Howard County's planning board delayed a vote on a plan to build 13 houses less than a mile away from flood-ravaged Main Street in historic Ellicott City, continuing a more than six-month- long case that gained renewed opposition following July's flash flood in the historic district.Residents said the development threatens the environmental and historical resources the county's zoning regulations were designed to protect. The seven-acre project is located on flood-prone Church Road and on a piece of land with steep slopes and stream that flows south.In a last-minute flourish, Todd Taylor, a resident whose house neighbors the site and who represented the opposition, called on the planning board to dismiss the case, saying the petitioner did not have the legal authority to pursue the project because all of the land's trustees did not sign the application proposed to the county.Residents say the Church Road proposal is not in line with the character of the surrounding neighborhood.The board plans to consult with the county's legal experts before it makes a final decision."We want to get this right," said Bill Santos, Planning Board chairman.Because the proposed development involves a historic area, the board, which typically has an advisory role, has judicial authority over the proposal.Stephanie Tuite, who represents the land consultant, Fisher, Collins and Carter, said the development will not cause increased runoff."Stormwater management will ensure it will not release any more water," said Tuite, adding developers can "only control what's on your lot."Tuite's statement drew incredulous responses from Church Road resident Elizabeth Walsh, who gawked at the possibility that adding 13 houses and removing areas that would otherwise absorb water, would not produce "one single more drop of run-off."The plan drew support from William Duffy, who has lived on Church Road for more than 30 years."I think this place is the best possible plan we're going to see," Duffy said, adding "we have to work with the plan we have … it's the reality."July's flood raised concerns about the role of increased development in the area, prompting the council to consider a temporary halt on development in the Tiber-Hudson watershed. The council will consider the halt next month.Zoning regulations allow a maximum of 14 residential units on the site, half of which will remain dedicated to open space. The developer is seeking a waiver that would remove eight specimen trees on the site and plans to clear two of nearly four acres of forest.The proposed project sits directly across from The Woods of Park Place, a higher-density development of 15 houses on six acres that drew strong community opposition in the early 2000s.