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Politics & Government

Planning Hopefuls Chat up Council

In a special session, would-be commissioners hold court on development, environmental protection and stalled projects; Larry Ellison motto gets the thumbs' down.

Four out of six candidates for an open Redwood City Planning Commission seat turned out last night to field questions from the city council about development, environmental review, and clashing community interests.

The council in a special session heard from Jay Neville, an information technology director; Craig Robinson, head of a risk management company and a housing and human concerns committee member; Shawn White, a vice president of operations and a parks and recreation commissioner and business executive Simms Duncan.

Two additional candidates, Paul Sanfilipo and Hope Sullivan, could not attend.

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Questions focused on how to break the deadlocks caused by competing interests that stall projects, such as the proposed 228-unit, 1.69-acre residential project on Finger Avenue.

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A lawsuit from the Friends of Cordilleras Creek and Finger Avenue Pride Committee for alleged violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) halted the project, which had been approved in 2009.

All mentioned vigorous outreach and consensus-building.

Asked to name their priorities in environmental review, Neville said balancing environmental with business interests. Robinson said adherence to legal standards, and keep up with recent court rulings that may have mitigated the original law. White said he “has a passion” for the need for open space, attractiveness and access to transportation. Duncan favors bicycle- and pedestrian-friendliness and esthetics that make the city a desirable destination.

Councilwoman Rosanne Foust appeared to take both candidates and council members off guard when she asked the applicants to react to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s guiding principle, taken from Mongol emperor Genghis Khan: “In order for me to win, you must lose.”

“Larry Ellison’s a businessman,” Duncan said. “I wouldn’t necessarily defend and adopt his motto. It’s a little extreme for my taste.”

But “that even rubs me the wrong way in a business environment,” White said.

“In sales, you need repeat business, repeat customers," and the role of a planning commissioner “is to create a win-win,” he said.

In the special session, the council tried out a new style of interviewing, bringing candidates in two at a time to answer questions.

“We don’t usually allow this much time for interaction,” said Mayor Jeff Ira. “I think it’s much better. I think we got a lot more detail.”

The council is expected to schedule interviews with two remaining applicants, and to vote in the new commissioner at its regular meeting Dec. 12. The winning candidate will begin serving in January.

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