Team

We know that in this kind of work, experience counts – and we have lead initiatives for nearly two decades that create sustainable living in diverse communities, building the capacity of organizations that are prepared to strategize, prioritize, act and succeed together. Our staff includes professionals with experience in community engagement, mediation, community and housing development, urban design, economic development and Main Street Revitalization, historic preservation, organizational design, management, and fundraising. Together, we offer personally committed, knowledgeable, and seasoned planners who understand the unique opportunities and economic challenges facing communities today. Across the board, our team has success creating the plans and regulations that build strong and vibrant neighborhoods which can grow the local tax base. River Street is also fortunate to work with many partners in the planning, landscape architecture, economic development, and engineering communities.

In 1997, Margaret Irwin and John Holehan (who retired in 2014) founded River Street Planning & Development as a successor company to East West Planning. Margaret is a confident and experienced public speaker, trainer, mediator, and facilitator with a practice in community outreach and public engagement, planning and economic development. She is a tireless advocate for communities impacted by extreme weather and climate change. Her work facilitates recovery, develops model initiatives for adaptation and resiliency, and crafts consensus plans for sustainability that help families to rebuild their lives. Margaret is a talented writer who has developed guidebooks on the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and on reuse of idled and historic properties for the New York State Department of State. She designs and leads complex multi-disciplinary teams that promote forward looking initiatives in communities of all sizes and works with them to secure investment to achieve their visions. Margaret holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.

Margaret’s colleagues at River Street Planning include:

Christina is a planner, landscape designer and graphic designer who manages River Street’s community engagement and outreach. She has led our transition to online engagement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris coordinates our in-house graphic design of promotional materials, presentation boards, brochures, and infographics for plans and strategies. She designs website and social media strategies and suites of outreach materials. Chris is a skilled writer, editor, and project manager with strong analytical and communication skills. She is a contributing author and graphic designer for dozens of projects each year. Her graphic work for River Street can be seen in final reports for ADVANTAGE Adirondacks, The Adirondack Gateway Council Pathways to Progress Plan, the Town of Union Resiliency Plan, and storm recovery plans for the Town of Prattsville and Village of Sidney.  Chris received a dual Master’s Degree in Urban & Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado at Denver.