Will Spence has been named the new director of the Maui County Dept. of Planning. Spence says one of his goals is to change how the department interacts with the public.
The department is in the midst of crafting the Maui Island Plan, a 20-year general plan that seeks to streamline the permitting process. Mayor Alan Arakawa says that one of the advantages that Spence has is his experience with Maui practices in addition to being an outsider to the big development game there.
Chris Hamilton of The Maui News writes:
"Spence was a good choice for both environmental groups and developers, said environmentalist and community activist Dick Mayer. He said he particularly appreciates that Spence's private-sector involvement with development did not include the big companies, landowners and controversial projects, which could otherwise unfairly sway another director's choices."
Spence moved to Maui from Los Angeles in 1991.
FULL STORY: As a planner, Spence tasked with looking ‘at all sides’
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Placer County
Mayors' Institute on City Design
City of Sunnyvale
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation