Tomorrow evening, Columbia Councilperson (Harpers Choice), Cynthia Coyle is putting forth a motion to oppose any plans to construct buildings and roads in Symphony Woods. She has already gotten this motion through the Planning and Strategy Committee. Ms Coyle hopes to have the full board vote on this motion at the monthly meeting of the CA Board of Directors.
I’m wondering what the big rush is.
On the one hand I share the concern about the details of GGP’s plans for Symphony Woods. In my last post I raised the question about the fate of the Central Library. The library would be bulldozed if the proposed new road alignment in Town Center is approved. As one of the anonymous commenter’s to that post reminded me, GGP has alluded to the possibility of replacing the current library with a new expanded library along the lines of the Cerritos Millennial library in Cerritos California. If you are not familiar with this facility you can find a pretty good description of it here and here. It is a pretty terrific facility.
It is quite possible that the Cerritos model is an appropriate one for Columbia. At a minimum it’s an idea worthy of further discussion.
In any event CA, by virtue of its stewardship of the Columbia lien holders land, gets a pretty sweet seat at the discussion and planning table. In order to best serve the interests of a majority of the lien holders, I would think it was their fiduciary responsibility to consider any reasonable proposition that may improve both the quality of life in Columbia and the value of it’s lien holders real estate.
To be even considering Ms Coyle’s motion much less actually voting on it in haste is both unwise and reckless. No one has formally proposed anything to CA yet. This is akin to hanging up on a conversation. It is unnecessary. It’s ready, shoot, aim!
Choose civility for crying out loud and listen to what GGP has to say.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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8 comments:
That was no anonymous commentator that mentioned the Cerritos Library. That was me!
Peace and Love my friend.
I thought that libraries were supposed to be for intellectual pursuits, not for showing off how fabulously wealthy we are. The fancy pants lines and silver color of the CML reminds me of the Gehry’s Experience Music Project for crying out loud. And the outside is the least impressive part. I’d love to know what deal was made if this in the cards. Even if GGP is writing the check to pay for it, it is not free.
TANSTAAFL
That would be my second mea culpa this month!
So sorry my friend. You are in fact correct.
Please chalk the miscue up to the result of a somewhat rushed post. I wrote this today in between running down to the Baltimore zoo this morning to drop my kid off at zoo camp, then up to Towson for a four hour meeting and then back to the Mall in Columbia for a haircut. I banged out a draft in the Nordstrom court before my appointment and after having my locks shorn I headed back to the zoo in the middle of a torrential downpour to pick my daughter up. I actually finished the post while cooking dinner.
-wb
You are correct that a motion will be before us tomorrow evening. You are wrong in that as much as Cynthia Coyle has been vocal about the motion, it is not her motion. The ownership of the motion is the whole Planning & Strategy Committee. They voted 3-0 to move the motion to the Board.
Tomorrow evening will be interesting. I hope for my benefit we see Howard County Civility in action at work.
Tom,
Thanks for clarification. Could you please tell me who is on the Planning and Strategy committee?
-wb
Choose Honesty! Choose Integrity!
CA has been so vocal about the need for GGP to get public input on all of its plans. Why no need to get public input on this move by CA? Why the rush? It's not like GGP can build or do anything on land that CA owns if CA doesn't want it to.
Planning & Strategy Committee
Miles Coffman, Chair
Cynthia Coyle, Vice Chair
Henry Dagenais, Member
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