Matthew Alfele Email & Phone Number

Charlottesville, Va, Us

Charlottesville, Virginia Area

As a City Planner for Charlottesville, a diverse city of 45,000, I am responsible for all day-to-day planning activates for a large section of the City that includes five neighborhoods and portions of the University of Virginia. Most recently I drafted a new City ordinance (Sec. 34-1172 Homestay) that addresses transient lodging in residential dwelling units that is most commonly associated with companies like airbnb and the micro economy. This ordinance allows home owners to take advantage of renting out their homes on a short term basis, but respects the integrity of historic single family neighborhoods. I am also involved in performing research and preparing reports for complex professional planning projects such as Streets That Work, Smart Growth America Grant, and a comprehensive Code Audit.One of my main responsibilities is to review all subdivisions, site plans, planned unit developments, rezoning applications, and special use permit applications for compliance with City codes and ordinances. In addition to providing my own review of projects, I am responsible for managing the reviewers from different City departments to ensure comments are received in a timely manner and relayed to the applicant in one document through one contact point. When all subdivisions and site plans are reviewed and deemed acceptable by the City, I am responsible for signing the approved sets. I am also responsible for preforming onsite inspections of development projects and signoff on AS-BUILTS before a certificate of occupancy is issued.I also facilitate and run all Pre-Application Meetings with developers, Site Plan Conferences with the public, Development Review Team Meetings with internal departments (Urban Design, Fire, Police, Public Works, Public Utilities, Climate Protection, Traffic, Building Inspections, Engineering, ADA Compliance, Bicycle and Pedestrian, Parks and Recreation, Transit, Zoning, and Planning), and Pre-Construction Meetings with contractors

Mobile, Alabama Area

As a planner, I was responsible for many aspects of economic development within the county and held positions on multiple committees related to planning and historic preservation. On a daily basis, I worked with surveyors, engineers, developers, citizens, and state and local government officials to resolve planning issues within a county that was transitioning from rural to urbanMy main responsibility was that of principal reviewer for all plats and commercial site plans. I ensured that they met our subdivision regulations and conform to Federal floodplain guidelines. Administering and managing the county’s Historic Dirt Road Program also falls under the my authority. This program allowed for the paving and acceptance of pre 1984 dirt roads into the county’s maintenance and road inventory. I also was tasked with inventorying and tracking all new development within the county’s portion of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and compiling that information into monthly reports. Protecting the drinking water for Mobile County that comes from Big Creek Lake required me to work with our environmental department to ensure all county, state, and federal regulations were being met when it comes to development within the Big Creek Lake Watershed. I also held the authority for administering the vacations of public lands, easements, and rights-of-way within the county and procuring the dedication of new rights-of-way from property owners during the subdivision of lands.My position also required me to attend public meetings, charrettes, planning commissions meetings and county commission meetings to answer questions and present related planning and landscape architecture information. I worked across departments to help develop a Complete Streets policy that was appropriated for rural rights-of-way. In addition to my Planner I responsibilities, I was still responsibly for all duties I held under my Planning Technician title

Mobile, Alabama Area

As a Planning Technician, I assisted and inform department staff and the public on the specifics of planning programs, ordinances, and the principles and practices of landscape architecture and planning. In 2011, I traveled to Washington, DC in conjunction with the American Society of Landscape Architects and Mobile County to lobby state and federal officials in support of the Safe Routes to Schools Program, the Scenic By-way Program, and Complete Streets. I researched and compile information on a variety of planning issues from multiple sources at the local, state and federal level. I was assigned to a damage assessment team that inspects roads and county owned properties after flooding, hurricanes, and other major disasters. The preparation and publication of notices for new subdivisions and the creation of bimonthly agenda items for the Mobile County Commission meetings were all responsibilities of the Planning Technician. I also assisted in assigning addresses to new subdivision lots and commercial site plans using the county 911-Addressing system format, and inputting that information into the Public Works’ GIS database using ArcMap 10. The creation and reproduction of maps from aerial photographs, topographical survey, and GIS data for citizens, presentations, and interdepartmental use were also part of my responsibilities. In addition, I was tasked with performing routine office duties including data entry, file management, scanning, copying and answering telephones.

