SERVICE

Public and nonprofit roles.

In early 2023, Sara will assume the role of the Chair of the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, following her nomination by President Biden and confirmation by unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate. 

Before assuming this position, Sara served as an advisor of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, an advisor of the Sustainable Development Code, chair of Preservation Connecticut and as a board member of the Latinos in Heritage Conservation.  She also founded and led Desegregate CT, convening over 80 nonprofit organizations and thousands of people to reform land use laws to improve quality of place, start to address systemic racism, and improve the impact of land use laws on the environment. 

As chair of the City of Hartford’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Sara envisioned and implemented nationally-recognized reforms that will ultimately lead to a more environmentally-friendly, socially equitable, and interconnected city.  The zoning code, which was the 2020 recipient of the Driehaus Award from Smart Growth America and the Form-Based Codes Institute, streamlines permitting, prioritizes walking and biking, identifies transit-oriented zones, and has form-based code provisions to complement the city’s historic fabric.  It also made Hartford the first city in the country to eliminate all minimum parking requirements.  Most importantly, the code was adopted unanimously in one night, with broad community support.  

After the zoning reforms, Sara built consensus in support of the city’s first Climate Action Plan – because environmental sustainability goes hand-in-hand with responsible place-making.  Sara also led the drafting of the city’s subdivision regulations, inland wetland regulations, housing code, comprehensive energy plan, and decennial City Plan.  Read more about these local efforts below.  And click here for more on Sara’s background. 

STORIES ABOUT HARTFORD’S PLANNING & ZONING REFORMS:

Face Connecticut Show

Topic: Hartford City Plan