Preservation Maryland

Historic Sanborn Fire map of Ellicott City, ca. 1880. Library of Congress.

Third-Party Review of Howard County Engineering Report Uncovers Shortcomings in Vetting of Demolition Plan

10/09/2018
By Preservation Maryland

Preservation Maryland has released the findings of an independent third-party review of Howard County’s engineering reports that are the basis for the plan to demolish nearly two dozen buildings in historic Ellicott City.

The third-party analysis, which was conducted by the nationally recognized engineering firm of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. (SGH), reviewed relevant reports generated by Howard County, including the McCormick Taylor Hydrology and Hydraulics Report and Howard County’s recently released five-year flood reduction plan. Additionally, in order to provide an unbiased approach, Preservation Maryland requested that SGH review the organization’s own recently released alternatives report.

Read the Executive Summary of the Report

In concluding their review and report, SGH explained that, “…we believe that flood-mitigation strategies which address both life safety concerns and preservation of the historic character of Ellicott City have not been fully vetted by Howard County.”

In particular, SGH highlighted several areas that, in their professional opinion, should be explored further. In part, SGHs recommendations included:

• Updating modeling utilizing the 2018 flood data – only 2016 flood data was utilized by the county to support its demolition plan.
• A full study of tunnel boring and costs associated with this approach. In order to have a viable cost-benefit analysis, costs to construct the tunnels should be fully understood.
• A reassessment of stormwater management impacts at the local level – the existing studies consider impacts at the macro level and localized impacts of mitigation are not fully understood.
• Review and study of mitigation strategies and conveyance improvements in combination with Open First-Floor of historic structures on lower Main Street. The county pursued an all-or-nothing approach, but there could be a variety of options including both demolition and stormwater mitigation, conveyance and retention.
• Development of a cost/benefit comparison of demolition versus Open First-Floor concept for the buildings at Lower Main Street to accompany the proposed mitigation report revision.
• Study and initiation of a program to structurally reinforce and wet floodproof historic buildings in the floodplain.

The findings of this report validated the concerns of many Howard County residents who feel the existing studies do not adequately consider alternatives to demolition and present an all-or-nothing approach.

Read the Full Engineering Report

Support Preservation Maryland’s Advocacy Fund to Fight This Demolition Plan