Columbia Association

Volunteer Registration for Ellicott City moves to CA’s VolunteerHoward.org

Volunteer Registration for Ellicott City Flood Recovery Moves to VolunteerHoward.org
 
The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, a program of the Columbia Association and a local clearinghouse for volunteerism, will be the new entry point for volunteers interested in helping with flood recovery efforts in Historic Ellicott City.

 

VolunteerHoward.org, an online service, will make it easier for individuals and groups of volunteers to be organized for recovery missions as they arise.
Ellicott City residents and business owners impacted by the flooding and in need of assistance should continue to use the county’s call center at 410-313-2900.
I am sure we have done much more, but I wanted to share a few examples of our efforts to be a resource to the residents, displaced employees of businesses and business owners in the flood damaged area of Ellicott City.

#ECStrong

CA Speakers Series explores racial integration in housing

Columbia Association Speakers Series explores racial integration in housing

Columbia Association (CA) is pleased to present “Sustaining Racial Integration in Housing in Columbia: Exploring the Model of Oak Park, Illinois,” the next event in CA’s Community Building Speakers Series.

The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7pm at the Owen Brown Community Center, 6800 Cradlerock Way. The featured speaker will be Rob Breymaier, executive director of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, where he leads the nation’s most successful effort to promote integration and the affirmative furthering of fair housing in the private housing market.

CA’s Community Building Speakers Series brings thought-provoking speakers on topics that stimulate us to discuss, engage and build our sense of community in Columbia. Columbia’s commitment to being truly integrated is at the heart of the community. Jim Rouse made this absolutely clear to all the developers and sales associates doing business when Columbia was being founded.

“It is important for all of us who are selling houses or lots or renting apartments in Columbia to understand that Columbia is a truly open city,” Rouse wrote in an August 1967 memo, employing the language of the time to emphatically state his intent to build a community based on equal opportunity.

Oak Park, Illinois is located just west of Chicago. Thanks to the Housing Center’s efforts and leadership, it has established and sustained an integrated community that is open, inclusive and prosperous. Breymaier has published articles and opinion pieces and has been interviewed on a variety of media outlets, including Marketplace, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR and the Chicago Tribune.

Advance registration is not required but is appreciated. Register online atColumbiaAssociation.org/speakers. For more information, please contact Scott Templin at 410-715-3166 or Scott.Templin@ColumbiaAssociation.org.

About Columbia Association

Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit community services corporation that manages Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.

Columbia’s Downtown and Affordable Housing (The Villager 2016-8)

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Columbia’s Downtown and Affordable Housing

By Chao Wu

The article will be published on the August 2016’s River Hill Monthly Journal “The Villager”

The Howard County community is debating legislative changes impacting affordable housing in downtown Columbia.  The implementation of any changes will have a long-lasting impact on Columbia’s downtown and our county’s future. Therefore, it is important for there to be careful consideration by the decision-makers and for the community to understand the pros and cons of the changes being considered. The Columbia Association’s Board of Directors has been hearing presentations from all sides and will ask CA staff to testify in front of the County Council to relay the CA Board’s positions in August.

There are two proposals in front of the County Council that amend the current legislation governing affordable housing as Columbia’s downtown is further developed.

Joint Proposal

One is the joint proposal mainly developed by Howard County Government and Howard Hughes Corporation (Columbia’s master developer). In this proposal, the parking requirement is greatly reduced, the housing density in downtown will be increased (from 5500 total units to 6400 total units), and a public financing scheme called tax increment finance (TIF) of $170 million will be implemented. Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment. Through the use of TIF, the county government will divert future property tax revenue from this Downtown Development to Howard Hughes for its willingness to take responsibility for ensuring the development of affordable housing. Howard Hughes will have a 40-year binding rights under Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement such that no future legislation can change this proposed Downtown development plan.

In the joint proposal, the affordable housing units are proposed for the following locations: 100 at the Banneker Fire Station, 100 at Toby’s Dinner Theater, 150 at the existing library site, 90 units at a temporary fire station and 60 at the transit center. These units will be mixed with market rate units. Since the 900 units in downtown currently under construction do not offer affordable housing, another 5,500 units (the original number of units proposed in the 2010 Columbia Downtown Development Plan) are being proposed. This will make the total number of units 6,400. The Central Library, currently under renovation, will ultimately be replaced by housing units. A new library location has not been determined.

Jen Terrasa’s Proposal

The second proposal has been submitted by Councilwomen Jen Terrasa (District 3). This proposal requires 15 percent of Howard Hughes’ or any other developer’s units to be affordable. It ensures that downtown Columbia develops with a full spectrum of housing options as envisioned in the Downtown Columbia Plan (2010).

Advocates for the joint proposal want to make sure the housing will happen sooner by giving Howard Hughes financial incentives provided by TIF and binding the company to an agreement that requires a specific number of affordable housing units are built. Advocates for the Terrasa proposal support the simplicity of the proposal and argue TIF is only used to help the revitalization of blighted or economically depressed areas, which Columbia’s downtown area is not.

Here are my thoughts on the affordable housing in downtown after reading and reading all available materials.

