Commission serves as the first line of review for projects
related to development efforts
Gilroy – Two seats are opening on the Gilroy Planning Commission, a group that may soon exercise greater authority over local land-use decisions, as one commissioner approaches her term limit and another ascends to the city’s top governing body.
Planning Commissioner Cat Tucker will depart from the seven-member appointed body this month after eight years of service. City ordinance only allows two four-year terms. Meanwhile, commission chairman Dion Bracco will take a seat on City Council as his first term on the commission draws to a close.
City Planning Manager Bill Faus said applications are already trickling in to City Hall to fill the seats on the commission.
In coming months, council members are expected to shift decision-making authority to the commission on all but the most controversial housing and commercial development applications. 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 over the next decade.
Faus said that city council members responsible for choosing commissioners have a certain type of person in mind.
“We’re looking for individuals not necessarily tied in with the development or construction community,” he said, “but those individuals very much interested in the direction of the city’s growth – how fast it grows, how that development will look. We’re looking for individuals with a wide range of interests. We don’t want somebody coming to the planning commission with a singular agenda. Somebody who is not only concerned about issues of today, but also guided by a vision of what the city can be.”
City council will interview candidates for the positions Dec. 12, and vote on appointments Dec. 19. To apply for the positions, contact City Clerk Rhonda Pellin at 846-0204.
