Development Advisory Committee Charter

I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The River Hill Community Association (RHCA) Board of Directors (RHBOD) has chartered a special committee to enhance the well-being of the community by addressing issues relating to development in and near the Village of River Hill. Special committees are authorized under Article 3 of the RHCA Articles of Incorporation and Article 3 of the RHCA By-Laws.

The committee will be called the River Hill Development Advisory Committee (RHDAC). The RHDAC will monitor and review plans, attend meetings, produce document(s), and advise the RHBOD on development matters affecting the Village of River Hill. All decisions to affiliate with other organizations, represent, or speak on behalf of the RHBOD on development matters must be approved in advance by the RHBOD. The RHDAC will meet on an as needed basis and will, at a minimum, report twice-annually to the RHBOD. The committee may be suspended at the discretion of the RHBOD.

Goals and objectives of the RHDAC:

  1. Promote development that seeks to create a stronger sense of community and enhance community relationships.
  2. Minimize the negative impacts of development and re-development on the community.
  3. Improve pedestrian and bike accessibility.
  4. Promote environmental sustainability.
  5. Enhance public awareness of development matters e.g., newsletter updates, community meetings.
  6. Improve traffic and public safety.

II. MEMBERSHIP

The Committee will be comprised of a Chairperson and up to six members from the community. Members must be River Hill residents and/or property owners or must work full-time on Columbia Association (CA) assessed property in the Village of River Hill. Members must have a willingness to engage on a variety of development activities; the RHBOD discourages members from joining solely to promote a point of view on a single property.

The RHBOD will appoint a Board member as Committee Chairperson and will delegate to the Chairperson the authority to:

  1. Recommend Committee member appointments which will be approved by the RHBOD.
  2. Create work groups with a defined scope as needed to monitor proposed and planned development projects.
  3. Assign a Work Group Liaison for each work group.
  4. Advise the RHBOD on suggested member changes from the RHDAC due to lack of participation, or in the event that a member’s participation style becomes an impediment to collaborative engagement with the committee or community.

The Work Group Liaison will have the responsibility to:

  1. Monitor projects through the development cycle.
  2. Solicit community feedback on proposed or planned developments within a work group’s scope.
  3. Facilitate Work Group communication.
  4. Represent opinions of the RHBOD at community meetings such with the Department of Zoning and Planning only when approved in advance by the RHBOD.

III. BACKGROUND

The Village of River Hill is the final Columbia Village and all properties within the Village are currently New Town zoned. The Village is located on the western edge of Columbia and is physically separated from the rest of Columbia by the Middle Patuxent River. The community is generally bounded by MD 108 to the north and west and Guilford Road to the south. The Village is bisected by MD 32.

Prior to the establishment of the village, the area was primarily a game farm and nursery with some rural, residential properties interspersed. Therefore, there are numerous parcels of land within the boundaries of the village that are not New Town zoned and technically not part of the community (“outparcels”). Over time, these outparcels are being sold and subdivided for residential development, some of which is adjacent to or impacts the Village of River Hill and affects the quality of life for its residents.

MD 108 and MD 32 serve as regional transportation corridors. In the Clarksville/River Hill area, development along MD 108 is a mix of commercial, institutional, agricultural, and residential development. These roadways and the use of vicinal properties have a significant impact on the River Hill Village Center and the community as a whole. In recent years, properties along MD 108 have begun to be re-zoned and re-developed and MD 32 has begun to be widened to accommodate the rising traffic volumes and safety concerns. These changes also impact the quality of life of River Hill residents.

In October 2013, the RHBOD approved the Village Center Community Plan which defines the boundaries of the Village Center and provided short- and long-term visions for its future. The plan also identified a high-impact area surrounding the Village Center, where development changes and other issues have the potential to impact the River Hill community. Additionally, the County’s Department of Planning and Zoning is currently working on Design Guidelines for MD 108 in the Clarksville/River Hill Area. These two documents will provide a foundation for the work of the RHDAC, particularly with respect to development along the MD 108 corridor.

Approved: June 1, 2015