Andrew Gillies. (Chesterfield County)
After a national search to fill its vacant planning director seat, Chesterfield County found its man in the Lone Star State.
Andrew G. Gillies, currently the community services director in Farmers Branch, Texas, has been selected to head the county’s planning department. He’ll oversee a staff of 46 in the commonwealth’s fifth most-populous municipality.
County spokeswoman Allie Gibson said Gillies will take over the role in October and succeeds Kirk Turner, ending a search launched in May.
Turner, who served as planning director since 2004, vacated the role July 1 to oversee the county’s new Community Enhancement Department, which was created to rejuvenate aging residential communities and commercial properties in the county – many in areas that border Richmond, Petersburg and Colonial Heights.
Gillies could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
County administrator Joseph Casey said in a phone interview Wednesday that Gillies stood out for his experience on both sides of community development.
“He’s had a very extensive career in both the private and public sectors that made him the ideal candidate for this position,” Casey said. “He’s had to deal with topics in Farmers Branch that maybe 10 to 20 years from now, we may have to face here in Chesterfield.”
In addition to the Farmers Branch government, Gillies has worked for several private sector engineering and planning firms, including PAWA Winklemann & Associates, Kimley Horn & Associates and Tierra Planning. He earned a master’s of urban planning degree from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
As planning director, Gillies will be responsible for handling Chesterfield’s comprehensive plan, zoning administration and land development – a series of guiding blueprints that set the tone and layout of the region’s most populated county with nearly 335,000 residents.
Casey said Gillies will work with the Community Enhancement Department to address ways to better serve businesses and residents in more mature sections of the county.
“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity here,” Casey said of Chesterfield County. “It’s going to be important that we work to address those opportunities.”
Gillies will operate in a county looking for ways to enhance and redevelop some of its older neighborhoods, while continuing to guide new growth onto undeveloped parcels. The county has grappled recently with handling cash proffers – the per-door sums developers pay to help with added infrastructure costs.
Gillies should know a thing or two about monitoring and guiding growth from his time in fast-growing North Texas.
While Farmers Branch – now a built-out suburb of about 33,000 – may have reached its peak population in the mid-1970s, the small city has continued to entice new businesses and residents.
To address lackluster property tax revenue and growth, Farmers Branch approved a demo/rebuild residential incentive program during Gillies’ tenure in 2010.
The program allocates up to $15,000 in cash and a five-year tax rebate for builders looking to demolish older homes valued at less than $100,000 to make way for larger homes on the same lot. For homes valued greater than $100,000, the city will allocate up to $12,500 in cash incentives.
Andrew Gillies. (Chesterfield County)
After a national search to fill its vacant planning director seat, Chesterfield County found its man in the Lone Star State.
Andrew G. Gillies, currently the community services director in Farmers Branch, Texas, has been selected to head the county’s planning department. He’ll oversee a staff of 46 in the commonwealth’s fifth most-populous municipality.
County spokeswoman Allie Gibson said Gillies will take over the role in October and succeeds Kirk Turner, ending a search launched in May.
Turner, who served as planning director since 2004, vacated the role July 1 to oversee the county’s new Community Enhancement Department, which was created to rejuvenate aging residential communities and commercial properties in the county – many in areas that border Richmond, Petersburg and Colonial Heights.
Gillies could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
County administrator Joseph Casey said in a phone interview Wednesday that Gillies stood out for his experience on both sides of community development.
“He’s had a very extensive career in both the private and public sectors that made him the ideal candidate for this position,” Casey said. “He’s had to deal with topics in Farmers Branch that maybe 10 to 20 years from now, we may have to face here in Chesterfield.”
In addition to the Farmers Branch government, Gillies has worked for several private sector engineering and planning firms, including PAWA Winklemann & Associates, Kimley Horn & Associates and Tierra Planning. He earned a master’s of urban planning degree from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
As planning director, Gillies will be responsible for handling Chesterfield’s comprehensive plan, zoning administration and land development – a series of guiding blueprints that set the tone and layout of the region’s most populated county with nearly 335,000 residents.
Casey said Gillies will work with the Community Enhancement Department to address ways to better serve businesses and residents in more mature sections of the county.
“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity here,” Casey said of Chesterfield County. “It’s going to be important that we work to address those opportunities.”
Gillies will operate in a county looking for ways to enhance and redevelop some of its older neighborhoods, while continuing to guide new growth onto undeveloped parcels. The county has grappled recently with handling cash proffers – the per-door sums developers pay to help with added infrastructure costs.
Gillies should know a thing or two about monitoring and guiding growth from his time in fast-growing North Texas.
While Farmers Branch – now a built-out suburb of about 33,000 – may have reached its peak population in the mid-1970s, the small city has continued to entice new businesses and residents.
To address lackluster property tax revenue and growth, Farmers Branch approved a demo/rebuild residential incentive program during Gillies’ tenure in 2010.
The program allocates up to $15,000 in cash and a five-year tax rebate for builders looking to demolish older homes valued at less than $100,000 to make way for larger homes on the same lot. For homes valued greater than $100,000, the city will allocate up to $12,500 in cash incentives.