River Hill

We are Neighbors and Friends (The Villager 2017-06)

We are Neighbors and Friends

The article is published at River Hill Villager, 2017-06 issue.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “neighbors nearby are better than relatives faraway”. That is so true in today’s world since more family members are scattered around the globe. Instead, many families have been neighbors for more years than they have live with or near parents and other relatives.  At a difficult time, or for convenience, a friendly neighbor can often offer greater help than a relative not in the area.

I am writing this article  following two of my experiences in the neighborhood. The first  experience is an example of a not so friendly situation. A family sought my help because their neighbor always parked their car along the curb in front of their home. River Hill’s Covenants do not address areas within the public rights-of-way and the location and manner in which the vehicle parks is not illegal and therefore there is no action the police can take  However, the parking of the car did cause difficulty for the family when backing out from their garage and there appears to be enough space in their neighbor’s driveway to park which adds to their frustration. Though the family talked with their neighbor, they were unable to resolve the issue and asked for my assistance. I tried to mediate and have not succeeded yet.  In another example, some neighbors are very friendly and considerate. I know of two neighbors who both have dogs. They set up regular play-dates for their pets. When one neighbor has a vacation, the other neighbor takes care of their dogs and cats, and vice versa. This level of cooperation is a tremendous help to each resident and to their pets.

We are now living in a more compact world and in Howard County, Columbia, and at in the villages we are dedicated to creating a more walkable environment which will lead to more interactions with each other. The most important element of  a good neighborhood is our neighbors and our connections to one another.

This concept can also be extended to land development. Adding a wall to reduce sound disturbance or a fence to avoid light pollution are soft and friendly measures developers can take to give consideration to residential neighbors. Improving traffic conditions around commercial development as early as in the design phase as possible will increase acceptance from the neighborhood as well. Surely, some residents do not want any changes in their neighborhoods and the surrounding area; but, most our residents are reasonable and ask no more than necessary to protect their peaceful existence. Their concerns should be respected and honored.

We are neighbors and have the potential to be friends.  If we cannot be friends, at least, we can be considerate of our neighbors. A greeting, a smile, or offering to help with kids or pets are ways we can assist each other. Let us embrace our neighbors.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@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.

Seeking Teens for River Hill Association Committees

River Hill Community Association is currently seeking high school students interested in serving on the association’s Student Member of the Board of Directors and the Teen Advisory Committee (TAC). Both committees provide opportunities for teens to learn more about our community, interact with a variety of residents, develop leadership skills, and build on individual interests and strengths while having fun.

The committee is crucial to the success of many of the association-sponsored events including Halloween, Breakfast with Santa, and Independence Day Parade. This year, the TAC organized the very popular Claret Hall Cook-Off.

Applications for youth interested in serving for the
September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018 term are available at Claret Hall and also on the association’s website at
www.villageofriverhill.org.

The Village Board will appoint members of both committees following an application and interview process.

The deadline for applications is May 31, 2017.

For more information, contact the Village Manager, Susan Smith, at 410-531-1749 or at
manager@villageofriverhill.org.

CA Board Review of 2016-2017 Fiscal Year

The following is what CA board chair Andy Stack shared with the board members and CA staff. With his consent, I am sharing it here for your reference too. I would like to thank Andy for his great leadership. I also thank Michael Cornell for his great leadership in River Hill Village board in the past several years and he left the board this year.

CA Board Review of 2016-2017 Fiscal Year

Since we have only a few days left in our fiscal year, I thought I would give the Board a final update on the Board tasks for FY-2017. I want to thank you for the work you have done throughout the year. It was a productive year.

1.    Elect CA Board Chair and Vice-chair  MAY —– COMPLETED

2.    Elect Inner Arbor Representatives   MAY —– COMPLETED

3.    Appoint CA Board members to Audit and Risk Management Committee   MAY —– COMPLETED

4.    Determine schedule for service on Board Operations Committee    MAY —– COMPLETED

5.    Approve appointments to Village Architectural Committees    MAY/JUNE —– COMPLETED

6.    Approve CA President/CEO’s FY-2017 goals/objectives       JUNE/JULY —– COMPLETED (BOC approved goals on August 29th)

