Elkridge Development Designs Presented: Today in Howard County

Columbia Restaurant Looks to Expand - Iron Bridge Wine Company is navigating the county's approval process in order to add a 1,059 square foot addition to its restaurant on Route 108 near Centennial Park. The proposal is scheduled to be heard by the county's Hearing Examiner on Thursday night. The department of planning and zoning recommended in a staff report that the request be granted.

Elkridge Development Designs Presented - Developers from the KB Company presented plans last week to the Elkridge community for a four-story mixed-use building that will include 108 units, including retail and office space, according to a Howard County Times report. Residents were concerned that the four-story building would overshadow the three story buildings in the area and that the amount of residences didn't fit into the historic community on Furnace Avenue near Elkridge's Main Street, reported the paper.

One Trial Prepares to End, as Another Starts. - The jury remains deadlocked Wednesday morning in the trial of Clarence Taylor, the 38-year-old former school counselor at the Maryland School for the Deaf accused of sexually abusing seven girls by inappropriately touch them. They've now deliberated for over 10 hours.

While that trial finishes up, another begins. The trial of Donald Peoples, 22, the man charged in the execution-style shooting of a 15-year-old in Marriottsville begins Wednesday. Police said Peoples, along with two women, kidnapped the boy because they thought he had stolen $200 from them. They brought him to a field, where police say Peoples shot him in the back of the head in a field near the 11400 block of Old Frederick Road and left him for dead. The boy survived after being found by a resident and brought by rescue workers to Shock Trauma. One of the women, Chiquita Sketers, 22, pleaded guilty to attempted murder earlier this year.

Columbia Association Board Meets Thursday Night - CA's Board of Directors meets Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at CA Headquarters (10221 Wincopin Circle) in Columbia. The board's agenda includes a discussion about the long-term lake management plan and community input on the Fiscal Year 2016 budget.

County's Purchase of Verona Apartments Has People Talking - The purchase of Verona Apartments by the county has the Oakland Mills community in Columbia talking about what's going to happen with the residential complex and how will it affect the community's village center. A big concern is whether the county will increase the subsidized housing in the apartments, although Tom Carbo, the county's director of Housing and Community Services, told The Howard County Times "There's no basis for those concerns."  Jessie Newburn has a nice roundup of the issue on her blog, HoCoBlogs in the Community. She notes that two events are scheduled—a tour of the Verona Apartments on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. hosted by the county and a village meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at The Other Barn—that will provide more information about the purchase.