Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Howard County Round-Up

Well NIMBY, density, and the the need for affordable housing are making news in HoCo. In my view they are all interrelated subjects.

First, some North Laurel residents are opposing plans to build a much need community center in their area. It seems residents are worried that the new center would attract "riff-raff." What do they mean by riff-raff? Some Ellicott City residents are worried about a new moderate-income development proposed for their area. Apparently, they have the new County Executive on their side. Lets hope their concern is about traffic rather than "riff-raff." And speaking about our new County Executive, he has made some personnel decisions.

Finally, the need for affordable housing requires that we accept higher density. Of course , there are those whose concerns about density are based upon perfectly legitimate and even laudable ideals. However, sometimes a concern about density is really a concern about "too much" affordable housing which worries some because "it attracts the riff-raff." In other words its a veil for class warfare on the less economically fortunate or even worse, racism.

What do you think? Or don't you?

2 comments:

wordbones said...

Steve,

I too am suspect over the opposition to Centennial Gardens. Some folks think that all affordable housing in the county should be kept in either Columbia or the Route 1 corridor.

-wb

Anonymous said...

Why don't we build a rail line from Baltimore.