(June 22, 2017) Daniel Brandewie, who came on board as Pocomoke’s director of Planning, Housing and Zoning last week, is quickly feeling right at home.
“I’m very comfortable working in a small town,” he said.
After spending the last eight years as city planner in Cambridge, Brandewie instantly noticed similarities after beginning his role in Pocomoke.
“I think they’re very similar in terms of some of their housing issues [and] in terms of housing conditions,” he said.
Familiarity with small towns isn’t a stretch for Brandewie who was raised in Fort Loramie, Ohio, which had a population of roughly 1,400 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
Prior to his time in Cambridge, Brandewie spent more than two decades as Planning Director in Troy, Ohio, after earning a bachelors degree in urban panning from the University of Cincinnati.
Despite his wealth of professional experience, Brandewie intends to focus initially on listening and learning.
“I want to hear a lot of what the goals, issues and concerns are of our community leaders and our citizens,” he said.
From his early inquiries, Brandewie has put his finger on one topic of vital importance in Pocomoke.
“Housing is what I hear is an issue of concern in terms of trying to improve our housing stock, housing options and affordability,” he said.
Regardless of these challenges, Brandewie has already identified advantages in Pocomoke that are reminiscent of Cambridge.
“They both have waterfront property and that’s certainly an advantage that many communities don’t have,” he said. “They both have main highway corridors running through their towns.”
Both towns contain extensive historic structures that provide architectural charm, Brandewie said.
“Historical preservation is a very important component,” he said.
Brandewie, who has previous experience sourcing federal and state grant funding specifically for historical preservation efforts, is planning on delving into the topic to support similar efforts in Pocomoke.
“I want to focus on grants and grant research,” he said.
Regardless of his ability to locate grant money, Brandewie said execution is often the greater challenge.
“Writing a grant application is the easy part,” he said. “Implementing it is another story.”
In some instances, qualifying for grant funds can be problematic, Brandewie said.
“A lot of times we’re limited in small towns because of the matching grant requirements,” he said. “That can be somewhat of a limitation.”
Brandewie is currently digging in and discovering what funding may be in progress for Pocomoke.
“We have some ongoing grants that we need to get back on top of and see fully through,” he said. “I think I’ll be working in that area.”
Another top priority for Brandewie involves laying down organic roots through planting seedlings.
“I’m a big fan of encouraging trees in our cities,” he said. “It makes a huge difference in property values and the quality of life.”
He also noted that improvements typically emanate from a central location.
“I’m a big believer in a healthy downtown,” he said. “I think that’s where it all starts.”
“I’m very comfortable working in a small town,” he said.
After spending the last eight years as city planner in Cambridge, Brandewie instantly noticed similarities after beginning his role in Pocomoke.
“I think they’re very similar in terms of some of their housing issues [and] in terms of housing conditions,” he said.
Familiarity with small towns isn’t a stretch for Brandewie who was raised in Fort Loramie, Ohio, which had a population of roughly 1,400 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
Prior to his time in Cambridge, Brandewie spent more than two decades as Planning Director in Troy, Ohio, after earning a bachelors degree in urban panning from the University of Cincinnati.
Despite his wealth of professional experience, Brandewie intends to focus initially on listening and learning.
“I want to hear a lot of what the goals, issues and concerns are of our community leaders and our citizens,” he said.
From his early inquiries, Brandewie has put his finger on one topic of vital importance in Pocomoke.
“Housing is what I hear is an issue of concern in terms of trying to improve our housing stock, housing options and affordability,” he said.
Regardless of these challenges, Brandewie has already identified advantages in Pocomoke that are reminiscent of Cambridge.
“They both have waterfront property and that’s certainly an advantage that many communities don’t have,” he said. “They both have main highway corridors running through their towns.”
Both towns contain extensive historic structures that provide architectural charm, Brandewie said.
“Historical preservation is a very important component,” he said.
Brandewie, who has previous experience sourcing federal and state grant funding specifically for historical preservation efforts, is planning on delving into the topic to support similar efforts in Pocomoke.
“I want to focus on grants and grant research,” he said.
Regardless of his ability to locate grant money, Brandewie said execution is often the greater challenge.
“Writing a grant application is the easy part,” he said. “Implementing it is another story.”
In some instances, qualifying for grant funds can be problematic, Brandewie said.
“A lot of times we’re limited in small towns because of the matching grant requirements,” he said. “That can be somewhat of a limitation.”
Brandewie is currently digging in and discovering what funding may be in progress for Pocomoke.
“We have some ongoing grants that we need to get back on top of and see fully through,” he said. “I think I’ll be working in that area.”
Another top priority for Brandewie involves laying down organic roots through planting seedlings.
“I’m a big fan of encouraging trees in our cities,” he said. “It makes a huge difference in property values and the quality of life.”
He also noted that improvements typically emanate from a central location.
“I’m a big believer in a healthy downtown,” he said. “I think that’s where it all starts.”