Tag: Maia Hardy RARE Resource Assistance for Rural Environments

Meet our RARE AmeriCorps Participant: Maia Hardy

Maia Hardy RARE Resource Assistance for Rural Environments City of Creswell AmeriCorps

About Maia Hardy

Maia received her Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and Non-Profit Management from Eastern Michigan University.  In her last few months as a student, Maia was as the Ypsilanti Representative for the Millennial Mayors Congress where she met with elected officials and civil leaders to discuss pertinent and pressing issues facing the Detroit-metro region.  As a student, Maia was also selected for a number of competitive grants, internships and research opportunities.  After realizing her passion for planning and community development, Maia decided to dedicate herself to serving communities in need, making her a perfect fit for the RARE-Resource Assistant for Rural Environments AmeriCorps Program.  Following Maia’s second year with the RARE AmeriCorps Program, she plans on enrolling in a Master’s program at the University of Oregon.

About the City of Creswell

Creswell, Oregon is located in the Southern portion of the Willamette Valley and has recently emerged from a period of time with significant political challenges. With a new roster of City Councilors, a new City Administrator, and a new full time Planning Technician, there are a number of projects on the horizon that will benefit the city of Creswell. The population of approximately 5,060 continues to grow faster than the State average, estimating 11,000 people by 2032. Currently the greatest challenge facing Creswell is the lack of a vision that outlines the values of the City.

Working with the City of Creswell, Maia will expand on the visioning efforts that were put forth by the former RARE participant in 2013-2014.  Initially, she will focus her efforts on economic development and conducting an assessment of the business community. The assessment will require extensive research utilizing a mail-in survey methodology combined with stakeholder interviewing. Once data has been collected, a set of recommendations will bring together the business community with local and regional stakeholders. Maia will also be undertaking a management plan for one of Creswell’s two parks, Garden Lake Park. The goal is to create a vision for the park, and identify long and short term solutions to the seasonal algae blooms in the ponds. Garden Lake Park is also the venue for the annual Earth Day Celebration put forth each year by the RARE participant in Creswell.

Meet Our RARE AmeriCorps Participant: Maia Hardy

Maia Hardy RARE Resourse Assistance for Rural Environments

Maia Hardy received her Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and Non-Profit Management from Eastern Michigan University. In her last few months as a student, Maia was as the Ypsilanti Representative for the Millennial Mayors Congress where she met with elected officials and civil leaders to discuss pertinent and pressing issues facing the Detroit-metro region. As s student, Maia was also selected for a number of competitive grants, internships and research opportunities. After realizing her passion for planning and community development, Maia decided to dedicate herself to serving communities in need, making her a perfect fit for the  RARE AmeriCorps  Program – Resource Assistance for Rural Environments

In response to the growing number of issues raised by citizens and stakeholders in the Sauvie Island/Multnomah Channel planning area, staff, in coordination with CH2M Hill, conducted a significant outreach and scoping effort to identify land use and transportation issues that should be addressed in a future update to the Rural Area Plan (RAP) and Transportation Systems Plan (TSP). Maia with the Multnomah County Land Use and Transportation Planning Division will work with a team of individuals to develop and conduct a transparent and inclusive public engagement process specific to the RAP and TSP update process; further define data needed to meet Goal 2 requirements of the Oregon Land Use Planning Goals; and, help with the overall preparation and compilation of the aforementioned planning documents.

Multnomah County is the smallest county (465 sq miles) in the State of Oregon with the highest population (742,000). Within Multnomah County are six cities in 183 square miles of the county: Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village and Maywood Park. The remaining 282 square miles in the county is rural farm and forest land on both the east and west sides of the metropolitan area. Within this area, there are five unique rural planning areas: Sauvie Island/Multnomah Channel, West Hills, West of Sandy River, East of Sandy River and the National Scenic Area in the Columbia River Gorge. Multnomah County has approximately 4,000 employees, 200 of which work within the Department of Community Services

Organization: Multnomah County Land Use and Transportation Planning Division
Community: Rural Area outside Portland Urban Growth Boundary- Sauvie Island/Multnomah Channel
Population: 1,300 (Suavie Island)
County: Multnomah