7.    Approve IRS form 990       SEPTEMBER —– COMPLETED

8.    Review FY-2016 Audit and FY-2017 financial reports    JULY, SEPTEMBER, DECEMBER, MARCH —– COMPLETED (The FY-2016 Audit and the First Quarter and Second Quarter reports and Third Quarter reports were reviewed by the Audit Committee and Board); the Board approved the FY-2018 budget in February

9.    CA President/CEO’s Mid-term Evaluation     NOVEMBER —- COMPLETED

10. Approve FY-2018 budget     JANUARY/FEBRUARY —- COMPLETED

11. CA President/CEO’s yearly evaluation & bonus decision   APRIL ——–COMPLETED (The Board reviewed the results of the evaluation and discussed the evaluation with the CA President/CEO at the end of April)

12. Implement new membership/pricing structure —– approved new membership structure & pricing which is currently being implemented by CA staff; Implementation is goes into effect on 1 May 2017; CA staff has provided a timeline of the communications planned to roll out the new membership/pricing structure; staff is being trained to handle the new membership structure; CA Board approved new pricing as part of the FY-2018 budget approval; communications have gone out to our members, the villages, and the general public; web site has been updated; now the Board will monitor the impact of the changes when it reviews the dashboard.  —- COMPLETED

13. Pond Study     JULY/SEPTEMBER —– study was presented in September; Board discussion and vote scheduled for January; CA staff presented a priority list of ponds to be addressed and strategy for addressing the ponds; Board discussion occurred in January and Board concurred with strategy; Board decided no formal vote was required  —- COMPLETED

14. Five-year rolling Capital Budget (Facilities maintenance)   JUNE/JULY —— Board received briefing in June, will continue as part of the budget process; Board approved the FY-2018 capital budget which was based upon the facilities assessments  —- COMPLETED

15. Enhance CA’s influence in planning and development of Columbia  —– Board approved position on affordable housing; continue to monitor redevelopment of Long Reach and Hickory Ridge Village Centers as well as the ongoing study of the Oakland Mills Village Center; RFP for Long Reach is available; Kimco presented plans for Hickory Ridge to the DAP in December; Oakland Mills study results presented in November; CA staff researching issue of commercial covenants; work on this topic will continue throughout the year; sent letter to Howard County state delegation regarding Merriweather Post Pavilion noise issue; new Welcome Center project has been canceled; County released RFP for Long Reach Village Center; Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty gave CA Board an overview of the Downtown Columbia Affordable Housing and TIF legislation; Kimco discussed the village centers they own with the Board in March; final Oakland Mills Village Center study were presented to the community in March; CA Staff continues to follow the proposal to create an Innovation District in Gateway; Kimco plans for redevelopment of Hickory Ridge Village Center were approved by County’s Design Advisory Committee; in March DPZ presented an overview to the Board of the process to revise the County’s development guidelines; County announced that a developer has been chosen for the Long Reach Village Center; CA staff continues to work with Howard Hughes Corporation on the issue of commercial covenants; Chrysalis (new amphitheater in Symphony Woods) was dedicated and opened to the public; CA staff continues to follow the development in the Crescent area and the new proposed cultural center in Columbia; on a monthly basis, CA staff continues to update the Board concerning developments affecting Columbia   —— Task will continue into the next fiscal year

a.    Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia

b.    Redevelopment of Long Reach Village Center

c.    Redevelopment of Hickory Ridge Village Center

d.    Commercial covenants

e.    New Town Zoning

f.     New Welcome Center

16. Develop an implementation plan to attract and retain young adults (CA facilities) ——- Task will be held over to the next fiscal year

17. Columbia’s 50th Birthday Celebration   MARCH/APRIL  —–  In November, Board received status report; kickoff occurred in March; many activities planned for the next several months  ——- Task will be held over to the next fiscal year as the Birthday celebration continues into September 2017

With your help, we accomplished a lot this year.  Please inform your villages of all our accomplishments. People need to be aware of the good work the CA Board has done. Thanks.

Andy Stack

2017 and 2015 River Hill Village Election result

1 Comment
I will serve my second term on the Columbia Association and river Hill Village Board. I will miss Michael Cornell for his leadership and great mentor during my first two years at Columbia Association.
————————————————————————————————————————
River Hill Community Association
  Election Results
2017

Thanks to everyone who came out to vote today.
The quorum was met. Here are the final results:

Quorum: 34
Absentee Votes: 4
In Person: 100
Total Votes: 104

River Hill Village Board (May 1, 2017-April 30, 2019):

Richard Thomas 91
Dalia Shlash 80
 
One open position on the Association’s Board of Directors remains. This seat will be filled by appointment on May 1.
 
