Pasco County Wins Technical Assistance Grant From Smart Growth America

February 13, 2014

Smart Growth America announced that Pasco County was selected as one of 18 communities to receive the organization’s 2014 free smart growth technical assistance program. Pasco County will receive a 1- or 2-day training session with an expert from Smart Growth America on Planning for Economic and Fiscal Health. This technical assistance is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program.

Pasco County’s application requested assistance in identifying tools that will help realize the vision defined within the recently adopted Harbors Redevelopment Plan and the County Economic Development Plan. The “Planning for Economic and Fiscal Health” tool will expose the New Port Richey, Port Richey and Pasco County leaders to global knowledge and provide them with best practices that are most appropriate to our communities to revitalize this area. The lessons learned will enable the county to work cooperatively with the cities to adopt a comprehensive redevelopment approach for the Harbors, and will provide multiple benefits such as, cost-savings, increased tax revenues, and creation of healthy, self-sufficient communities. Smart Growth America received nearly 100 applications for technical assistance from 40 states. While all of the applications were worthy, the 18 communities selected to receive technical assistance exhibited the strongest interest in and need for smart growth tools and clearly demonstrated a commitment from local business, community and political leaders to implement local smart growth solutions.