Total Units for Downtown

I believe there is a need to have a cap on the total units developed over the next 40 years. Columbia has been a planned community from the start when Jim Rouse envisioned this new city. Without a cap, we can not plan the infrastructure accordingly. Having a set number of housing units will require any proposed future increase be considered in an open and public process. This is a good planning tool and is needed to ensure Columbia remains a planned community.

The county has been waiving the affordable housing requirement (usually 10%-15%) for developers in other parts of Howard County. Developers do not like to build affordable units because they will make less profit. The 900 downtown housing units currently under construction have no affordable units built as originally proposed as part of the 5,500 total units. That is the reason the joint proposal will give another 5,500 units to Howard Hughes.  I am concerned that if this happens again, the developer will simply say we could not achieve the affordable housing goal after 6,400 units are built, and the county will probably simply agree to increase the total unit number.

Density for Downtown

I believe that increasing the density for downtown in order to achieve affordable housing is reasonable. It is in the best interest of our community to have people who work in Columbia and Howard County able to afford to live here.

Affordable Housing Distribution

Others in the community debate that there are too many affordable housing units located in downtown or Columbia. The following data were obtained from CA board chair Andy Stack’s paper shared on my website. Howard County has 1,337 Section 8 vouchers and of these 1,068 are located in Columbia, which is 80%.

Howard County has 1,260 units of Section 8 Project-Based Housing and 1,154 (92%) of them are in Columbia. (If Monarch Mills, which is located on Oakland Mills Road just outside of Columbia’s boundaries, is included, then 1,191 (95%) are in the Columbia area.

Howard County has 1,646 units that receive the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit ( LIHTC) and 372 (23%)  units, or 451 (27%) if Monarch Mills included, are in Columbia. So Columbia has 2710 units (Section 8 + LIHTC) of the total 4245 units of Howard County, which is  over 64%.

Considering that only 33% percent of the population of the whole county is in Columbia, I believe there is room for the affordable housing to be reasonably distributed around the county.

40 year Binding Agreement

I am concerned about the 40-year binding agreement with Howard Hughes. Yes, it ensures stability for Howard Hughes, but I believe it will be a problem for Columbia in the long term. It prevents our future legislators from making reasonable changes if needed. We must admit, nobody can accurately foresee Columbia’s development in 40 years.

Better Planning of Infrastructure

The Downtown Columbia Partnership estimated the following improvements to the infrastructure are needed to accommodate the downtown’s growth: a new elementary school ($30 million), a new fire station ($30 million), a new library ($40 million), a new arts center ($20 million), traffic improvement ($75 million), a new transit center ($9.5 million) and a new parking garage for Merriweather Post Pavilion ($50 million). The total is $254.5 million. Note, the TIF for Howard Hughes is estimated to total $170 million. I think more infrastructure should be proposed: another elementary school ($30 million), a new middle school ($60 million), a new high school ($180 million), a new hospital ($200 million). That is another $370 million. So total new spending for Columbia Downtown can easily top $1 billion.

Howard County Public Schools have been overcrowded and need money for upgrades and expansion. When we plan for the new Downtown, we should prepare enough schools, hospitals and roads to accommodate this change. It is always better to plan earlier, clearer and with careful financial considerations.

If you want to share your thoughts, please come to a CA Board meeting, county meetings, or email me.  The county council is expected to vote in September on the proposed legislation.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: superbwu@gmail.com  Website: http://chaowu.org

Disclaimer: This letter only represents Dr. Chao Wu’s personal opinion. It does not represent River Hill Board of Directors nor Columbia Association’s Board.

Columbia Downtown Future

Petition: MD 32 Expansion: Get A Sound Barrier

Please sign the petition for a new sound barrier along Route 32 in River Hill area.

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/md-32-expansion-get-a

The MD 32 Expansion plan between RT 108 and I-70 was developed without any plan whatsoever for sound mitigation to the existing homes along MD 32. The development will wipe out tree and vegetation buffers, increase the speed of vehicles, increase the volume of vehicles, and do nothing about the tractor trailer engine brakes being used. Sign this petition to tell the Maryland State Highway Administration and their supporters in the Howard County Government that the project should not move forward without a sound barrier as part of the plan.

Price Tag for Columbia Downtown Development

The following material was presented to CA board by Downtown Columbia Partnership last week.  Howard Hughes has 4 seats in the 7-seat board of this organization and is paying for its operation.

Besides $254.5 million infrastructure is needed, I believe there is an extra $470 million needed to support the growth of Downtown. Adding $170 for the TIF given to Howard Hughes, we need around 1 billion dollars at least.

Expected Downtown Columbia Infrastructure (from Downtown Columbia Partnership)
Infrastructure Price Tag
A new elementary school $30 million
A new fire station $30 million
A new library $40 million
A new arts center $20 million
Traffic Improvements $75 million
A new transit center $9.5
A new parking garage for MPP $50 million
total $254.5 million
TIF for Howard Hughes $170 million
What are missing( from my perspective. The number is pure estimation from my impression while reading HCPSS school budget some time ago. I did not double check it.)
Infrastructure Price Tag
Another elementary school $30 million
A new middle school $60 million
A new high school $180 million
A new hospital $200 million
Total $470 million

 

Page 1:

Downtown Columbia Presentation Page 1

Page 2:

Downtown Columbia Presentation Page 2

When we talked about infrastructure, we are talking about those students have been staying in the trailer classroom for 20 years in Clarksville. Is that insane how community/government planning and budget process works?

