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Oxford has hired a new city planner to take charge on a host of big projects this year, but they're nothing she hasn't already handled.

Kathryn Dale, who started work

Jan. 2, will be in the middle of the revision of both the Oxford Comprehensive Plan and the city zoning codes.

She says she's ready for the challenge as, in a previous position as planner for Colerain Twp., she helped write the township's first comprehensive plan and overhaul its zoning codes.

"That was a great experience, actually," Dale said. "I learned a lot about the whole process."

The hiring fills a post that has been vacant since July of 2006, when former planner Scott Headlee was fired for violation of the city's computer and Internet policy.

Since then, the duties have fallen to Community Development Director Jung-Han Chen, who will be supervising Dale and getting her acquainted with Oxford.

The job of city planner involves interacting with citizens about their land-use issues, assisting with the permit application process and providing facts and research to the Planning Commission, BZA and HAPC, Chen said.

Chen said Dale was the best of nearly 30 applicants in a long selection process.

"Her experience stood

out," Chen said. "Working on the comp plan, zoning codes, different issues at Colerain Twp. She's very level-headed, she's very detail-oriented and she has a lot of the technical knowledge."

A 2002 graduate of University

of Cincinnati, Dale was an intern for the city of Mason, Manley Burke law firm and Bayer & Becker Engineers while in school.

She then spent four years as planner for Colerain Twp., followed by six months working for Clermont County.

"I learned that in this job, you can't make everyone happy, but you must be fair," Dale said.

Dale said the college-town dynamic of Oxford presented a unique situation.

"As far as planning goes, the city is going to face how to restore balance between student and owner-occupied housing," she said.

Dale also said that potential developments on the outskirts of the city need to be considered carefully.

"Development is going to happen, but if there's room for infill, I would prefer infill or redevelopment, even if it's cheaper to go to farmland outside the city," Dale said.