Inner Arbor obfuscation

One of the opponents on the CA Board to the Inner Arbor used his bi-weekly newsletter to misrepresent the facts regarding a legal opinion that claims the Columbia Association has illegally given away Symphony Woods. Thus, I have responded there. But I am reposting here as my comments are awaiting moderation.

You posted this information 12 days after the Columbia Association voted to allow the CA attorney’s assessment to be publicized. Nowhere in your commentary do you mention Ms. Fanaroff’s opinion. Understandably, you don’t because it runs counter to your argument. Your reporting, which is actually commentary, is purporting to detail the events after the last CA meeting. Leaving out her opinion means that you are potentially lying, or at least misrepresenting the situation, to your constituents.

I find it odd that you are proceeding in this manner, given that you claim that the Inner Arbor Trust was conceived in secrecy. Your actions & words display a covert, secretive edge. You have decided you don’t like something so you will lie and mislead people.

Thank you for apologizing to Mr. Matthews for presenting his testimony to the Planning Board. As the President, he should be the voice for CA publicly. Once something is approved, he should champion that idea. I only wish that you could come before the PB to apologize for your mistake. These situations, unfortunately, demonstrate the lack of professionalism that you have brought to the CA board.

Symphony Woods Shenanigans or Finding Columbia's "Black Helicopter" Crowd

Today, I received a note from Town Center with a letter advocating against the inclusion of monies in the County Executive's budget for the Inner Arbor Trust. Needless to say, as readers of this blog well know, I was a *bit* upset. So, I figured I'd write a letter to said County Executive & my County Council member.

I'm having difficulty posting the Board letter on here, but my spray painting comment is aimed at the following sentence in their request: "Our Board also questions the awarding of taxpayer dollars to an organization...which has tried to restrict use of Symphony Woods to a group of Columbians who gathered to understand the various plans for the Woods..." This "group" acted like teenagers in their reckless disregard of private property. And understanding the various plans? No, saying why the Inner Arbor is horrible & telling lies about everyone involved.

Dear Ms. Sigaty & Mr. Ulman,

Please note all opinions expressed are my own.

As you may know, the Columbia Village elections were hardly representative of the electorate. I did vote & my candidate lost for the Columbia Board.

I live in Warfield Triangle & Symphony Woods is my neighborhood. I moved here in 2003, hoping for progress & a walkable downtown where I could raise my family. When I saw Cy Paumier’s initial plans for the SW area, my reaction was “Really? It’s hardly an improvement on what’s there now.” When I saw that his plans had been scrapped for the Inner Arbor plan, I was excited! Finally, there was a vision that was outside the box.

Prior to the vote, I attended a rally that purported to demonstrate the two versions of plans for Symphony Woods. The sponsors, Cy Paumier & Alan Klein, had spray painted grass and stapled signs to trees throughout the park. I believe they did not obtain the necessary liability insurance & if someone had tripped on a tree root, Columbia Assocation/Inner Arbor Trust would have been liable.

Beyond all of this, though, was the lies & misrepresentations they made about the Inner Arbor plan. They indicated their express desire for the Inner Arbor plan to fail. Some of the elements have never been done before.

But isn’t Columbia about innovation? Their arguments against the Inner Arbor demonstrate fear of change. I’ve only lived for 17 years. If you look at the pictures of the people who attended the rally, they are not raising families anymore.

While Columbia’s villages may be governed by a small electorate determined to hold on to the 1970 vision of Columbia, please realize that my fellow elementary school parents do not feel this way. We see Symphony Woods as a wasted space only used for Wine in the Woods for 3 days/year.

Giving Columbia a bustling town center is crucial to the health of Howard County. Please keep your budgeted allocation for this worthy, exciting opportunity for our city & county. I believe I can count on your continued support on this project as you have both been advocates for it.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Kirsten Coombs

Town Center