Columbia at 50

Just see this article from http://hocoapfo.blogspot.com/.  It is written by Len Lazarick, who have been living in Columbia for 47 years. He was the first group of people moving here. I had another opportunity to speak with another one of  the first group Columbians some time ago. She shared many interesting stories with me too.

It is a really good read. I am looking forward to the next article and more. As Columbia Association is preparing to celebrate the 50th birthday, it is good to see our past first. As Howard County is debating on a 40-year biding development plan for Howard Hughes (General Growth now), we should learn from our past too. Looking backward will teach us some lessons for looking forward.

The article link is:

http://marylandreporter.com/2016/07/11/how-the-garden-for-growing-people-got-planted-and-grew/

This is the first of a series of 12 monthly essays over the next year leading up to Columbia’s 50th birthday celebration next June. It ran first in The Business Monthly, with a circulation of 25,000 in Howard and Anne Arundel counties, and after that will be published here on MarylandReporter.com and by our partner website, Baltimore Post-Examiner. The copyright is maintained by the author and may not be republished in any form without his express written consent. © 2016 Len Lazarick

By Len Lazarick

 

Two Important Downtown Plans

While CA board is debating on two Downtown Affordable Housing proposals in the Council, I am looking for some old documents which tried to define and shape our downtown’s future.

  1. Downtown Columbia Plan, by Howard County, dated back to 2010. The county executive was still Mr. Ken Ulman. The county councils were Courtney Watson, Dr. Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox. So except that Courtney Watson was replaced by Jon Weinstein, all other four council members are still sitting there.downtown-columbia-plan
  2. Coalition for Columbia’s Downtown, dated back to 2007.Coalition for Columbia Downtown

We can see there have been some changes over the years.

Discipline your kids until others do

Recently, CA received complains that there were teenagers or pre-teenagers in CA pools whose behavior were really bad. They were rude, aggressive and used profane language in the presence of members and guests, many of whom are children. In some cases, the language and behavior were directed at members and guests. Even some girls were harassed.

CA will take every means to protect our visitors and remove those teenagers, even report them to the police.  We want to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for each visitor.  Please report any bad behavior to the staff by yourself or encourage your kids to do so.

Then I see a post related to destruction of property in Blandair Park on Oakland Mills Road at Independence Day.  Some people suspect those were done by teenagers again.

Last month, we had some vandalism in my street and no offenders have been caught yet.

I personally don’t like to put those teenagers in jail even the property damage is very large. Jail time is a no-turn-back gate for their life.  However, I do wish their parents know how to discipline their kids. Otherwise, others will do and they will pay a heavy price for their families.

CA In Action (The Villager 2016-6)

This article was published on The Villager, in June 2016

The Columbia Association has a new Board of Directors for the 2017 fiscal year (May 1, 2016 – April 30, 2017). Andy Stack from Owen Brown is the new chair. Dick Boulton from Dorsey’s Search is the new vice chair. We also have a new Board member from Town Center, Lin Eagan.

This year, the Board Operation Committee (BOC) is running with a different structure. Besides the chair and vice chair, all other board members will take turns sitting on this committee. I will serve on the BOC in July. The purpose of the Board Operation Committee is to ensure the effective functioning of the CA Board and to oversee the Board’s relationship with the CA President/CEO. I am also sitting on the Risk Management Committee, which oversees CA’s general liability self-insurance program.

The Board has many new tasks in front of it:

  1. Continue improving customer service.
  2. Approve FY-2018 budget which will invest in our continuous growth and maintain fiscal health.
  3. Implement new membership/pricing structure
  4. Investigate the pond survey results, which will help us understand the cost of CA’s pond maintenance.
  5. Roll out a five-year Capital Budget plan.
  6. Enhance CA’s influence in planning and development of Columbia:
    1. Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia
    2. Redevelopment of Long Reach Village Center
    3. Redevelopment of Hickory Ridge Village Center
    4. Commercial covenants
    5. New Town Zoning
    6. New Welcome Center
  1. Develop an implementation plan to attract and retain young adults
  2. Prepare for the Columbia’s 50th Birthday Celebration

On a personal note, I have been working to establish Columbia’s China Sister City program. I will continue to devote some time to this effort.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: superbwu@gmail.com  Tel: 240-481-9637  Website: http://chaowu.org

Disclaimer: This letter only represents Dr. Chao Wu’s personal opinion. It does not represent River Hill Board of Directors nor Columbia Association’s Board.

Initial CA Facility Assessments Conducted – Capital Budget Increases Result (The Villager 2016-7)

(This article was published on The Villager, July 2016.)

Initial CA Facility Assessments Conducted – Capital Budget Increases Result

The Columbia Association (CA) Board requested that a facility survey be undertaken to understand the physical condition of all CA facilities and enable the findings to be incorporated into long-term planning. The purpose of the facility assessments is to create an inventory of the capital improvement projects necessary to maintain the facilities under their current program and use. General and monthly maintenance issues were also included as ancillary observations. After reviewing the initial results, I am very concerned that we have to spend so much each year just to maintain the existing facilities.