River Hill Council Representative (May 1 2017–
April 30, 2019)
 
Chao Wu 103
 
Ballot Questions to Amend the Association’s By-Laws – All Proposed Amendments Passed
 
In Favor     Opposed
#1                                           82                  12
#2                                          81                   13
#3                                          77                   16
——————————————————————————————————————————————–
2015 River Hill Election Results

Many, many thanks to everyone who came out to vote on Saturday! Here are the results:

Quorum:                     53 

Absentee Votes:          0

In Person:                   80

Total Votes:                80 

River Hill Columbia Council Representative (May 1, 2015 – April 30, 2017):
Chao Wu                     80

River Hill Village Board (May 1, 2015 – April 30, 2017):

There were no candidates for the three open positions on the Association’s Board of Directors. These three seats will be filled by appointment after May 1.

River Hill Village Election this Saturday

I am running for a second term as River Hill’s representative to Columbia Association.  Please come and vote for me.

Time:  Saturday 9:00-3:00, April 29, 2017

Location: Claret Hall of River Hill Village Center

What you need: Bring your driver license for ID purpose.

Attached please find my statement. Thanks for your support.

2017 Village Election Statement

Two housing projects around River Hill

There are two housing developments which are moving forward:

  1. application number: SDP-17-013. Two single-family model homes at the intersection of Guilford Road and Route 108, just opposed of the Donaldson funeral home. (50 total homes of 150 approved). On Page 6.
  2. application number: P-17-002. Prilimary plan submitted for the Simpson Oaks development north of Grace Drive that includes 46 single family detached( starting from 800K) and 83 single family attached. Total 129 houses. On page 7.
Attached is Columbia Planning & Development Tracker provided by Columbia Association. DevelopmentTrackerApril2017

Update for 199 feet Grace Cell Tower

Tonight, we had representatives from Grace Company, Calvert Crossland and Cheaspeake Realty Partners(they are going to build around 180 houses near the cell tower, some houses will be 5 meters away from it.) at our River Hill Village board meeting.

The new solution is to move the proposed tower to the east side of Grace Building, 50-100 meters further away from residential area. They could not guarantee it ,but they are investigating this solution.

Note, the County Department of Planning and Zoning already approved their original site( just besides the old water tower) last week. So it is very nice of them to listen to our residents’ concerns and look for possible new solutions.

My old article on this topic is here: https://chaowu.org/2017/02/06/proposed-199-ft-monopole-tower-along-grace-drive-at-river-hill/

How to Engage with Development (The Villager 2017-03)

How to Engage with Development Around our Community

This article is published on the River Hill “The Villager”, March 2017 issue.

By Chao Wu

On February 1, I was invited by Mr. Craig George to attend a cub scout meeting to share with five scouts my experiences on the Columbia Association Board, River Hill Board and other volunteer positions. We discussed how our community is changing and I shared with them the need for residents to engage in the development process to affect change. The cub scouts were very interested in making our community greener, pedestrian friendly and safer.

On February 6, the River Hill Community Association’s Board of Directors met with State Highway Administration staff to have a conversation about the process for making improvements along MD 32 and MD 108 to benefit the community and how residents can weigh in during the development process. We had more than 30 members of the community in attendance that night.

Last year, the Board of Directors invited staff from Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) and they provided an overview of the development approval process. There are numerous opportunities for the community to have input on development projects. Below I have outlined the subdivision and land development review process they shared. We should all realize that most comments and community inputs are taken before Step 5.

Subdivision and Land Development Review Process in Howard County

Step 1: Pre-submission community meeting. Property owner must hold meeting prior to submission of plans to DPZ)for sketch (S), preliminary equivalent sketch (SP), minor final plan and site development plans (SDP).

Step 1A: Design Advisory Panel (DAP). DAP meeting required for Rt. 1 and Rt. 40 projects, Downtown Columbia, New Town Village Centers, MD 108 in Clarksville, sketch, preliminary equivalent sketch, and site development plans. Members of the community may submit written input.

