Jan 27, 2008
Gilbert & Bennett redevelopment earns recognition for planning
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The planning process for the Gilbert & Bennett redevelopment project in Georgetown has been recognized by the Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association.
The 2007 Community Development Award recognizes the commitment to the sustainable redevelopment of the former Gilbert & Bennett wire mill site off Route 107. Technically, Georgetown Land Development Company, the redeveloper, was cited for the award, but Stephen Soler, company president, asked that the award be presented to the town of Redding.
“I felt the town should get the planning award because of its coordinated effort with us,” said Mr. Soler on Monday. The award “reflects the relationship we have with the town and the APA recognizes it, too,” he said.
“Georgetown Land Development Company’s commitment to best practices in sustainable development is to be applauded, and I am very glad that they have been recognized for that by the American Planning Association,” said Redding First Selectman Natalie Ketcham.
“They deserve this award, and the plaque now proudly hangs in town hall next to the 2005 EPA National Smart Growth Achievement Award that the town won for the project. It makes a nice statement,” she added.
“One of the things cited (at the award ceremony) was the public/private partnership aspect of it, the fact the town and the developer worked together on planning goals,” said Rob Dean, Redding’s Planning Commission vice chairman. He said Mr. Soler “felt the town was key in the planning efforts, and the fostering of the public/private partnership was something for which the town deserves equal credit.”
Mr. Dean recalled how the company used a charrette-based approach in planning for the project, getting input from all of the stakeholders. “There was virtually no opposition by individuals or groups to the redevelopment,” said Mr. Dean.
“It is really a model of how to take a complicated site with complicated issues and do something that meets the approval of all of the stakeholders,” he said. “The fact the Connecticut Chapter of the APA gave this special recognition reflects the fact that the planning community has begun to recognize the importance of including not only the town government, but also the people at large in the planning process, and the great importance of a public/private partnership that keeps the priorities of the town in view.”
The townof Redding, because of this public/private partnership, was recognized by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 with a National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in the Small Communities category. The town was honored for its work with GLDC to redevelop the former factory site into a pedestrian-friendly village center based on smart growth principles. Smart growth principles include, among other things, mixed land uses, a pedestrian-friendly environment, and making the community and other stakeholders a party to the planning of the project.
Last June, the U.S. Green Building Council selected the redevelopment project to participate in its inaugural Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) program. The council’s new initiative is extending its current LEED certification program from individual buildings to encompass an entire development.
The program will become the first national standard that integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building entire projects.
Recently Mr. Soler was asked to participate in a smart growth program the EPA sponsored. He served on a panel that talked about LEED’s developments in the suburbs. He said everyone had issues with getting the required permits for their developments. “We were the only project ready to go,” he said.
The permitting process has delayed the redevelopment project. Recently Mr. Soler spoke to the state’s Task Force on Responsible Growth, of which Ms. Ketcham is a member. He recounted his experience with the state’s permitting process and the length of time engaged in obtaining permits.
Ms. Ketcham expects the task force to make recommendations that would help expedite the permit process “as an incentive for developers to use the model of responsible growth.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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