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INDEPENDENT TRIBUNE: Midland welcomes new town planner
MIDLAND- There’s a new town planner in Midland and she brings a wealth of experience to the position.
Kassie Watts, a consultant at Benchmark CMR, Inc. and a Cabarrus County native, took over the position over the summer and has big plans to continue positive growth in Midland.
“We selected Benchmark and asked them for their superstar,” Town Manager Doug Paris said. “We wanted someone that had experience in Cabarrus County and could lead the planning for the future.”
Watts has worked in town planning for 15 years after graduating from East Carolina University in 2001. When she entered college she considered majoring in business, but realized she wasn’t enjoying the classes.
So instead she headed to the university’s planning department.
“I met with the professors and I really liked it. I got a lot of specialized attention,” Watts said.
Since graduation she has worked with Davidson, Midway, the City of Kannapolis and Cabarrus County. She is certified by the AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) and a certified zoning official (CZO).
“I like working with the citizens and it’s interesting to watch the landscape change and be a part of it,” Watts said. “Town planning is a fairly young field. It’s about a century old.”
Watts, Paris and the town’s new engineer Richard McMillan all have big dreams for Midland.
With developing subdivisions, plenty of requests for rezoning and annexations; Paris said Midland isn’t the small town people think it is.
“People always think of small towns as being sleepy, but that’s not the case,” Paris said. “Kassie has a lot of experience with growth management.”
The town also recently amended its commercial design standards which, according to Watts, means the town can get the quality design and appearance it is looking for in developments.
“Midland is a clean slate and I think there are a lot of exciting things in the future,” Watts said. “There is a lot of land and opportunity.”
http://www.independenttribune.com/news/midland-welcomes-new-town-planner/article_9505adde-e6ff-11e6-b23c-ffd0c383defc.html