Monthly CA JULY 2014
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F C O L U M B I A A S S O C I AT I O N
Market Study Looking at Future of
2 Why I Serve: CA Board Member Reginald Avery of Oakland Mills 3 Lakefront Summer Festival: July Schedule 8 Be a Part of Your Community Events
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Village Centers M
uch has changed in this world since 1967, and that includes how and where people shop. Columbia, too, has changed in the decades since Columbia’s nine village centers were conceived and then constructed.
Retail and grocery options in this community are no longer limited to the village centers and The Mall in Columbia. There are more grocery shopping options and many more retail outlets in Columbia, including big box and national chain stores. The village centers, by and large, are not located on major thoroughfares and lack visibility. And then there is the impact of online shopping. With all of this in mind, and with the desire to continue to keep Columbia a community of choice, Columbia Association (CA) recently partnered with the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning and the Howard County Economic Development Authority to complete the Columbia Market Analysis and Economic Development Services Study. “The primarily goal of the study is to better understand the market potential for each village center and the relationship of the centers to other competing commercial areas,” said Jane Dembner, director of CA’s Community Building and Open Space Service Bureau. “This knowledge will be key
Hickory Ridge Village Center
to identifying strategies that can help revitalize and, if warranted, help reposition the village centers.” The study focused on eight of Columbia’s nine village centers, as redevelopment in Wilde Lake is already underway. It also looked at areas around the former General Electric manufacturing area, Dobbin Road and Snowden River Parkway to understand the competitive marketplace. Expert consultants reviewed studies, conducted interviews, analyzed a variety of market information and trends, and held four public meetings to allow (continued on page 3) C A M O N T H LY 1
CA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015
Reginald Avery, Oakland Mills 443-545-6714 RTAvery@verizon.net
Michael Cornell, River Hill 410-531-9340 MichaelCornell@comcast.net
Tom O’Connor, Dorsey’s Search Nancy McCord, Wilde Lake 410-336-9269 410-730-2309 Nancy.McCord@LongAndFoster.com TomFOC3@Verizon.net
Brian Dunn, Kings Contrivance 301-473-0077 BrianJDunn@gmail.com
Jeanne Ketley, Town Center 301-596-1097 TownCenterCARep@gmail.com
Alan Klein, Harper’s Choice 410-992-3025 AlanKleinCA@gmail.com
Gregg Schwind, Hickory Ridge 443-831-8847 Gregg.Schwind@Yahoo.com
Andrew Stack, Owen Brown 410-381-8897 Andrew.Stack@CA-Board.org
Russell Swatek, Long Reach 410-799-1497 Swatek1@yahoo.com
WHYI SERVE:CA Board Member Reginald Avery of Oakland Mills By David Greisman
eginald Avery was a Kansas City resident who found himself in Howard County in 2000, accompanying his wife, Anne, as she attended a work conference at a hotel in downtown Columbia. His youngest daughter had recently been born, and they were looking for a place to buy diapers. “We drove around and said, ‘This is a beautiful community,’” Avery said. “My wife said, ‘I’d really like to move here one day.’” Three years later, Avery’s job transferred him to Washington, D.C. The family looked for a home, rediscovered Columbia and moved to Oakland Mills. They have been there since. From 2010 to 2014,
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Avery served on his village board. And this past May, Avery became Oakland Mills’ representative on the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors. “I always wanted to serve,” said Avery, a 60-year-old who is also on the PTA Council of Howard County. “If you talk about why things are bad and you don’t do anything about it, or if you want to talk about how to improve something and don’t do anything about it, then you’re part of the problem. I want to help. I want to have a say about what goes on in my village and what goes on in Columbia.” Service runs in Avery’s family. His father was in the U.S. Army; Avery was born and lived for about five years in Japan, where
his father was stationed. Avery went to college at West Point, was commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant, and left in 1997 as a lieutenant colonel who spent 21 years serving, with deployments that included action in Grenada, Panama and Operation Desert Storm. He went on to work for the federal departments of Labor, Treasury and Agriculture, and he now works for a defense contractor. Avery received his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1990 and his master of business administration from Kansas City’s Rockhurst University in 2003. “I’ve been all over the world. I’ve seen every type of community,” Avery said. “I enjoy the diversity of Columbia and the way the community is set up. We live near the capital of the nation, and it’s still a small-town feel.”
LakefrontSummerFestival he 2014 Columbia Association Lakefront Summer Festival continues until September 13, with free concerts, movies and more at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront. All films begin at dusk (about 8:30 p.m.). Concerts are approximately two hours unless otherwise noted and begin at 8 p.m. on every day except for Sundays, when they begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information and a full schedule, go to ColumbiaAssociation.org/LakefrontFestival.
