CRP students receive award from American Planning Association

Ohio State Student team who worked on the Saucier Community Plan win award against professional teams

From KSA News, 4th April 2006

The Economic Development Division of the American Planning Association announced that The Ohio State University City and Regional Planning Program has been selected to receive the 2006 Excellence in Economic Development Planning for its Community Plan for Saucier, Mississippi.

The OSU planning team traveled to Mississippi in January and March to work with the citizens of Saucier to create a community plan to guide their growth over the next twenty years. While this community received wind damage from Hurricane Katrina, it was outside of the storm surge zone and is already housing many people who fled the water-ravaged areas.

The Community Plan recognizes the need for job creation in Saucier, while protecting its rural character. More than 60 percent of the residents of Saucier commute more than 30 minutes to work each way, based on the 2000 Census. The plan calls for an increase in development in the town center, along with specific areas of development along transportation corridors. The plan calls attention to the numerous planned transportation highway projects including State Highway 67, the upgrading of US Highway 49, and the planned Route 601 corridor. Transportation access is a key element in economic development.

Jennifer Evans-Cowley, project manager stated, “The citizens of Saucier recognize growth is coming, especially with the new highways that will be coming through the community, we have asked them to make hard choices about where growth is appropriate.” Citizens most recently voted on their preferences for areas of growth at a March 21st town hall meeting in Saucier. Following the meeting, the planning team returned to Ohio to complete the final plan. The plan will be presented to Saucier and the County later this month.

Steve Howard, Vice-President of the newly formed Saucier Community Improvement Association (SCIA) stated, “It’s wonderful to see OSU is getting the recognition it deserves. They have done a wonderful job in helping the Saucier community.” The SCIA was created at the recommendation of the community plan to assist in the implementation of the plan recommendations.

The presentation of this award will take place at the Economic Development Division's Annual Meeting at the American Planning Association Conference in San Antonio on Monday, April 24th. Amelia Costanzo and Justin Goodwin, two members of the Saucier planning team will be accepting the award in San Antonio.

To date, OSU has been working with the communities of DeLisle and Saucier to create community plans that reflect the communities’ visions for their future. “The volunteer effort of the faculty and students at OSU has provided desperately needed planning assistance to this County. Their efforts have helped extend the planning efforts of the Mississippi Renewal Forum into the unincorporated areas of Harrison County. I am so pleased to see their work recognized at the national level,” Patrick Bonck Zoning Administrator for Harrison County.

The OSU team will return to Harrison County, Mississippi later this year to work with the communities of Henderson Point and Pineville to create community plans. The teams’ ongoing efforts are funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Universities Rebuilding American Partnership Program.

More information about the Saucier Community Plan and OSU’s efforts in Harrison County can be found at http://www.co.harrison.ms.us/departments/zoning/downloads.asp

posted by Steve Howard @ 7:50 PM