The City of Groveland recently submitted its revised future land use component of its Comprehensive Plan, to the Department of Economic Opportunity under the State of Florida for review. This plan lays out the vision of the future of Groveland, which embraces its agriculture history and desires to be a unique and charming destination. The plan calls for nearly 60% of the total land mass to remain as open space for agriculture, celebrating its natural beauty and fostering an environmentally sensitive approach to development. This was the result of planning and workshops with stakeholders the Mayor and Council, led by our new team.
Tim Maslow joined the City of Groveland in late August 2019 as the City’s community development director. Prior to joining the Groveland team, Tim served as the Chief Planner for Orange County in Orlando and Sustainability Manager for the City of Winter Park. In those capacities, Tim was credited for the substantial role he played in implementing Orange County’s first form-based code for targeted growth areas, in conjunction with a Smart Growth and Master Transition Plan. Tim was also responsible for the development and implementation of Winter Park’s first Sustainability Action Plan, with quantifiable metrics for tracking goals, benchmarks and addressing key economic, environmental and social issues. “Groveland has many charming attributes,” said Maslow. “Joining the City of Groveland is like joining a family that shares a vision for sustainable smart growth, where nature and agricultural can be reconnected.” Tim envisions incorporating a sense of natural charm into every facet of Groveland’s development process. “
Tim Maslow is not the only one who comes with valuable experience in the community development arena. He is joined by his newly assembled and knowledgeable team members, David Ausherman, Andrew Landis, Richard Helfst, DeWayne Jones and Maria Ramirez.
The City welcomes David Ausherman, a Harvard graduate, who joined Groveland’s team as Senior Planner, Analysis and Visioning, with an extensive background in urban development, landscape planning and implementation of vision plans and strategies. With over 30 years of experience, David is credited with the development of Metro, Portland’s 2040 Growth Concept Plan, laying the framework for the region’s development. “Groveland is a wonderful city with wonderful people,” says David. He looks forward to contributing to such a bold path in the City’s future land use and development process.
Andrew Landis, a professor at Rollins College specializing in Environmental Studies, Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture, will join the team as its Senior Planner in the area of Developmental Review. Andrew was very instrumental in leading efforts that helped local government and agency partners, plan for balanced growth, proximate to the region’s first commuter rail line for Central Florida’s SunRail Stations. “It’s been absolutely refreshing to join an organization on such an ambitious path,” said Andrew. “We have already rewritten the Future Land Use Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.”
Retired Aerospace electrical engineer and Geographic Information System (GIS) extraordinaire Richard Helfst, is excited to bring his experience and passion to the Community Development team as well. Richard has grown many organizations into leading edge public safety establishments, through the utilization of data and planning efforts. Through his knowledge and expertise, he plans to use GIS technology to introduce the City of Groveland to 21st century cutting edge methods. Pulling from his 30 years of experience, Richard will provide the City of Groveland with digital audio and visual graphic map that will depict 100 years of growth.
Further complimenting the Community Development team in the role of City Planning, is DeWayne Jones. As a longtime Groveland resident, he is familiar with the community and sees its bright future ahead. With a degree in Mass Communications, his skills help to connect the Groveland team to outside agencies and developers. His liaison with stakeholders brings a variety of people doing business to the City. As project manager, DeWayne oversees all planning and zoning application submittals ranging from annexation, rezoning, lot-splits, site plans and variances. “I look forward to supporting the community in various projects, helping to improve the quality of life for our residents and business owners alike,” remarked DeWayne.
Holding it all together is the City’s most recent addition, Maria Ramirez. She may be familiar to people in the community as she’s lived in the area for years and worked in various capacities within the County. Maria looks forward to using her rich background and experience to contribute to the team.
Look forward to meeting our team, as they host a variety of charrettes and workshops while developing new codes to implement the vision.