In which the HoCo Government jumps the shark!
OK, so this whole thing about the proposed Downtown Columbia Partnership also serving as the Downtown Columbia Housing Foundation, the funds of which would be managed by the Howard County Housing Commission, as evidenced and described in this article--- the whole thing is abunch of hooey. And I have to say it, but the Alan Kleins of the world were right in their interpretation of how the General Plan of 2000 was supposed to be enforceable. So that legislation needs to be either scrapped or changed.
But we have a bigger issue here. Whose partnership is this, anyway? The article's discussion of the makeup of the committee reveals a great amount of Howard Hughes control in the makeup of this partnership. Until, of course, 500,000 SF of the land is developed, then the county gets a bit more say-so.
I'm in favor of public-private partnerships but this one appears a little slanted away from the public. I say the memership should be seven-- three appointed by Howard Hughes, three appointed by the County Executive, and the President of the Columbia Association, ex officio. I get that this may be more control than Howard Hughes would like to relinquish. Well, they DO want to develop downtown, right? They'll come around.
