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NEWS RELEASE

September 28, 2007

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Ulman Releases the Framework for Future Town Center Development

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Ken Ulman released today the document which establishes the framework for the next 30 years of development in Columbia’s town center. Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision is the culmination of two years of public effort and input, and is intended to provide General Growth Properties (GGP) with guidance in creating its development program. “I strongly believe that providing GGP with a framework that reflects community goals, priorities and values is more likely to achieve community consensus than a rigid and prescribed plan,” said County Executive Ulman.

The framework document communicates the overall vision via the five themes that emerged over the two years of community dialogue and outlines a three-step process to achieve this vision:

Step 1 - Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision is released. It describes the community vision and is the framework that will shape the future development of Downtown Columbia.

Step 2 - GGP creates a proposal for a master plan, requests an amendment to the County’s General Plan and petitions for corresponding amendments to zoning regulations.

Step 3 - Proposed amendments are reviewed by the public and presented to the Planning Board and County Council.

“Although the community has been involved in this process, it is still vitally important to get citizen feedback on this document because we need to know how effectively it communicates their desires,” said Marsha McLaughlin, Director of the Department of Planning and Zoning. “Additionally, we want to be certain that the County’s guidance adequately expresses the importance of balancing transportation improvements, amenities and development. It is the balance of these three elements that will enable the community vision to come to fruition.”

Beginning October 10 County officials will host a series of six outreach events to present the framework and solicit comments. Each of the following events are open to the public:

• October 10, 2007- Presentation and discussion of Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision for the Focus Group, The Other Barn, 5851 Robert Oliver Place, Oakland Mills, 4pm-6pm
• October 11, 2007- Presentation of traffic study findings, Kahler Hall, 5440 Old Tucker Row, Harper’s Choice, 7pm-9pm
• October 20, 2007- Presentation and discussion of Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision for the Columbia Association and Village Boards, 3430 Courthouse Drive, George Howard Bldg, Banneker Room, 10am-12pm
• October 20, 2007- Open House #1, 3430 Courthouse Drive, George Howard Bldg, 1pm-3pm
• October 25, 2007- Open House #2, Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Wilde Lake, 7pm-9pm
• October 30, 2007- Public Forum, Oakland Mills High School, 9410 Kilimanjaro Road, Oakland Mills, 7pm-9pm

Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision is also available at all Howard County public libraries, the Department of Planning and Zoning public service counter, County Council offices and the Howard County Government website (www.howardcountymd.gov).