Sixty-six people testified during a marathon Howard County Council legislative hearing Monday night on plans to mitigate flooding in historic Ellicott City.
The council is considering three bills needed for a five-year flood control plan that would raze 19 buildings to expand a channel for the Tiber River and replace them with open space.
The $50 million plan to demolish the structures requires approval from the county’s Historic Preservation Commission, a majority vote by the council and approval from the county executive.
The county has been studying ways to prevent or reduce flooding in the historic mill town for years, including stormwater retention systems and pipes, and some leaders had been reluctant to discuss tearing down buildings until a fast-moving Memorial Day weekend flood caused millions of dollars in damage to shops, roads and utilities.
During the six-hour hearing, six people who endured the May 27 flood shared harrowing tales of survival, and urged approval of the bills.
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12 comments:
I really don’t think a historical preservation society should have ANY say whatsoever when it comes to engineering and saving lives. If they were a REAL society, they would raze Ellicott City in its entirety and return it to its original “historical” state. No buildings. Just a creek in a ravine.
Should have been done 10 yrs ago.
Correct
635
I disagree with you.
There are people who have made lives in that town and don’t wish to give it up.
It would be a better solution for the military to stop using weather as a weapon .
Health and safety first.
I have no problem if some people want to build in the flood area, just don't ask taxpayers to pay if it gets washed away.
We should do this here, Slumsbury is flooded with trash, and crappy vacant buildings, tear them down!
Yeah, 7:30 they washed all the Russian collusion right out of town. You dingbat.
If those buildings have been there for over 100 years then why should they be demolished now?
Find another plan, A$$holes!
Joe, I have a question for you and maybe your investigative journalism could help us find an answer.
Do you remember when Jake Day got elected and then had the University of Maryland System students do a study and come up with future plans for Downtown Salisbury? If you remember correctly all of the plans were stupid and too futuristic for most of us.
One big question I want to know is did Jake Day get permission from the City Council to go ahead with the Study and to use city resources.
Second, Downtown Salisbury is supposed to be part of the Historic Society or Commission and they are supposed to get permission form the Historic Commission. Did they get permission and /or does the Historic Commission for Downtown Salisbury still exist?
Jake Day wants to come in here and tell everyone that he is the Messiah with all the answers and he wants to change the designation of Historic Downtown. If he was so successful with all of his ideas then why has he been unemployed and unemployable for many years?
Look at the success of Historic Downtown Berlin, Easton, Cambridge, St. Michaels, etc. Look at how charming those places are and Jake Day wants to change the Histor charm because he is so successful and only he has the right ideas in over 50 years.
Look at this article from the failed Daily Times reporter touting how successful these "Young Guns" are and their plans for modernizing Historic Downtown Salisbury. Have these plans to these buildings been approved by the Historic Commission.
Look at the pictures to these plans. The one building next to the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce Building is going to get an additional 6 stories on top of the original historic building with only 4 stories. First it looks stupid and it doesn't look historic at all. Look how narrow and tall the building is supposed to be and it looks out of place.
First, I thought there was a limit on how tall a building can be in Salisbury and I thought it was only 5 stories, not 12??
If you've been watching the news lately and the county council meetings you will see that the Health Department is vacating their building because of serious water problems in the basement and they are uphill to this building. Have they checked the water problems with this building? I have a feeling they didn't. These buildings are built on top of a drained pond that was part of the Wicomico River. All of Downtown for Division Street to Rt. 13 was all underwater at one time and almost all of the buildings are flooded in the basement. I seriously don't think this planned building will be able to hold 12 stories. These "Young Guns" have a mediocre education and mediocre experience. These "Young Guns" are Friends of Jakes who got these properties for next to nothing and they are planning on building on the parking lots that were given to them. Where are we going to park?
Who can investigate these concerns and make Jake Day and Jack Heath do the right thing?
https://salisburyindependent.net/salisbury-news/salisbury-rising-young-men-are-remaking-our-city/
No. In case you haven't heard this is their second major flood. They just finished re-building and another flood happened. Buildings should be demolition and put up a memorial. Don't know what the elite who moved there to be in the "in club" will do now. Maybe go back to DC. Now that all the in stops are gone some will have to learn how to cook. Really all snowflakes.
Make some phone calls to the historic society. Go to the top - send e-mailfor documentation. If you have the wrong office they should forward your request. Keep at it and
somrthiso will be done. These people take their jobs very seriously. Go to DC HQs if needed. Good luck.
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