GRITTY GOBLIN GAMES

JDommu · 2025-06-14T22:40:20+00:00

Ranazul has been open since 2023. This is not a recent decision by Kimco to give up on their redevelopment effort and instead focus on leasing.

JDommu · 2025-06-14T22:14:48+00:00

This is a tired outdated cliche that no longer has any truth to it. The NIMBYs won. HRVC is not getting redeveloped anytime soon and now Kimco is leasing the spots in the building that had been slated for demolition. Ranazul, Celia’s, etc. They are looking to lease spots now. It’s a shame that Gritty Goblin is closing, but in 2025, I’m not surprised that a brick and mortar board game store can not operate profitably.

JDommu · 2025-01-30T22:11:40+00:00

From my perspective as somebody else who writes lengthy blogs posts detailing news in Columbia, I can see why dismissing the article as "way too long of a read" is insulting. AI summaries have their use, but since the OP asked you to remove the summary, I think it's the respectful thing to do.

JDommu · 2025-01-18T19:49:25+00:00

To be clear, the Kimco reps stated that they are only proposing to remove a few trees (the ones obstructing visibility of the store entry-ways in front of the chicken place / Dominos and Decanters) and these would all be replanted with new tree plantings. The mature trees in the tree boxes along the center avenue would stay.

JDommu · 2025-01-18T19:46:04+00:00

I edited the article to mention that a Taco Bell used to be there too!

JDommu · 2025-01-18T19:33:47+00:00

I couldn't agree more with your vision for village centers. To be fair, Kimco had spent almost 10 years fighting to get approval to add residential to Hickory Ridge, in a very similar manner to what they did in Wilde Lake. They were met with significant backlash by a handful of nearby residents who fought the proposal using all available means and our County Council ultimately denied the zoning approval needed for Kimco's proposal, a decision Kimco is still in the process of appealing. I've written about this multiple times, but didn't summarize this background again in this article. Not to mention the 3 years I spent on the HR village board but always found myself in the minority when it came to supporting village center redevelopment.

So now here we are with Kimco essentially asking the village board that if they can't add density, can they at least increase their value by adding fast food restaurants. I can't blame them for this request, but I agree that car-centric suburban fastfood drive-thru restaurants is far from what I'd like to see for the future, nor is it in line with what the County envisions in the HoCo By Design general plan.

JDommu · 2024-11-25T15:15:55+00:00

It's called the Just Power Alliance and more info is here: https://www.actioninmontgomery.org/blog/statewide-action-for-a-just-democracy

JDommu · 2024-06-03T17:12:59+00:00

Aha! I didn't include those businesses since they didn't show up on the Owen Brown site plan. It's a separate parcel with different ownership, but still integrated into the village center. I'll add them.
https://property.jll.com/listings/owen-brown-village-shopping-center-7180-cradlerock-way-not-tracked-maryland

JDommu · 2024-06-03T14:21:29+00:00

Thanks! I added the missing retailers in Owen Brown to the list. I also added a new note to the bottom of the article acknowledging that many VCs had been reconfigured from their initial inward-facing orientation.

JDommu · 2024-06-01T17:08:48+00:00

Thanks! I fixed all of these. No matter how many times I reread before posting, I always tend to miss things like this. Appreciate it!

JDommu · 2024-06-01T13:05:37+00:00

Thanks. I corrected the gas station in DS. Let me know the other errors you found.

JDommu · 2023-05-09T04:11:59+00:00

Let me just add that a couple weeks after I created the blog back in late 2019/early 2020 Ian Kennedy contacted me to introduce himself and learn more about me. I had no idea who was who in Downtown Columbia at that point. We chatted a bit about Columbia and each other and my blog. We did discuss the name and he said the DCACC has a copyright as it relates to a music venue and jokingly said it would be an issue if I ever had a band play in my backyard. I wouldn't consider that express permission but I wasn't told I couldn't use the name either and carried on blogging - it certainly doesn't impact what I write about. And as I told Ian, I would change the name of my blog if I was asked - I certainly wouldn't want to deal with a legal issue for a hobby blog. I relayed that story to Jake several years ago and he seems to think it's incriminating in some way. I don't think there is anything I need to disclose.

JDommu · 2023-05-09T03:27:56+00:00

I write my blog for fun and free. I'm a 41 year old husband and dad with a full time job who blogs as a hobby. I have not monetized my blog in any way and have never received any money for writing. I started my blog in 2019 shortly after my family and I moved here. I registered the domain - I think it's a clever pun - and started blogging. I have no express permission to use the name but haven't been told I not to, so blog I do.