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JulySchedule Tuesday, July 1 • Teen open mic night Wednesday, July 2 • Concert: Little Sammy and Soulification (rock/soul) Thursday, July 3 • Concert: Painted Trillium (Celtic) Friday, July 4 • July 4th celebration (fireworks at 9:30 p.m.) Saturday, July 5 • Fireworks rain date, 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 6 • Concert: Retro-Rockets (oldies rock ‘n’ roll) Monday, July 7 • Movie: Disney’s “Monsters University” (G) Tuesday, July 8 • Teen open mic night Wednesday, July 9 • Concert: Damon Foreman and Blue Funk (jazz/funk and blues) Thursday, July 10 • Concert: Gary and The Groove (good-time rock ‘n’ roll) Friday, July 11 • Movie: Disney’s “Frozen” (PG), plus Dancin’ Under the People Tree Saturday, July 12 • Concert: Project Natale (contemporary jazz) Sunday, July 13 • Concert: Part Harmony (vintage a cappella: motown/pop/inspirational) Monday, July 14 • Movie: “How to Train Your Dragon” (PG) Tuesday, July 15 • Teen open mic night Wednesday, July 16 • Concert: Dave Chappell Band (roots rock)
Thursday, July 17 • Concert: Rich Walton (contemporary jazz) Friday, July 18 • Movie: “Thor: The Dark World” (PG-13), plus Dancin’ Under the People Tree Saturday, July 19 • Concert: Carl Filipiak (jazz/rock fusion) Sunday, July 20 • Concert: St. John Baptist Church Sacred Arts (gospel) Monday, July 21 • Movie: “Despicable Me 2” (PG) Tuesday, July 22 • Teen open mic night Wednesday, July 23 • Concert: One Flight Up (funk/r&b/rock) Thursday, July 24 • Concert: Ruthie and The Wranglers (American country) Friday, July 25 • Movie: “Iron Man 3” (PG-13), plus Dancin’ Under the People Tree Saturday, July 26 • Concert: Julie Hall (jazz vocals) Sunday, July 27 • Concert: Daniel Rego (Brazilian pop/contemporary) Monday, July 28 • Movie: “Dolphin Tale” (PG) Tuesday, July 29 • Teen open mic night Wednesday, July 30 • Concert: Salbomple (Latin: salsa, bomba, plena) Thursday, July 31 • Concert: Rollex band (Motown/r&b)
Columbia Association’s (CA) next session of Excite Columbia returns this fall. Excite Columbia is CA’s citizens academy, which gives community Returns This Fall! members insight on how CA operates and how CA serves them. Details for registration will be available soon. For more information about Excite Columbia, please visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Excite.
Excite
Columbia
Columbia’s
Village Centers
(continued from page 1)
for more public interaction and education. The consultants will present to the CA Board of Directors in August, and the final report is expected later in the summer. Among their conclusions are that village center grocery stores are now operating in a highly competitive marketplace, particularly on the east side of the community. However, most village centers are in balance with the market demands, as indicated by low retail and office vacancy rates. Long Reach is an exception. The consultants also reported very low residential vacancies throughout Columbia and that additional customers, specifically additional residents, could increase the viability of some village centers. They also found additional demand, although limited, for modest amounts of local-serving office and food and beverage establishments. While there are plans for the county to purchase and redevelop part of Long Reach Village Center and a church to purchase the former grocery store, the consultants noted that other concepts have worked as anchors in neighborhood shopping centers. They recommend that the county and the centers’ owners have strategies in place in case additional supermarkets close. More information about preliminary recommendations can be found online by going to ColumbiaAssociation.org/MarketStudy and clicking on “Fourth Public Meeting Presentation.” C A M O N T H LY 3
money matters
Columbia Association’s
4th Quarter REPORTS
CA’s Budget for FY2015 CA’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget was approved by CA’s Board of Directors in February 2014. The total revenues for the FY15 budget are $1.9 million higher than the FY14 budgeted total revenues. The budgeted total operating expenses for FY2015 are $63.3 million, which is about $2.3 million higher than FY14’s budgeted total expenses.
Everything you need to know about the finances of CA is here for your review!
*
Organization-Wide
Life Services
Community Services
Columbia Association (CA) finished FY14 with an unaudited increase in net assets of about $5.4 million, greater than budget by nearly $2 million, or 56.6 percent. Total income of $63.3 million was 1.8 percent under budget for the year, and 0.8 percent lower than FY13. Total operating expenses of $57.9 million were more than $3.1 million, or 5.1 percent, lower than budget, and were 3.6 percent lower than in FY13.