All CA buildings will be evaluated by FY2020. The assessments cover the following service areas: site/civil, structural, envelope (roof and siding), interior, mechanical & plumbing systems, electrical, accessibility (ADA) and aquatics (Athletic club only). The following CA facilities were surveyed in FY16: Athletic Club, Ice Rink, Stonehouse, Art Center, Teen Center, Other Barn, and the CA Maintenance Facility. The results of these building surveys are now available (Link: https://chaowu.org/2016/06/20/ca-facility-survey-result/ ) The initial surveys found that the buildings are structurally sound but showing their age aesthetically and  in the mechanical systems. Large numbers of HVAC components or mechanical systems have reached or are soon reaching the end of their American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineering (ASHRAE) estimated service life.

The results from these building assessments have been prioritized and the high cost items incorporated into CA’s Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). The CIP was created as a component for the Columbia Association Economic Model and allows for better tracking of and planning for future major expenditures. Capital projects are those which are more than $100,000. In each year’s CIP, the expenditures cover several areas: community centers, aquatics, community service, sports & fitness, open space, IT, CAT I&II, CAT III. The CIP includes all previously planned and proposed capital projects:  Swim Center Phase I, II & III (FY17 – 19), Long Reach Tennis Center (FY17), Ice Rink (FY18), Athletic Club (FY18-19).

Projects identified in the seven building surveys as high priority items were added to the FY18 capital budget. Medium priority projects and low priority projects were added to the FY20 and FY22 capital budget estimate, respectively.  The cost for CA to maintain its existing assets, fund the capital projects already planned and proposed, and fund the projects identified by the initial building survey are estimated to be: $23.14M in FY18, $19.55M in FY19, $17.19M in FY20, $16.52M in FY21, and $17.45M in FY22. Please note, the current approved FY18 capital budget is $17 million. CA is projected to be short $6M if we fund the high priority capital projects identified in the initial building survey. Furthermore, the CIP exceeds planned capital expenditures over the next five years.

Unfortunately, there are some buildings which are not performing well and they are very expensive to maintain. The CA staff has been working actively with the village associations and other parties to revitalize them; but, viable plans have not yet been identified. I understand that many residents are emotionally attached to these facilities. However, the community and the needs are changing such that we should also think about the future. Some CA Board members, including myself, don’t want CA to be overstretched financially.

Enjoy the summer sun and fun.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: superbwu@gmail.com  Website: http://chaowu.org

Disclaimer: This letter only represents Dr. Chao Wu’s personal opinion. It does not represent River Hill Board of Directors nor Columbia Association’s Board.

 

 

Join CAPA Independence Day’s Parade

AmericanFlag

Following the vote for Independence in 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, “I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival… it ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other…”

As envisioned by John Adams in 1776, we continue the tradition of celebrating the birth of our country with an Independence Day Parade!  Here CAPA is joining River Hill Community to celebrate the Independence Day.

欢迎大人和小孩子加入，请联系我或者徐菁或者Daisy Liu。这是我们作为一个团体第一次加入类似的游行，以后我们会继续这个传统。

Parade Start.  The parade will start at 9:00 am on July 4th at Pointers Run Elementary School.

  • All parade vehicles must be in place at their assigned location at Pointers Run Elementary School by 8:00 a.m. Staging the parade from Pointers Run means that many parade vehicles must fit within that relatively small staging area.  Because the safety of children walking through the staging area is always our top concern, parade vehicles must be in position by 8:00 am.
  • People on foot or riding on the vehicles should be in place by 8:30. Please see the “Child Drop-Off  Route” on the attached lineup map, and please share with parents.
  • Restrooms are available at Pointers Run Elementary School. Some parking is available at Clarksville Middle School for vehicles not in the parade.
  • Attached is the parade lineup with diagram showing the approximate lineup location.

 

Parade End

  • The parade ends at the River Hill Village Center. Police will direct all parade elements down Signal Bell Lane to the Clarksville Fire Department where a post-parade reception for parade participants will be held.  All parade elements can park their vehicles at the Ten Oaks Ballroom parking lot.
  • The post parade reception will end at 12:00 p.m.

Affordable Housing in Downtown Columbia

 

 Affordable Housing in Downtown Columbia

by Andy Stack, Boar Chair of Columbia Association

June 21, 2016

Although two proposals are currently being discussed to address affordable housing in Downtown Columbia, I would recommend that the CA Board take a step back and consider what is needed in terms of affordable housing in Downtown Columbia. Perhaps neither of the two proposals is the correct one for Columbia. I believe there are three questions which the CA Board needs to discuss before deciding our position on affordable housing in Downtown Columbia.

How many affordable dwelling units should be built in Downtown Columbia?

  1. Should affordable dwelling units be all private construction, all public construction or a mixture?
  2. If public affordable dwelling units are constructed, should they be a mixture of market rate and affordable and at what is the percentage (50/50, 60/40, 40/60, etc.)?

 

The following are some thoughts concerning affordable housing proposals for Downtown Columbia and what CA should consider supporting.

