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Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Planning Summit Highlights Open Space and Infrastructure
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Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson announced today that the fourth annual Atlantic County Regional Planning Summit will take place on Friday, October 17 at 8:00 AM at Atlantic Cape Community College, 5100 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing. Topics will include open space, transportation infrastructure, Smart Growth trends and projections, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Levinson stated that he implemented the policy of conducting an annual county planning summit when he became County Executive. Since that time, the annual summit has grown to be an important governmental event that attracts an increasing number of participants each year.
"The county planning summit is important because it serves to foster information sharing, as well as educate and inform the public on a variety of growth and development related issues. It also provides an opportunity to demonstrate new technologies," Levinson said. "Given the problems many municipalities in Atlantic County are having managing growth, the information and ideas exchanged at the summit can be extremely helpful. Local officials, business people and concerned citizens can certainly benefit from attending."
At this year's summit state, local and regional representatives will provide presentations and lead discussions of some of the area's most pressing issues. Assemblyman and Freeholder Chairman Kirk Conover will moderate a panel discussion on open space preservation with representatives from the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, the state Green Acres Program, Conservation Resources, Inc., and Egg Harbor Township.
Following this discussion, those in attendance may attend their choice of four breakout sessions: Transportation Infrastructure, Smart Growth, Open Space Acquisitions, and the Southern Regional GIS User's Group Meeting.
These sessions will include presentations by representatives from the state Department of Transportation, the Burlington County Open Space Program, the state Department of Environmental Protection, Weymouth Township Environmental Commission, Atlantic Cape Community College's Center for Regional and Business Research as well as county planners and engineers. Each session will then be repeated following a complimentary lunch. The recently formed Atlantic County Groundwater Advisory Committee will also hold a meeting.
"The issues of open space and infrastructure are of particular interest to the residents of Atlantic County," stated Levinson. "As a result of this summit we hope they will have a better understanding of these issues and how they are being addressed."
Reservations are being accepted at 645-7700, ext. 4433. For more information, please contact Barry Hackett, Director of the Atlantic County Office of GIS at 645-5898. |
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