Nearly two dozen residents of the Neighbors of the Village of Hickory Ridge group petitioned their village board Monday to join them in opposing a redevelopment plan for the village center.

Since the release of a draft plan by Kimco Realty, community members have voiced disapproval of the company's proposal to bring a five-story apartment building to the village center. That prompted Kimco engineers to start from scratch to develop a second plan and address the outcry.

Led by community advocate Roger Lawson, a 25-year Hickory Ridge resident, the committee's petition urges the village board to relay residents' lingering concerns to Kimco, noting that plans for residential use do not fit specifications in the village's community plan developed in December 2011. That community plan places restrictions on proposed residential space and the design of the overall village center.

The petition includes signatures from more than 240 village residents.

Al Edwards, a former employee of the Rouse Co., presented the petition to the board during its meeting Monday. Edwards is currently an engineer in charge of planning and construction for Columbia Association.

“We are well aware that Kimco is assembling a new design team for a second plan,” Edwards said.

A representative of Kimco Realty did not respond to a request for comment.

Board officials said they were reluctant to take a stance on a new development plan until Kimco comes back with a second draft.

“The board has agreed to undertake the expense of actually mailing surveys to every resident in the village because, when we take our position, we want to be able to tell the County Council that we are speaking for the entire village,” said Chairwoman Michelle Woods.

Beginning with an initial concept presentation last December, Kimco representatives have shared plans with the village board for the future of the Hickory Ridge Village Center, which opened in 1992.

While the center currently caters retail, Kimco discussed incorporating residential space into the area's 14.16 acres to enhance and establish the center's customer base. Officials noted that a dwindling customer base contributed to Wilde Lake Village Center's demise in 2006 when its Giant grocery store closed.

The company proceeded with concept planning workshops in February and March to amend its initial development plan.

However, many residents continue expressing concerns with Kimco's proposals – citing factors such as potential residential parking congestion and contradictions with the village's community plan.

Joan Lancos, the board's land use liaison, said Kimco recently concluded its series of small group meetings on the plan.

“They had 19 meetings. I attended seven of them. Each one had their own flavor,” Lancos said.

“It became pretty apparent a third of the way through [the meetings] that they all had a theme [with residents]: ‘We don't want apartments. We don't like the Giant. We're worried about the parking.' ”

Lawson said the community plan provides an essential guideline in the center's redevelopment.

“When you read that plan, you recognize that what the board has approved, so far, is not compliant with the 2011 community plan,” Lawson said.

“For example, what is identified as ‘Area A' in the village plan states that the residential usage is only permitted as a secondary use to retail. The new plan should identify the retail as a primary use -- and it does not.

“The community plan restricts that kind of residential development on what is essentially commercial property,” Lawson said.

“We're not opposed to redevelopment,” he said.

“We actually encourage Kimco to make improvements to the Hickory Ridge Village Center to bring in more retail and enhance the center by bringing in more anchor stores.”

In an interview Monday, Valdis Lazdins, planning director for Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning, said they have not been part of the redevelopment's conceptual phase.

“Except for any early concept, I really have not seen anything,” Lazdins said.

However, he said, while the village community plan is used as a guideline in the redevelopment process, there's no binding factor that states Kimco must follow the plan.

“It's a plan and the plan is as a guideline. It's early, so whatever the residents may think is really their prerogative.”

Howard County communications director Deidre McCabe echoed Lazdins' comments, stating that “it's probably not going to benefit from anybody in the county executive's office commenting prematurely on this plan.”

“I certainly understand why the residents want to have their voices heard and have interaction with Kimco,” she said.

Village board vice chairman Tom Louden said the board's village-wide survey will be an important step in gathering resident feedback.

“If we find out people support Kimco, we have no choice but to support that plan,” Louden said. “The survey will tell us what we need to know.”