Between 1996 and 2000, Barry’s largest client was the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the special district created by the Florida legislature in 1967 to plan for the Walt Disney World Resort. His work during this time period had a lasting influence on the planning and development of Disney’s Central Florida landholdings.  

In the late 1980s, Florida adopted some of the most rigorous comprehensive planning requirements in the United States. Local governments were required to prepare and submit long-range plans to the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for compliance review. Because RCID functioned as an independent local government for the 42-square mile Disney property, it was fully subject to these requirements.

Barry prepared the first RCID Comp Plan in the late 1980s while at Sedway Cooke Associates. After establishing his own practice, he was retained in 1996 to prepare the State-mandated Evaluation and Appraisal Report. This included updating all baseline planning data, evaluating progress towards meeting Plan objectives, and recommending Plan amendments and revisions. He was subsequently retained as project manager for the 1998 Comprehensive Plan Update.  

The 1998-2000 planning effort built on earlier work, while responding to new initiatives, including new theme parks and resorts, development of Downtown Disney, and the de-annexation of Disney’s Celebration community. The Plan featured an innovative land use framework that protected the confidentiality of Disney’s development plans by establishing cumulative impact thresholds for subareas rather than site-specific land use designations. It also included a forward-looking Housing Element addressing the affordable housing needs of theme park and hotel employees.