The Commissioner — Winter 2005

Commission Profile

The Voice of the Community

La Mesa, California, Planning Commission

"We personalize planning — put a human face on it," says John B. Camp, vice chair of the La Mesa, California Planning Commission. "We offer the community a forum where they can talk to real people and tell us what's on their minds."

"They bridge the gap between the staff — who interpret regulations, collect data, and analyze the pros and cons — and the elected officials who have a very broad fiduciary responsibility and rely on the electorate to keep their jobs," says David Witt, assistant city manager and community development director. "The planning commission is the voice of the community."

What allows this panel to effectively represent the community is the diversity of backgrounds and experiences that its seven members bring to the table, according to Chair Ronald Crew Ashman. "We have a lot of challenges here and it takes a lot of imagination to deal with them," says Ashman. "Because our commissioners have varied perspectives, the result is a more thoughtful discussion of the issues." Noting that the city council has kept the planning commission "from being biased or weighted in any one way," Ashman points out that the board "has a thorough cross section of people in all industries."

"We try to get a good mix," says Witt, "those who represent business, communities, homeowners, and property owners. A good geographic mix is important, too, so that when issues come forward, the commission can represent the community as a whole."

La Mesa's planning commissioners are appointed by the mayor with the approval of the city council to staggered four-year terms. They serve in an advisory capacity to the council. Commissioners receive a stipend of $30 per meeting. The panel meets twice a month in public session. "Years ago we used to have a pre-agenda meeting with the chair," says Witt, "but it doesn't seem to be needed at the moment." The planning staff — about six planners primarily serve the commission — puts together the agenda, handles the research, and offers an evaluation of the pros and cons of each proposal. "We encourage commissioners with questions to contact us so that we can either provide answers ahead of time or be prepared to share information all of the commissioners at the meeting," Witt says.

"The bulk of the issues we deal with right now have to do with remodeling," says Camp. "With interest rates down and home prices up, there's a lot of modernization going on. These homes, many of which were built in the '40s and '50s, are tied into new zoning, and lots of times we're stuck explaining to people why they can't do what they want to do."

While La Mesa tends to have "a more quiet, more sedate atmosphere regarding land use matters than other municipalities," according to Ashman, the city is not without its controversies.

"Projects that generate a lot of interest are those that represent significant change in the existing fabric," says Witt, "that push the envelope in terms of change in neighborhood character." He points to the recent adoption of a new mixed-use overlay zone and, several years ago, the development of a solid waste transfer station in the heart of the downtown.

In the end, it was the planning commission's desire and ability to work through all the issues and communicate the necessity for change that helped alleviate community concern and allow the projects to move ahead, says Witt. "They are an excellent sounding board," he says, "and they can help determine the level of controversy or range of issues to be considered." They are, he contends, "invaluable to the planning process."

Looking to the Future

"The thing that is most likely to change land use patterns and the character of the city is mass transit," says La Mesa Planning Commission Chair Ronald Crew Ashman. Called the Gateway to East County, La Mesa borders San Diego to the east and sits at the crossroads of Interstate 8 and State Highway 125. While light rail has been present in the city for more than two decades, the Mission Valley East Extension, scheduled to open in summer 2005, "will make us a major crossroads on the mass transit system," says Ashman. The MVE will link two separate trolley lines. The extension completes the 5.8-mile gap from the Mission San Diego Station to the Grossmont Transfer Station in La Mesa and parallels the Interstate 8 corridor.

"I use my membership on this commission to try, at every opportunity, to bring transit issues to the forefront," says Ashman. Moving people out of their cars and on to the trolley will require an enormous public education effort, he predicts. Such an effort is needed, says Ashman, to deal with the regional issues of traffic congestion, noise, and air-quality issues.

Another issue facing La Mesa is its changing character. "We are definitely getting more urban," says John B. Camp, the planning commission's vice chair. Camp points to the city's new mixed-use overlay zone, which allows for higher residential densities and eliminates limits on the amount of retail space on the ground level in certain areas, as a realization of the changing face of La Mesa. But, he notes, not everyone has accepted the community's evolution. "Nimbyism remains a real issue," he says. "There are lots of people who have lived in their homes for 40 years and don't want any three-story condos nearby."

In selling the overlay zone to the community, the commission was able to demonstrate how it would preserve neighborhood character, says Community Development Director David Witt.

When crafting the zoning ordinance, "we looked at the historical development patterns in La Mesa and considered the range of future housing possibilities," says Ashman. This change in zoning "represents a major commitment for the city's future," he says.