I have lived in Columbia for 35 years. After six months overseas I recently returned home. Driving around town this holiday season observing Columbia with "new eyes," an idea came to me.

I would encourage County Executive Ken Ulman to use his authority to require WCI, the now-bankrupt development company that wants to build a high-rise on Little Patuxent Parkway in Town Center, to clean up their undeveloped parcel of land.

Visible to all who come to Town Center, this large lot has languished for many months as a blemish in the heart of our otherwise beautiful city. Ground moving equipment was parked there for what seemed like years. Adjacent sidewalks are still torn up, and large strips of ugly black plastic attached to the chain link fence still flap in the breeze, day after day, week after week. The scene is reminiscent of an abandoned inner-city lot.

I seem to recall that WCI was a very visible program sponsor for the Columbia Festival of the Arts. Today, WCI could make another welcome aesthetic contribution to our Columbia community, as a gesture of holiday goodwill, by cleaning up their unsightly site.

I hope our county exec will require them to do so. This abandoned lot has been an eyesore for far too long. Its continuing presence encourages littering and other forms of blight and disrespect that erode the beauty and civility of our community.

Jay Bonstingl

Wilde Lake

user comments (2)

user milton says...

The short chain link fence with the black plastic is required by law. If they took that fence down, the environmental people would go crazy because runoff could enter into the lake. As to the condition of the lot itself, it is a lot with grass planted on it. The grass is neatly mowed. I am a little confused as to why anyone would suggest that such a neatly kept lot is an “eyesore”. A blacktop sidewalk was installed months ago along LPP, not that anyone walks in Columbia in the wintertime anyway. I think that the writer of this letter needs to find something legitimate to complain about.

Posted 11:01 AM, 01.02.09 | Permalink

user lisbonite says...

The lot wouldn't be an eyesore if all the busybodies like Lloyd Knowles and gang had allowed WCI to continue with its construction plans. Delay a project to bankruptcy and guess what, you get a vacant lot. First ask the executive to impose height limits. Ask the limit to be imposed retroactively. Force the developer into court to fight litigants without standing - for umpteen number of times- the developer is unable to proceed and ta da- you've got a vacant lot. This falls into the "be careful what you wish for" category.

Posted 7:03 PM, 01.12.09 | Permalink