Step 2: Submission to DPZ: S, P, SPF, SDP, Environmental Concept Plan (ECP).

Step 3: Review of plans by Subdivision Review Committee (SRC) and assessment of Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO). SRC meeting or review will be held 3 to 4 weeks after initial application date. If required for revision, 45 days resubmittal deadline, return to Step 2. Members of the community may provide input to the SRC via letter, email, or phone.

Step 4: DPZ determines whether plan is technically complete. May require revised plan submission to specific SRC agencies.

Step 4A. Planning Board. A hearing or meeting is required for projects in some zoning districts, including the New Town zone (Columbia development and re-development projects). Members of the community may provide input via letter, email, or in person.

Step 5: Option A (if applicable): originals are submitted for ECP,S, SP or P for signature, then review process complete for ECP, S, P, and SP stages, proceed for SDP and F stages. Then the process is complete.

Step 5: Option B (if applicable); Final plan or SDP plan.

Step 6: Original final construction drawings submitted to DPZ for signature. Roads, storm water management, water and sewer, landscape, forest conservation (60 day deadline).

Step 7: Payment of surety by land owner. Executes developer’s agreement and payment of fees (120 day deadline for final plan, 180 for SDP).

Step 8: Submission of original final plan or SDP for signature (180 days deadline demo technically complete letter).

Step 9: Plat signed and recorded at land records office (DPZ assigns permanent APF housing unit allocations).  Then the review process is complete for SDP and F stages.

As we can see, the community should get involved as early as possible if we have any concerns about development projects around our neighborhood.

Here is a list of topics, shared by Richard Klein of Community & Environmental Defense Services, that we should be concerned about when development is being planned: Clean Water, Traffic Congestion & Safety, School Overcrowding & Safe Streets, Tree & Forest Preservation, Flooding, Buffering & Views, Property Value, Air Quality & Health, Fire & Emergency Medical Services, Park & Recreation Areas, Water Supply, and Historic-Archeological Resources.

Thanks for reading this.

 

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council

Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@gmail.com  Tel: 240-481-9637  Website: http://chaowu2016.com

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.

River Hill Village Center at night

 

House Safety Seminar at Peiying Chinese School today

Thanks very much for Howard County Police Lt Stephanie Wall excellent seminar at Peiying Chinese School today. She talked about recent nine burglaries targetted at Chinese, Korean and Indian families in January 2017. She talked about how we can help to improve our home and neighborhood security. She is a great speaker and has a great smile.

It seems those Colombia Burglary Gangs visit Howard County every two to three years. They search the property home owner names and look for Asian last names and expect gold, jewry, and cash, then sell/transfer to a center in Dallas, then to South American. It is actually an international business ring. 

This batch of those criminals has not been caught yet. They also broken into other neighbor counties as far as Fairfax, Virginia.

Proposed 199 ft Monopole Tower along Grace Drive at River Hill

1 Comment

From: Barb Pivec [mailto:bpivec]
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 12:41 PM
To: Barb Pivec <bpivec>
Subject: Fwd: WR Grace – Proposed 199 ft Monopole Tower

RE: WR Grace – Proposed 199 ft Monopole Tower

Dear, Email Recipient the maps did not go through the 1st time resending

Over the last several years Verizon (VZ) has recognized a deficiency in its existing coverage along Route 32 and the River Hill Community Area. In order to manage this deficiency, a design was released to add a communication installation to its local network in that area.

The first step was to evaluate any opportunities to use existing infrastructure in the area, including the water tower on the WR Grace Business Campus where other carriers have wireless installations. Inquiries and studies were performed on the water tower, and it was determined that it was not possible to utilize this existing infrastructure due to structural capacity concerns. At that time and through ongoing evaluations it was also determined that future communications upgrades, by existing carriers on the water tower, to maximize the service in the area, may be limited on this structure as well. There is strong indication that sometime in the future the property owners may remove the Water Tower.

With no other options to collocate on an existing structure in the area, a proposal is being set forth to construct a new 199’ monopole tower next to the water tower. Once constructed Verizon would locate on the structure and the existing carriers on the water tower, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint, would then move over as well.

