From staff reports
Curt Freese, an experienced manager in municipal planning and development, will begin his tenure as director of the City of Beaufort’s Community Development Department in January, according to a news release from the City.
“I am excited to be part of the Beaufort team,” Freese said in the release. “The City is so rich in history, charm, and beauty that I consider myself lucky to obtain such a position. Beaufort’s forward thinking form-based development code does much to enhance and promote its charm.”
City Manager Bill Prokop said, “We look forward to having Curt join us. The Community Development Department is one of our most important. It touches developers, builders, homeowners, business owner and contractors, plus our various boards. It’s important to have the right person leading it, and we have found that person with Curt.”
Freese, who is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners, was most recently the director of community development for the Town of Berthoud, Colo., where he has worked since 2015. Berthoud is a town of 12,000 north of Denver. Freese managed building, planning, development review, water dedication, oil and gas permitting, and engineering for Berthoud. While there, he led and drafted a form-based update of the town’s development code.
Freese has also worked as executive director of the Henderson, Ky., City-County Planning Commission, where he oversaw planning and GIS for a community of 49,000. He was also a zoning specialist for the City of Covington, Ky., and zoning administrator for Horry County, S.C.
Freese, who is from Cincinnati, Ohio, has a bachelor’s in history from the University of Cincinnati, and a Masters of Community Planning from UC.
Freese has worked in communities with historic districts, including Berthoud and Covington, which has one of the largest historic districts in the country.
As he begins his tenure, “my focus will be to continue to provide excellent design and development, transparency to the public, and focus on more attainable housing for all citizens,” Freese said.
He and his wife, Alanna, have a son, Michael.
Interim Community Development Director Ricardo Gianni will work with Freese for several weeks to help in the transition.