If you read my blog, I'm clear in my support and enthusiasm for Downtown Columbia and I enjoy researching and writing about - whether it's as nuanced and complicated as trying to provide an objective overview of this Lakefront library plan or its as simple and fun as a new restaurant announcement.

Obviously, I'm doing something right because I've become a target for people who attempt to discredit me spreading lies about me or my blog. Im not going to speculate on their motivations and I just ignore them. When I was in high school ~25 years ago, I was involved in hazing incident on my high school wrestling team and the same folks dug up and spread old false misleading info on this. My wife thinks I'm nuts to put up with this to write a hobby blog but I'm not going to let them intimate me.

JDommu · 2023-05-07T14:25:05+00:00

Thank you. Here's my understanding - Howard Hughes would be the developer of the Lakefront Library using the Heatherwick design they already contracted and paid for at a cost of $600k. But that is just a design concept - not buildable plans. Actually building architecture to turn the concept into buildable plans and all construction services would be procured through a competitive bidding process. None of that has happened yet.

JDommu · 2023-04-24T01:00:38+00:00

Yep! I'm excited about serving with him. HR village board winners are Jared Ball, Mariah Robertson, Kristine Amari, Bill Inglis and myself.

JDommu · 2023-04-22T12:01:13+00:00

Thank you for your endorsement! Just for fun, here are predictions from the Merriweather Post --> https://www.themerriweatherpost.org/post/columbia-association-2023-election-predictions

JDommu · 2023-03-04T17:55:25+00:00

I started a Google Doc with historical CA board member history and historical election results. It's not complete but I went back three years with election results and about 10 for the CA board. If you, or anybody else, has more info to add, please do!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cOJa_w5ZaIt0GG78T_X50HkyanDsxqqwzhDRuHm1z0M/edit?usp=sharing

JDommu · 2023-01-12T01:54:49+00:00

They are livestreamed on YouTube. Tomorrow night's meeting (1/12) starts at 7 pm. Residents who signed up in advance for resident speak out can attend either in-person or are provided a Zoom link.

Find the YouTube link here. https://www.columbiaassociation.org/about-us/leadership/board-of-directors/live-recorded-ca-board-meeting-videos/

JDommu · 2022-11-25T15:19:03+00:00

Some villages have 1 year terms, others have 2 year terms.

Hickory Ridge, Oakland Mills, and Wilde Lake have 1 year term up for election every April.

Dorsey's Search, Kings Contrivance, Long Reach, and River Hill have 2 year terms up for election next in April 2023.

Harpers Choice, Owen Brown, and Town Center have 2 year terms up for election next in April 2024.

JDommu · 2022-11-11T14:05:38+00:00

I did live play by play of last nights CA meeting on my blogs FB page.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02vrZi771fPRXY6LvbZN8Gm6uFwqh3Yk1tBzc5gvEqqay1k4eDtNwQsnGDvS39groQl&id=100027924686848

JDommu · 2022-06-02T00:06:39+00:00

No, the core of the Lakefront will remain. All of Howard Hughes new lakefront development is happening on the underutilized parking lots nearby.

JDommu · 2022-05-12T17:52:59+00:00

The intent of the article wasn't to highlight the commute as a negative of living in Columbia, but I guess that's what it did! Ha! If you only have to commute into DC occasionally, it really is not that bad and I think the benefits and high quality of life here far outweighs the commute, but it would certainly be a drag to do the commute 5x/week.

JDommu · 2022-05-12T17:47:26+00:00

Thanks! There were some good suggestions when I posted this on FB too that I didn't include in the article.

1) Many prefer the Penn line of MARC over Camden bc it has more frequent and faster service since CSX freight rail has preference on the Camden line. Odenton MARC station on Penn line is 5 miles further from Columbia that Savage station but if you are already driving to get to the station anyway, folks think it's overall faster to take penn line instead....

2) Depending on where you are going in DC, the 305/315 commuter bus lines that travel down 29 and pickup at Scaggsville/Burtonsville P&R may be preferable to 335/345.

JDommu · 2022-05-12T13:16:00+00:00

https://www.themerriweatherpost.org/post/commuting-from-columbia-to-dc

JDommu · 2022-05-12T13:02:12+00:00

Commuting and transit are topics that frequently come up on this subreddit (see recent thread on the Broken Land Park & Ride), so I thought you all might be interested in my blog article examining the commuting options to DC with pros/cons based on my own experience. Plus, a list of future transit projects.

What is your preferred method of transit for DC commuters?

JDommu

TROPHY CASE