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Home My WebLink AboutCC Planning Commission Interviews____________________________________________________________________________________ FOR CITY CLERK ONLY Council Meeting: August 19, 2024 Disposition: Interviewed applicants and appointed Stewart Summers to the Planning Commission regular voting member seat. The City Council provided direction to staff to continue city-wide recruitment for additional design professional alternate member terms. Special Meeting Agenda Item No: SM 1 Meeting Date: August 19, 2024 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: City Clerk Prepared by: Lindsay Lara, City Clerk City Manager Approval: ______________ TOPIC: PLANNING COMMISSION INTERVIEWS SUBJECT: INTERVIEW APPLICANTS FOR OPEN PLANNING COMMISSION SEATS AND MAKE APPOINTMENTS FOR THREE, FOUR-YEAR TERMS ENDING OCTOBER 31, 2028: ONE REGULAR MEMBER AND TWO ALTERNATE MEMBERS; AND APPOINT CURRENT PLANNING COMMISSIONERS TO SPECIFIC SEATS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO FINALIZE MEMBERSHIP ON THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Interview the following eligible members from the former Design Review Board to fill the licensed architect regular voting member seat and the two alternate member licensed architect seats on the Planning Commission: Applicants Donald Blayney Jeff Kent Stewart Summers Sharon Kovalsky Approve recommended appointments of current Planning Commissioners to specific seats on the Planning Commission to finalize members on the Commission. BACKGROUND: On July 15, 2024, the City Council adopted an Ordinance Amending Titles 2 – Administration of the San Rafael Municipal Code to Add Design Professionals to the Planning Commission Membership Composition, and Amend Titles 14 – Zoning, and 15 - Subdivisions of the San Rafael Municipal Code, to Dissolve the Design Review Board and Transfer Existing Duties of the Design Review Board to the Planning Commission, or Zoning Administrator, or Director of Community and Economic Development. On June 21, 2022, the City Council adopted an Ordinance amending the Planning Commission’s membership composition to include district representatives through attrition. Since then, three members have been appointed to serve as District Representatives: Jill Rodby (D1), Samina Saude (D2) and SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 former Commissioner Shingai Samudzi (D3). If we continue to appoint through attrition, the Planning Commission would have District Representatives appointed by October 2025, and staff recommends appointing members to District Seats on August 19th. ANALYSIS: Interviews and Appointments Staff recommends providing a first-round opportunity to former Design Review Board members who are licensed architects to apply to serve on the newly consolidated Planning Commission. Staff recommends interviewing the four eligible former Design Review Board members and appointing three of them to serve on the Planning Commission as either the regular voting licensed architect or the two alternate member licensed architects until the end of October 2028. Appoint Planning Commissions to Seats With all of the changes being made to the Planning Commission, staff recommends seating all current members in a seat on the Commission so all district representative seats will be filled, all design professional seats will be filled, and all at-large seats will be filled. Commissioner Jill Rodby has already been appointed District 1 representative. Commissioner Aldo Mercado resides in District 2, and staff recommends the City Council appoint him to serve in the District 2 Representative seat. Commissioner Jon Haveman resides in District 3, and staff recommends the City Council appoint him to serve in the District 3 Representative seat. Commissioner Jonathan Previtali resides in District 4, and staff recommends the City Council appoint him to serve in the District 4 Representative seat. Commissioner Samina Saude is currently appointed to a District 2 seat but is also a design professional. Staff recommends modifying her appointment role to ‘design professional’. After interviews and appointments, and the appointments to seats, there will be one vacancy to the at- large seat on the Planning Commission due to the recent resignation of Commissioner Samudzi and will be filled at a future City Council meeting. Next Steps and Other Vacancies Staff will conduct a recruitment and schedule interviews to fill the vacant at-large seat on the Planning Commission. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. ATTACHMENTS: SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3 1.Bylaws 2.Four Applications 3.Member Roster, as proposed Planning Commission Bylaws Page 1 of 3 PLANNING COMMISSION BYLAWS ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE Section 1.1. Name. The name of this body shall be the City of San Rafael Planning Commission, hereinafter referred to as the “Commission.” Section 1.2. Purpose. The purpose of the Commission to make decisions or advise the Council on land use and property development issues. The Commission assures that new development is consistent with our long-range General Plan, State laws and other public policies that advance the interests of our community. Section 1.3. Committee Responsibility. The Commission’s authority is decision- making. It shall be the function and duty of the planning commission to act as a decision-making body on matters including, but not limited to: • Major subdivisions as delegated to the planning commission under Title 15 of this Code. • Conditional use permits delegated to the planning commission. • Environmental and design review permits delegated to the planning commission. • Appeals made by a lower body and appealed to the planning commission. • Other matters including physical improvements, or environmental and design permits referred by the community development direction to the planning commission pursuant to powers and duties set forth in the Municipal Code. It shall be the function and duty of the planning commission to act as an advisory body to the city council on legislative matters related to but not limited to the following: • General plan updates and amendments. • Zoning text and zoning map amendments. • Other land use matters requiring city council action. It shall be the duty of the members of the planning commission to inform themselves on matters affecting the functions and duties of the commission and all planning matters, and, to that end, they may attend training and planning conferences and the reasonable traveling expenses incidental to the attendance shall be charged upon the funds allocated to the commission. The planning commission shall provide professional design analysis, evaluation and judgment as to the appropriateness of development proposals for the use and setting and to recommend approval, approval with conditions, redesign or denial based on design standards and findings of approval adopted by the city council. Planning Commission Bylaws Page 2 of 3 The planning commission shall endeavor to promote public interest and understanding of plans developed, and the regulations relating thereto. The commission shall adopt rules for the transaction of business and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings, and determinations, which records shall be a public record. ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP Section 2.1. Number of Members. The Commission shall consist of a total of nine (9) members. Seven (7) regular voting members and two (2) alternate members as follows: - District 1 Representative - District 2 Representative - District 3 Representative - District 4 Representative - At-large Member - At-large Member (Design Professional) - At-large Member (Licensed Architect) - At-large Alternate Member (Licensed Architect) - At-large Alternate Member (Licensed Architect) Section 2.2. Eligibility. The commission shall be composed of seven (7) regular voting members, comprised of one (1) commissioner from each of the city's four (4) city council electoral districts, and three (3) at-large commissioners. Requirements for eligibility: 1. District representatives: Each district representative must reside in the district they represent. 2. At-large members: Must reside in city limits. At least one (1) at-large member shall be a licensed architect and at least one (1) at-large member shall be a design professional. ”Design professional” means an architect, engineer, landscape architect, building designer, urban designer, urban planner, or other similar design specialist. They may, but are not required to, be licensed or registered in their related field. In addition, the commission shall include two (2) alternate members who shall be eligible to vote when serving in the absence of any of the commission’s regular voting members. Both alternate members shall reside in city limits and be licensed architects. Section 2.3. Term Limits. Members of the Committee shall be limited to three (3) consecutive four-year terms. Additional terms may be served if there is a break between terms. Section 2.4. Absence and Removal. An unexcused absence