The Life Services Bureau, which includes the Community Services Division and the Sport and Fitness Division, finished FY14 with income of $28.1 million, lower than budget by about $1.9 million, or 6.4 percent, and lower than FY13 by $650,000, or 2.3 percent. Total operating expenses of $36.5 million were lower than budget by $114,000, or 0.3 percent, and were 3 percent lower than in FY13.
The Community Services Division finished $52,000 ahead of budget primarily due to small savings throughout many of the expenses lines, as well as increased tuition and enrollment from School Age Services. Among some highlights this year, School Age Services implemented the grant-funded SASSY program focused on combating childhood obesity. Summer Camp registration is now available online. The annual charge also provides more than $5.8 million in support to the village associations.
Sport and Fitness The Sport and Fitness Division finished behind budget and below last year mainly due to the write-off of the remaining asset value of the former Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club clubhouse and much lower than expected revenue from Package Plan membership income. Construction on the new Hobbit’s Glen clubhouse is underway, and construction of the Owen Brown Tennis clubhouse is expected to be completed early in FY15.
Community Building and Open Space
Sales and Marketing
The Community Building and Open Space Service Bureau finished FY14 with expenses of a little less than $12 million, which was lower than budget by about $2.1 million, or 15.1 percent. Among the accomplishments in the fourth quarter were the awarding of a state grant of $545,000 for implementing additional stormwater management projects and the continuation of the successful rain garden program; completing CA’s Comprehensive Plan for Older Adults; and the management of the Columbia Market study.
Total active memberships have increased by 1.7 percent from the same period last year. CA’s Sales and Marketing team continues to sell and promote memberships and programs through various media, including print ads, direct mail, digital advertising, posters, flyers and community partnerships. Team members are focusing their summer advertising efforts on golf, Haven on the Lake, outdoor pools and general CA memberships.
For further explanation of individual variances, please refer to the FY14 Fourth Quarter Board Report, available at CA Headquarters, 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, MD 21044, or online at ColumbiaAssociation.org (click on “Transparency” and then “CA Budget”).
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Are you wondering why you pay an annual charge? The average Columbia resident household pays an annual charge of just $1.28 a day, per person.* This gives all of us open space, lakes, bridges, pathways, village community centers, tot lots and concerts; reduces the cost for camps, pools, gyms, golf and tennis; helps support bigger projects such as completing a pathway loop around Lake Kittamaqundi and improved pathway connectivity around Columbia; watershed protection and restoration; and more. When you figure a latte at your local coffee shop averages about $4, what you pay CA goes pretty far.
MORE INFORMATION
can be found regarding CA and the issues on the horizon
in Fiscal Year 2015 by visiting ColumbiaAssociation.org. Columbia Association FY 2015 Approved Budget ($000’s) Summary of Funds, Expenditures and Annual Borrowings
where the money comes from
$74,100
Sport and Fitness Income $26,780 36.1%
Residential Annual Charge $22,651 30.6%
Commercial Annual Charge $12,196 16.4%
Borrowings $7,706 10.4%
Community Services Programs $4,136 5.6%
where the money is used
$74,100
Board of Directors: Includes administrative costs for supporting the CA Board Administrative Services: Departmental costs related to supporting the organization
* Total Capital Expenditures of $14,810 have been increased by $558 due to certain unallocated non-cash adjustments.
Capital Expenditures: Includes items such as construction and improvements to new and existing buildings and land, as well as costs for vehicles, equipment, etc.
* The most recent financial statements and independent audit report are located at ColumbiaAssociation.org.
($1.28 a day per * person based on an average residential property value of $350,000 with an average of 2.53 persons per household.)