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

In 2008, I opened a landscape design studio in Charlotte, North Carolina that specialized in commercial and residential properties. I worked very closely with Pike Family Nursery and established Paperbark Studio as their preferred landscape design partner. The most important part of my job was to cultivate relationships with clients, contractors, architects, engineers, review boards, and government officials. I presided over all aspects of the design process using many types of design, mapping, and planning software, including AutoCAD, SketchUp, DynaSCAPE, and ArcGIS. A portion of my work included completion of various SketchUp models, movies, and other presentation graphics for architectural and engineering firms in Charlotte, North Carolina and Athens, Georgia. I also assisted in the preparation of grant applications for residential rain gardens throughout Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Athens, Georgia Area

I was the Project Manager for a high-end design –build firm specializing in residential landscapes in the Lake Oconee region of Georgia. My responsibilities included completion of all design and construction documents. Examples are: presentation illustrations, conceptual designs, master plans, grading plans, planting plans, sections, and perspectives. I developed office procedures and management systems, including the company’s design process, client interaction protocols, proposal format, and filing system. I was responsible for all aspects of project management, including client contact, budget management, and construction administration. During construction I, supervised crews varying from four to ten trade workers. Other responsibilities required overseeing regulatory compliance with neighborhood architectural review boards, Georgia DOT, Georgia Power, and local planning departments. I worked with local officials of Georgia Power to develop best management practices on residential properties that abutted Lake Oconee.

Greater Atlanta Area

For ten years I was employed full or part-time with Pike Family Nursery. It was through this long and productive relationship that I developed excellent customer service skills. These skills have translated to all other jobs I have held. In 1998, I was promoted from Sales Associate to Department Head. As Department Head, I was responsible for all orders of bulk goods, such as grass seed, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and gardening tools. I was also responsible for increasing customer sales and resolving any complaints. In 2002, I was promoted from Department Head to Evening Manager. During my time as manager, I supervised a staff of six and was responsible for all aspects of running a retail nursery. In the summer of 2003 I stepped down as Manager and returned to a Department Head position so I could attend the University of Georgia and obtain my degree in Landscape Architecture. During my time at the University of Georgia, I continued to work full time at Pike Family Nursery. It was also during my time with Pike Nursery that I obtained my Georgia Green Industry Association certification (GGIA).

Greater Atlanta Area

At Niles Bolton,I was employed as a landscape architectural intern for a large multinational design firm and participated in all aspects of landscape architecture and urban planning. The majority of work focused on producing design documents for parks and courtyards in cities throughout China. I also assisted with on-site inspections during final walk through on large multi-family housing projects. Other aspects of my daily work responsibilities included generating presentation graphics, maps, and drafting construction details. I was exposed to and trained on a large variety of design and presentation software including AutoCAD, Corel Design, Photoshop, Google Earth Pro, and SketchUp. I thrived in the fast-paced and professional work environment during my time with the firm.

Greater Atlanta Area

My position as a First Responder with the American Red Cross was a yearlong internship through the AmeriCorps program. During my time there I was exposed to a wide range of areas connected to disaster preparedness and recovery. I was part of a team that assisted in the coordination of relief efforts between the American Red Cross, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, and FEMA immediately following a disaster. Teaching first aid, CPR, and disaster preparation to schools, community organizations, and government agencies was an aspect of my job that was continual throughout the year. Preparing for disasters was a main focus of the program, and I received constant training from classes and elaborate simulations. The two biggest simulations were the multi-agency Big Bird Mock Disaster simulating an airplane crash at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and a mock terrorist chemical attack on a music concert. During my time as a First Responder, I helped to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical aid to numerous house and apartment fires throughout the Atlanta metro area. The largest disaster recovery efforts I was involved in were the February 14, 2000 tornado outbreak in Camilla, Georgia, and the May 6, 2000 Cerro Grande Fire in Los Alamos, New Mexico. In addition to my responsibilities as a First Responder, I was required to volunteer with Habitat for

Greater Atlanta Area

My work with the American Red Cross was through an AmeriCorps internship.

Bla, Landscape Architecture

Ba-History, History, Studio Art