FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 23, 2003

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Public Affairs Officer: (212) 720-3471

DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING NAMES
STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH DIRECTOR LEONARD GARCIA-DURAN

June 23, 2003, New York, NY - Leonard Garcia-Duran has been named Director of The Department of City Planning’s Staten Island Office, effective June 23, 2003. The appointment was announced today by Amanda M. Burden, Director of the Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission.

"I am pleased to announce that Leonard Garcia-Duran will take on this critical role at City Planning. Staten Island faces a unique set of planning challenges -- including inappropriate development and limited infrastructure -- that are compounded by the Island’s explosive growth over the last decade," said Amanda M. Burden. "I believe that Len will bring to bear his record of accomplishment in urban planning and community outreach to address these issues and together with Staten Islanders, plan effectively for the borough’s future. As Director of our Staten Island Office, he will be a key member of the agency’s senior management. One of his top priorities will be to advance to certification the Borough President’s downzoning applications."

"I have already had the privilege of meeting with Borough President Molinaro and discussing the issues facing Staten Island residents. Working together with elected officials and community leaders, we can address the concerns he raised that threaten the island's quality of life. Together, we can identify creative solutions, like the South Shore Bluebelt, that will preserve and protect neighborhood character," said Garcia-Duran. "We have to reexamine ways that City Planning policies can ensure that the future of this borough is preserved and enhanced for years to come."

Leonard Garcia-Duran majored in business at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and did his graduate work in community and regional planning at the University of Texas in Austin. Previously, Garcia-Duran served as the Planning Manager for the Central Dallas Association handling urban design and community outreach issues for the city's downtown business group.

About City Planning
The Department of City Planning is responsible for the City's physical and socioeconomic planning, including land use and environmental review; preparation of plans and policies; and provision of technical assistance and planning information to government agencies, public officials, and community boards.

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