Our company Calvert Crossland has a long term relationship with Verizon and has a pending agreement with WR Grace and Verizon to develop this necessary infrastructure. To learn more about Calvert Crossland please visit our website at www.calvertcrossland.com

The proposed communication facility will be located within the WR Grace Campus, right next to the water tower. The approximately 1,500 sq ft of disturbance to construct the tower is surrounded by buildings on three sides and a mature forest. This is an unmanned commutation facility that is intended to serve as a replacement for the existing water tower, currently being used as infrastructure for wireless carriers.

Please accept this letter as formal written Notice; in compliance with Sec. 16.128 for of Howard County, Maryland Code of Ordinances.

Please join us for a Pre-submission Community Meeting – February 16th, 2016.

The Meeting Room at River Hill

6330 Trotter Road

Clarksville, Maryland 21093.
6:00PM to 8:00PM

Informational Contacts and Project Detail

· Barb Pivec – Calvert Crossland, LLC bpivec 443-994-7505

· https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Planning-and-zoning >Quick Links – Resubmission Meetings >Search Sign Code – N09

· For Development Process in formation go to: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Planning-and-Zoning/Land-Development/Development-Process-and-Procedures

· Type of initial plan to be submitted: Site Development Plan (SDP) with or without redline changes

· Project Request: unmanned telecommunications tower

· Parcel Zoning Classification: Planned Employment Center (PEC)

· Parcel Use: Industrial

· Residential Units: 0

· Parcel Acres: 54.8 Acre +-

· Development Impact: approximately 1,500 sq. ft. of disturbance

· Council District: 4

· Property ID Number: 05-351251

· Tax Map: 35 Grid: 22 Parcel: 145

· Property Address: Grace Tech Park, 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21044

Please find below a location map of the property presented as a web link, attachment or enclosure.

Industry and project representatives will be in attendance to discuss the details of the project and to be available for questions. A sign-in sheet will be available at the meeting for Meeting Minutes and for further notifications. If any community association, person, or organization registered with the county is unable to attend and would like to receive an emailed version of the Minutes to the aforementioned meeting please contact Barb Pivec at bpivec

Sincerely,

Barb Pivec – Partner

Calvert Crossland, LLC

https://www.google.com/maps/place/7500+Grace+Dr,+Columbia,+MD+21044/@39.1903192,-76.9053447,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89b7ded084bb72b9:0x311bafb4f880f985!8m2!3d39.1903151!4d-76.903156?hl=en&authuser

Regards,

Barb Pivec – Partner

Calvert Crossland, LLC

904 S Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231

410-827-4132 – Office 443-994-7505 – Wireless

bpivec

Inside and Outside(The Villager 2017-2)

Inside and Outside

Dr. Chao Wu

Inside Columbia Association

The Columbia Association’s (CA) Board is discussing the 2018 capital budget. As usual, the budget is separated into three categories: Capital I, Capital II and Capital III.

As part of the Capital Budget, we are considering several multi-million dollar projects for improvements at the following facilities: Columbia Swim Center ($2.7 million), Athletic Club ($2.5 million), Ice Rink ($2.0 million). The total budget for capital projects is $17 million. The proposed total income for FY 2018 is $72 million.

The Board is discussing a $75K grant in the 2018 operating budget for the Inner Arbor Trust (IAT). This expense was proposed by CA board chair Andy Stack. The Chrysalis will be ready by the end of March 2017 and IAT is running out of money to operate it.

Implementing a comprehensive pond management plan requires a total of $3.8 million from now on. Because such a large amount of money is required, we need to phase the repair plan over several years based on priority. Some money has been put in FY 2018 budget for high priority project. CA tried to return some ponds back to the county government for maintenance and they would not take them. This pond management needs to occur every 10 years.

The staff is proposing a dashboard to keep track how CA is doing quarterly. The dashboard will indicate how and where operational, programmatic and financial changes need to be made for organizational improvement. This will help the board and our residents understand CA better.

Outside Columbia Association

There are important things happening locally. The County Council is debating a Sanctuary Howard bill (CB9-2017) to declare “sanctuary” status in Howard County. The purpose is to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation. The bill was proposed by council members Dr. Calvin Ball (District 3) and’ Ms. Jen Terrasa (District 2). You can email councilmail@howardcountymd.gov to reach all council members to express your support or opposition to this bill. The bill is schedule on a vote on Feb. 6, 2017.

