I recently looked at a map of General Growth Properties' Columbia Town Center redevelopment plan. The first thing that struck me was how the replacement of parking lots with new roads, buildings and parking garages would make getting to and parking at the mall a nightmare. I thought that parking at the Columbia mall during the holidays this year was much worse than ever, which is at least partly due to visitors to the AMC theater and the new restaurants. Yet, in looking at this plan, it could get so much worse.

If you want to imagine how it would look, take a drive around Tysons Corner Mall and then consider how it would be with more, but smaller, parking garages. The GGP plan would replace the parking lots with offices, stores and about 15 parking garages.

GGP may have spent years refining and perfecting their plan to maximize land use and profits, but it only takes one look at the map to see that this plan is most likely going to make getting to and from the mall unbearable. What do we, the citizens, get out of this plan other than all the additional infrastructure costs that GGP wants the taxpayers to pay for, including new roads, major water and sewer lines, overcrowded schools, police and fire stations, affordable housing, cultural amenities, sidewalks, maintenance, and yes, even parking garages.

Apparently, while GGP builds on the parking lots, we the taxpayers will have the pleasure of paying for parking garages that are likely to make our shopping experience so much worse. It's time to ask our elected officials why they are so eager to approve a plan that leaves the taxpayers with an overcrowded Town Center and more financial obligations.

David Thalheimer

River Hill

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user comments (14)

user david14750 says...

GGP isn't going to do anything to hurt the value of The Mall, one of it's most valuable assets. I'd rather into a covered garage right next to the Mall than wander all over that surface lot next to AMC. Surface lots are a waste of land and are the primarly polluters of Lthe Lake. As for the "why", why did the County Commissioners approve the Columbia plans in the 1960's? They brought traffic didn't they? Is it that they also brought incredible expansion of the County's tax base and one of the highest standards of living in the country?

Posted 3:28 PM, 02.04.10 | Permalink

user mdcommish says...

apparently all that gun toting scares off most Marylanders from visiting places like Tysons and Reston Town Ctr. To the OP, well said

Posted 4:18 PM, 02.04.10 | Permalink

user blueprint13 says...

Quick comment move or go to another mall. Columbia was never meant to be a suburb or even Ellicott City. "It is what it is" There are many options and ways around in MD. In River Hill take 32 to 295 and go to Arundel Mills (15 minutes) if you want the suburb feel. You have options we live in a free market society if you don't like something go somewhere else or don't support.

Posted 10:29 AM, 02.05.10 | Permalink

user sensibleone says...

blueprint13: You have got to be kidding! Columbia WAS designed to be a suburban community with a lot of open space and amenities, not a mini-metropolis like many developers seem to prefer. Why do you think we have so many restrictions on signage and try to keep commercial activities within small village centers? The "wasted land" the developers want to use is part of the appeal of the community that the Rouse company built and many people moved here to experience. You are suggesting that anytime someone disagrees with what some developer and his sympathetic politicians want, we should just shut up and move somewhere else. If someone proposed to put a gargage dump next to your house in place of your neighborhood tot lot, would you just pick up and move away? There is nothing wrong with reasonable development, but we should all be wary when a developer proposes something like this. They are in it for the money. We are here for the great community that has been built over the past few decades.

Posted 5:30 PM, 02.08.10 | Permalink

user david14750 says...

sensibleone, again with the assertion that only "developers and their sympathetic politicians" want a downtown with some job growth, activity and opportunity. Old song. As for what was "intended", I encourage you to visit the Columbia Archives and look at the newpaper ads, scale model from the old exhibit center and other historical information that Rouse used to market his CITY! Rouse envisioned dozens of tall buildings, real streets and 24/7 activity. The surface level parking around the mall, which does nothing but pollute the lake and lend to long walks to and from the mall, exists because the mall shoppers of 30 years ago were afraid of parking garages. That fear doesn't exist anymore, so let's put some life there. If you think only developers want this new downtown you need to get out more.

Posted 8:40 PM, 02.08.10 | Permalink

user citizentaxpayerjane says...

