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Chestertown Gateway Master Planning ProjectNewsChestertown Gateway Master Planning Project Charrette Planned for November 5-9Public Meetings to be held at Washington College's Casey Academic CenterQueenstown, Maryland October 31, 2007 - Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) a private, nonprofit land conservation organization, Chestertown and Kent County have announced a series of public meetings (design charrette) on November 5-9 in Chestertown. Hosted by Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative, LLC, the purpose of this charrette is to encourage open and meaningful dialogue in the form of intensive planning sessions. Local residents, designers, town, county and state officials as well as area-wide environmental organizations will come together to collaborate and share their vision with respect to Hopewell Farm and Peterson Farm, a nearly 500 acre property in Northern Chestertown. Earlier this year, ESLC announced a formal partnership with Kent County and the town of Chestertown on the Chestertown Gateway Master Planning Project, to create a community visioning process for the property. The partnership was prompted after a developer's request in 2006 to annex 600 acres of the property for development of over 1,500 units. "The recent spate of oversized annexations and the original proposal for over 1,500 units for this property make this an important project for to make sure Chestertown retains the charm and small town heritage that make it such a gem for the Eastern Shore," said Amy Owsley, ESLC's Director of Land Use Planning. "Moderating the scale of annexations in our Eastern Shore towns is a key step to making sure that we manage growth effectively." This charrette is the next step toward completion of a master plan. Earlier this fall, the project's management committee comprised of ESLC's Morgan Ellis as well as Chestertown Mayor Margo Bailey and Kent County Commissioner Bill Pickrum selected Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC) as the consultant leading the master planning process. This master plan, which is scheduled to be completed in early 2008, could potentially incorporate concepts such as a permanent greenbelt, protection of Morgan Creek and other sensitive natural features, public open space and a design consistent with the scale, pace and character of Chestertown. W. Brian Wright, Founding Principal of Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative said, "TPUDC has worked numerous projects around the country and based on our experience the Chestertown Greenbelt Master Plan is of national importance. The significance of this project is due to the fact that it is a proactive model of collaboration between the city, county and land conservancy working hand-in-hand to achieve a shared vision to protect the future of Chestertown. TPUDC is privileged to lead this process on behalf of these organizations and set a national precedent for other projects around the country." The week-long charrette is entirely open to the public and will culminate in a final presentation by the TPUDC team of their findings, master plan and illustrations on Friday, November 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. All daytime work sessions will be held in the Hodson Hall study lounge and all other meetings to be held in Washington College's Casey Academic Center. All meetings and design sessions are open to the public. Below is a detailed charrette schedule: Monday, November 5 About Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative LLC TPUDC is a boutique New Urbanist town planning and urban design firm specializing in the design and implementation of projects across the United States. Taking on only a few select projects each year, TPUDC only works on the most interesting, meaningful and socially responsible projects with the most committed clients. TPUDC emphasizes the creation of walkable, mixed-use, pedestrian friendly environments and memorable places that will withstand the test of time. Unlike most Town Planning firms, TPUDC focuses not only on the design of these great places but also on the implementation of the developments. With experience working as Director of Town Planning for a large New Urbanist development company and at Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company, the most respected Town Planning firm in the world, W. Brian Wright leads the firm in the creation of visionary master plans with practical sensibilities. Realizing that most New Urbanist projects fall short in their implementation of the plan, TPUDC stays involved to maintain the quality and character of their master plans throughout the implementation and build-out. TPUDC is a national leader in environmentally sensitive planning utilizing L.E.E.D standards and the concepts of Light |
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