Site Plan and Development Review: A Guide for Northern New England. Robert M. Sanford and Dana H. Farley. 2004. Putney Press, Newfane, VT. 258 pp. $34.95 paperback.

The challenge of Environmental Planning is both the complexity of the process and the myriad backgrounds of the individuals involved in the process. Sanford and Farley's book attempts to put everyone on the same page, at least in regard to understanding the components of the planning process and bringing a semblance of clarity and organization to the review of site plans. With developing communities bucking strong private property proponents and the “powers that be” hurrying to make the most out of those hot development areas, the planning professional and the affected citizen can best be served by a document that is in-depth and yet easily understood. Sketches of planning solutions and engineering drawings of the more technical aspects of design are frequently used to show the reader just how a planning outcome might be implemented.