefit all of us.  

In addition to these homes helping us avoid the need for expensive institutional medical care, they also offer the free and independent movement within the home – a basic human quality of life everyone should have.  

Four years ago, I sent a request to the County Council to adopt legislation to create a property tax credit to encourage people to invest in Design for Life retrofits for their homes.  

I am proud to say that hundreds of people have since benefitted from this legislation.  

Again, I am delighted that Parc Redland will be acommunity where each home will be accessible.  

Together, we are improving the quality of living in homeownership for everyone.  

Parc Redland is the platinum standard under the Design for Life certification - an example we hope other developers and builders will follow so more and more homes will be accessible for all.  

Thank you!  

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