Columbia Market House Trust RFQ released

The Columbia Market House Trust (Trust) is seeking developers’ Statements of Qualifications to assist the trust in re-purposing, redeveloping and managing the Market House as the centerpiece of Downtown Columbia. The Market House is owned by the Borough and managed by the Trust, a non-profit volunteer group.

The purpose of this Request for Qualification or “RFQ,” is to identify the developer that would provide the best fit for achieving the development goals established by the Trust and the Borough of Columbia for the historic Columbia Market House. This approach is based on the premise that this type of development is relationship based and not merely a transaction.
The complete RFQ can be viewed HERE.

(The last page features a QR code that can be scanned – and a URL – to access Jerry Musser’s “drone’s-eye” video of Columbia.)

About Town

Photos from today, Monday October 19 . . . 
 Attack of the morning glories!

 Stop?

 They seem to be leaning a bit.

 Low flier

Painting at Third and Locust

 Checking the wiring for soon-to-be-operational traffic lights at Front and Walnut.

 Photo session

 Closed?

 Road work near Ninth Street and Ironville Pike

and on 462, near Washington Street.

'Cocky’ suspected jewel thief robs Burning Bridge Antiques

COLUMBIA, Pa. – A suspected jewel thief ripping off stores along the East Coast stole tens of thousands of dollars of gold jewelry from several stores in Lancaster County.
He’s described as a man with a long ponytail and cocky attitude.

“The guy has definitely done it many times before he’s definitely cocky,” says Cynthia Coleman of Burning Bridge Antiques in Columbia. “He was definitely cocky and friendly as can be.”

On October 8th, the suspect robbed Burning Bridge Antiques and stole about $18,000 worth of gold from one of the individual vendor’s glass cases.

More from the crash scene at 5th & Walnut

A Columbia Borough Police cruiser and a silver Honda Civic sedan collided head-on shortly before 4:30 this afternoon on North Fifth Street near the intersection at Walnut Street. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the accident, the exact circumstances of which are not known at this point. At the scene, State Trooper Ryan Gehman sought witnesses to the accident.  
The collision left the police cruiser resting on the sidewalk of the northbound lane, with severe front-end damage, and its front bumper crumpled underneath the vehicle. The aftermath also left the Honda Civic facing west in the southbound lane with severe front-end damage.  The officer and the female driver of the Honda were taken to LGH. Their conditions are not known.
Columbia Borough Police Sergeant Sam Stein retrieved rifles from the disabled police vehicle which was then towed from the scene by Midway Collision. 
The Honda Civic Sedan came to rest in the opposite lane on North Fifth Street.

The cruiser jumped the curb along the northbound lane, near the intersection of North Fifth and Walnut.

State Trooper Ryan Gehman investigated the accident scene.

Sergeant Sam Stein retrieved rifles from the disabled cruiser.

Midway Collision towed away the vehicles.

State expected to study Columbia police department

Columbia Borough Council in late September approved a motion to seek state assistance with a comprehensive study of its police operations.
The borough’s mayor, Leo Lutz, said Oct. 9 that the proposed study, which would be conducted by the state Department of Community & Economic Development, would, among other things, examine the feasibility of a consolidation or merger with other area police departments.

Head-on with police cruiser at 5th & Walnut

A police cruiser and a Honda Civic collided head-on on North Fifth Street near the intersection at Walnut shortly before 4:30 this afternoon. The driver of the Honda was taken to the hospital by ambulance. The officer was checked by QRS at the scene and was taken to the hospital, also.

The exact circumstances of the accident are unclear at this point. State police are investigating.