James Rouse, Columbia's late founder, would love the 30-year plan for Town Center that officials of General Growth Properties Inc. unveiled this week, Suzanne Waller said.

"I think he'd be very excited by it," she said. "He was a very positive person and liked progress, but he liked planned progress. He would say, 'Do it. Go for it.' "

Waller, the newly elected Columbia Association board member from Town Center, has been a Columbia devotee and resident since 1969, she said. She has been involved in multiple community projects, served on many local boards and was friends with Rouse.

Waller said she's very enthusiastic about the plan unveiled April 28 by officials of General Growth, downtown's principal landowner. Company officials did a good job of incorporating residents' ideas into the draft plan, Waller said, adding that, although scant on details, it represents a good starting point for downtown's redevelopment.

She especially likes the developer's plan to make Symphony Woods more of a destination by adding a proposed cultural center.

The plan "gives people a purpose to be (in Symphony Woods) with good access and walkability," she said.

However, she has questions about how much new housing General Growth intends for Town Center, adding that company officials must spell out specifically how new housing would affect local roads and schools.

Safety and security in a future downtown also concern her, Waller said, adding that Town Center already suffers from assaults and car theft.

She fears that increasing housing density downtown will put added strain on a stretched police department. She hopes that General Growth officials can work with those of the county government and CA to minimize crime risks, she said.

E-mail Sarah Daniels at sdaniels@patuxent.com.

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