The Villages of Great Neck Plaza, Great Neck Estates and Great Neck are planning the second set of meetings and public workshop for their on-going "Main Street Conference Grant" scheduled for Wednesday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Great Neck Plaza Village Hall, 2 Gussack Plaza. The public workshop, which is free and open to the public, will be facilitated by Dan Burden.

Mr. Burden is a nationally recognized authority on bicycle and pedestrian facilities and programs, street corridor and intersection design, traffic flow and calming, and other design and planning elements that affect roadway environments. He has had 25 years of experience in developing, promoting and evaluating alternative transportation facilities, traffic calming practices and sustainable community design. He served for 16 years as Florida DOT's State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, and he presently works as Executive Director of Walkable Communities, Inc., a non-profit corporation helping North America develop walkable communities. Time Magazine recently listed Dan Burden as "one of the six most important civic innovators in the world." He has won numerous awards, including The Transportation Research Board (National Academy of Sciences) bestowed him with their Distinguished Lecturer Award and the New Partners for Smart Growth presented Dan in 2007 its first ever "Lifetime Achievement Award." Mr. Burden was hired as a consultant to assist the three villages on this "Qualities Community Grant," written and obtained by the Village of great Neck Plaza.

Mr. Burden was previously here in Great Neck approximately one year ago when he conducted walking audits of the three villages with village officials and staff, members of the Chamber of Commerce, business owners and interested residents. He also presented, at a public workshop, "What is a Livable/Walkable Community," a slide presentation to an audience of approximately 70 participants that incorporated images and the types of suggestions he has made in various towns and villages in his 15 years of working in nearly 2,000 communities. He focused on characteristics of neighborhoods, such as pedestrian-friendly environments, bicycle/pedestrian accessibility and mobility issues affecting our elderly and disabled population.

During this next series of meetings and workshops, the program calls for combined community group meetings and another public workshop to review previously collected data, identify issues/needs and project accomplishments to-date, and to begin to develop maps and graphics to offer concepts, design and solutions. Mr. Burden and fellow colleague, Ian Lockwood, P.E., have helped turn around many communities that were not performing at their highest levels. These places include West Palm Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Stanford, Florida; Hamburg, Pittsford and East Aurora, New York; Ottawa, Toronto, Mississaugua, Hamilton, Vancouver, Canada; and numerous other towns and cities. This second round of meetings and workshops will allow interested stakeholders and members of the public an opportunity for community input regarding current levels of walkability, livability and business success, explore opportunities for expanded place-making, mixed use retail, traffic management and flow, parking, intersection design and other innovative, modern methods, which will lead Great Neck to a more competitive business and place-making climate. A strategic plan, addressing critical issues facing the future of Great Neck's downtown, will be developed to incorporate innovative methods to foster sustainable economic development.

Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender stated, "We invite the continued involvement of all stakeholders in the community, including merchants, business groups, residents, elected and appointed officials, community leaders, bicycle/pedestrian advocates and any interested person to join with us to keep our downtown "Main Street" vital and foster sustainable development." This project is being conducted under a "Quality Communities Grant" program funded by the New York State Department of State to help local governments strengthen and rejuvenate their "Main Streets" and advance the objectives of the Quality Communities.

Mayor Celender, on behalf of the three villages further stated, "We thank Governor Eliot Spitzer, our state representatives, Senator Craig Johnson, Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, and the New York State Department of State for this Qualities Communities grant and the funding assistance to make this all possible."

If you need further information or have any questions, please contact Mayor Jean Celender, Village of Great Neck Plaza, via Carol Teplin, the Mayor's Executive Assistant, at 482-4500 or e-mail teplinc@greatneckplaza.net.