Downtown Columbia – A General Plan Amendment
In 2016, the County Council held special legislative sessions on legislation related to Downtown Columbia including the Tax-Increment Financing bills, low and moderate income housing bills, the Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA), and more.
DRRA Amendment
Click below to view the final Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA) (CR 103-2016), substituted by amendment in place of the DRRA originally filed in July 2016.
Downtown Amendment Summary Chart
Click below to view the summary chart of all Downtown-related amendments and amendments to amendments.
Special Report Information
Expand All| Date | Subject | Recording |
|---|---|---|
| September 8, 2015 | CDHC, HHC, the Howard County Housing Commission, and the Administration presented a draft set of joint recommendations. | Recording |
| October 19, 2015 | Special work session on affordable housing in Downtown Columbia. | Recording |
| October 26, 2015 | Continued discussion on affordable housing in Downtown Columbia. | Recording |
| November 2, 2015 | Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia. | Recording |
| November 16, 2015 | Affordable housing in Downtown Columbia. | Recording |
| July 8, 2016 | Presentations and introductions for the three Downtown-related legislative packages. | Recording |
| July 11, 2016 | Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| July 25, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| July 29, 2016 | Give final consideration to July’s legislation before the Council’s August recess. | Recording |
| September 6, 2016 | Included a vote to extend the life of all tabled legislative packages regarding Downtown Columbia. | Recording |
| September 12, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| September 26, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| October 5, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation and a presentation from TischlerBise, who analyzed the proposed TIF. | Recording |
| October 11, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| October 24, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| November 4, 2016 | Further discussion on Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| November 9, 2016 | Passage of Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| Date | Meeting Type | Subject | Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2015 | Monthly Meeting | CDHC Recommendations. | Recording |
| June 8, 2015 | Monthly Meeting | HHC analysis and alternative proposal. | Recording |
| July 13, 2015 | Monthly Meeting | CDHC and HHC discussions status update. | Recording |
| October 13, 2015 | Monthly Meeting | Impacts of proposed draft of joint recommendations. | Fiscal Impact Recording Schools Study Recording |
| February 20, 2016 | Community Meeting | HRD proposal of DRRA. | - |
| April 14, 2016 | Planning Board | Two proposals for affordable housing in Downtown Columbia, provide recommendations. | Recording |
| April 28, 2016 | Planning Board | Two proposals for affordable housing in Downtown Columbia, provide recommendations. | Recording |
| May 10, 2016 | Planning Board | Two proposals for affordable housing in Downtown Columbia, provide recommendations. | Recording |
| July 14, 2016 | Public Hearing | Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| July 18, 2016 | Public Hearing | Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
| September 22, 2016 | Public Hearing | Downtown-related legislation. | Recording |
Meeting Materials
CR120-2014 and CDHC Report
Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) Analysis (6/8/15)
CDHC, HHC, HC Housing Commission Joint Proposal Draft (9/8/15)
- Draft Joint Recommendations
- Draft Joint Recommendations Summary Document
- Map of Proposed LIHTC Sites
- Income and Rent Limits
- Letter from Housing Commission
Joint Proposal Draft Impact Analysis (10/13/15)
- Fiscal Impact Analysis
- Schools Study Update Memo
- 2014 Schools Study
- Follow-up Requests Regarding Fiscal Impact Analysis and School Study
Work Session Materials (10/19/15)
Revised Value Analysis (11/2/15)
Work Session Materials (11/16/15)
- 2015 Feasibility Study Update
- 2015 Feasibility Study PowerPoint
- Student Yield Scenarios for Downtown Columbia Fiscal
- Montgomery County Yield Factors 2013
- Fairfax County School Impact Proffer Formula & Student Yield Rates Update
- Follow up to Fiscal Impact
- Executive Summary - November 13, 2015
- Sensitivity Memo
- Follow up to Parking Study
- Downtown Columbia Parking Study Revised
- Woodlands Subsidized and Affordable Apartment Developments
HRD Presentation Materials (2/20/16)
Amendment Proposals & Petitions
County Executive
- County Executive’s proposed General Plan Amendment
- Legislative Package (6/27/16)
Councilwoman Jen Terrasa
- Councilwoman Jen Terrasa’s proposed General Plan Amendment and Zoning Regulation Amendment
- Legislative Package
DRRA Petition (3/15/16)
Follow-up requests regarding fiscal impact analysis and schools study
(From Monthly Meeting on 10-13-15)
*Administration responses linked as received*
- Please provide an updated copy of the fiscal impact analysis with continuous page numbering.
- Please provide any data available on current tenants of the Metropolitan and whether they are relocating from elsewhere within Howard County or from outside Howard County.
- Please provide copies of any studies (market demand, etc.) which informed the fiscal impact analysis.
- Please run a new Scenario C which would assume Scenario B plus the redevelopment of the Flier site as a 220-unit mixed income LIHTC project.
- Please run a new Scenario A-1 which would assume CDHC's original recommendation of 15% affordable units (5% at 80% of HC AMI, 5% at 60% of HC AMI, and 5% at 40% of HC AMI for rental units; 15% at 80% of HC AMI for for-sale units) and include the density bonus of an additional 1,250 units.
- Please run a new Scenario B-1 which would assume CDHC's original recommendation of 15% affordable units (5% at 80% of HC AMI, 5% at 60% of HC AMI, and 5% at 40% of HC AMI for rental units; 15% at 80% of HC AMI for for-sale units) and maintain the existing Downtown Columbia Plan density of 5,500 units.
- In the fiscal impact analysis, are references to AMI based on Howard County AMI or Baltimore MSA AMI?
- The fiscal impact analysis assumes equal assessed values for affordable units at all levels of affordability. However, Todd Brown explained that these properties would be assessed based on income generation. If that is the case, it would seem that varying rental price points would impact assessed value. Can you please clarify this point?
- For both Scenarios A & B, please show 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year impacts, including the timing of capital projects and their associated debt service.
- Under Results of the Study, only Table G is provided in current dollars. Please provide tables C-F restated in current dollars as well.
- Please provide a copy of the build-out schedule used as the basis for the Fiscal Impact Analysis.
- Please provide a revised copy of the phasing progression chart from the Downtown Columbia Plan to reflect the additional density.
- Please provide an analysis of debt affordability for all capital projects assumed in the fiscal impact analysis.
- Please provide a revised Table D that breaks out restricted revenues from the general fund.
- Please provide a revised Table E including the full cost of each capital project and the % of cost allocated to new Downtown development.
- Please adjust the calculations on page 42 to reflect the full costs of current school construction.
- Please explain the difference between page 34, which shows an annual loss of approx. $15 million, and Table G on page 7 of the Executive Summary which shows a $22 million positive impact.
- On page 25, how did you arrive at the assumptions of $56/night and a 95% occupancy rate? (The 2009 fiscal impact analysis assumed $150/night and a 65% occupancy rate.)
- The Fiscal Impact Analysis assumes that Scenario A produces 138 students more than Scenario B. However, the School System estimates an additional 650 students from the additional density. Please revise Scenario A of the fiscal analysis to account for 650 additional students.
- Please provide a clear comparison of need for additional schools and school capacity based on:
- projected enrollments prior to adoption of the Downtown Columbia Plan.
- projected enrollments based on the current Downtown Columbia Plan.
- projected enrollments based on the proposed additional 1,250 units.
- What are the differences in the size and timing of schools/additions required to meet those needs?