In a previous post 2007 Capital Budget IV I discussed a particular $25 million item in the capital budget. “What does this have to do with Columbia Town Center?” you might ask. I will get to that.
The Howard County Times did a good job reporting on the capital budget in terms of hitting the hightlights. They have an in the April 6, 2006 edition discussing the very same thing. They answered one of my questions. I am glad to know that Dreyers will contribute $42 million toward the project over the next 30 years. I have no way of knowing how they arrived at that contribution and no way of knowing if it is fair compensation.What escaped my attention was:
The expansion will cost the county … $47 million in 2008, said James Irvin, the director of the county’s Department of Public Works.
Wow. Total expenditures from 2006 – 2008 are $85 million.
What we don’t know is if Dreyers will be here in 30 years and what Nestle S.A.’s plans are for their new business unit they took control of in January 2006. Who can predict that far out?
On to Columbia Town Center
From the Master Plan regarding Water and Sewer
WATER AND SEWER CAPACITY
Water: The Department of Public Works projects that maximum water demand for the proposed development will range from 1,030,000 gallons per day (gpd) to 1,830,000 gpd. DPW has determined that the current water supply is adequate to meet this additional demand; however, the US 29 water pumping station will need upgrading.
Sewer: DPW projects the design peak sewerage flow for the proposed development will range from 2,128,000 gpd to 3,400,000 gpd. DPW already has capital projects underway for both expansion of the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant and for additional capacity for three sewer interceptors within Town Center and the Little Patuxent parallel sewer interceptor from Columbia to the Water Reclamation Plant in Laurel (about 8 miles). DPW will have its consultant study the anticipated additional capacity needed for Downtown.
Water and sewer system improvements will be needed to support the proposed development in Downtown. Water and sewer lines within Downtown will be constructed by developers. System improvements (water pump station, sewer interceptor, and waste water treatment plant expansions) are funded by user revenues paid to the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund
Someone put it to me this way:
“This is] massive … compared to Dreyers, [the] increases in water and sewer use will blow the entire utility system out of the ground. …the top utility guys … think the TC plans are DOA, because of this overlooked fact. The capital improvments planned for utilities barely take this … expansion into account. Additionally, a study, if it can be done, would take months. The big question is this. Why is DPZ flying on autopilot without checking with DPW to address the feasibility of the whole plan? Another $1/4 million or more down the toliet, literally, due to totally incompetent planning from DPZ. The TC master plan is nothing more than … delusions of granduer passed along to an inept county planning group. One of those “looks great on paper” ideas [but] are impossible to build. If the approach to roads is, ‘We will deal with the traffic issues as they arise.’ so is the approach to sewer and water. That meanthey will take care of the problems after they occur, which is not the kind of planning I want done in my backyard.
Treatment plant upgrades can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and that is only if MDE [Maryland Department of the Enviroment] grants a permit for expansion. There should be no increases in density until the permitting process is well underway. You can’t build the toliets either until the plant upgrade is complete. Just the upgrade and permits could take 5 years. with everything going just right.”
Well this is definately something to keep an eye on, as I don’t believe, based on the comments above and what is described in the budget, that the $85 million in the Little Patuxent improvements will alone solve for the proposed high density in Town Center.
Are we going to end up borrowing another $85 million to accomodate for the Town Center Master Plan? How can a plan that is billed as being “comprehensive” if DPZ isn’t engaging DPW? Granted I am taking the writer at his/her word but knowing this person as I do I trust he/she knows what they are talking about.
Ok, here is my plug for Merdon. He would ensure that these two inter-related departments are jointly planning on issues like this because he has extensive executive and management experience. It would be second nature to a person with his background and he wouldn’t stand for that type of behavior. If we have to drop $85 million in additional improvements at LP and additional expenditures else where in infrastructure improvements lets know now so we can plan.
