Testimony to the Zoning Board 2/7/13

The following is the testimony that I provided to the Howard County Zoning Board on 2/7/13 during a public meeting.  Our neighborhood was made aware of the meeting via a single sign measuring 8 1/2 x 11 ".  I do not know the exact day the sign was posted, but I believe it was posted no more than a week before the public meeting giving us precious little time to prepare.

Good evening.  My name is Emily Steplowski of 9914 Ferndale Avenue, Columbia, MD 21046.  As a 5 year resident of Allview Estates, I am here to speak in opposition of the proposed Patuxent Branch Trail expansion.

I oppose the trail expansion for four reasons.  The first reason is because it is UNWELCOME.  The residents of Allview have already endured more than three years of nonstop of construction.  The proposal of a new project in a formerly isolated, residential area that has been under constant construction for at least the past 3 years is offensive.  For the recent past, the residents of Allview have dealt with a constant barrage of construction vehicles, construction noise including the use of explosives, and an overwhelming and appalling amount of construction trash that was all related to the new sewer line installation.  I and other residents have removed countless trash bags of construction trash from this area including things like 5 gallon buckets, empty orange spray paint cans and lids, the remnants from sedimentation fencing, and fresh food trash that appeared daily during height the construction.

The second reason I oppose the new footpath is because it is environmentally UNFRIENDLY.  This new construction project will have drastic environmental effects which must be weighed against the potential benefit.  The construction related to the sewer line has already greatly negatively affected the area.  The grade of the land has been drastically altered from what it was when the river was healthy.  There is standing water and flooding year round in places that never used to flood.  The erosion along the river has greatly increased due to the construction, and of course the area of trees and other vegetation that was removed is as wide as a major road.  This precious area was formerly home to much wildlife, which is only now slowly returning to the area.  And, though things are beginning to normalize, the construction along the river has permanently and drastically affected the habitat of this wildlife.  I urge you to consider how yet another construction project will do the same.  And, for what benefit?

Which brings me to the third reason I oppose the new footpath:  it is UNNECESSARY: Columbia does not need any additional footpaths.  The CA maintains over 90 miles of pathways.  In a city that is only 27.7 square miles, that’s 3.25 miles of paths per square mile.  This project is redundant.  Much of the proposed path would travel directly parallel to an already existing walkway along Brokenland Parkway that connects the Stephen’s Forest Road area to Lake Elkhorn and eventually Savage Park.  The money slated for this project would be better spent revitalizing the footbridge over 29 that is already in existence that connects the downtown area to the OM village, which connects to the trail system to Savage.

The final reason that I oppose the trail extension is because the choice of location is UNWISE.  It's apparent that the folks who pitched the idea of installing a footpath through our neighborhood don't spend anytime long that section of the river.  The flooding there is amazing.  It's frequent and widespread and occurs not only as a result of hurricanes and tropical storms, but as a result of simple heavy rain.  This proposed path would be underwater many, many times a season.  It would be a maintenance nightmare.  The temporary bridge that was erected during sewer line construction just downstream of the Allview staging area was washed out numerous times during the duration of that construction alone.

So, in summary, as a resident of Allview Estates, I strongly oppose the trail expansion project because it is unwelcome, environmentally unfriendly, unnecessary and unwise. Thank you.