I was a member, and chairperson, of the Howard County Planning Board from 2009 until 2015. During that time, we passed the framework for the Downtown Plan, approved its new developments and created a signature park in Symphony Woods. As a native Columbian, we did this to fulfill Jim Rouse's vision of building a vibrantly diverse city.
The council will soon consider financing and housing proposals for the Downtown Plan ("Divided public mulls over measures to overhaul downtown," July 19). While some are using this valuable, substantive discussion to re-litigate anti-development debates, it is incumbent for the council to get this decision right so we can have the cosmopolitan core needed to prosper in a rapidly changing world. Chairman Calvin Ball's proposal for independent analysis of the financing is a good one. So too, is ensuring a mix of housing so that we have a diversity of people and incomes downtown.
Rouse's vision was one of economic integration. I saw that vision's success in my own childhood, and it should be the central feature of Columbia's next big endeavor. At the same time, our future well-being demands the Downtown Plan's forward-looking vision. More affordable housing options, housing availability, and economic sustainability do not conflict but rather complement one another. Together can make a better Columbia.
Josh Tzuker, Fulton