There is controversy within the Howard County Public School System, The Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Foose, is suing the Board of Education (BOE) as a whole and the members individually. CA board member Reg Avery was mentioned in the report and he was also the president of Parent Teacher Association Council of Howard County (PTAC of HoCo). I am not sure how this lawsuit will unfold and hope our kids’ education will not be impacted negatively.

I am sitting on the reinstated BOE Operating Budget Review committee. The committee will provide some useful feedback to the BOE on the 2018 operating budget. This time an additional $65 million in HCPSS operating budget was proposed over last year’s last year’s approved budget.

I am looking forward to your feedback on all issues discussed here.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@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.

First Boy cubs/Scout experience

This Wednesday night (2017-2-1), I attended a local boy’s scout meeting to share my experience how I immigrated here and make River Hill my new home, how I get involved in local affairs on both River Hill board, Columbia Association board , HCPSS School Operating Budget Review Committee and others, how important for people get involved and get their voices heard.

Thank you, Craig George and those wonderful kids who trusted me and asked so many questions.  I really enjoyed it.

River Hill Pond improvement notice

Media Contacts:

Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information, 410-313-2022

Michele Monde, Project Manager, Department of Public Works, 410-313-0844

Velvet Path stormwater quality improvements to begin

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – A Howard County construction project to improve a stormwater management retention pond in the vicinity of Velvet Path and Summer Sunrise Drive in the Village of River Hill in Columbia, is expected to begin on or about Monday, February 6. This project, funded through the Watershed Protection and Restoration Fee, will replace the existing pond infrastructure, stabilize the downstream outfall and provide additional water quality treatment. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by late April.

Signs will be posted near the site to advise motorists and pedestrians of the construction. While the project is not expected to impact the flow of vehicular traffic, the walking path from Summer Sunrise Drive to the playground may be closed during construction hours, Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays as needed, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For questions or concerns about Capital Project D-1159, contact Lisa Brightwell, Public Works Customer Service, at 410-313-3440 or email publicworks@howardcountymd.gov

Common Sense In Policy Making (The Villager, 2016-12)

 Common Sense In Policy Making

(The Villager, 2016-12)

by Dr. Chao Wu

This article is published in The Villager of River Hill Community Association, December 2016 issue.

Finally the presidential election is over and we are back on the normal track. Although there were heated debates over the election, we need come back to discuss local development, education and community issues we are facing right now.

We need common sense during the policy making process. Recently two very relevant local issues caught my eye. One issue is the Merriweather Park Pavillion (MPP) noise and the other is the new Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) school starting time change. At the moment, I do not think common sense has prevailed in either situation

The Columbia Association’s (CA) Board of Directors has been hearing complaints from our residents about the loud noise from Merriweather for more than the 1.5 years I have served. Most complainants are asking MPP to turn down the noise level. One resident said “I can feel my heart jumps faster when I hear that music. I am 75 now and how many more years do I need to endure this in my backyard?” MPP’s operator, Howard Hughes Cooperation, is reacting slowly to this complaint and has said it will take at least another two years to make some modifications and these improvements are dependent of whether funding is available.  The new Columbia Downtown development, which was just approved three weeks ago by the County Council, will build several thousand houses and apartments, 50 meters away from the MPP. I believe MPP cannot operate as it is now after the new buildings are finished in several years. However, since so many senior citizens have been bothered by the noise for such a long time, why not find a workable solution as soon as possible to eliminate the problem?

The second issue is that HCPSS is proposing four models for school starting time at 7:30 a.m. (three proposals) and 7:45 a.m. (the fourth one) for elementary schools. The reasons for this new school starting time is that many high school parents asked for a later high school starting time, which is currently 7:20 a.m.) HCPSS came out with basically switching the starting time for high schools and elementary schools. I wrote a brief introduction on this topic at https://chaowu.org/2016/11/17/four-proposed-new-school-starting-time-for-hcpss/. I am a strong proponent for a later high school starting time; however, the fact that the current proposed solution is coming out, is evidence that HCPSS is lacking common sense on this issue.  These new proposals will have tremendous push-back from elementary school students’ parents which will probably void the hard work done by the Starting School Late committee unfortunately.

The River Hill Board of Directors is consistently engaged with development issues impacting the village, including River Hill Square (the original River Hill Garden Center) and the Simpson Oaks development (on Grace Drive). The Board always tries to bring all stakeholders together and make a common sense decision which can be accepted by a majority of people in our community.

