Wilde Lake Board, Residents Get Look at Village Center Plans

There are a lot of "ifs" between now and the end of 2014.

But if all Howard County government approvals are secured by the end of 2012, and the weather and other uncontrollable elements are kind to the project, it's this time three years from now that Kimco Realty officials anticipate renting the first group of units in a luxury apartment community planned for the Wilde Lake Village Center.

Kimco Vice President Geoff Glazer presented preliminary plans for the project to the Wilde Lake Village Board at its meeting Monday.

Plans to redevelop the center have been underway for "many years," according to Glazer.

The center has been without a grocery story since Giant closed in 2006 and other businesses followed suit.

Some residents hold out a hope another grocer can be recruited, while others realize there are too many larger stores nearby.

Wilde Lake is Columbia's first village center, and preservationists are concerned that part of Columbia's young history will be destroyed if some of the original retail buildings are torn down to make way for new development.

Glazer was joined by Scott Zimmerly, a director with Wood Partners, the project's developer; and Joe Schneider, an architect with Niles Bolton.

While the project will include both retail and residential redevelopment, Monday's presentation focused on the residential.

Much care has been given to making sure the two proposed buildings fit in with surrounding buildings and are attractive, project members said.

Two buildings with at least 230 units will wrap around a parking garage that will be used by tenants as well as visitors and customers of a small, first-floor retail space.

In answer to community concerns that the new facades would be monolithic, Glazer said architects were sensitive to those concerns and designed buildings that jut in and out and will use a variety of surface materials.

The garage will be designed so that it does not look like a typical parking facility with big exposed beams and open spaces, Zimmerly said.

The garage will be visible from existing tennis courts, Zimmerly said, so care will be taken to ensure an attractive sightline from those courts and the surrounding area.

Monday night's presentation kicked off the beginning of this phase of the process, Glazer told the crowd that filled the little board room at the Slayton House.

Drawings, plans, materials boards displaying some of the colors and textures under consideration for exterior use and other plan components will be on display at the Slayton House for three weeks.

Residents can view the plans and materials up close, and send comments to village board members.

Some residents expressed concern that the process is taking place over the winter holiday period. Board president Bill Santos said the public review of the plans has been extended for one week to make up for the community center being closed for a week during the holidays.

Zimmerly, a native of Howard County, said he "is excited to help bring it back to life," referring to the village center.

The new apartment community will be an high-end, luxury community targeted at military realignment families, retirees who don't want to move from Howard County and employees of Howard Community College and Howard County General Hospital.

Noting that an existing area complex has a waiting list for three-bedroom apartments, Zimmerly said more three-bedroom units than originally planned might be built to help meet that demand.

The complex will not offer any units as "affordable housing;" all will be rented at the market rate, Zimmerly said in response to a question from board member Regina Clay.

If all county approvals are done by the end of next year, Glazer said he hopes to break ground in March 2013.