tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16483028.post114790361980028803..comments2023-11-11T03:34:32.826-05:00Comments on HoCo Hayduke: Town Center School...continuedHaydukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09770056537577811703noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16483028.post-1147976366609686052006-05-18T14:19:00.000-04:002006-05-18T14:19:00.000-04:00This is cross-posted at EvanblogThere is one thing...This is cross-posted at Evanblog<BR/><BR/>There is one thing Evan and so many others seem to forget. They hold up the original work the Rouse COmpany did as the model but the Rouse Company paid exactly nothing for ammenities. They of corse, formed the Columbia Association, which financed every single ammenity we have on the promise of payment from the people of Columbia. In fact, that is the very reason CA has such an enormous debt. The developer sold all of the houses or at least the units to developers with all the promises of ammenities but didn't finance any of it. The Columbia Association will make millions as well with increase assessment revenue - why shouldn't they bare much of the amenity building "brunt". It is after all - why they were created in the first place.<BR/><BR/>I agree with his assessment that the developer needs to come forward with some quid pro quo and land is probably the best way to do that, but Hayduke is exactly right, it is unreasonable to go to the that trough for EVERYTHING we need. That might work in la-la land where wishing makes it so, but that just doesn't hold water here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16483028.post-1147929200098940022006-05-18T01:13:00.000-04:002006-05-18T01:13:00.000-04:00The school site is not "profit" it is a cost that ...The school site is not "profit" it is a cost that comes with new residential and the question is in part how is it paid for. I will post more on this later at www.howardcountyblog.blogspot.com but for now I wan to correct a mischaracterization in this post: <BR/><BR/>I did not “wonder about the integrity of our elected officials”. To the contrary I was speaking with confidence that our elected officials are politically skilled enough to understand one of the core principles of politics: voters don’t like it when they have to pay taxes to pad someone else’s profits. <BR/><BR/>I have great confidence that our elected officials have the basic political insticts to realize this.<BR/><BR/>There is a lot of other stuff in your post that I will get to in a later full post, but for starters I think your assumptions start at the wrong point that clearly doesn't recognize the power the community has in this process.<BR/><BR/>We have something the developer wants: more residential units. In exchange for those residential units we set the terms for what we need from the developer if they want those residential units. The community, through our elected officials, is in the driver’s seat. The developer's desire for the massive profits they will get is far more than any pressure they can put on us. They want their profits as quickly and as big as possible and the best way for them to get those is to be a partner with the community and provide the infrastructure costs including schools, transit, parking, affordable housing, plazas and public art that will make downtown vibrant, livable, economically sustainable downtown true to Howard County values of mixed income housing, preservation of greenspace, and planning before we build so we have the infrastructure to meet the community's needs. <BR/><BR/>We are not going to get into playing one community need off another. We hold the power and there is no need to. Stop thinking of this as a begging for scraps. The developer wants something from us. That is the starting point.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00393033274795502694noreply@blogger.com