By: Chris Fazzari, News Editor
On October 1st, the Howard County Council passed a plan to purchase and demolish nineteen buildings in historic Ellicott City to mitigate future flooding. The plan is going to cost roughly $50 million over five years through the county, state and federal funding. This plan, according to The Baltimore Sun, would only reduce eight-foot flood water to four-six feet.
Ellicott City sits at the bottom of convergence between multiple rivers, making it very susceptible to flooding. (WASHPO Diagram) Because of this, Ellicott City has had devastating flooding twice in the past two years.
When introducing the plan, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman stated that the ten buildings on Main Street which the county wishes to raze “severely constrict the stream channel, intensifying the flood damage in this part of town.” Executive Kittleman is hoping that “[t]he buildings will be replaced with a wider, deeper channel, hopefully within a year.”
The nonprofit group, Ellicott City Partnership, voted unanimously to endorse the flood plan. However, the plan has been criticized by the Baltimore-based nonprofit conservation group, Preservation Maryland, which fears that this will cause the town to be removed from the National Register of Historic Places.
Senior Amira El-Dinary said, “I think that them taking out buildings will lessen the appeal of the historical district.” She continued that “I don’t think that $50 million should be spent on this.”
Junior Emily Cho argued that the money would be better spent “for so many other things that would actually help people… it’s a waste of money and a lost cause.” Because of the incessant and repeated flooding, she continued that, “If you have the money to move, I’d recommend it.”
Despite debates over the plan’s efficiency, the area should come together for the safety and security of all.
