Planners, developers and historians reveal how politics and policies transformed the community
SILVER SPRING, MD – On Wednesday, November 12, the Montgomery County Planning Department is launching its Winter Speakers Series, titled “A Once and Future County: Lessons on How Planning Politics Shaped Montgomery County.” The five evening sessions will offer presentations by Royce Hanson, former chairman of the County’s Planning Board; panel discussions among regional planning experts; and question-and-answer sessions with attendees. Topics will reflect the subject of Hanson’s soon-to-be published book: Suburb: Planning Politics and the Public Interest in Montgomery County 1910-2010.
“Suburbs are places we hate to love. They have been disparaged as sprawling and soulless, but they have evolved into diverse places with growing populations and robust economies,” says Royce Hanson. “This speaker series will focus on the planning and development policies that have helped transform Montgomery County into one of the nation’s most innovative suburbs. The analysis of this progress is valuable for county residents and professionals to learn about as we move forward with new plans.”
The first session, “Planners, Politicians and How Montgomery County Got This Way,” will focus on development in the county from the end of the First World War to the present day. The presentation will examine the competing interests in approaching development; the strategic decisions of governing regimes; and the evolution of public engagement within the planning process. Panelists include the following experts:
Gus Bauman was Chairman of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission from 1989 to 1993 after serving as its legal counsel in the 1970s. An attorney who focuses on land use and environmental issues, Bauman currently advises on comprehensive planning, project development and natural resource regulation. His writings on land use and wetlands regulations have been cited by the Supreme Court. Before joining the Washington firm of Beveridge & Diamond, he was litigation counsel and legal department director for the National Association of Home Builders.
Lucille Harrigan served as the Legislative Information Coordinator for the Montgomery County Council for more than two decades. Before assuming that position in 1977, Harrigan worked as a speechwriter for the US Department of State and a contract writer for the Defense Department and US Information Agency. She has also taught courses in comparative government at Montgomery College. Recently, Harrigan co-wrote a series of papers on urban sprawl and metropolitan growth in the Washington region.
Harry Lerch is one of the most influential land use and zoning attorneys in the region. His law practice, Lerch, Early & Brewer, focuses on eminent domain and condemnation proceedings, zoning, planning, traffic mitigation, historic preservation and legacy open space. Prior to joining the Bethesda firm in 1970, Lerch served as general counsel for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. During his tenure at M-NCPPC, he oversaw the purchase of more than 14,000 acres of park land and was responsible for drafting legislation affecting zoning, subdivision and planning.
Each 90-minute event is free to the public and will be streamed online live. The November 12 session will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters at 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Md. Presentations in December and subsequent months will begin at 5:30 p.m. and conclude at 7 p.m.
Learn more about the Once and Future County Speakers Series.
Learn more: http://www.montgomeryplanning.org/department/onceandfuture/
Use hashtag: #onceandfuturecounty