Foster Solutions (FSI)

Doug Foster has been a professional planner since 1990.  With his unique combination of technical and planning skills, he can build websites, automate office systems and also advise on economic development and planning projects.

Mr. Foster is currently a Trustee for the Village of Nyack, and happy to offer his skills and experience to the community he lives in.  Not surprisingly, Doug created the Village website using WordPress on the Genesis Framework.

Click HERE for his CV.

H. Matthys Van Cort has 42 years experience as a professional planner.

Mr. Van Cort has expertise in a broad range of subjects, but particularly in economic development.  With his deep experience, he is able to counsel local governments on strategic planning and economic development projects.

Below is his CV:

EMPLOYMENT

City of Ithaca, Department of Planning and Development — 1973 to 2009

City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY  14850

Director of Planning and Development (May 1975 to Present)

Planning Director (April 1973 to May 1975)

Executive Director of Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (August 1980 to Present)

Joined small department, which handled traditional planning functions, such as zoning and master plan development.  Directed expansion of department’s scope to encompass critical city-activities, including community development, economic revitalization and grants applications and administrations.

Accomplishments include:

Economic Development

• Led development of highly successful, award winning pedestrian mall (one of the first in New York State) to revitalize central business district.  Responsible for all phases of project development and implementation.
• Directed planning, solicited developers, obtained federal funding and negotiated with banks for construction of several major downtown mixed use projects.
• Participated in workout with local banks for failed downtown anchor department store.  Obtained federal funding, assisted in attracting tenant and participated in restructuring of private financing.
• Directed planning, land purchase, funding, construction and leasing of city’s industrial parks.
• Directed successful commercial revitalization program in secondary commercial area of West State Street, including street/sidewalk improvements and building façade renovation.
• Directed revitalization of Collegetown (mixed use district adjacent to Cornell University), including financing, siting and design of city-owned parking structure; negotiated financing and design of privately-owned 64-unit apartment building; oversaw plans for street/sidewalk improvements.

Housing and Neighborhood Conservation

• Instrumental in establishment and operation of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, an award-winning nonprofit housing rehabilitation corporation active in city’s low income areas.  Served as board member from inception to present.  Serve as Chair of Executive Committee.  Negotiated funding for INHS through state and federal grants and private sector sources.
• Directed major zoning ordinance revision to protect residential neighborhoods from conversion of single family homes to multiple occupancy.
• Persevered in long term struggle to make traffic calming official policy for City.  First $400,000 in traffic calming devices is out to bid as of this writing.

Grants

• Established an aggressive grants program, making Ithaca a model for successful utilization of state, federal and regional funding programs.

Other Departmental Activities

• Directed staff and participated in a wide variety of other projects and programs including:

Education:  Worked with school district on problems of declining enrollment and under utilization of space.

Health Care: Directed staff and negotiated with physicians, county hospital and regional funding sources to establish health care facility in downtown.  Responsible for funding, design and construction.

Environment:  Supervised drafting of city’s local environmental law, served as “lead agency” in numerous environmental reviews.

Recreation:  Supervised staff work on numerous park, playground, trails and other recreation and open space projects; reviewed designs for construction; secured funding for implementation.  Persistent advocate for trail system connecting City neighborhoods to each other, City parks and surrounding State parks.  Construction of first two sections completed in 2002.  Additional sections under design.

Communications:  Serve as city lead in negotiation for cable television refranchising.

Transportation:  Served as city’s representative and chair of review committee for highly controversial highway project.  Supervised production of city bikeway plan.

Information systems:  Spearheaded creation of City of Ithaca’s GIS.  Supervised and fought for development of system through multi-jurisdictional cooperation.

New York City Department of City Planning (June 1968 to March 1973)

Bronx Local Area Office, 1780 Grand Concourse, Bronx, New York 10457

Planner (March 1972 to April 1973)

Assistant Planner (April 1971 to March 1972)

Junior Planner (October 1969 to April 1971)

Housing, Planning and Development Aid (June 1968 to October 1969)

Responsible for planing of recreation and environmental systems for the Bronx, including zoning, mapping, Capital Budget project evaluation, siting, implementation and coordination with other city agencies and community groups.  Supervised mapping of borough-wide information system.  Member of five person Staff Program Committee which helped determine program, staffing and priorities for Bronx Office of the Department of City Planning.  Project Planner for Mayor’s special task force on decentralization of municipal services. Served as link between city government and Bronx Community Planning District #13 on all planing and community development issues.  Responsible for neighborhood stabilization program, including siting and design supervision of small parks, traffic improvements, street lighting, sanitation and police equipment, upgrading and extensive community liaison work.

