Planning Commission hopefuls are local volunteers and business
people; Kai Lai drops out of race
Gilroy – Kai Lai, unable to be in two places at once, will pass up a chance to shape the city’s landscape in hopes of molding its youth.
The long-time city volunteer will skip interviews Monday night for one of two openings on the Gilroy Planning Commission, a seven-member appointed body, so he can field questions from members of the Gilroy Unified School District. He and four others are vying to replace former board member TJ Owens, who died of a stroke two months ago.
“The fact is that the interviews are the same night,” said Lai, who previously served a decade on both governing bodies. “I have interest in the Planning Commission too, but you can’t do everything at the same time. I believe I can serve the community better on the school board.”
The remaining list of planning commission hopefuls reads like a Who’s Who of the local volunteer and business community. It includes neighborhood organizer Arthur Barron, Democratic activists Bruce Morasca and Joan Spencer, and real estate agents Susan Murphey Patereau and Laura Wrede.
They are competing for seats on a commission expected to wield greater influence over land-use decisions. In coming months, council members plan to shift decision-making authority to the seven-member commission on all but the most controversial housing and commercial projects. Meanwhile, the commission will continue to serve as the first tier of review for projects related to major development efforts, including downtown revitalization and Glen Loma Ranch, which will bring 1,700 new homes to the city’s southwest quadrant.
Barron, a local mailman and founder of the Gilroy Eigleberry Neighborhood Association, flirted with a council bid in the November election and said he remains interested in eventually running for the city’s top governing body. But he said his focus for the moment is on the commission.
“I’m just concerned about the growth of Gilroy and making sure that future generations have something that’s well planned out, so that we don’t regret the decisions of today,” he said.
Joan Spencer has spent two years on the Parks and Recreation Commission and serves as the secretary for the South County Democratic Club. She said she has no interest in ascending to council, saying her job as a physical therapist limits her time.
“Gilroy’s been good to my family and myself, and I’m interested in being a part of Gilroy’s future and giving back,” she said.
Spencer, who is a regular fixture at council and commission meetings, has lobbied local leaders in advance of the Monday interviews.
“She just wanted to know what kind of questions were asked, what council is looking for,” Councilman Craig Gartman said. “We’d always be happy to talk to anybody who’s interested.”
The planning commission has served as a stepping stone for Gartman and many other council members, who spend a good deal of their time on the dais sifting through stacks of architectural drawings and zoning regulations.
“If you want to be on the city council, definitely make the planning commission part of your involvement, part of your training,” Gartman recommended. “If you can’t handle the workload and pressure of planning commission, you definitely can’t handle the city council.”
Morasca and Patereau, who did not return calls for comment, both have a history of involvement in the local community. Morasca is a local grocery worker who lost a bid for city council in 2003, when he was among the leading critics of the city’s decision to allow an expanded Wal-Mart Supercenter. Patereau is a real estate agent and member of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Gilroy Rotary Club.
The only new face in the group is Laura Wrede, a real estate agent and four-year resident of Gilroy.
“In terms of the ins and outs of development, I feel I have an understanding of that,” said Wrede, adding that she never considered a bid for council. “I don’t know if it works against me or for me, but I am definitely a political newcomer.”
Planning commission seats last four years and members are allowed two consecutive terms. On Dec. 19, council members will appoint two candidates to replace Cat Tucker, who served eight straight years on the commission, and Dion Bracco, who recently won a seat on city council.