Current Situation

The Downtown Columbia Redevelopment plan allowed up to 5,500 dwelling units to be built in Downtown Columbia. Instead of placing a mandate upon a developer in Downtown Columbia to incorporate affordable housing within a project, a fund was to be created to provide for affordable housing. This fund would be used to help meet the affordable housing needs of the community. Downtown developers would pay into this fund. A Downtown Columbia Community Housing Foundation (DCCHF) was created oversee this fund and to provide affordable housing. The DCCHF would be funded as follows. GGP [now HHC] will contribute $1.5 million to the DCCHF upon issuance of the first building permit for new housing in Downtown Columbia and an additional $1.5 million upon the issuance of a building permit for the 400th new residential dwelling unit in Downtown Columbia. Each developer will provide a one-time per unit payment to the DCCHF in the following amounts; payment is due upon issuance of any building permits.

$2,000/unit for each unit up to and including the 1,500th unit;

  1. $7,000/unit for each unit between the 1,501th and 3,500th unit;
  2. $9,000/unit for each unit after the 3,501th unit and up to and including the 5,500th

The DCCHF was to be notified if any developer in Downtown Columbia had land for sale. This was to allow the DCCHF to work with the developer to determine if affordable housing could be incorporated into the development. DCCHF housing is to be located in Downtown Columbia. The DCCHF currently has $4.8 million. To date, no dwelling units have been created by the DCCHF.

How Many Affordable Dwelling Units

Should Be Built In Downtown Columbia?

Number of Affordable Dwelling Units

Columbia was developed with a range of housing to allow people of all income levels to live in the community. Mr. Rouse believed that it was important that Columbia be open to all people. In relation to Howard County, Columbia contains most of the affordable housing in the county. Columbia has 35% of the county population, but 50% of its rental units. Because of the range of dwelling units constructed in Columbia, no minimum number of affordable dwelling units has been imposed by the County. It is important that Downtown Columbia contain affordable housing, but it is also important that the overall percentage and number of units of affordable housing in Columbia (including what will be added in Downtown Columbia) be reasonable, particularly in relation to the entire county.

Currently, we have the following information regarding affordable housing in Columbia. Note that Monarch Mills, while located very close to the Village of Owen Brown, is not technically part of Columbia.

Section 8 Voucher Program: Howard County has 1,337 vouchers

West Columbia                     488

East Columbia                      387

South Columbia                   193

Total                                       1,068

So, 80% (1068/1337) of the eligible households with Section 8 Vouchers have chosen to live in Columbia.

Section 8 Project-Based Housing: Howard County has 1,260 units of Section 8 Project-Based Housing

HC                              100

HR                              108

LR                               310

OM                              108

OB                              228

WL                              300

Total                           1,154

Monarch Mills           37

Total                           1,191

So, 92% (1154/1260) of the Section 8 Project-Based housing units are in Columbia. If you include Monarch Mills, then 95% (1191/1260) of the Section 8 Project-Based housing units are in Columbia and its environs.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): Howard County has 1,646 units of LIHTC

LR                               99

DS                              120

KC                              50

OB                              103

Total                           372

Monarch Mills           79

Total                           451

 

So, 23% (372/1646) of the LIHTC are in Columbia. If you include Monarch Mills in the total, then 27% (451/1646) of the LIHTC are in Columbia and its environs.

Taken together, Columbia has 2,594 units (Section 8 + LIHTC) of the total Howard County amount of 4,243. This is 61% of the county total. If you include Monarch Mills in the totals, Columbia has 64% (2,710/4,243). Clearly, Columbia has over 60% of all the Section 8 + LIHTC housing in Howard County.

The information shows that Columbia has the vast majority of Section 8 housing in Howard County. One can ask if it reasonable to include additional Section 8 Project-Based housing and vouchers in Downtown Columbia. Downtown Columbia is a nice place to live, but it is possible to over concentrate Section 8 housing in one location. This will continue the trend of Columbia supplying virtually all the Section 8 housing in Howard County. Because of the high concentration of Section 8 Project-Based housing already located in Columbia, no additional Section 8 Project-Based housing should be built in Downtown Columbia.

One of the plans mentions including Section 8 vouchers in Downtown Columbia and assumes the people utilizing these will come from existing rental units. However, over 80% of the Section 8 vouchers already live in Columbia, so the overall percentage of Section 8 vouchers in Columbia will either stay the same or increase (some people outside of Columbia currently using Section 8 vouchers may decide to move to Downtown Columbia). There also has been talk of increasing the overall number of Section 8 vouchers in Howard County, which based upon the current statistics, will lead to Columbia having an even larger percentage of the Section 8 vouchers. It is debatable whether additional Section 8 vouchers are appropriate for Columbia.

Increasing affordable housing in Downtown Columbia, while an important goal, also increases the overall amount of affordable housing in Columbia. How much more affordable housing should Columbia absorb? Other zoning districts require between 10% and 15% of new dwelling units to be affordable. However, other zoning districts don’t have the amount of affordable housing which already exists in Columbia (New Town zoning).  Also, Columbia already has over 60% of the Section 8 + LIHTC dwelling units in Columbia. Any increase in affordable housing in Downtown Columbia will increase this total. One proposal calls for 702 additional units of affordable and the other calls for up to 900 additional units. This would result in Columbia containing 67% (3296/4945) or 68% (3494/5143) of all the units in Howard County.

