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Howard County residents will have an opportunity to testify on two County Council bills that comprise the General Growth Properties plan to redevelop central Columbia at a special Saturday hearing Nov. 14, council officials announced late Thursday.
The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. at county school board headquarters, located at 10910 Route 108.
The idea of redevelopment has been discussed publicly for the past five years, but the GGP plan under review was submitted one year ago. It 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, public walkways and plazas plus extensive environmental improvements to create a more urban downtown in Columbia.
Council chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a West Columbia Democrat who represents the area covered by the plan, said everyone who wants to speak can sign up electronically beginning Nov. 3, or in person before the hearing. Everyone is assured a chance to speak, and another date will be set if needed, she said.
The two bills, numbered 58 and 59, cover both changes to the county's General Plan and to zoning regulations. The bills are to be formally introduced Nov. 2 and could be voted on in December, though a delay is also possible.
Although the schedule was just established, it has already drawn criticism from Barbara Russell, a former council staff member and former Columbia Association Board member, who feels the council is moving too fast to adopt legislation.
"Sitting through a Saturday marathon to give three minutes of testimony [on something] that will have a great impact on all the citizens and businesses of Howard County for 30 years to come isn't a very appealing idea," she said in an e-mail. She suggested a series of separate hearings, each on a different aspect of the plan.
The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. at county school board headquarters, located at 10910 Route 108.
The idea of redevelopment has been discussed publicly for the past five years, but the GGP plan under review was submitted one year ago. It 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, public walkways and plazas plus extensive environmental improvements to create a more urban downtown in Columbia.
Council chairwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a West Columbia Democrat who represents the area covered by the plan, said everyone who wants to speak can sign up electronically beginning Nov. 3, or in person before the hearing. Everyone is assured a chance to speak, and another date will be set if needed, she said.
The two bills, numbered 58 and 59, cover both changes to the county's General Plan and to zoning regulations. The bills are to be formally introduced Nov. 2 and could be voted on in December, though a delay is also possible.
Although the schedule was just established, it has already drawn criticism from Barbara Russell, a former council staff member and former Columbia Association Board member, who feels the council is moving too fast to adopt legislation.
"Sitting through a Saturday marathon to give three minutes of testimony [on something] that will have a great impact on all the citizens and businesses of Howard County for 30 years to come isn't a very appealing idea," she said in an e-mail. She suggested a series of separate hearings, each on a different aspect of the plan.
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This plan has been around for a year now. Having a hearing on a Saturday morning is a great idea; it will give everyone an opportunity to hear different points of view all at one time. Delaying the process is just wrong. The further we delay, the further we push back job creation and the revitalization which is necessary for Columbia to be great again. Those who oppose the process are standing in the way of progress, jobs, and a more walkable environmentally friendly community.
johnbailey4@hotmail.com (10/23/2009, 11:25 AM )