AMHERST — Planning Director Christine Brestrup, who has helped guide housing and commercial developments and improvements to municipal parks, and spearheaded a project to install signs so visitors can better find their way around town, is retiring after 21 years with Amherst’s Planning Department.

Calling town employment the best job she’s ever had, in part because it combines her interests in design and politics, Brestrup will leave her supervisory role on Sept. 27.

“I’ve been privileged to be at the table when decisions are being made that shape the future of Amherst,” Brestrup said in a statement. “I’ve tried to help the public to understand what is going on so that they can make their own informed decisions about whether to support a proposal or not.”

Brestrup, 73, began work for the Planning Department in 2003 and then succeeded Jonathan Tucker in the planning director role in fall 2015, first on an interim basis, before being named to the permanent position in 2016.

In her position, Brestrup sought to balance Amherst’s need for economic and housing growth with preservation of the town’s heritage. Over the past decade, hundreds of market-rate and affordable housing units have been created to increase the town’s tax base and options for those who want to live in Amherst. In addition, Brestrup helped to write various general and zoning bylaw changes, such as ones focused on inclusionary zoning, mixed-use buildings, preservation of historically significant buildings and accessory dwellings.

In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Brestrup developed new floodplain maps that were accurate and based on the most recent scientific data, followed by adoption of the Floodplain Overlay Zoning District which designates specific areas of town as high-risk flood zones.

Brestrup’s work also included supporting development and expansion of Kendrick Park and Groff Park, the nearly complete renovations of North Common, and the installation of wayfinding signs, as well as permitting for upcoming capital projects, such as renovation of the Jones Library and construction of the new elementary school.

With concern about confidence in the Planning Department, Brestrup focused on greater collaboration.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman said in a statement that Brestrup is a consummate professional who has been dedicated and committed to the town.

“She is the embodiment of integrity, intellectual rigor, and professionalism. She is an excellent listener and treats everyone with respect,” Bockelman said. “Most importantly, Chris strengthened the public’s trust in the Planning Department and positioned the department to be successful well into the future.”

Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek started working for the town at around the same time as Brestrup and has found her unflappable, with a quiet wisdom and steady hand.

“We are fortunate that we had Chris to lead the Planning Department during a period of unprecedented activity, perhaps the busiest period of building and regulatory change in the history of the town,” Ziomek said.

Council President Lynn Griesemer also praised Brestrup’s “outstanding leadership.”

Brestrup’s first foray in the town’s Planning Department came as a student intern while pursing a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts. She returned in 2003, after working for Huntley Associates in Northampton and a landscape architectural firm in the Boston area.

Brestrup’s team in the Planning Department includes Nathaniel Malloy and Jacinta Williams, the senior planner and planner, respectively, Planning Program Assistant Pamela Sadler-Field, Permit Administrator Jennifer Mullins and Housing Coordinator Greg Richane. That team helps provide staff support to more than 15 boards and committees including the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee, Affordable Housing Trust, Historical Commission and Local Historic District Commission.

A community celebration for Brestrup will be announced on the town’s website.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.