Department Of Planning

Columbia's village centers, which have been relegated to secondary status as officials contemplate the future development of the downtown area, have received an important boost by a distinguished authority on urban planning. Robert W. Burchell, a professor and co-director of the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University, said it is vital that the county preserve the viability of the village centers and that their future and vitality be central elements of a final plan to transform downtown into an urban center.

The Carroll County Department of Planning has released the 2006 county profile that provides a detailed synopsis of the population, housing, income and employment in Carroll County. Copies of this report are available at the Carroll County Department of Planning or online at http:--ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/comppla n/demographics/profile/default.asp. Information: 410-386-2145.

Hundreds of Columbia residents have weighed in over the past year with often conflicting proposals for the future of downtown, ranging from doing nothing, or very little, to converting it into a dense, urban center with thousands of new homes. One segment noticeably overlooked -- until now -- was the youth. "As we go through the planning process, we have to address the young people of this community, because they are the future of Columbia," said Douglas M. Godine, vice president and general manager of the Mid-Atlantic operations of General Growth Properties Inc., the primary landowner and developer of Columbia.

The focus group studying the future development of downtown Columbia is widely diverse, ranging from devout environmentalists intent upon preservation to developers equally eager to build. Despite that, the 25-member group has over a year's time moved surprisingly - if slowly - toward broad consensus on the shape Town Center should take. Perhaps no two members of the focus group illustrate that better than Timothy J. Sosinski, a principal with the architectural, engineering and planning firm ARIUM Inc., and Del. Elizabeth Bobo.

The plan to transform downtown Columbia into a dense, urban city has passed a significant test, now that a financial analysis shows that it would not be an economic albatross on the county. The study, completed recently by the county's Department of Planning and Zoning, indicates that the county would be the beneficiary of a net gain of millions of dollars annually in taxes if the sweeping project were completed. While the plan still faces many obstacles, the financial analysis is important to officials because it permits them to proceed with the comfort that there are no dire implications for the county.

Meetings to address plan for pedestrians The Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning will hold public meetings Thursday and Sept. 26 to discuss the draft of the Pedestrian Facilities Master Plan. The plan is intended to create a framework for guiding and prioritizing pedestrian improvement made by the public and private sectors. Projects will be prioritized on the basis of safety, level of demand, engineering feasibility, cost and other factors. The plan and a list of proposed locations for improvements are in the preliminary stage.

Signaling that it is nearing completion of its work, a community panel studying the future development of downtown Columbia requested that county officials prepare a written summary of its deliberations. That was the easy part. The harder question is: Exactly what is the summary to say? After months of meetings, wide disparity remains on key issues, not the least of which is the vision for the downtown area. That was apparent again Thursday as the 23-member, county-appointed focus group debated the specificity it should demand and consider.

The clock is ticking on opponents to decide whether to continue their efforts to block the expansion of Turf Valley, the upscale resort, commercial and residential community in western Howard County. They have two weeks in which to appeal the Planning Board's approval of the developer's application to, among other things, expand Turf Valley by 119 acres. Although the board's approval came in March, the deadline to file an appeal did not begin until the formal decision and order (DNO) was written and signed late last month.

The revitalization of the U.S. 1 corridor will get another boost with the construction of a 44-unit subdivision in Elkridge. Reinvigorating the economic foundation of the 13-mile strip in Howard County is a high priority of politicians and business leaders. That effort will take years to complete, but several projects are under way or planned. The latest is Cypress Springs, which will include building 43 single-family detached houses and renovating the historic Old Grace Church rectory.

A proposal to transform the heart of Columbia into an urban downtown drew polite support in general but also pointed criticism as officials faced the public for the first time with a broad blueprint on how to achieve the plan. The response was not unexpected, but it may nonetheless force officials to abandon their time schedule for enactment of legislation that is critical for the plan to advance. Indeed, that schedule was a principal point of contention during a 3 1/2 -hour presentation and discussion Monday night.