CA is going to work with Horizon Foundation on a Bikeway Concept. This is a 50 miles, networked bicycle and pedestrian route. More than half of county residents, schools and parks are located within 1 mile of the bikeway. 4 MARC stations (Laurel, Savage, Jessup, Dorsey) are within 2.5 miles of the bikeway. The cost is around 3 million dollars.

CA Board approved $200,000 in funding to the Downtown Columbia Partnership (DCP). I voted NO on this decision for a number of reasons. I believe there was not enough discussion on this funding, the administration overhead for DCP is a little high, and they relied too much on CA (around 50% budget) for their operation now and in the future while a majority of their Board is controlled by Howard Hughes Corporation. Yes, CA should play a big role in the new downtown development. How to achieve a better role warrants an ample and better discussion. For example, we probably should put a dedicated person to advocate or work on downtown related issues.

Don’t forget to ask your high school seniors to apply for the 2017 Columbia Association’s Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia Scholarship Award. . Up to six $2,500 awards will be made in recognition of exceptional efforts in providing community service. Check for more information at https://chaowu.org/2016/11/15/2017-ca-scholarship-application-starts/.

I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holidays and Happy New Year in 2017.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@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.

Update meeting on Chinese/World language and synergy teachings

Just want to let you know that there will be an update meeting on the international (Chinese) language and synergy (online) teachings at River Hill High School Media Center tomorrow night, Thursday, Nov. 10 2016 at 7:30PM. There will be four people from HCPSS central office and four people from River Hill High School. 

I am sorry for this really short notice. The original time proposed by RHHS staff was Nov. 15 such that I was thinking I still have time to send out the meeting notice after the heated presidential election.  However, this morning, they told me the difficulty of scheduling and changed it to tomorrow night suddenly without much options for another time.
For you to have some background, RHHS cancelled in-class teaching on the Chinese AP IV classes and switched many other language courses to online teaching starting this semester. We had a meeting with them in Sept. Here is my meeting summary:
https://chaowu.org/2016/09/25/meeting-minutes-on-hcpss-chineseworld-language-teaching/
Thanks for coming.

Get Involved With CA (The Villager, 2016-11)

Get Involved With CA

This article is published at The Villager, November 2016 Issue.

Dr. Chao Wu

The Columbia Association (CA) has been actively involving community members to participate in Columbia’s operations and visions. CA has twelve resident advisory committees that serve this purpose: information technology, sport and fitness, health and fitness, aquatics, tennis, golf, green, watershed, art center, international and multiculture, senior, teen and middle school. CA staff has recommended phasing out the sport and fitness advisory committee, suspending the health and fitness committee, and combining the golf committee and green committee into one committee. The main reasons for these recommendations are the low participation rate. The goal is to improve the efficiency of the advisory committees by clearly stating staff liaison’s responsibilities, improving committee operations, and using annual reports to inform the CA Board of progress.

These advisory committees are very important for board members to have a better understanding of a wide scope of topics. Personally, I participate in the International and MultiCulture Advisory Committee. Recently we formed a new sister city partnership with   Haiti. We are working to form a new partnership with a city in China. Columbia is a very diverse community and we value the multicultural environment. I believe better engagement with the world is very valuable to our future.

So please volunteer to join one of CA’s advisory committees and advocate for matters of interest to you. It is in our community’s common interest to have residents serve in this capacity. It will help you and help others. Your services will be greatly appreciated.

Recently, the student member on the River Hill Community Association’s Board of Directors and River Hill High School senior, Jennifer Zhang was awarded a 2016 Maryland Governor’s Service Award. This is a great honor for her and our community. Ms. Zhang has devoted several hundred hours to the River Hill community during her four years of service on the Association’s Teen Advisory Committee and Student Member Committees. Congratulations Jennifer and thank you!

When this message is delivered to you in November, there is a great task for you to complete. Please vote in the general election. I have experienced four presidential elections and this election is unique in many aspects. It may define different paths for this country. Please make sure you take time and vote on Nov. 8, 2016 or before.

We will see changes are coming in different ways. Your engagement in various issues are defining or shaping those changes. So please get involved, in a big or small way.

Your feedback to my articles is greatly appreciated. Let’s stay involved with each other.

Thanks.

