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Silvia Vargas, FAICP, LEED AP, Page 2
<br />General Planning Services, North Bay Village, FL. As Village Planner , Silvia reviews all development-related applications
<br />and maintains and updates the Village Comprehensive Plan and Unified Land Development Code. Silvia also undertakes special
<br />assignments, such as leading a recent consensus-building process to determine necessary amendments to single-family
<br />residential zoning regulations or preparing a solicitation for the development of a new mixed-use, civic complex. (Role: Project
<br />Manager at CGA)
<br />Town Center North Overlay Re-Visioning, City of Sunny Isles Beach, FL. Silvia led the execution of a values-driven public
<br />engagement re-visioning project for the City of Sunny Isles Beach. After discovering an inconsistency between its Zoning
<br />Code and Comprehensive Plan that led to a highly contentious public environment, the City asked Silvia to design a public
<br />engagement process that would prioritize listening to the community to inform recommendations for resolving the discrepancy.
<br />Silvia conceptualized outreach tools and materials working with the City’s Public Information team and designed a series of
<br />engagement activities designed to capture constructive public opinion and to identify consensus areas. (Facilitator/Public
<br />Engagement Manager/Planner at CGA)
<br />Gateway Master Plan, Pinellas County, FL. Silvia was part of the national consultant team working under Forward Pinellas
<br />to develop a ground-breaking master plan for the Gateway/Mid-County area of Pinellas County which will guide development
<br />of resilient infrastructure, create a well-connected, multi-modal transportation network, and encourage appropriate infill and
<br />redevelopment to support quality economic growth. Silvia provided a comprehensive review of the current planning framework
<br />and recommended changes that would be necessary to implement the catalytic concepts advanced by the master plan, along
<br />with metrics for monitoring progress. (Role: Principal in Charge at SEVCP, then Project Manager at CGA)
<br />Small Area Plans, Lafayette, LA. Concurrent with the preparation of a new parish-wide comprehensive plan, Silvia developed
<br />three small area plans that server as a template for planning in urban, suburban and rural parts of Lafayette Parish. The SAPs
<br />offer localized recommendations for land use, urban design, and development, based on public input gathered from a series of
<br />charrettes. (Role: Professional in Charge while at WRT Planning & Design)
<br />Downtown Strategic Framework, Lafayette, LA. Concurrent with the preparation of a new parish-wide comprehensive plan,
<br />Silvia directed the preparation of a strategic plan for Downtown Lafayette. The framework plan addresses land use mix, character
<br />issues, housing, obsolescence, amenities, parking, and connectivity. The goal of the plan is to provide actionable guidance for the
<br />City to be proactive in making enhancements to attract additional population to live, work, and play in Downtown, while boosting
<br />and maintaining the historic and cultural identity of this important center of the Acadian region. (Role: Professional in Charge while
<br />at WRT Planning & Design)
<br />Indiantown Land Development Code, Village of Indiantown, FL. Silvia developed and implemented the public outreach and
<br />information program for CGA-led Land Development Code preparation process – the Village’s first. Silvia’s role included preparing
<br />press releases, advising the Village on the development of a project webpage embedded in the Village’s website, soft branding,
<br />drafting articles (or editing articles by others), advising the Village on social media posts, working with local partners, and
<br />preparing outreach materials (posters, flyers, interactive boards) for all public engagement activities contemplated in the LDC
<br />process, which Silvia facilitated. Silvia ensured that all materials were bilingual (Spanish/English) to serve the multicultural needs
<br />of the local population. (Planner, Public Engagement Manager at CGA)
<br />Zoning Code Update. City of Pembroke Pines, FL. Silvia developed the public outreach and engagement plan for this CGA project
<br />which involves updating the City’s 50-year old Zoning Code to be streamlined, modern, and user-friendly. Silvia role included
<br />directing the design, development and maintenance of a project microsite, providing guidance for a project-related social media
<br />campaign, writing or editing articles and press releases to promote the project, and design and facilitation of all public outreach
<br />and related activities for public engagement events. (Public Engagement Manager at CGA)
<br />Urban Form and Density Study, City of Wilton Manors, FL. Silvia conceptualized the public engagement activities for this
<br />CGA study, which examined Wilton Manors for the potential to accommodate additional density in select parts of the City with
<br />appropriate form recommendations to maintain compatibility and protect existing single-family residential neighborhoods.
<br />Silvia designed the key interactive event which included a combination of high-tech instant polling exercises and low-tech input
<br />interactions. (Public Engagement Coordinator at CGA)
<br />Other Relevant Assignments: Pinellas County (FL), Hillsborough County (FL), Leon County (FL), Galveston (TX), Georgetown
<br />(TX), Celina (TX)
<br />Additional Relevant Assignments: Downtown Lafayette Master Plan (LA); Downtown Palmetto Waterfront Master Plan (FL),
<br />University District (AR), CONNECT Our Future (NC and SC), Imagine Tallahassee (FL), Wellington Neighborhood Revitalization
<br />Initiative (FL).105
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