Jud Malone President, Columbia Tomorrow
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Jud Malone
President, Columbia Tomorrow
5651 Vantage Point Road
Columbia, Maryland
This plan is for a park when it should be a plan for gardens.
The plan lacks criteria for bio-habitat preservation
To my knowledge, specifications for the park do not include a comprehensive bio-habitat program focused on developing a detailed understanding of forested habitats and wildlife movement corridors, and using areas of good soil infiltration capacity to support stormwater best management practices. The large storm water manage pond on the current plan would indicate a more conventional civil engineering approach rather than an ecological approach to development of the site.
There is no holistic context for the plan that considers the surrounding area.
The plan misses an opportunity to create badly needed street connectivity from the southern portion of the park to the Oakland Mills village center. Community advocates for several years now have been working diligently on a redevelopment master plan for the Oakland Mills Village Center. The park plan should not be in isolation from the Oakland Mills plan.
The park lacks a compelling theme that would enable important public private partnerships.
There needs to be a compelling demonstration of the interdependence of plants, people, and the environment. This would attract partnerships with nationally recognized organizations such as the Audubon Society and the financial support of private donors and foundations. Funding from these partners could create programs and build facilities that would blend education, social responsibility, culture and environmental stewardship. Adults and especially children of all ages and backgrounds would appreciate and benefit from the positive role that plants play in their lives. By creating a wonderful system of gardens on the Smith Farm, Howard County “could” be poised to make a significant impact—regionally, nationally, and internationally—but not with the current plan.