NEWBURGH--Pattern for Progress' fourth annual Housing the Hudson Valley conference, entitled, A Balanced Pattern for Growth, will gather business, government, and not-for-profit leaders June 14 at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and Conference Center to discuss how the environmental review process can better serve future housing and economic development in the Hudson Valley.
Keynote speaker is Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Sims is the former three-term King County executive in Washington state who is widely recognized for his work in transportation, urban development, and affordable housing. A proponent of smart growth and the preservation of green space, he has been honored with national awards from the Sierra Club and the EPA, as well as HUD’s Robert L. Woodson Jr. Affordable Communities Award for 2005.
"We designed the agenda to give an opportunity to municipal officials, environmental stakeholders, economic development leaders and housing advocates to work together on solutions to development issues critical to the Hudson Valley," said Barbara "Charlie" Murphy, vice president of Pattern. "Our region's vitality depends on both a healthy environment and a robust economy that assures access to a full range of housing choices. An outcome of the conference will be an action plan for achieving these goals."
The opening panel, Seeking the Elusive Win-Win: Building the Balance between Economic Development and the Environment, will feature a discussion between heads of two leading environmental organizations – Ned Sullivan of Scenic Hudson and John Cronin of the Beacon Institute – and two economic development leaders – Mike Oates of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation and Ron Hicks of the Rockland Economic Development Corporation.
Three concurrent workshops will follow, offering attendees the choice of participating in:
• The Baffling Case of the Yukiguni Mushroom Plant: Digging through the Process to Analyze Obstacles and Opportunities, with Charles Bazydlo, Esq., Jennifer Grossman of the Open Space Institute, DEC Region 3 Director Willie Janeway, former Sullivan County Partnership President Mike Sullivan, and panel moderator Larry Wolinsky of Jacobowitz & Gubits.
• Municipal Best Practices: A Smoother SEQR Process - Not an Impossible Dream, with Mary Beth Bianconi of Delaware Engineering, Frank Fish of BFJ Planning, John Marwell of Shamberg, Marwell, Davis and Hollis, Town of Fishkill Supervisor Joan Pagones, Michael Sterthous of Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna, and panel moderator Graham Trelstad of AKRF.
• Implications for Housing: Daring to Meet the Real Needs of our Communities, with Orange County Planning Commissioner David Church, Westchester County Deputy Planning Commissioner Norma Drummond, Rural Ulster Preservation Corp. (RUPCO) Executive Director Kevin O’Connor, Larry Regan of Regan Development and panel moderator Mary Paden of The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC).
"Building on last year’s conferences on housing and local government efficiency, and also this winter’s SEQRA working group that we co-chaired, Pattern continues its effort to seek meaningful reform supporting job creation throughout the Hudson Valley," said Jonathan Drapkin, president and CEO of Pattern. "We have to find the balance between economic development and environmental protection if we are going to build a workforce that can find not only jobs but affordable places to live."
Pattern for Progress thanks the following sponsors for their support: Gold sponsor Jacobowitz & Gubitx; silver sponsors The Community Preservation Corporation, Ulster Savings Bank, and Westchester Medical Center; bronze sponsors Advance Testing, AVR Realty, Birchez Associates, Cannon Heyman and Weiss, Clough Harbour and Associates, Ecosystems Strategies, Enterprise Community Partners, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Kearney Realty and Development, Leyland Alliance, Local 17 LECET, Magnusson Architecture & Planning, Mohonk Preserve, Regan Development, Rhinebeck Savings Bank, Shawangunk Reserve, Tectonic Engineering, Vanacore DeBenedictus Digovanni & Weddell. Pattern also thanks the TD Charitable Foundation for their support of this program.
The conference will open at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast and networking, and will adjourn after the 1:00 p.m. luncheon highlighted by the presentation of the Regional Housing Awards and the keynote speech. Registration is $60 for Pattern members and $75 for non-members, but members of municipal legislative, planning, or zoning boards may attend for $35. Carpooling discounts are available for groups of four or more. Those interested in more information should call Pattern at (845) 565-4900 or visit www.pattern-for-progress.org.
Pattern for Progress is a not-for-profit policy, planning, advocacy and research organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life for Hudson Valley residents through regional solutions. Founded in 1965 by business, academic and civic leaders, and based in Newburgh, NY, Pattern serves nine counties: Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
Source: Pattern for Progress
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