Kendall Ridge

The Long Reach village board has raised last-minute objections to the Rouse Co.'s plans to build 740 homes in Kendall Ridge, saying small lots, high-density housing and a shortage of open space will create a congested community unlike typical Columbia neighborhoods.But David Forester, the Rouse Co.'s senior development director, said that housing plans for Kendall Ridge -- which include 64 townhouses for moderate-income families -- are in line with other Columbia communities. He said the Rouse Co. can satisfy the village board's concerns at a village board meeting Tuesday without changing its plans.

A plan to discontinue school bus service to some 70 students at Waterloo Elementary School has raised safety concerns among the parents of those children.Parents in Columbia's Kendall Ridge neighborhood fear for the safety of students who will have to walk the less than one-mile route across a secluded, wooded area to get to school, saying there is little visibility and many animals that roam the area. Some parents say even if they were to accompany their children to school, they would be afraid to walk home alone.

From: Ellen M. RennelsEllicott CityThe primary election is just around the corner, and all voters need to be reminded that the school board election is non-partisan, andall voters can vote. On March 3, each voter will select two of the eight school board candidates. The top four vote-getters will be on the November ballot when two new board members will be elected.The economy and budget problems have hit the Howard County School system hard. The cumulative effects will be strongly felt in the next few years, and strong leadership from the school board will be even more important than ever.

About 70 Waterloo Elementary students will continue walking to school now that the county school board has decided not to reinstate bus service.In a unanimous vote yesterday, the five-member board upheld school Superintendent Michael E. Hickey's decision to end bus service to Kendall Ridge neighborhood students after the Columbia Association built a pathway that connects their homes to Waterloo.Board members, all of whom noted that they had walked the heavily wooded path, said they felt the walkway was just as good or better than pathways in other school districts.

Residents in about 25 neighborhoods countywide gathered last night at block parties and picnics to mark the 10th Howard County National Night Out Against Crime.Neighbors munched on hot dogs, coleslaw and watermelon, met new residents and got reacquainted with old ones.At parties in North Laurel and Long Reach village in Columbia, residents said the crimes committed in their neighborhoods were minor and that they hope a close-knit community will keep it that way."This is an excuse to get together," said Will Geckle, a seven-year resident of the Kendall Ridge neighborhood in Long Reach.

Nearby Columbia residents fear that the Rouse Co. proposal for the new town's second giant warehouse-style retail complex may hasten the decline of their community shopping center and worsen congestion on one of the county's busiest and most dangerous traffic corridors.But county officials say road adjustments can be made to handle the increased traffic, and they praised the proposed $45 million retail hub on Route 175 between Dobbin Road and Snowden River Parkway for the taxes and jobs it would generate.

Columbia's 23 outdoor pools are the coolest places to be in the summer - if you can find them. In the planned community known for confusing geography and a paucity of landmarks, residents often have no idea where they can take a dip. Buildings, berms and nondescript landscaping usually camouflage the pools. To help lost swimmers, the Columbia Association spent about $3,000 to erect new directional signs in some villages by the time the pools had opened for the summer. "The pools are definitely hard to find; everything in Columbia is hard to find," said Valerie Alexander, who heads the association's sport and fitness advisory committee.

It was an unlikely comparison -- and one that illustrated the depth of community suspicion -- about a proposed affordable housing development in Long Reach.At a public meeting on the proposed 64-townhouse Kendall Ridge project Monday night, an audience member warned that the Enterprise Foundation's plan would produce a culturally and economically segregated enclave in the neighborhood."And aren't you just creating another Sandtown?" said the man, referring to an Enterprise Foundation venture to transform the deteriorated community in West Baltimore.

Representatives of some of Columbia's 10 village boards divided last night on whether the Columbia Council should approve a proposed $5.5 million golf course on 204 acres of undeveloped land that weaves through the villages of Wilde Lake and Town Center.But they did agree that the council should hold steady the current assessment charged Columbia property owners. That rate is 73 cents per $100 of assessed value.Because Columbia is not a municipality, the assessment, or "lien" charge, is not tax deductible for property owners.

Some Long Reach voters are so concerned about a proposed affordable housing development in the Kendall Ridge neighborhood that they're threatening to make it the key issue in the District 2 County Council race."