Town Of Bedford Planning Board Chair Earns Westchester Municipal Planning Foundation Distinguished Citizen Planner Award

Press release from the Town of Bedford:

Deirdre Courtney-Batson, Planning Board Chair, Awarded WMPF’s Distinguished Citizen Planner Award

Bedford, NY – The Town of Bedford is pleased to announce that Deirdre Courtney-Batson has received the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation (WMPF) Distinguished Citizen Planner Award. The Distinguished Citizen Planner award recognizes the contribution of land use board members across Westchester County municipalities.

For nearly 40 years, Ms. Courtney-Batson has significantly contributed to the improvement, progression and planning endeavors in Bedford. Her work has spanned historic preservation, affordable housing advocacy and community engagement. Her long-term track record and vision for “doing good” has left an indelible mark on Bedford. In addition to her passion for history and architecture, she is a respected community leader who works across political aisles and carefully considers every project through a lens of asking “what is best for Bedford.”

The dossier of projects under the stewardship of Ms. Courtney-Batson is significant. Projects of note include: re-routing of State Route 117’s commercial traffic to avoid irreparable harm to the Katonah Historic District, the town’s successful sewer referendum, serving on the 2003 Comprehensive Plan Committee, the construction of the Antioch Affordable Housing project, and advocating for legislative changes encouraging Accessory Dwelling Units.

Ms. Courtney-Batson has been published, including in the New York Times, for championing historic preservation and community engagement efforts. In addition to serving as the Town of Bedford Planning Board Chair since 2013, she served as a member of the Planning Board since 1990, served as the Chair of the Katonah Historic District Advisory Commission, the Board of the Katonah Historic Museum and the Katonah Village Improvement Society.

“The Town of Bedford owes Deirdre a debt of gratitude. She has an unparalleled ability to celebrate the history of Bedford while balancing the need to adapt and plan for the future needs of Bedford. We join the WMPF in celebrating and honoring her contributions to Bedford and to Westchester.” Said Supervisor Ellen Calves.

Further offering laudations is Planning Director Jesica Youngblood, stating that, “Deirdre is an incredible colleague and always provides a wealth of knowledge and insight for any given topic. It is both a privilege and honor to work with her.”

This press release was produced by the Town of Bedford. The views expressed here are the author’s own.