from two (2) consecutive Planning Commission Bylaws Page 3 of 3 Commission meetings without notification to the Staff Liaison shall be considered a voluntary resignation from the Commission. Previously dismissed Commission members may be eligible for reappointment to the Commission. Section 2.5. Compensation. Commissioners may apply for stipends through the Stipend Program at $50 per month, not to exceed $600 per year per member. ARTICLE III. MEETINGS Section 3.1. Time and date of Regular Meeting. Notification of meeting place, date, and time shall be rendered to the public through posting on the City of San Rafael website. Regularly scheduled Commission meetings shall be the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, but these dates may be impacted by holidays. A schedule shall be approved annually by the Commission. The Commission shall meet once per month and shall be scheduled annually. The schedule for the upcoming year will be set by December of the previous year. Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 1 / 3 Q1 Contact Information / Información del contacto First and Last Name / Nombre y Apellido Donald Blayney Address / Dirección City / Ciudad San Rafael State / estado Calif. ZIP/Postal Code / Código postal 94901 Email Address / Dirección de correo electrónico Phone Number / Número de teléfono Q2 What district do you currently live in?¿En qué distrito vive actualmente? District 3/Eastern / Distrito 3/Este, Peacock Gap Other (please specify)Otros (especifique): Q3 How long have you lived in San Rafael? since 1994 Q4 Business Information Company Donald L. Blayney & Associates Address City/Town San Rafael ZIP/Postal Code 9901 #74#74 COMPLETECOMPLETE Collector:Collector: Web Link 1 Web Link 1 (Web Link)(Web Link) Started:Started: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 8:29:20 AMWednesday, July 24, 2024 8:29:20 AM Last Modified:Last Modified: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 9:00:40 AMWednesday, July 24, 2024 9:00:40 AM Time Spent:Time Spent: 00:31:1900:31:19 IP Address:IP Address: 24.6.235.12124.6.235.121 Page 1 Boards, Commissions & Committees Applic ation 2 / 3 Q5 How did you hear about this vac ant position? City Council Agenda Q6 What Board would you like to apply to?¿A c uál te gus taría aplicar? Planning Com missi on Q18 Do you partic ipate in any c iv ic ac tivities? If s o, what are they? s ee attac hed Q19 Lis t any civ ic organizations of which y ou are a m ember: s ee attac hed Q20 Education: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 1976 Q21 Why are you interested in s erving on a board or c om m iss ion? s ee attac hed Q22 Describe pos sible areas in whic h you may have a conflict of interest with the City: None Q23 Upload your resume. Respondent skipped this question Page 4 Page 5: Demographi cs / D atos demográficos Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 3 / 3 Q24 Ethnicity / Raza/etnia: Q25 To which gender do you most identify?¿Con qué género se identifica más? Q26 How old are you?¿Cuántos años tienes? Civic and Community Activities / Organizations For your review and consideration I am applying for a position on the City of San Rafael Planning Commission. I feel that I will be able to bring a wealth of experience to this Commission with the following involvement that I have had living in San Rafael. Special Qualification 1. I am a practicing registered Landscape Architect (LA#3370) with over 48 years of planning experience and city agencies collaboration experience. 2. I have a small Landscape Architect and Planning firm located here in San Rafael. Since 1990. 3. I have lived in or in close proximity to San Rafael since 1980, permanent residency since 1994. 4. I have been before the San Rafael Design Review, Planning Commission and the City Council numerous times as part of the project management of several projects located here in San Rafael. 5. I have an excellent understanding of the City’s process and dealing with the City Agencies. 6. Member of the Landscape Architects Technical Committee. 7. Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects Civic Activities 8. I was a member of the Andersen Drive Vision Committee and the Landscape Architect charged with the visual design of Andersen Drive and the Albert Park Palm Promenade. 9. I was a member of the North San Rafael Promenade Charette. 10. I was a member of the North San Rafael Vision In Action (VIA) Committee. 11. I was a member of the San Rafael 2020 General Plan Update Committee, -Quality of Community Life Task Group. 