Chairman Watson and Members of the County Council:

The Howard County League of Women Voters supports, with amendments, Council Bill 14-2010, which sets as 5,000 square feet the minimum size of buildings to which the Howard County Green Buildings Law applies in Downtown Columbia. The bill would require that new construction of 10,000 square feet or more in Downtown Columbia be subject to the Howard County Green Buildings Law while maintaining a 50,000 square foot minimum throughout the rest of the county.

The League supports the bill based on a platform of support for environmental and sustainable balance through green building requirements.

However, the League does not understand why the bill sets forth two different standards in the Green Buildings Law, one for Downtown Columbia, and one for the rest of Howard County. While the League supports the creation and development of unique communities within the county, and understands that that means there will be different design requirements in place for these communities, we do not feel that the Green Buildings Law should be applied unequally. If the Council believes that new construction of 10,000 square feet can meet the requirements of the Green Buildings Law within Downtown Columbia, then new construction of 10,000 square feet can meet those requirements throughout the county.

The League urges adoption of Council Bill 14-2010

Alice Giles
Co-Chair, Action