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Sonoma Planning Commission loses two members

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Sonoma Valley Sun
The Sonoma Planning Commission suddenly and unexpectedly lost two of its members this week after Chip Roberson resigned from the panel in protest of Ron Wellander not being named to a second term.

Wellander, the vice-chair, was coming to the end of his first term after two years on the panel. In a rare diversion from protocol, Mayor Rachel Hundley and City Council member Amy Harrington – the two-member selection committee – decided not to recommend Wellander for a second term.

Their rationale was that a new philosophy was called for, particularly as the city will soon look to update its General Plan.

When Roberson heard the news, he submitted a letter of resignation, effective immediately. The shake-up preceded Thursday night’s meeting on the proposed First Street East development. Along with the affordable housing project on Broadway, and the downtown Hotel Sonoma, it is one of the biggest, and perhaps most divisive, projects in the planning pipeline.

The commission’s alternate member, James Bohar, will take one of the empty seats. He had been confirmed only recently by the City Council, at its March 20th meeting. During last night’s meeting, an FSE project supporter raised the issue of Bohar’s possible bias due to a comment he made as a member of the public at a previous study session on the project. Planning Director Goodison interrupted the speaker, J.J. Abodeely, explaining that the question was inappropriate at that point in the meeting. This followed his previous announcement that commission member Bill Willers had decided to recuse himself from last night’s meeting until an issue of potential bias pertaining to the FSE project was clarified.

With Roberson’s resignation, another vacancy on the commission will be filled by the Mayor and ratified by the City Council.




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