The Sandy Springs Conservancy now has a direct voice in the city's 20-year planning process after board member Linda Bain won a seat on the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee.

The committee guides "The Next Chapter," a combined update of Sandy Springs' Comprehensive Plan and Recreation & Parks Master Plan covering 2027 through 2047. The city launched the effort June 4, and the project began May 20 with adoption scheduled for June 2027.

Bain joined the 15-member advisory committee, which held a regular meeting July 20 at City Hall, according to city records. Other Conservancy board members gave input at a stakeholder meeting June 23.

The Conservancy said its initial recommendations focus on walkability, completing the city's trail plan, conducting gap analysis to find where parks and trails are needed, and exploring new funding tools. Those priorities align with early community feedback: public meeting materials show walkability and neighborhood character emerged as top themes from more than 4,000 resident comments collected so far.

To sharpen those recommendations, the Conservancy is bringing in Mitchell J. Silver as keynote speaker at its Thought Leaders Dinner on Monday, Nov. 9. Silver served as New York City Parks Commissioner from 2014 to 2021 and was president of the American Planning Association from 2011 to 2013.

Conservancy board chair Jack Misiura wrote in the organization's July newsletter that Silver "will share best-practice planning strategies and funding options for trails and parks" and help identify "which projects to build first to maximize community walkability."

The dinner's timing is deliberate. The Conservancy said the event was timed to coincide with the plan's policy-drafting phase, positioning the nonprofit to deliver recommendations as the city prepares for Public Meeting No. 3 in October.

Executive Director John Maximuk, an AICP-certified planner who joined the Conservancy after working with Fulton County and the cities of Decatur and Chamblee, is coordinating the organization's planning work.

The Conservancy has raised more than $1 million for parks and greenspace over 25 years. It has partnered with the city on Morgan Falls Overlook Park, Abernathy Greenway, Lost Corner Nature Preserve and the first segment of the Springway.

One active project, Morgan Falls Trail Segment 2C, would expand the Morgan Falls loop from 1.8 miles to roughly 3.4 miles. The segment reached 60% design completion as of August, and City Council is expected to consider a grant application for it Tuesday, Oct. 6.

When the city launched The Next Chapter in June, Mayor Rusty Paul said the effort "…is about ensuring that the future of our city is shaped by the people who live and work here."

Residents can follow the planning process at the Plan The Next Chapter hub. Details on the Nov. 9 Thought Leaders Dinner are available at the Conservancy's website.