Given the Downtown Columbia redevelopment plan called for 5500 new dwelling units (of which almost 900 have already been approved) and given that Columbia has a large segment of affordable housing, 430 units (less than 10% of the yet to be built total) of affordable housing seems reasonable for Downtown Columbia and as an increase overall within Columbia. This would increase the overall percentage in Columbia to 65% (3024/4673).

Maximum Number of Dwelling Units

Columbia was and should remain a planned community. Columbia, under New Town zoning, has always had a maximum number of dwelling units which could be built. The original number was set in the Preliminary Development Plan (PDP) and over the years, has been increased, after appropriate public input focused on whether or not the increase is needed. The revisions for the redevelopment of Downtown Columbia allocated up to an additional 5500 dwelling units in Columbia. In order to remain as a planned community Columbia, under New Town zoning, should continue to have a maximum number of dwelling units including the units for Downtown Columbia. Having a set number of dwelling units means that any proposed increase will have to go through a public process focused on determining if the increase should be allowed. And it means that the burden of proof falls on the people proposing the increase. This is a good planning tool and is needed to ensure Columbia remains a planned community. Under any scheme to address affordable housing in Downtown Columbia, a maximum number of dwelling units should be specified. Affordable units should not be exempt from the total number of dwelling units allowed in Columbia (both those specified in the PDP and those in the Downtown Columbia regulations).

 

Should Affordable Dwelling Units

Be All Private Construction,

All Public Construction

Or a Mixture?

 

Mixture of Public/Private Development

Care must be given regarding the mixture of private and public affordable housing units. Virtually all of the private dwelling units to be built in Downtown Columbia will be upscale (expensive; at the upper end or higher than market-rate) units. [You can see this in the Metropolitan (which will be the standard for Downtown Columbia) which has some of the highest apartment rents in Columbia.] As now planned, these dwelling units will be rentals, not condos. Simply scattering affordable units among the private units does not seem the best solution. We will end up with just upscale (very expensive) units or affordable units. What will be missing is reasonably-priced dwelling units. In order to address this, some of the affordable housing units should be under public control. The Housing Commission, in building Monarch Mills and Burgess Mills, has shown an ability to mix affordable units within market-rate projects. These projects are not upscale (i.e., expensive). The Housing Commission builds reasonable, high quality projects which would fit nicely in Downtown Columbia. Having public ownership of housing projects in Downtown Columbia will allow Downtown Columbia to have upscale units, reasonably priced units, and affordable units. The affordable housing units in Downtown Columbia should be split between public and private developed projects.

Private/Public Split

Regarding the split of affordable dwelling units between the public and the private sectors, a 50/50 split between public/private seems reasonable. However, if more reasonably priced dwelling units should be developed, than the split would have to be more like a 60 (public)/40 (private) or something similar. Affordable dwelling units constructed by the private sector should be scattered among projects and should be counted against the 5,500 dwelling unit limit for Downtown Columbia.

Assuming 430 units of affordable should be built in Downtown Columbia, if the split between public and private is 50/50, then 215 units would be privately developed and count against the 5,500 dwelling unit cap and 215 units would be publicly developed. If the split were 60% public and 40% private, then 172 units would be private developed and count against the 5,500 dwelling unit limit for Downtown Columbia and 258 would be publicly developed.

If Public Affordable Dwelling Units Are Constructed,

Should They Be a Mixture of Market Rate and Affordable

& If So, At What Percentage (50/50, 60/40, 40/60, etc.)?

 

The public developed projects should have a 60- 40 split with 60% of the units being market-based and 40% being affordable units. This better incorporates these projects into the existing community and does not over-concentrate the affordable units. It also provides for more reasonably priced units in Downtown Columbia.

Assuming that between 215 and 258 units will be developed by the public Housing Commission, some of these units could be restricted to seniors. One proposal calls for 90 of the affordable units to be for seniors. This is a worthwhile idea. That leaves between 125 and 168 affordable units to be developed with the 60-40 split. This requires between 312 and 420 total dwelling units to be developed to yield 125 to 168 affordable units (187/252 market rate and 125/168 affordable). Overall, the public developer will need between 402 (90+312) and 510 (90+420) dwelling units in Downtown Columbia. The total number of dwelling units in Downtown Columbia should be increased by this amount. That will bring the total number of dwelling units to be built in Downtown Columbia to be between 5,902 and 6,010.

Other Issues

Parking

Regarding parking, although the figure used is 1.65 spaces per dwelling unit, in reality 1.5 spaces is the amount actually required in building the existing 900 units. With 4600 units still to be built, the private developer would be required to build 6900 parking spaces. If the parking requirement is reduced to 1.3 space for studios and one bedroom apartments (and assuming 50% of the units will be studio/one bedroom apartments), the developer would be required to build 6440 parking spaces (1.5 x 2300 plus 1.3 x 2300), a net reduction of 460 spaces. If this reduction is spread over all the private developed projects, then the reduction seems reasonable.

Other

All projects (public or private) should be required to adhere to building height limits and the funding of art requirement.

