Q&A With Columbia Community Icon Padraic 'Pat' Kennedy

By Mark R. Smith, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When Padraic "Pat" Kennedy retired at the end of 1998 after running the Columbia Association (CA) for 26 years, the move closed a defining time of his life.
Kennedy enjoyed many standout moments during his tenure, including starting the CA membership fee on a sliding scale so lower-income residents could enjoy Columbia's facilities and services; support of the arts through the Columbia Festival of the Arts and The Columbia Foundation (he served as president of both at different times); and the opening of The Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School.
But what the changing of that season really meant was that the time had come for the next chapter of his career, which proved equally rewarding for the 36-year Columbia resident. That's when Kennedy transitioned to his role on The Horizon Foundation's board of directors, which he has ended up chairing for the past three years.
During his near-decade with the foundation, Kennedy - who was one of the 10 staffers that helped to create the Peace Corps before becoming a director of VISTA - was involved in the organization's strategic planning, grants committee and nominating committee. All told, he "basically helped to set the direction" of the largest philanthropy in Howard County, which contributes $3 million to $4 million annually to numerous causes concerned with advancing health and wellness programs locally.
Today, with his term limit on serving as board president having just expired, Kennedy is contemplating his options before he makes his next move, right when dramatic changes finally have been announced for the town his friend Jim Rouse founded and he himself is so closely identified with.

Your term as board president of The Horizon Foundation just expired early this year. What have you been doing since?
I've been working with Howard Community College, HoCoPoLitSo [which was founded by Kennedy's wife, Ellen, and lists Patty Rouse as a board member], The Columbia Foundation and enjoying spending time with my family and grandkids - all of which I plan to do more of in the future. I may work with The Horizon Foundation again, too.

How would you describe the progress made by The Horizon Foundation from the time you joined the board in 1999 until your three-year term as board chair expired last year?
It is important to know that The Horizon Foundation has, in a very short period of time, become a critical institution in Howard County and one of the biggest of its kind in the mid-Atlantic. It has a very, very impressive board of directors.
The foundation has formed partnerships throughout the county with organizations like Associated Community Services and FIRN, has given about $4 million to Howard County General Hospital, has assisted citizens who want to age in place, has helped the homeless and has provided health care for the uninsured.
Peter Beilenson [Howard County Health Department head] can tell you how much the organization has done for the health department. Also, through its Connections programs, the foundation has done great things for the public schools and local authorities concerning how the community would work together in case of a catastrophe, such as an outbreak of Avian Flu.

Do you find that the incredible amount of knowledge that is available from community professionals with special skills is not always understood or fully appreciated once these people retire?
I think that is true. The school systems and the community colleges should figure out a way to take advantage of what retirees have to offer, even if the interested individuals can't get a certificate and teach. They could get them involved in tutoring, for instance.

What impressed you the most about the first phase of the General Growth Properties (GGP) Town Center Master Plan that was unveiled on Monday, April 28?
The way that the presenters immediately tackled problems that had been festering here for decades, like how to connect the mall, the Lakefront and Merriweather Post Pavilion, which presently seem to be in completely different worlds due to the presence of Little Patuxent Parkway.
By adding tree-lined sidewalks, fountains and promenades that will link all three areas, GGP is making changes to establish a real downtown feel here, with a sense of aesthetics. They kept using the term "connectivity," which I think is appropriate in this case.

Do you think that it was a good idea to not include any residential component in the first phase of the master plan?
I imagine that they are still working out densities and transportation options first, so I think it was probably smart to take that approach. My guess is that it won't be long before we hear more on that topic.

There was talk of the plan to enhance the integration of Columbia during the presentation, but I thought Columbia was built to be, and is considered to be, well integrated - as most communities go. Do you see how that can be improved?
Yes. Greg [Hamm, GGP's new general manager of Columbia] talked about the need for low- and moderate-income housing to complement the regular market-priced housing. Incorporating such housing into the residential approach downtown would have made Jim Rouse very happy. That point has not been emphasized in some of Columbia's newer villages.

Given the constraints of land ownership, zoning approvals, construction budgets, etc., are you envisioning a timetable for how all of GGP's plans can come to fruition? Hamm said construction may start by 2010 on the first phase if all goes well.
That's what people want to know. It will happen in phases and we've just seen phase one. But I assume that you will see many things happen during the next 10 years, including some very significant changes during the next five years. But the entire build-out will take about 30 years.

What are your initial observations of Hamm?
Obviously he has a tough job. Before Greg came here, many people were very critical of GGP due to their closed meetings and Greg has been open with the public and media. He's gone to village meetings and listened to people, and I think that Columbia is lucky to have him here for this job. Columbia will be distinguished as a world-class place once we have that first class downtown and he knows that he's creating something that will last long after he's on to his next station in life.

What are some of the best things you've taken with you after your long-time business and personal relationship with your one-time next-door neighbor, Jim Rouse?
First of all, he believed that if you can dream something, you can do it. He thought that problems were just situations that awaited your attention. He was a real optimist, without being a cockeyed optimist.
Jim basically believed that cities should work for their citizens. When he retired from The Rouse Co. and founded The Enterprise Foundation, he did so on the premise that everyone should live in a decent house, for instance. He considered such bold thoughts as calls to action.
I don't know anyone in Columbia who ever met Jim Rouse who didn't feel like he was more like an uncle than some unapproachable icon. He could make anyone feel like they were the most important person in the room.
He also had a wonderful sense of humor. I remember a time when he was helping my son with an elementary school project when my son turned around and told Jim that he looked like Benjamin Franklin. Jim smiled back and said, "No, I look like Phil Silvers."

And now, its time for that ultimate question: What do you think Rouse would have had to say about GGP's efforts and the unveiling of the first part of the Town Center Master Plan?
I think he'd have been thrilled at the turnout at the event. That's the largest group I've ever seen at such a meeting here and I think the response was basically favorable. Interestingly, I think Greg's approach since he came here has been similar to what Jim's was, and I find Greg's group similar to Rouse's group of 14 consultants who formed his workgroup when he founded Columbia; they came from different fields and industries, and were among the best in the country in recreation, religion, transportation and planning, among many others.
That's how Jim started a city from scratch. Greg is also working with high quality consultants and reached out to the people in the community. These people have been involved in everything from site planning for the upcoming Beijing Olympics to the Reston Town Center, which he was involved in.
Also, the new approaches for the corridors between the mall, the Lakefront and Merriweather were reminiscent of Jim's idea of having a public festival area, like at Harborplace; and the GGP group's proposal to create the Center for Small Cities reminded me of how Jim set up the Urban Life Center in the American City Building years ago and how people came from all over the world to study his approach there.
Overall, he would have been real impressed that - finally - there is a concrete approach to designing a heart to make Columbia as an interesting and vibrant place. That would mark the completion of the idea for the town that was built from 147 farms in Howard County.