17 Petalumans apply for 6 planning seats

<p>One is a big-box critic. Another is a real estate developer. Still others are lawyers, architects, retirees and recent college graduates.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>They are among 17 Petaluma residents applying for six seats on the city's new Planning Commission after the City Council last month disbanded the old panel and did away with a design review committee.</p><p>The council's slow-growth majority say the move will consolidate both functions under one body, streamlining the development process. Minority members on the council argue it's a political ploy to replace sitting commissioners before their terms expire and put like-minded appointees on the panel.</p><p>"They have yet to articulate a coherent rationale for doing it," said Councilman Mike Healy, who voted against the change June 16.</p><p>New members will be chosen today by council vote. Terms could be four years or less.</p><p>Councilman David Glass said the consolidation would remove a layer of bureaucracy that has stalled many projects. The need for improvement was underscored recently by messy developer appeals involving a medical office building remodel and a small subdivision, Glass said.</p><p>"It will be a better review body than this city has had in long time," Glass said.</p><p>The hopefuls come from across the political spectrum.</p><p>Among them is parks commissioner Melissa Abercrombie, a co-founder of the Petaluma Neighborhood Association who has been an outspoken critic of plans to build a Target on East Washington Street.</p><p>Also seeking a spot are Curtis Johansen, executive vice president of the development company Triad Communities; Daryl Johnson, a construction company manager, and Alicia Herries, a pharmaceutical company worker who organized opposition to the El Rose medical building project.</p><p>Erin Axelrod is a recent Barnard College graduate who is doing an internship in sustainable agriculture, and Jennifer Pierre is an environmental consultant and Petaluma Mothers' Club member.</p><p>Ross Jones is an architect, Jaspar Lewis-Gehring is a civil engineer and Hank Flum is a retired investor.</p><p>Marianne Hurley, a former parks department worker, is on the Historic and Cultural Preservation Committee.</p><p>Five of those applying were members of the previous commission and two were members of the design review committee.</p><p>Lawyer Christopher Arras, retired postal worker Spence Burton, business owner Terry Kosewic, project manager Jack Rittenhouse and lawyer Kathleen Miller, were on the previous commission. Real estate appraiser Dennis Elias and Ray Johnson were committee members.</p><p>Miller said many of the incumbents had a year or more before their terms expired. She has been on the panel three years, gaining broad experience that would give her an advantage over a newcomer, she said.</p><p>If the council doesn't bring at least some of them back, Miller said it could say a lot about the council's motivations.</p><p>"If it's truly for streamlining, there really is no reason to get rid of people with time left on their terms," Miller said.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 762-7297 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.</p>