Citizens Foundation holds smart growth seminar

Goshen— Former Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening will be the guest speaker at a land use planning seminar hosted by the Orange County Citizens Foundation on Monday evening, Nov. 20. Glendening, considered the father of the term “Smart Growth,” will present on better land use planning in Orange County. Glendening, who held Maryland’s top post from 1995-2003, is the President of Smart Growth Leadership, a project of Smart Growth America, a nation-wide coalition of nearly 100 organizations promoting a better way to grow - one that protects open space and farmland, revitalizes neighborhoods, keeps housing affordable and makes communities more livable. Smart Growth America’s coalition works to support citizen-driven planning that coordinates development, transportation, revitalization of older areas and preservation of open space and the environment. As part of that association, Mr. Glendening travels the country advising about the impacts of sprawl and its negative effects on our communities as well as recommending a range of solutions. The seminar is part of an ongoing series of forums that the Orange County Citizens Foundation holds to encourage communities to responsibly manage growth in the region. The Citizens Foundation is a 35-year old public policy and advocacy organization that works towards a balance between economic growth and quality of life. The Citizens Foundation focuses on development methods including conservation planning, mixed-use development, workforce housing, transit-oriented development, innovative waste and water planning, arts and cultural planning, and preservation of open space to help build sustainable communities. The Smart Growth America Seminar will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the BOCES Special Education Building on Gibson Road in Goshen. Cost is $10 per person. The event has been made possible in part through the generous support of Provident Bank and the Orange County Municipal Planning Federation. For more information or to attend, contact the Citizens Foundation at 845-469-9459 or by e-mail at bneucall@optonline.net.