Poughkeepsie... County Executive William R. Steinhaus will be hosting a conference workshop, Sustainable Living Communities: Thinking Green for Golden Living, for municipal and community leaders on Wednesday, October 15th at 6:00 PM at Cornell Cooperative Extension DC, DC County Farm & Home Center, Millbrook. 

According to Steinhaus, “Our senior residents are the fastest growing segment of the county’s population.”  Key questions for the discussion are: Are our municipalities and housing units being designed to accommodate our seniors who want to stay in their local communities?  What considerations are needed to create greener, healthier neighborhoods to encourage independence for older people?

Michael O’Neal, Housing Options Manager, AARP, Washington DC will be speaking on how to create environments for successful aging.  Planner John Clark will relate the strategies to sustainable living principles, and developer Ken Kearney will discuss a best practice of livable communities.
 
John Beale, Director of Division of Aging Services, states “We want those involved in planning and interested community stakeholders to understand what makes a community livable.  A livable community is a universal goal where healthy living and social connections should be encouraged for all ages.”

DC Department of Planning and Development has endorsed this training for two hours of credit toward meeting New York State requirements for planning and zoning officials.  The conference is free and a light dinner will be provided.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is required.  For information, call Carole Lehrer, 845-486-2000 by October 6th.