Pratt Center for Community Improvement

Department of City Planning, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York

Planning Assistant  (June 1966 to October 1967)

Worked on planning studies, including field studies of land use and building information.  Prepared written and graphic presentation material.  Responsible for collection of data and writing of Central Brooklyn “Communi9ty Information Manual”.  Siting and project management for construction of a vest pocket park in Ocean Hill-Brownsville.

MEMBERSHIPS

Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Board Member 1977 to present

Tompkins County Area Development Corporation, Board Member 1980 to present (ex officio since 1983)

Route 96 Design Committee, Chair 1978 to 1990

New York State Council on the Arts – Architecture, Planning and Design Panel, Chair 1987, Member 1985 to 1986

LECTURES AND SPEECHES

Guest Lecturer and Critic at Cornell University and Ithaca College on a wide variety of subjects including: public/private real estate partnerships; project siting, financing, and construction; design of public open space; bikeway design and promotion; reuse of changing waterfront areas; the environmental review process; and land use control through zoning, subdivision and environmental regulations.

Speaker and panelist at conferences sponsored by numerous organizations including New York State Urban Development Corporation, Council for Urban Economic Development, New York State Department of State, and Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.

Frequent participation on local radio and TV programs; speaker at local service clubs.

EDUCATION

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York.  M.S. (Planning), 1971

Department of City and Regional Planning

Fellow – U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1967-69

Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.  B.A. with Honors, 1964

Major:  College of Letters

Sorbonne, Paris, France spring semester 1962

Pleasantvile High School, Pleasantville, New York.  Valedictorian, 1960

Suzanne Barclay has 25 years as a professional planner.  She has worked as lead staff on many planning and economic development projects.

Her CV is below:

Town of Orangetown, New York, 2001-2009
Executive Assistant to the Supervisor

• Assumed lead role for Supervisor’s Office on major public policy issues and planning initiatives including redevelopment process for 130 acres at Rockland Psychiatric Center; implementation of NYS Dept. of Transportation Route 303 Sustainable Development Study
• Designed and administered Town’s Affordable Housing Program for Active Adults
• Monitored planning process for Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project
• Assisted in budgeting process for $63 million budget, labor contract negotiations
• Organized Town’s first Recycling Fair, chaired Recycling Committee
• Represented Town Supervisor to businesses, agencies, community groups, constituents

Town of Orangetown Planning Board, 2000-2007 Board Member

Housing Action Council, 1998-2001
Associate

• Advised non-profit organizatio ns and prepared grant applications for private financing and public funding to develop affordable housing in Westchester and

Rockland counties

Rockland Family Shelter, 1995-1998
Assistant Director

• Oversaw daily operations and management of nonprofit agency serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Managed grants, property; supervised finance office and fundraising efforts.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Mental Health (DMH), 1991-1994
Consultant

• Facilitated 15-member inter-agency Governor’s Task Force on Mixed Population Housing mandated to analyze problems and formulate policy regarding housing for elderly, physically disabled and mentally ill tenants
• Designed participatory process for DMH Area Offices to prepare Housing Plans stating area housing principles, goals and strategies
• Administered DMH Rental Assistance Program, a $2.6m state-funded rental
  subsidy program serving 870 mentally ill tenants living in residential programs
  modeled on federal Section 8 Program

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Communities and
Development, 1985 – 1991
Senior Regional Manager, Family Housing Coordinator

• Supervised team of project managers providing technical assistance to public housing authorities in developing family, elderly and special-needs housing
• Monitored projects from initial siting through occupancy
• Reviewed architectural design programs, contracts, schedule and budget
• Collaborated with local officials, abutters and state agencies to resolve siting issues, contract disputes

Volunteer Work

• Board Member, Rockland Municipal Planning Federation (2008-present)
• Member, Rockland Farm Alliance (2009-present)
• Member, Orangetown Environmental Committee (2008- present)
• Founding member, Rockland Riverfront Communities Council (2003 – present)
• Co-President, Tappan Zee High School PTSA (2004- 2006)
• Chair, Citizens Advisory Comm., NYS DOT Route 303 Sustainable Development Study (2000-01) Study designed to integrate land use and transportation improvements.
• Board Member, Nyack Center, Nyack, NY (1995-2000); Vice Chair (1997). Oversaw major renovation of historic 1850s church that is home to the Center.
• Co-Facilitator, Citizens Task Force for the Disposition of Rockland Psychiatric
• Center, (1997). Developed public participation process for future of 400 acres.

Education and Training

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, Master in City Planning
• Conway School of Landscape Design, Conway, MA, Certificate
• Washington University, St. Louis, MO, B.A., Sociology
• Greenway Community Alliance, Leadership Training Program, Glynwood, NY
• Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Introductory G.I.S. Workshop, Palisades, NY

Richard Lampert has 30 years experience in housing market studies for local governments.  He has worked with all communities and counties in the Hudson Valley area of New York.