Politics & Government

County Council OKs Mixed Income Development in Ellicott City

The council unanimously agreed to transfer land to the county for a new, mixed-income development along Ellicott Mills Drive.

The Howard County Council approved a transfer of land in Ellicott City to the County for .

The development, which will replace the Hilltop public housing apartment complex, Roger Carter Recreation Center, Tiber Hudson Senior Housing Complex and Ellicott Terrace complex, will create 278 subsidized and market-rate one, two and three-bedroom apartments and townhomes along Ellicott Mills Drive.

Before voting to transfer the land to the county, Courtney Watson, whose district includes the development, cited several changes that had been made to the original plans to address residents’ concerns.

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  • Three layers of landscaping will separate the abutting Chapel View neighborhood from the development.
  • Lighting on the new Roger Carter Recreation Center’s parking garage will be positioned so that it does not shine on nearby homes.
  • A fence will run the length of the development to separate the adjacent neighborhood from the recreation center.
  • If construction crews need to use dynamite, which Watson said is likely, a study will determine how nearby houses could be affected and special precautions will be put in place. Also, photographs will be taken of nearby houses before demolition begins so that any damage that may occur can be documented.
  • A historic house on Fels Lane, known as the Miles House, will not be used as a maintenance building, as the county had initially proposed.
  • There will not be an amphitheater built on any of the land being transferred.

The council Monday also unanimously approved a transfer of up to $1.7 million from the general fund to the snow removal budget.


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