It IS mostly developers and real estate professionals who want this expansion. Unbiased neutral questioning confirms that fact but when you call people with a sales pitch and ask them if they like it, the stats are skewed. The residents get skewered on this one, md commish is again right on target. But please refrain from positive connotations like 'sympathethic' when descibing the elected people who passed this crime. The vote was selfish and dripping with back patting which inevitably leads to campaign money. At our expense, taxpayers will pay for this gargantuan increase in density - up to 15,000 more people in town center alone with no restrictions on WHEN the building can happen. GGP says 30 years, but they can do it in 10 if they so choose. Way to look out for constituents, council. Vote em OUT.

Posted 6:26 AM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user wildelakemike says...

Sensibleone, I think another point needs to be made. You position clearly is that the downtown plan for Columbia is there only to make a developer money. Wrong. The recent legislation that was passed by the County Council (CB 58 and CB 59) was a COMMUNITY effort. Many, many thousands of hours were invested into this plan by members of the community. It is no longer GGP's plan. It is OUR plan. And I, for one, can't wait until we can finalize the planning components so that work can get started. It's about time - almost 50 years after Jim Rouse described his "complete city" as the "New City," a new American city.

Posted 6:31 AM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user commonsenseplease says...

Blah, blah, blah with the developers and real estate professionals nonesense. Almost makes me hope for a referendum so we can finally put that to rest. I love the part about the couty council committing a crime! I guess the Walgreens, Wegmans and Turf Valley were all criminal conspiracies too. The first Columbia probably was too - county paid for everything and a big bad developer paved over farms for shopping centers and houses.

Posted 8:18 AM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user blueprint13 says...

sensibleone: Obviously you never seen any of my posts about keeping the villages the same with minor changes to some village center designs to become more open and keep gathering areas. Building Town Center is different. I!f you look at Rouses first vision he tried to build a 50 story tower alah space needle and couldn’t find funding. So if that was built by rouse would you have move to Columbia. Columbia is more than development it’s an idea and area where people from all different backgrounds and walks of life can live and work. 5,500 units built over 30 years is not a Metropolis lets be real. Also the comment was from River Hill no where near the mall and can go around Town Center so don’t talk about Urban Areas in River Hill. It is one neighborhood, if they were talking about making Gateway an Eastside High-rise condo area that’s one thing but it is just Town Center what was supposed to be more urban from Rouses initial illustrations. What pisses me off most is no one talks about Columbia as a whole on either side it’s about the buildings. Buildings have nothing to do with Columbia if it’s 5 stories or 40 stories it’s the people so 3000 more housing units shouldn’t make a difference.

Posted 9:41 AM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user brian says...

jane, my parents moved their young family to Columbia in 1977 and except for college and living up north for a while, I have always called Columbia home. I recently bought a house here and am now raising my young family here. I have no ties to real estate whatsoever, so please stop spreading lies. I fully support the redevelopment because I believe it essential to staying competitive with other locales that are breaking ground on smart growth initiatives. This plan will transform Columbia into a vibrant, sustainable, walkable, cultural hub of the region. I can't wait.

Posted 11:58 AM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user citizentaxpayerjane says...

Brian, you're in a stark minority. Quit misrepresenting issues you are ill informed to address.

Posted 12:20 PM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user garfield24 says...

jane....it is you that keeps misrepresenting the issue. Brian is not in the minority....it is just that the minority makes a big stink over nothing.

Posted 1:51 PM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user brian says...

jane, as a stakeholder in the future of Columbia, i have just as much right as you to come on this message board and address the single biggest issue to face my hometown since its inception. And I assure you I am not ill informed on the subject. I have attended many of the meetings, hearings, events, etc leading up to the passage of CB's 58 and 59, and I will be happy to engage you in a point/counterpoint if you wish.

Posted 2:21 PM, 02.09.10 | Permalink

user commonsenseplease says...

I just read the posts and can't see that brian even stated a fact much less misrepresented one. It won't be long before CTJ accuses you of being a developer or being on the take by GGP. They just can't grasp anyone liking the plan unless they're in it for the money, which is their obsession. CTJ and her little crowd will continue to spread fear and lie about their numbers to support their government distrust and developer loatthing paranoia. The sad thing is that they don't intend to lie or misrepresent, they seem to actually believe th crap they say and write. If this referendum wouldn't delay this for yet another year, I'd welcome it as a way to shut these people up once and for all.

Posted 3:17 PM, 02.09.10 | Permalink