Ulman Calls for Village Center Vision

By Susan Kim, STAFF WRITER

In a move to counter the retail malaise dragging down some of Columbia's oldest village centers, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced that he will introduce a zoning regulation amendment designed to give the centers in need of revitalization the opportunity to redevelop and evolve.
"The legislation to accomplish these changes is still under development," said Ulman, "but I believe it is important to let the community know the direction in which we are heading. I am hopeful that by announcing our plans before the legislation has been drafted, we will be able to solicit and incorporate community input."
Ulman pointed to the vacant space left in the Wilde Lake Village Center since Giant grocery store declined to renew its lease. "I would love to see a grocery store in the Wilde Lake Village Center, but we must ask ourselves how long can we allow the village center to languish with more and more vacancies while we hope and try for an outcome that is unlikely?"
Village centers will have to change if they are going to survive, added Ulman. "It is clear that our village centers must have the ability to evolve if they are going to thrive."

A National Trend
Most Columbia residents say they want healthy village centers. But most of them ultimately fail to put their money behind those words, said Peter Framson, principal with Green Light Retail Real Estate Services.
"The problem is the way in which the county has grown up around those village centers," he said.
For most consumers, shopping is a completely different experience than it was a few decades ago when village centers were new. "If you live in Long Reach but you really want the services on Snowden River Parkway, you're going to go right past your local village center to take care of the goods and services you need."
This kind of transformation is happening not only in Columbia, but all over the nation, he said. "The good news is that there is a movement toward bringing back town centers."
Framson predicted that whatever legislation comes about, it will likely be complex and it won't please everyone. "There's no fancy formula," he said.
The success of revitalized village centers depends most on the spending habits of local residents. "You can't have a local village center and then not support it," he said. "How much are you willing to give up economically to help those centers survive?"

Striking a Balance
Ultimately, village center revitalization depends on creating environments where businesses can make money and community members can connect, said Dick Story, CEO of the Howard County Economic Development Authority.
"We've got to strike that balance between our vision and economic reality," he said.
If a balance is not found, it doesn't appear that it will be for lack of interest. There is widespread support for revitalizing Columbia's older neighborhoods, said Howard County Councilman Calvin Ball (Dist. 2).
"It seems throughout the county that there is support for revitalizing our older neighborhoods. The challenge - or the great opportunity - is how to do that. I think that depends on our leadership and we need to exercise a realistic commitment to revitalizing our older neighborhoods."
Ball said Ulman's announcement appeared to indicate that village centers would be given the kind of flexibility that will be important in future planning.
"We will not dictate what a village center should be," said Ulman, "and we recognize that each village center must have the flexibility to evolve with an individualized plan developed in conjunction with its community."
At this point, input from the community and honest dialogue are vitally important, said Ulman. "Our staff will work closely with the village board, residents, merchants, village center owners and General Growth Properties to allow that conversation to begin."