From The Desk of Sandy Cederbaum, Village Manager

A Year in Review (Fiscal Year May 2009 – April 2010)

Time certainly flies by! As I write this I am entering my 8th year as Village Manager and it truly feels like yesterday that I began this job. Though this article is a “year in review” I must start with my own personal “seven year review”. We have made incredible progress in the past seven years. Seven years ago we were at the beginning stages or our revitalization initiative. Thanks to our volunteers, the Oakland Mills boards, the Oakland Mills staff, determination and commitment on the part of our partners we continue to move forward in the community development phase of the initiative. Measurable outcomes of our revitalization/community development can be seen in the number of street captains we have, the Music & Arts programs we’ve sponsored, our very popular Jazz in the Mills Series and our ongoing partnerships with our local OM Schools, apartment complex managers, Howard County government and Columbia Association. The Columbia Association is a key partner of Oakland Mills through the continued funding of the Community Organizer position and through their support of our programs. Kudos to everyone for their role in making Oakland Mills a community we are proud to be a part of!

This past year our board and community addressed several important issues. As with almost all issues there are differing sides and opinions as to what everyone thinks is best. Most important is that all sides are heard and everyone’s opinion is respected. Action taken by the board, after much deliberation and discussion was to support the construction of Walgreens at the intersection of 175/Thunder Hill Road. The board hosted meetings with the developer, architects and traffic engineers over a two year period. Residents had the opportunity to attend all meetings and testify before Howard County of several occasions. The process is moving forward with an anticipated ground breaking in just a few months.

On July 11th we will celebrate the Robert Oliver Place grand opening/ribbon cutting event. Robert Oliver Place (ROPE) is the area that extends from the Other Barn to the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center. Oakland Mills received a grant from Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning three years ago to work on a community enhancement project on a Howard County right-of-way. A group of residents and Howard County planners began meeting in September, 2007. This group created the plan for the new roadway. It was a true testament to what a community can create. The space is multi-functional. It serves as a public roadway, bus stop and community gathering space. The road can be closed for our Farmers Market, for art events, for our popular Cultural Arts Festival and can be used for concerts, craft fairs and more!

This past year we made great progress in making Kilimanjaro Road a safer pedestrian road for students. Recently a pedestrian island was created for students to cross at Oakland Mills Middle School and “bump outs” were added by Oakland Mills High School. Numerous meetings were held that lead up to the roadway changes. Many thanks to Frank Eastham, Principal, OMHS, Cindy Dillon, Principal, OMMS, Oakland Mills Board, Oakland Mills Village Manager and Oakland Mills parents and students for keeping the safety issue on the front burner and to Howard County designing the roadway improvements.

Our building, The Other Barn, continues to be a popular venue for private weddings, parties, corporate meetings and community events. The newly renovated building is a much sought after
site for events. Much of the income we generate for the community is through renting the building.

As the new (fiscal) year begins please put the following events on your calendar: Oakland Mills Farmers Market every Sunday (May 9 – Nov. 22), July 11th ROPE grand opening, October 9th Oakland Mills Cultural Arts Festival, and our Jazz in the Mills Concerts on June 27th, August 29th, October 24th and December 5th!

As this year comes to a close we are busy planning many events for 2010/2011. We are continually looking for new ideas and volunteers. Please be a part of Oakland Mills, connect with your community!

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Keep informed by visiting this site (which is continually updated), reading the Oakland Mills Grist (published bi-monthly) in the Columbia Flier, reading the Home Grist which is mailed to you quarterly and by making sure you sign-up for Oakland Mills emails at omca@columbiavillages.org

Stop by and say hello, I’m here most weekdays from 9 – 5! I look forward to meeting you!