 

 

CA’s Extreme Youth and Teens Summer Program

Columbia Association’s Extreme Youth and Teens Program offers 10 exciting summer day trips

Give your kid the best summer ever by engaging them in positive activities through the summer months. There’s no need to stay home with nothing to do, not when Columbia Association’s (CA) Youth and Teen Center is offering 10 exciting excursions that will take them on adventures in Maryland, New York City, Pennsylvania and Virginia, with activities that include the beach, the Big Apple, amusement parks, water parks and state parks.

Between July 5 and Aug. 4, youth and teens between the ages of 9 and 18 can head to:

The price — $480 for CA residents and $590 for non-residents — covers all 10 trips, entrance fees, transportation via CA van or school bus, some meals and a T-shirt. Adventures can also be signed up for on a trip-by-trip basis ($75 per trip for CA residents, $88 per trip for nonresidents) any time prior to each individual trip. Space is limited. Register online at ColumbiaAssociation.org/eyt or at CA’s Youth and Teen Center at The Barn, which is located at 5853 Robert Oliver Place in the Oakland Mills Village Center. For more information, call 410-992-3726.

All trips will depart from the Youth and Teen Center. Departure and return times vary.

About Columbia Association

Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit community services corporation that manages Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.

 

#HoCoBlogs

CA Lakefront Lunchtime Concert

Enjoy nine great performances at CA’s Lakefront Wednesdays Lunchtime Concert Series

Columbia Association’s (CA) free weekly Lakefront Wednesdays Lunchtime Concert Series began on June 22 and continues through Aug. 17 with nine performances at Lake Kittamaqundi in Downtown Columbia.

The concerts are held every Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. This year’s performers include series favorites and popular local musicians from a wide variety of musical styles, including Americana, blues, electro-acoustic, folk, funk, jazz, pop, reggae, rhythm and blues, rock and more.

This year’s schedule of performers includes:

In addition to great live music, guests who sign in each week at the welcome tent will receive free cold drinks and will be eligible to win a weekly raffle.

About Columbia Association

Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit community services corporation that manages Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.

CA summer free movie and concert 2016

See free movies, concerts and more nearly every night this summer at CA’s Lakefront Summer Festival

Another great summer of movies, concerts and much more has begun in Columbia. The schedule of movies and concerts at Columbia Association’s Lakefront Summer Festival includes completely free, family-friendly options nearly every evening of the week.

A full schedule can be found at ColumbiaAssociation.org/LakefrontFestival.

Movies will be screened at Lake Kittamaqundi under the stars on Mondays and Fridays through Aug. 15. (There will be no movie shown on Monday, July 4.)

Films shown on Mondays are appropriate for even young audience members, with G- and PG-rated selections such as “Shaun the Sheep,” “Kung Fu Panda 3,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “The Good Dinosaur,” “Up”, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Aladdin.”

The Friday movies are mostly rated PG and PG-13, with selections such as “Spectre,” “Goosebumps,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part Two,” “Inside Out,” “Jurassic World,” and “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.”

And then, from Aug. 19 through Sept. 9, CA will show movies every Friday and Saturday. These titles include “The Incredibles,” “Furious 7,” “Ant-Man,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “The Martian,” “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” and “Zootopia.”

All showings will begin at dusk, about 8:30pm. Movie nights have been hosted by Tom “Mr. B” Brzezinski for the past 45 years and are sponsored by Columbia Association with a generous grant from the Columbia Film Society.

Also, nearly 50 nights of music are scheduled through September. Concerts and performances are held on almost every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 14, with additional concerts on every Thursday and most Sundays through September.

Start times are as follows:

  • Tuesdays, 7:30pm
  • Wednesdays, 7:30pm
  • Thursdays, 5pm at the lakeside pavilion and 7pm on the concert stage. These shows are sponsored by Clyde’s of Columbia. The schedule of performers is available atClydes.com/columbia
  • Saturdays, 7:30pm
  • Sundays through Aug. 14, 6:30pm
  • Sundays in September, 3pm

Four Tuesdays — June 28, July 12, July 19 and July 26 — will feature talented youth musicians performing at CA’s Teen Open Mic nights. Sign-up begins at 6:45 p.m. and performances are first-come, first-served. No bands with drum sets will be allowed. For more information, please emailCALakefrontFestival@gmail.com. Teen Open Mic Nights are hosted in partnership with Collision Music.

And, finally, CA’s annual “Dancing Under the People Tree” free dance lessons will be hosted everyFriday from June 24 through Sept. 9. Instruction with music will be held under the People Tree from6:30 to 8 p.m., with Tatia Zack leading dances that are fun both for beginners and those with experience. And when the dance session ends, the movie begins.

About Columbia Association

Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit community services corporation that manages Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.