Interest and Others $631 0.9%
This data representation is not in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Sport/Fitness Programs and Facilities $26,953 36.4%
Capital Expenditures* $15,368 20.7%
Open Space Management $12,280 16.6%
Community Services Programs $5,999 8.1%
Village Community Associations $4,981 6.7%
Debt Repayment $4,338 5.8%
Contingencies/ Administrative Services Other $1,793 $1,445 2.4% 2.0%
Board of Directors $943 1.3% C A M O N T H LY 5
James Rouse at Leisure:
New Exhibit at Columbia Archives
ames Rouse was of course wellknown for his role as the founder of Columbia — he even ended up on the cover of Time magazine. But a new exhibit at Columbia Archives, “Jim Rouse at Leisure,” shows a different side of him. “This exhibit shows the more human side of Rouse, the unpretentious man who many people knew from his manner of dress,” said Barbara Kellner, director of Columbia Association’s (CA) Columbia Archives. “We thought, particularly in the summertime, that highlighting the way Rouse spent his leisure time could connect people to him in a different manner. In many ways he was just plain ‘Jim,’ walking the paths and fishing in the lake.” The exhibit opens on July 1 and will run through September at the Archives, which is located in the American City Building at 10227 Wincopin Circle in downtown Columbia. A reception on July 17 at 7 p.m. will be an opportunity to visit after hours and enjoy a program highlighted by a Rouse family member recalling vacations and get-togethers. “Jim Rouse at Leisure” includes photos, documents and artifacts such as a passport showing the extent of his business travel, a pair of his ice skates, a fishing rod, an Orioles shirt presented to Rouse on his 80th birthday by famed third-baseman Brooks Robinson, and even a turtle shell. This exhibit continues the celebration of what would’ve been Rouse’s 100th birthday. A separate exhibit on the life and legacy of Rouse will be hosted from Aug. 11 to Aug. 24 at The Mall in Columbia
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and then at the Howard County Central Library in September. And the annual Columbia BikeAbout, on Sept. 13, will start in Wilde Lake Park and will highlight some Rouse-specific sites. For information, email Columbia. Archives@ColumbiaAssociation. org or call 410-715-3103.
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA ARCHIVES
“Jim Rouse at Leisure,” an exhibit at Columbia Archives that opens July 1, shows the more human side of Rouse.
Columbia Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade Cooperative:
Improve Comfort and Save Money! By Jeremy Scharfenberg
ost older homes have a room that’s always too hot in the summer or freezing cold in the winer. It’s the room no one wants to spend time in, because you’re either blasting the air conditioning or a fan or curling up under blankets. BGE’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program helps you identify comfort and energy-efficiency problems throughout your home — and ways to fix them. The Home Performance Energy Audit includes a blower-door test to look for air leakage, and equipment and attic insulation inspections. A report summarizes the findings, recommendations and rebates, which rage from $100 to $3,150 and are offered through BGE’s Smart Energy Savers Program® for qualifying home improvements and equipment upgrades. BGE customers can get an energy audit — a $400 value — for just $100.
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CA has launched a Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade Cooperative. CA’s implementation partner, Retrofit Baltimore, will guide Columbia homeowners through each step of the energy improvement process and ensure you receive quality work from a thoroughly vetted contractor. Columbia homeowners will also benefit from a bulk discount by purchasing these services together under the cooperative — so talk to your neighbors about energy efficiency and sign up for a Home Performance Energy Audit through CA’s cooperative today! To sign up for an energy audit under CA’s cooperative visit Retrofit Baltimore.com/Columbia. To learn more, please visit EnergyStar.gov and BGESmartEnergy.com.
CA Board Recap t the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors meeting held on Thursday, June 12, the CA Board of Directors voted to approve a transfer of $1.219 million in additional capital funds to Haven on the Lake, a mind body wellness retreat that is anticipated to open in late fall 2014 at the site of the new Whole Foods Market in downtown Columbia. That funding will allow for a pool and other previously planned features to be included in the project. A total of $948,000 of that additional funding will come from savings realized in more than 90 capital projects that were completed under budget in the last year. The board also approved delaying spending $235,000 on a digital signage project and replacing one vehicle, and postponed spending $75,000 for planning for renovations to the barn at Wilde Lake Park. The next scheduled Board of Directors meetings will be held on Thursday, July 10 and 24. Meetings are held at CA Headquarters, 10221 Wincopin Circle, across the street from The Mall in Columbia. Meetings typically begin at 7:30 p.m. For current CA Board of Directors meeting minutes and agendas, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Agendas. Podcasts from board meetings also are available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Podcasts.
