Carlisle, Pa. — Members of the Cumberland County Planning Commission (CCPC) yesterday elected Christopher Knarr, AICP, to serve as chairman.
“Chris has a thorough knowledge of the development and land-use issues facing Cumberland County,” said Kirk Stoner, AICP, director, CCPC. “Combined with a dedication to his profession and the community, he is a perfect fit to serve as chairman.”
As chairman, Knarr governs CCPC meetings and helps set the direction for CCPC and its staff. During his two-year term, which runs through 2012, Knarr will continue working with the commission to update Cumberland County’s comprehensive plan and further foster CCPC’s efforts to establish long-term partnerships among the county, local municipalities and other public- and private-sector entities. Knarr was also recently appointed as secretary for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, which serves Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties.
A certified planner with more than 14 years of professional community development and planning experience, Knarr is active in the revitalization efforts currently underway in Mechanicsburg Borough, where he is a resident. He is serving his third term as a member of the Mechanicsburg Borough Planning Commission and serves on the advisory council for Main Street Mechanicsburg and Mechanicsburg Borough’s Historic and Architectural Review Board, both organizations he helped to create. Among many other projects, he was instrumental in updating the borough’s comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and subdivision and land development ordinance.
“I will make sure CCPC continues to be a relevant and respected resource for the County Commissioners, as well as the county’s 33 municipalities, by continuing to provide a high level of professional and technical community planning, outreach and educational support services,” Knarr added.
As a community development specialist at RETTEW, an engineering, planning and consulting firm, Knarr helps craft a variety of municipal plans and ordinances for various public entities to address land-use and development challenges facing many communities throughout Pennsylvania. He works with communities on various plan implementation projects including a variety of community design and greening initiatives and also provides funding application assistance. Knarr speaks regularly on a variety of community development topics at presentations throughout the state.
Knarr has a bachelor’s degree in geography from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in regional and city planning from the University of Oklahoma. He is originally from Woolrich, Clinton County, Pa.
CCPC’s mission is to investigate, coordinate and administer all matters that have direct and/or indirect impact upon Cumberland County so as to maintain the highest quality of life for its inhabitants, maintain a balance between urban centers and rural areas, and meet the needs of the County’s present population without compromising the needs of future generations.
About RETTEW
RETTEW is an Engineering News-Record top 500 design firm providing engineering, transportation, environmental consulting, planning and surveying servicesto a broad range of clients in the mid-Atlantic region. Beginning in 1969 as a single-person office, today RETTEW has more than 200 employees. Offices are located in Bethlehem, Camp Hill, Chambersburg, Lancaster, and Schuylkill Haven, Pa.; and Liberty and Margaretville, N.Y. For more information on any of RETTEW’s services, please call 1-800-RETTEW-5 or e-mail rettew@rettew.com.