About
Biography
John M. Gaadt, AICP
GAADT PERSPECTIVES, LLC
John M. Gaadt, AICP is an environmental and land use planning consultant with 30+ years of professional experience. Currently he heads Gaadt Perspectives, LLC, a successful consulting practice located in Chadds Ford, PA. Prior to starting his own firm, John served as a project manager for the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Management Center (Chadds Ford, PA) and was the Assistant Chief of County Planning for the Montgomery County Planning Commission (Norristown, PA).
John has written extensively on environmental and land use issues and has been a speaker at numerous conferences and workshops. He is licensed through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and maintains memberships in the American Planning Association (APA), the American Water Resources Association (AWRA), the American Planning Association – Pennsylvania Chapter, and the American Planning Association – Delaware Chapter.
John has a Master’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in Environmental Planning and a Bachelors degree from West Virginia University in Geography, Planning and Energy Resources. He has two children and enjoys traveling, performing music, biking, scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, books and film.
Select Project Awards
EPA Source Water Protection Award
Region III EPA – Award for efforts in the State of Delaware Recipients: New Castle County, Delaware and Gaadt Perspectives, LLC
“Environment First” Conservation Design Initiative:
Developed a series of holistic land development design tools that maximize protection of key land and environmental resources, preserve significant concentrations of open space and greenways, evaluate and maintain site hydrology, and ensure flexibility in development design. The initiative involves an integrated development process that respects natural site conditions and strives to replicate or improve the natural hydrology of a site.
Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) Pennsylvania Planning Association’s Outstanding Planning Award
Recipients: Chester County, PA, Gaadt Perspectives, LLC, and CDM Engineers
WATERSHEDS, An Integrated Resources Plan and Water Resources Compendium:
A water resources management plan and technical background document for the twenty-one (21) watersheds originating in Chester County. Intended to protect the county’s natural resources, balance the needs of all water users, provide municipalities with an integrated framework for sound land use and water resources management, and help citizens understand water resource issues and their role in resource protection.
EPA Source Water Protection Award
Region III EPA – Award for efforts in the State of Delaware Recipients: New Castle County, Delaware and Gaadt Perspectives, LLC
New Castle County Conservation Strategy:
An environmental protection plan, including a county-wide natural resources inventory, a description of the importance of resource protection, a primer on the County’s resource protection standards, a explanation of future challenges, and a thorough glossary of reference material, agencies and organizations.
Montgomery County, PA Design Award – Award of Merit
Recipients: Lower Merion Township and Gaadt Perspectives, LLC
Open Space Preservation District:
A flexible mandatory cluster zoning district designed to preserve open space, natural resources, historic features and cultural landscapes in Lower Merion Township’s residential districts.
Grants Awarded
Gaadt Perspectives’ has assisted public and non-profit clients with grant applications over many years; a few of our unique projects include:
The Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway ($300,000+)
A series of projects accomplished with county, state and federal grants to nominate, designate and preserve 28 secondary roads (approximately 21 sq. mi.) as a scenic byway in New Castle County, Delaware
The Christina Basin TMDL Implementation Plan and Model Ordinance ($50,000+)
A multi-municipal planning effort utilizing local and county grants to restore the water quality of a 564 sq. mi. area.
A Model Municipal Regulatory Approach to Addressing Transmission Pipelines ($150,000+)
A multi-year series of Technical Assistance Grants through the U.S. DOT to assist municipalities in planning for and regulating transmission pipelines.
A Water Based Land Use Regulatory Program ($500,000)
An industry-funded research project in the Brandywine Watershed to examine land use controls tied to sustainable water resources.
Liondale Farm Preservation ($1 Million).
A private foundation funded project to preserve a large farm contiguous to Longwood Gardens