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@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.

 

Update on Simpson Oaks Development at 7400 Grace Drive in River Hill

13 Comments

Tonight, the River Hill Board had an update on the Simpson Oaks Development at 7400 Grace Drive (parallel to Route 32 in the graph below) in River Hill.

There will be 184 units build there. There will be 134 (??)single family houses. Ten percent of town houses will be moderate income house units.

The River Hill Village is interested in annexing that community into River Hill Community.

The students there will go to Pointers Run Elementary School, Clarksville Middle School and Atholton High School.

They will go to County Planning Board for approval on Nov. 10. If you have any concerns, contact the River Hill Village Board.

The starting price for single family house probably starts from 800k-900k.

We are 25 Now (The Villager 2016-10)

 

We are 25 Now

This article will be published on October issue of  The Villager of River Hill community Association.

On September 17, 2016, we celebrated the Village of River Hill’s 25th birthday. This was a day for celebration. From a formerly rural area, we have become a vibrant community. We had our fourth annual Health fair at the same time and there was a great turnout. Jennifer Zhang, (Student Member on the Board of Directors), Henrietta Kan (Coalition Halting Obesity in Children Everywhere), and Jennifer Lynott (RHCA Events and Newsletter Coordinator) were instrumental in organizing this event. Our village manager, Susan Smith, contributed to making the day a great success. Howard County Council Chair Dr. Calvin Ball presented the Association with a certificate and Council Resolution to recognize this great moment. Michael Cornell, the Chair of the Association’s Board of Directors, made the opening remarks and shared his 20+ years’ experience in the village. Dennis Mattey, Director of Open Space and Facility Services, congratulated the community on behalf of the Columbia Association.   People of all ages, ethnicities, and faiths shared the joy of celebration.

Let’s Look Back

We are the last of Columbia’s villages to be developed, beginning in 1991. By local standards, we are far from Columbia’s town center, -bordering farms, the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, and homes on larger lots that are outside the County’s water and sewer districts. The composition of homes is quite different from all previous villages because almost 80 percent of homes are single family homes, while the remaining 20 percent consist of townhouses and condos. There are no rental communities in River Hill, though some homes are available for rent.

The name River Hill refers to an old plantation, dating back more than 100 years ago, which reportedly was one of the first in the state to free its slaves. The Village has two neighborhoods, Pheasant Ridge and Pointer’s Run.   Pheasant Ridge was named after a 1745 land grant. The poetic street names were selected from noted American writers Walt Whitman and James Whitcomb Riley. Claret Hall, the community center and home of the Association, was named for the 18th century land grant “White Wine and Claret”  that included much of the land that is now part of the village. See Ref 1.

Let’s Look Forward

Now the Village of River Hill includes 2,096 dwelling units and 6,520 people. Our village has one of the most successful shopping centers. We have one of the Columbia Association’s most utilized outdoor pools. The Columbia Gym is also loved by our community. Our children attend Clarksville Elementary, Pointers Run Elementary, Clarksville Middle School and Atholton and River Hill High Schools and they are among the best in the county.

The Clarksville/River Hill community is still growing. Though outside the boundaries of the Village of River Hill, Clarksville Commons, a mixed use development, is finishing construction. More housing units will be developed around the edges of the village, including the Simpson Oaks development currently going through the County’s approval process A new and larger United States Post Office will return to serve Clarksville. Stores will be built at the intersection of Route 108 and Ten Oaks Road. The River Hill Garden Center is expecting to be redeveloped.

At the same time, we need think about how the development in other areas will impact our village, for example, how will Columbia’s new downtown development impact our community? Recently, the Howard County Veterans Foundation expressed interested in building a memorial at the Lakefront fountain. This will modify the fountain either in context or in structure. What is the role of our village in the whole of Columbia and in Howard County?

Education, transportation, family and community are our priority and we strive to make them better. Civic engagement is a crucial part to build a better community. My vision is that through continuous and planned development, we will foresee a more diverse and prosperous community. I am looking forward to enjoying 25 more years of life here in the village until my kids graduate from college.

Ref 1: J.R. Mitchell, D.L. Stebenne, New City Upon A Hill, A History of Columbia, Maryland, P144-145

Chao Wu, Ph.D.

River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and Columbia Association Board of Directors

Email: chaowu2016@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.