呼吁参加Columbia的友好城市项目

伍超，马里兰

2016-6-6

Columbia Association的China Sister City项目开始以来，有很多人参加了我们的活动。在第一次的会议中，我们二十多个人，推荐了八个希望的姐妹城市（包括沈阳，西安，北京，武汉，南京，溧阳等）。经过大家的投票，我们最终选择了江苏省的溧阳市作为候选城市。

之后，我们也听到有些华裔居民说，溧阳市跟我们Columbia 不相配，我们希望的是北京上海类似的城市。这样的希望，我们也理解。这里我先说说我们选择的配对城市的一些考虑：

  • 城市规模不要太大。Columbia只有十万人，Howard只有三十万人。中国的大城市动辄上千万人。所以我们最好的选择是大城市下的一个区或者城市规模相匹配的县市。
  • Columbia不是一个传统的意义上的城市。Columbia是一个规划建设的城市，但是没有自己的市长等政府机构。Columbia Association只是一个HOA类似的管理机构，还自称自己是非盈利的公司。中国的城市喜欢讲究对等，Columbia没有市长，只有聘期制的的CEO。
  • Howard County包括Columbia，但是关系相对独立。如果Howard County搞友好城市，可能我们的选择会不一样。虽然我们很多人住在Howard County，但是跟Columbia关系紧密，那是因为Columbia人口集中，资源丰富。
  • 公里学校水平相当，具有可交流性。Columbia的教育水很好，但高中除了River Hill High School（已经跟中国的学校建立了姐妹学校，所以不能再跟其他的学校建立姐妹学校了），其余好点的就只有Oakland Mill高中了，学校排名也不是特别靠前。 Centennial High 不是Columbia的学校。
  • 交通要方便。Columbia其他的几个友好城市，都是国际交通方便。江苏溧阳，从上海去也很方便。
  • 我们友好城市的定义，主要是教育和城市交流。在这方面，溧阳有相当好的旅游环境，离周边的大城市上海南京都比较近。同时，溧阳还是江苏省的教育最发达城市之一，每年都有很多毕业生走进中国和世界名校。尽管经济发展不是Columbia发展友好城市最关注的问题，但是，溧阳本身是一个经济非常发达的地区，在全国百强县市中排名37名。

当然还有两个重要因素，我们有Columbia的热心居民，同时溧阳市很热心想建立一个友好城市。

十几年前，有人就建议Columbia跟中国建立一个友好城市。CA的负责人就说：好啊，你拉起一个China Sister City Planning Committee起来吧。然而这十多年以来，从来没有一个类似的委员会能够建立起来。大家应该深知，说易行难。起头难，保持也不容易。每个季度开会一次，对很多家庭都不容易。

友好城市没有最好的，只有合适的。我们现在的友好城市，暂定是江苏溧阳。最终确定需要等到Columbia Association的BOD投票通过之后，才算最终确定。如果你们有更好的主意或者更好的候选城市，并且愿意花一点点时间，请跟我们联系。如果你愿意加入我们的团体，为中美文化和教育的交流出一份力，随时欢迎。

伍超博士，哥伦比亚中国友好城市筹委会, 副主席，Columbia Association, Board of Directors and Council Representative。 此言论不代表Columbia Association。

邮箱： chaowu2016@gmail.com, 电话： 240-481-9637 个人网站： www.chaowu.org

马里兰州哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会招募志愿者

美国马里兰州哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会 (the China Sister City Planning Committee) 成立于2015年11月，旨在推广哥伦比亚市的友好城市项目，为该市在中国大陆地区寻找适合的城市，缔结友好城市，促进两国友好城市之间在教育、文化以及 相关领域的共同发展和繁荣。

应哥伦比亚市管理委员会(Columbia Association)国际事务及多元文化顾问委员会（the International Multicultural Advisory Committee (IMAC)）要求和哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会工作需要，现面向广大大华府地区华裔同胞公开招募志愿者。

志愿者要求：
1.    现在在美国居住，以马里兰州哥伦比亚市居民优先考虑；
2.    不限国籍（可以是美国公民、绿卡持有者、或合法签证持有者）；
3.    不限年龄；
4.    不限性别；
5.    品行端正。

志愿者职位及职责：
1.    筹委会常务会员：出席每月一次的哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会例会，商议推动友城建设事宜；
2.    筹委会财会主管：为筹委会做财务管理；
3.    筹委会秘书：每月一次的哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会例会之前，用email散发会议邀请，出席会议，做会议记录：
4.    筹委会秘书：出席每月一次的哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会例会，为会议做准备工作（摆放会议室桌椅、引导会员进入会议室、发放食物及饮水，打印、复印文件，等）：
5.    筹委会秘书：为筹委会正式发表的文件做修改、润色工作（中文）：
6.    筹委会秘书：为筹委会正式发表的文件做修改、润色工作（英文）：
7.    筹委会宣传主管：利用各种渠道进行友城项目推广和宣传；
8.    筹委会筹款主管：为筹委会征集各种社会捐赠和赞助。

我们竭诚邀请每一位既热爱我们的新移民地，又不忘我们的根，愿意为美中之间各种合作奉献力量的人士，加入我们的团队，在哥伦比亚友城项目建设过程中，发挥自己的力量，谋求更广阔的发展机会。

我们也给广大的中学生、大学生提供一个成长和锻炼的社会实践机会，为今后的升学、就业增加最有分量的一笔经历（可以为学生提供社会实践小时数（SSL hour））。

应聘或垂询请联系：

韩军  哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会  主席  202-288-8228  jhan@success-international.org
伍超  哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会  副主席  240-481-9637  superbwu@gmail.com
董惠  哥伦比亚市中国友好城市筹委会  副主席  410-627-9663  hdong@success-international.orgPicture of Columbia Association