The future of central Columbia is now up to the Howard County Council.
The complex redevelopment plan intended to remake the planned town's core was pushed forward by the county planning board Thursday night after nearly a year of review, but not without some final doubts and dissension.
Board members unanimously voted to formally approve recommendations on the conceptual General Plan amendment that lays out their vision for how the work should progress, but declined to review the second portion of the package - the zoning language that would change county law to allow the project to proceed.
The plan the board approved still calls for up to 5,500 new homes, 4.3 million square feet of new office space, 1.25 million square feet of retail space, hotels, cultural buildings and a new street grid that would transform central Columbia into a more urban, pedestrian-friendly place filled with people, large public plazas and walkways, and new cultural attractions.
Until the General Plan amendment is approved as legislation in final form, members argued, it would be senseless to revise the detailed legal language that is based on its concepts. Instead, they requested that the council return the zoning amendment to them once the General Plan is adopted, though several members acknowledged that is not likely. The board refused entreaties from county planning director Marsha McLaughlin and William Mackey, the senior planner on the issue, who asked them to review the zoning language too. By refusing to go further, the board is missing its chance to influence the final wording of the law, the planners said. All but one board member disagreed, however.
"I don't think we need to go through this again," said board chairman Dave Grabowski. Tammy Citaramanis added that the board also can't continue to delay other cases awaiting review. Normally, board members agreed, the board reviews legal zoning language it can compare to adopted General Plan guidelines. In this case, since the council will certainly change the General Plan the board approved, four board members felt more review was useless.
Paul Yelder disagreed, saying the entire package should be considered together.
"This is insane. This is why people hate government. This is just ridiculous," he said. Still, seeing he was outnumbered, Yelder voted with the rest.
Greg Hamm, Columbia's general manager and a vice president of GGP, said after the meeting that he's "very pleased. It sounds like very good news," he said.
"We look forward to continuing the progress that began five years ago,"
County Council Chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a West Columbia Democrat whose district includes the town center, has said she wants the council to consider both portions of the plan together. She's also said she'll delay introducing the two items as legislation to give council members and the public more time to review what the planning board is recommending.
Once the County Council votes on the plan, concrete action can be taken. But with the recession still strong, credit markets uncertain and General Growth Properties in bankruptcy protection, it's not clear when or if the three-decade plan will ever show results.
Jud Malone, leader of a group that supports GGP's plan, watched the discussion and vote Thursday night at the county's Columbia offices, and was happy with the result.
"Now it's time for the council to take control of this issue," he said.
The board completed work on recommended changes to the conceptual General Plan Amendment portion of the proposal two weeks ago, after five months of hearings and discussions.
