Planning Commissioner resignation - another one bites the dust

Pacifica lost another valuable voice of reason. BJ Nathansan resigned from the planning commission at the first meeting of November. Why? She very eloquently explained that the commission has lost its' way. I was a member of the planning commission when BJ was first appointed. My first thought, "another environmental ideologue". I was only half right. BJ was a true environmentalist, however, she was no ideologue. I was extremely impressed, as were the other commissioners, with her thoughtful and pragmatic evaluation of the tasks at hand  and what her charge as a commissioner actually was.

Unfortunately, this commission has lost that ability to judge a project by the merits brought forward. It's a sad day when a builder says to me "if a project has to go to the planning commission, I won't bid on it". What's that say? That simply tells me that this commission has become something it should not be, a policy setting body and a roadblock to every project. This is the fault of the council majority. They are appointed by the council majority to reflect the majority view. The commission has ended up with a very narrow representation of our city's residents. Their views and decisions don't reflect what I believe the majority of Pacifica believes. That's too bad. This town needs to modernize, develop, and build it's way to fiscal independence and it won't happen with this commission. I want to extend my thanks to BJ for her many years of service to this town and thank her for being a voice of reason in a sea of irrationality. i wish her nothing but good luck, and hope she recharges and re-engages her talents and returns to help Pacifica move forward. 
  
The above article was also a Pacifica Tribune letter-to-the-editor, printed 12/1/10.

Submitted by Jim Wagner, Planning Commission 2001-2005