Politics & Government

Names In The News: City Planning Director Larry Finch

An instrumental figure in Twinsburg's acceleration of the former Chrysler plant, Larry Finch is trying to give the city a bright future

His name is Larry Finch.

As Twinsburg's Director of Planning and Community Development, Finch was recently in Twinsburg headlines as a key member of the group that .

Twinsburg Patch: Tell us how you got to the position that you have now?

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Larry Finch: I have had the benefit of more than 30 years of experience in this field.  I have worked for a large engineering and architectural firm, for villages and cities and owned my own consulting company for 15 years.  I started with Twinsburg as the consulting planner in 1996 and joined the city full-time in 2005 as the Director of Community Planning & Development.

Patch: What do you like most about Twinsburg?

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Finch: There are a lot of things to like about Twinsburg: The open spaces, community facilities and library, low property tax rates, and my short drive to work are among them.

Patch: You have a busy position in the city. What really drew you into this line of work?

Finch: I have always had a strong interest in geography and the natural sciences.  In fact I started college as a biology major, transitioned to environmental conservation, then found my career in urban geography and planning.  My first job out of college was with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources where I made soils maps. 

After a few years I found a position with an engineering and architectural firm in Columbus where I worked with senior planners to create regional and community master plans, central business district studies and provided support to engineers and architects by providing forecasts of populations, water and wastewater flows, and classroom needs for school projects.

Patch: In your years serving Twinsburg, what accomplishment are you most proud of?

Finch: I am sincerely proud of the progress made in the process of transitioning the .   What could have been a blight on the city is on its way to becoming one of the city’s strongest assets.  The last few years have been years of significant progress in diversifying the local economy and in increasing jobs.  The new Kent State Academic Center, the University Hospitals facility and the new Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center projects have brought more interest to our community and substantially increased our cultural and health care assets.

Patch: Where would you like to see the city go moving into the future?

Finch: In addition to seeing continued progress on the former Chrysler site I am hopeful that progress can be made to improve the image and function of properties surrounding Twinsburg Square.   There is a growing opportunity to provide something that has not been provided before in central Twinsburg, like a central area with housing, shopping eating and entertainment.  I think the city is getting close to seeing this kind of positive change here.


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