Main Street in Ellicott City Tentative Reopening Date Announced

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County government officials announced that the tentative goal is to reopen Main Street in Ellicott City to pedestrian traffic around Sept. 16.

The road through historic downtown has been closed since the July 30 flood that killed two people and damaged buildings and infrastructure.

Before the reopening, there will be one week of limited access for residents and business owners to clear out their belongings, followed by three weeks of Main Street being closed except for public works personnel.

Limited Access for Clean-Out: Residents, merchants and building owners will have dawn-to-dusk access to Main Street from Thursday, Aug. 18 through Monday, Aug. 22 to clean out, pack up and move out of their buildings. A community-provided supply truck will be located at each day’s specific check-in/staging location, distributing cleaning supplies. County Executive Allan Kittleman said building owners can bring in contractors to begin working on a recovery plan or for emergency remediation. However, this access is not intended to be used for rebuilding.

Vehicular Access: Cars, vans, pickups and small box trucks will be allowed to enter the Main Street area for the retrieval of larger items and belongings Aug. 18 to 22. Those planning to bring a vehicle must call 410-313-2900 to have access approved and scheduled. Vehicles will be scheduled in six-hour blocks of time.

Credentialing and staging will begin at 7 a.m. on: Thursday, Aug. 18; Friday, Aug.19 and Monday, Aug. 22: at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 3695 Rogers Avenue, Ellicott City and Saturday, Aug. 20 and Sunday, Aug. 21 at the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City. Media will be prohibited.

For more information or assistance, please call 410-313-2900 and continue to visit the recovery resource page at www.ECfloodrecovery.org.

County officials announced other developments Tuesday, such as the fact that more than $500,000 has been raised for relief.

More Than $500K Raised for Relief: The first EC Strong Recovery Fund Committee meeting will be from 2-4 p.m. Wednesday at the George Howard Building. This committee is coordinating processes and procedures to distribute more than $500,000 in donated relief funds.

Volunteer Entry Point Established: The Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, a program of the Columbia Association and a local clearinghouse for local volunteerism, will be the new entry point for volunteers interested in helping with flood recovery efforts. VolunteerHoward.org, an online service, will make it easier for individuals and groups of volunteers to be organized for recovery missions as they arise.

Council to Vote on Waiving Permitting Fees: The County Council will hold a public hearing and vote Wednesday on proposed legislation to waive various permitting fees. All five council members have cosponsored the bill so it is expected to pass at their 9 a.m. session in the George Howard Building at 3430 Court House Drive.

Photo Credit: Howard County Government.