Acting Town Planner Appointed In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — Eugene Livshits has been appointed as acting town planner, Mayor Lauren Garrett announced.

Eugene Livshits has served the South Central Regional Council of Governments for the past nearly 14 years as Regional Planner and Senior Regional Planner.

Livshits received his Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design with a Minor in Architecture from SUNY-University at Buffalo, School of Architecture and Planning in 2006, and went on to receive a Master of Urban Planning with a specialization in Urban Design from SUNY-University at Buffalo, School of Architecture and Planning in 2008, according to a news release.

“Mr. Livshits brings a wealth of regional planning experience from his roles at SCRCOG in the areas of land use, housing, hazard mitigation, transportation planning, and grant writing,” reads a news release from the mayor’s office. “He has a proven track record in project management from overseeing the guidance of land use projects; administering the Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan coupled with assisting to develop the regional outreach strategy; leading the Regional GIS Program including working with State Agencies on Municipal Parcel and CAMA Data/Reports; and monitoring the Regional Recreational Trails Program.

“Mr. Livshits is a highly accomplished planning professional. While employed by SCRCOG, he managed the update of the South Central Region Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) as well as administered the Regional Housing Plan including the Municipal Affordable Housing Plans. Mr. Livshits also has strong technical skills in the areas of ESRI ArcGIS Mapping/Analysis, Demographic and Socioeconomic Data, Zoning Research, and Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.”

Livshits gained “extensive expertise while he served as a member of the Regional Planning Commission, where he reviewed the impacts of proposed zoning regulations, amendments, and subdivision applications, and reviewed Municipal Plans of Conservation and Development (POCD) for compliance with Regional and State Plans,” according to the news release.

“Mr. Livshits understands the importance of coordination between municipal stakeholders and the public, and has sought and maintained productive collaborations with local, regional and state organizations while employed by SCRCOG,” the news release states.

“While the Council of Governments has lost an integral part of our planning team, all of us at SCRCOG are happy and excited for Eugene as he takes on his new and important responsibilities in Hamden”, SCRCOG Executive Director and former Hamden Mayor Carl Amento said. “The Town of Hamden has hired an extraordinarily skilled planner and an outstanding person whose knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset to the Town.”

Livshits joined the town on May 23, according to Garrett.