12. I Chaired the Design Committee for the Falkirk Cultural Center Master Plan. 13. Graduate of the San Rafael Citizen Police Academy, 2000. 14. Appointed member of the Canalfront Advisory Committee. Community Activities 15. Member of the San Rafael City School District Technology Committee. 16. Member of the Glenwood Elementary School Foundation 1999 to 2009, Chairmen 2006 to 2009. 17. Vice President of the Peacock Gap HOA 1994 to 2003. 18. Architectural review chairman Peacock Gap HOA, 1994 to Present. 19. Past President of the Peacock Point HOA, 2005. 20. Prepared plans and Specification and coordinated the DSA submittal for the Glenwood Elementary School Shade Structure. 21. Prepared Master Plan for the Davidson Middle School Sports Fields. 22. Prepared New Entry planting plan and 8th grade plaza for Davidson Middle School. 23. Board member Peacock Point Homeowners association 24. Current sitting member of the San Rafael Design Review Board from January 2016 to Present. With my passed experience in Civic and Community involvement above, I feel I will bring a wealth of experience to the Planning Commission and with my tenure of volunteerism for our City and working on and chairing committees I feel qualified for this position. My reasons for Serving To give back to my community and a desirer to help determine the direction of our City, a strong desirer to help better our community and to protect and preserve the City of Rafael as we move forward. I very much look forward to one day joining the team. Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 1 / 3 Q1 Contact Information / Información del contacto First and Last Name / Nombre y Apellido Jeff Kent Address / Dirección City / Ciudad San Rafael State / estado Ca ZIP/Postal Code / Código postal 94901 Email Address / Dirección de correo electrónico Phone Number / Número de teléfono Q2 What district do you currently live in?¿En qué distrito vive actualmente? District 3/Eastern / Distrito 3/Este Q3 How long have you lived in San Rafael? 30 years Q4 Business Information Company Retired Q5 How did you hear about this vacant position? Other (please specify): City staff #71#71 COMPLETECOMPLETE Collector:Collector: Web Link 1 Web Link 1 (Web Link)(Web Link) Started:Started: Wednesday, July 10, 2024 10:30:58 AMWednesday, July 10, 2024 10:30:58 AM Last Modified:Last Modified: Wednesday, July 10, 2024 11:17:28 AMWednesday, July 10, 2024 11:17:28 AM Time Spent:Time Spent: 00:46:2900:46:29 IP Address:IP Address: 174.195.86.143174.195.86.143 Page 1 Boards, Commissions & Committees Applic ation 2 / 3 Q6 What Board would you like to apply to?¿A c uál te gus taría aplicar? Planning Com missi on Q18 Do you partic ipate in any c iv ic ac tivities? If s o, what are they? Design Review Board Formally Public Art Commission Volunteer for Street Painting Festival Q19 Lis t any civ ic organizations of which y ou are a m ember: Marin Agricultural Land Trust DBCNA-neighborhood as s ociation Q20 Education: UC Berk eley, Post Graduate Certific at e in Lands c ape Architecture Oregon State Univ ersity, MS Horticult ure/ Plant Pathology UW-Riv er Falls , BS Hortic ulture/Soil Scienc e Q21 Why are you interested in s erving on a board or c om m iss ion? After 23 years of s erving on the Des ign Rev iew Board, I still have a strong interes t in participating in t he design and planning proc ess in San Rafael. Q22 Describe pos sible areas in whic h you may have a conflict of interest with the City: None Page 4 Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 3 / 3 Q23 Upload your resume. Respondent skipped this question Q24 Ethnicity / Raza/etnia: Q25 To which gender do you most identify?¿Con qué género se identifica más? Q26 How old are you?¿Cuántos años tienes? Page 5: Demographics / Datos demográficos Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 1 / 3 Q1 Contact Information / Información del contacto First and Last Name / Nombre y Apellido Sharon Kovalsky Address / Dirección City / Ciudad San Rafael State / estado California ZIP/Postal Code / Código postal 94903 Email Address / Dirección de correo electrónico Phone Number / Número de teléfono Q2 What district do you currently live in?¿En qué distrito vive actualmente? District 4/Northern / Distrito 4/Norte Q3 How long have you lived in San Rafael? 11 years Q4 Business Information Company AplosGroup Architects Address City/Town San Rafael ZIP/Postal Code 94903 #69#69 COMPLETECOMPLETE Collector:Collector: Web Link 1 Web Link 1 (Web Link)(Web Link) Started:Started: Tuesday, July 09, 2024 11:00:02 AMTuesday, July 09, 2024 11:00:02 AM Last Modified:Last Modified: Tuesday, July 09, 2024 11:11:40 AMTuesday, July 09, 2024 11:11:40 AM Time Spent:Time Spent: 00:11:3800:11:38 IP Address:IP Address: 73.189.247.15973.189.247.159 Page 1 Boards, Commissions & Committees Applic ation 2 / 3 Q5 How did you hear about this vac ant position? Other (please s pec ify ): Lindsay Lara as ked me to apply Q6 What Board would you like to apply to?