Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the next step in the planning process?
A. This is a community plan built with the ideas of hundreds of citizens from every village in Columbia. But the Draft Master Plan is only a beginning. We are receiving additional comments from the community, which will be incorporated into our submission to Howard County later this summer. Thereafter, the public process with Howard County's Planning Board and by the County Council could take six to eight months once the Master Plan is submitted.
Q. Will County Council approval of the Master Plan end opportunities for public involvement?
A. No, far from it. The Master Plan will be a document that sets forth a framework and guiding principles for the next 20-30 years. Each specific site plan for Town Center projects in the years ahead will also be open to public discussion and approval through the County process. Town Center will be redeveloped in phases, with each part carefully reviewed to assure that the goals set forth in the plan are achieved.
Q. Will the plan require changes in zoning?
A. Yes. It might surprise you to know that current zoning for Town Center is quite expansive with no limits on commercial density or building heights. The plan which will be submitted establishes such limits and defines a sensible mix of uses, including housing, offices, open space, stores, and other amenities for the years ahead. It won't be piecemeal development anymore, but rather a master plan consistent with the Columbia vision and the goals established through a public process.
Q. The Plan calls for "mixed-use" development. What does that mean?
A. Simply put, it means building offices, retail space, restaurants, entertainment and housing in close proximity to each other or even in the same building so that citizens can walk -- rather than drive -- from place to place. It means making more efficient use of infrastructure and keeping everything convenient so people can live, work, learn and enjoy recreational activities without having to travel. The Howard County Framework Document says it well: "Downtown Columbia will be a diverse, mixed-use, livable, physically distinctive and human-scaled place with a range of housing choices and recreational, civic, cultural and educational amenities."
Q. What about mixed-income housing?
A. Citizens throughout Columbia have told us that housing that's affordable for more people, including young families, needs to be a top priority for Town Center. Affordable housing is sorely lacking today. We agree that housing choices are essential to honor Jim Rouse's vision and to ensure that enough people live and work in Town Center to keep it lively and vibrant. Housing options will be integrated into each phase of development to ensure that Columbia remains diverse. These homes will be designed to make a walkable community where people aren't dependent on driving.
Q. Are there sufficient transportation plans?
A. Yes. Careful studies have been done to plan for new transportation options, parking, and new infrastructure. First, mixed-use plans dramatically reduce the need for car travel; Town Center will be a walkable community. Second, plans call for new infrastructure and new transit services, like shuttles within Town Center and into the Villages. Third, new parking structures will make it possible to simply park and enjoy all of Town Center from that point, rather than drive from place-to-place as we do today. Finally, streets will be added to defuse traffic from the main arteries to make it much easier to get around.
Q. How will improvements be financed?
A. Tax increases and current County budgets are not necessary to finance the extensive infrastructure improvements envisioned in the plan. GGP, other developers and the revenue generated from the development itself will pay these costs. Using tax revenue from the new development to offset the cost of public improvements is a tried-and-true method used by many Maryland communities. It will help finance new cultural, civic and recreational amenities, new roads, interchanges, a transportation hub, parking, and a comprehensive stormwater management system to stop the pollution of our streams, the Lake and the Chesapeake Bay.
Q. How will you start?
A. Once approved, the first phase could begin in the following ways:
- The Mall opening up with a new outdoor "Market Square" that will include outdoor performance space, new shops, restaurants and gathering areas.
- The Mall connecting to a new "Symphony Overlook" district, an easy stroll to a renovated Merriweather Post Pavilion in addition to new entertainment, art and cultural amenities.
- A "Steps to the Lake" greenway providing a beautiful, landscaped walkable public space between Symphony Overlook and Lake Kittamaqundi.
- Restoration of environmental resources beginning with creation of a new stormwater management system to control runoff and open up riparian areas to nature walks.
Q. How do I get more information about the details of the plan?
A. You can log on to www.columbiatowncenter.info to get more information and to sign up for regular updates. You may also send back the enclosed survey and include your contact information.
