Legislative Advocacy in Terms of Environmental and Transportation Options

Given the size of Columbia and the amount of county and state taxes generated by CA residents, CA is in a position to be a significant advocate for Columbia residents in working with Howard County and State of Maryland legislation.

Two of the primary issues on which CA can have great impact with county and state delegates are in the areas of environmental and transit legislation.

The video in this post provides a brief explanation of Master Planning and how it can be used to better prepare for the future

CA is working with the local financial community in setting up the “Here Comes the Sun” alternative energy program. While CA does not have a significant financial commitment in the program, CA has been and will continue to be a strong advocate in working with private business to set up loan programs and in working with the legislative branches of government to include tax credits for property owners wanting to install alternative energy devices for their homes and businesses.

CA is also working to retrofit its own facilities with alternative energy sources and energy saving equipment. Additionally, CA is buying energy saving vehicles and equipment and as stated earlier, will begin working to make sure that CA vendors are environmentally conscious.

CA could also use its influence in working with legislators to encourage more forms of mass transit to serve Columbia. Higher demand for energy will result in higher prices at the pump. Increasing prices will create the need for more varied forms of transit. CA should be one of the strongest advocates for mass transit and in demonstrating to major providers in the area the benefits of extending mass transit to Columbia.

While not a form of energy supply, the ability to master plan any redevelopment of Columbia could play a major role in energy conservation. CA could use its pathway system to provide more connectivity with the Village Centers and for more commuter traffic as well. Master planning can also help to bring focus to decisions as to the types and uses that could be placed in Village Centers to serve the most people.



Primary Focus Points:

• Working with Village Boards regarding master planning concepts
• Master planning for CA facilities to reduce energy usage
• Partnering with Howard County and private transit companies and the development community to master plan and advocate for more mass transit modes to serve Columbia and the surrounding environment

Social Interaction Facilitation

Columbia was built on the basic premise of providing a better quality of life. One of the tenets of that philosophy is to provide community places where people can meet and talk, opine on community and other issues, and share feelings.

Over the course of the years, many things have changed. Some of the Villages are seeing significant changes in the business makeup of their centers. With the introduction of big box centers located on the edge of the community, people need to drive to reach those big box areas and fewer people are using the Village Centers to meet their shopping needs. The redevelopment of Town Center will bring about more mixed uses of land including a planned one million square feet of retail, five million square feet of office, and about 5,500 new high density dwelling units. A 640 room hotel is also planned for the revitalized Town Center.

The video in this post describes how CA will develop more dynamic avenues for two-way public communication.

Based on the adopted General Plan Amendment for the Town Center area, CA is likely to be the primary provider of open space and social gathering places. The CA Board of Directors has made the development of Symphony Woods Park, and the Lakefront and plaza areas on Lake Kittamaqundi high priorities. Both projects will be in the category 1 classification of Capital Improvement Projects over the next five years.

The coming years will see a greater needs for community input as the face of Columbia and the Columbia Association will no doubt change very significantly. Columbia will continue to age, household size and makeup will continue to decrease, and the number of households with children will diminish rather drastically. The Census Bureau has indicated that by 2035, about 86% of all households will be childless.

Electric connectivity has now taken a greater role in how people interact. Many people now use social media to communicate, stay in touch with friends, and to voice opinions on public matters. CA joined the Facebook rush and maintains an active page giving people a platform for comments and input on CA programs. CA has also entered the world of Twitter, and has launched a television network on YouTube.

With these rather drastic changes on the near-time horizon, CA needs to expand the avenues for two-way communication. While there is a need to provide program, facility and some community information to our residents and facility/program users, there is an even greater responsibility to facilitate two-way communication with our community and those who use our facilities and programs.



Primary Focus Points:

• Focus groups
• Public work team involvement
• Working with Villages to recreate people places
• Master planning for people venues in new development areas
• Continuing to provide focus and resources for Symphony Woods and the lakefront/plaza area