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IMPORTANT CA PHONE NUMBERS CA Headquarters...............................................410-715-3000 CA Membership Service Center...................410-730-1801 Aquatics Office ..................................................410-312-6332 Columbia Art Center ........................................410-730-0075 Columbia Athletic Club ...................................410-730-6744 Columbia Association Camps.......................410-715-3165 Columbia Gym ....................................................410-531-0800 Columbia Horse Center...................................301-776-5850 Columbia Ice Rink.............................................410-730-0322 Columbia SportsPark/SkatePark .................410-715-3054 Columbia Swim Center....................................410-730-7000 Columbia Teen Center .....................................410-992-3726 Fairway Hills Golf Club....................................410-730-1112 Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club ...................................410-730-5980 Inclement Weather Hotline ...........................410-715-3154 Indoor Tennis, Columbia Athletic Club......410-720-0149 Owen Brown Tennis Bubble ..........................410-381-7255 Supreme Sports Club .......................................410-381-5355 The Racquet Club at Hobbit’s Glen ............410-715-3080 Wilde Lake Tennis Club...................................410-730-3767
Six Service-Minded Seniors Earn $2,500 Scholarships or more than 25 years, Columbia Association (CA) has recognized high school seniors for outstanding service to their community. This year, the Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia Scholarship Award, a $2,500 scholarship, was awarded to: ● Evan-Nicole Bell, from Wilde Lake High School, who has volunteered as a junior coach for Girls on the Run since 2011 and has been a tutor in Wilde Lake Middle School’s “After School at the Lake” program. Bell will be attending Duke University. ● Matthew Bleakney, from Atholton High School, who for his Eagle Scout project designed and built a handicap-accessible patio, table and benches for the ARC of Howard County’s clients to enjoy. He’s also tutored his peers since 2011. Bleakney
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will be attending UMBC. ● Sabrina Elshafei, from Atholton High School, who completed her Girl Scouts Gold Award service project by renovating the speech therapy room at Head Start, transforming it into a colorful, brighter and more attractive space for the students. In middle school, she developed a mentoring program called
SpiritofColumbia “Adopt a Tiger Shark.” Elshafei will be attending University of Maryland. ● Katrina Hodge, from Wilde Lake High School, who has been involved in her school’s “Best Buddies” program since 2010 and has become an advocate for students with intellectual disabilities. She has also been an event volunteer at Kahler Hall in Harper’s Choice for the past four years. Hodge will be
attending Chowan University. ● Tiffany Kan, from River Hill High School, who has served on her village’s Teen Advisory Committee since her sophomore year, and for the past two years she has been the student member of the village community association’s board of directors. Kan is also a co-founder of the Coalition Halting Obesity in Children Everywhere (CHOICE). Kan will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University. ● Jennifer Mandl, from Atholton High School, who has been involved with Food on the 15th for the past eight years. Mandl participated in the Leadership U class of 2011, which raised awareness about domestic violence and how to deal with it. They also collected toiletries and food for the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County, which is now known as HopeWorks. Mandl will be attending University of Maryland in the fall. C A M O N T H LY 7
July
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn about more great events happening in Columbia!
Prepare to Care for Aging Family Members Tue, July 1 • 6:30-8pm Historic Oakland 410-730-4744 • Presented by Howard County Office on Aging. Teen Open Mic Night Tue, July 1 • 7:15pm Downtown Columbia Lakefront • 410-715-3000 Outdoor Pools Member Appreciation Day July 1-27 • Time varies Location varies • Columbia Association.org/PoolParty or Emily.Lecompte@ ColumbiaAssociation.org Independence Day Parade Fri, July 4 • 9am-noon Along Great Star Drive 410-531-1749 CA International Book Club Wed, July 9 • 7:30-9pm Columbia Archives 410-715-3162 CA Board of Directors Meeting Thu, July 10 • 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters 410-715-3000 Master Gardeners: Gardening in Small Spaces Reception Sun, July 13 • 3-5pm Slayton House 410-730-3987 Jim Rouse at Leisure Exhibit Opening Reception Thu, July 17 • 7pm Columbia Archives Columbia.Archives@ ColumbiaAssociation.org. 8 C A M O N T H LY
Long Reach Pool Party Mon, July 21 • 6-8:30pm Kendall Ridge Pool 410-730-8113 • Long Reach residents only. Tickets required in advance. Senior Seminars: Lifetime Transitions Tue, July 22 4:30-6:30pm Hawthorn Center 410-730-3456 World Languages Café Wed, July 23 • 7-9pm Wegmans • 410-715-3162
Come and join the fun at Columbia Association’s outdoor pools member appreciation days. CA will be holding events at every outdoor pool through August. Activities vary by location, but will include contests, moon bounces, giveaways, music, food and more. Please visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/PoolParty for more information.
CA Board of Directors Meeting Thu, July 24 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters 410-715-3000 Family Pool Party Tue, July 29 • 6-8pm Bryant Woods Pool 410-730-4744 • Tickets required • Free to Town Center and Wilde Lake residents only.
Family Pool Party Wed, July 30 • 6-8pm Hawthorn Pool 410-730-7327 • Tickets required. Stop by the village office to pick up your free wristband. For Hickory Ridge residents only.