City of Bradenton Announces New Director of Planning & Community Development

BRADENTON – Catherine Hartley was introduced as the new Director of Planning & Community Development for the City of Bradenton during a City Council workshop on Wednesday.

Mrs. Hartley comes to Bradenton via Hillsborough County, where she worked as the Senior Planner since January 2013 and assisted with projects such as Little Manatee South Community Plan implementation and Form-Based Code, Comprehensive Plan update, grant research, zoning issues, Overlay regulations and Land Development Code amendments.

Prior to that, she was the Senior Planner for the City of St. Pete Beach and Project Coordinator for Renaissance Planning Group in Tampa. She attained a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University in 2004. Her history with Form-Based Code, zoning issues, comprehensive planning and land development regulations makes her a valuable addition to lead the City’s Planning Department.

Mrs. Hartley’s work has received much attention. Project awards include Outstanding Contribution to the Community at the Planning Commission 33rd Annual Design Awards and Award of Excellence in Grassroots Planning at FAPA 2015 Project & Planning Awards. She has been requested to co-chair the annual Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (FAPA) conference in September. She is the vice-chair of the Suncoast Section of FAPA and a board member for CNU Tampa Bay.

Mrs. Hartley replaces former Planning Director Timothy Polk, who retired Jan. 28.