¿A c uál te gus taría aplicar? Planning Com missi on Q18 Do you partic ipate in any c iv ic ac tivities? If s o, what are they? Public Art Rev iew Board, Design Rev iew Board Q19 Lis t any civ ic organizations of which y ou are a m ember: Marin Women at work Linked in Marin Americ an Ins tit ute of Arc hitec ts Q20 Education: BS Arc hitecture, 1982, Univers it y of Michigan M. Archit ecture, 1984, Univers it y of Michigan M. Urban Planning, 1984, Univ ersity of Mic higan Q21 Why are you interested in s erving on a board or c om m iss ion? I want to give back and help San Rafael build well Q22 Describe pos sible areas in whic h you may have a conflict of interest with the City: if existing/pas t client s come bef ore the board, I would recus e my s elf. Page 4 Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 3 / 3 Q23 Upload your resume. 2024%20Sharon%20Kovalsky%20Resume.pdf (116.5KB) Q24 Ethnicity / Raza/etnia: Q25 To which gender do you most identify?¿Con qué género se identifica más? Q26 How old are you?¿Cuántos años tienes? Page 5: Demographics / Datos demográficos A P L O S G R O U P A R C H I T E C T U R E Principal Architect at Aplos Group - Architecture San Rafael, California Experience Principal Architect - Aplos Group Architects, San Rafael, CA 2013-present After 30 years of design and architecture experience, I've honed my focus on creating beautiful, functional spaces I'd love to both live and work in. My aesthetic focuses on respecting the natural environment and incorporating its beauty and simplicity into my work, always keeping my clients' needs front and center. As a specialist in green design and Mid-Century Modern architecture, I understand the design opportunities and challenges they offer, and I work with other area specialists to source authentic, efficient, and affordable materials that respect the integrity of these architectural jewels and protect our environment. Currently in Construction: • 1200 sf addition to family compound in San Rafael (Marin County Jurisdiction) • 800 sf addition to Marinwood home • Eichler whole house remodel/restore, San Rafael Construction completed in recent years • House Remodel, San Rafael • ADU, Santa Rosa • House remodel and addition, San Rafael • 2 new home fire rebuilds, Santa Rosa (Sonoma County Jurisdiction) • Home design showroom, retail storefront, Santa Rosa Principal Architect - Sharon Kovalsky Architects, New York City, 1992-2013 Working in the built environment of New York City. Condo renovations, apartment renovations. New homes, remodels, and renovations. Education: University of Michigan B. Science - 1982 - Master of Architecture – 1984 – Master of Urban Planning - 1984 Licenses & Certifications Licensed Architect States of California and New York, Member in good standing, American Institute of Architects Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 1 / 3 Q1 Contact Information / Información del contacto First and Last Name / Nombre y Apellido Stewart Summers Address / Dirección City / Ciudad San Rafael State / estado CA ZIP/Postal Code / Código postal 94901 Email Address / Dirección de correo electrónico Phone Number / Número de teléfono Q2 What district do you currently live in?¿En qué distrito vive actualmente? District 2/Western / Distrito 2/Oeste Q3 How long have you lived in San Rafael? 56 Q4 Business Information Company SKS Architects Address City/Town San Rafael ZIP/Postal Code 94901 #70#70 COMPLETECOMPLETE Collector:Collector: Web Link 1 Web Link 1 (Web Link)(Web Link) Started:Started: Tuesday, July 09, 2024 11:28:30 AMTuesday, July 09, 2024 11:28:30 AM Last Modified:Last Modified: Tuesday, July 09, 2024 11:49:32 AMTuesday, July 09, 2024 11:49:32 AM Time Spent:Time Spent: 00:21:0200:21:02 IP Address:IP Address: 181.214.153.129181.214.153.129 Page 1 Boards, Commissions & Committees Applic ation 2 / 3 Q5 How did you hear about this vac ant position? City Council Agenda, Other (please s pec ify ): as c urrent DRB Member Q6 What Board would you like to apply to?¿A c uál te gus taría aplicar? Planning Com missi on Q18 Do you partic ipate in any c iv ic ac tivities? If s o, what are they? I have been an activ e City of San Raf ael DRB member for many y ears (+/- 18) Q19 Lis t any civ ic organizations of which y ou are a m ember: City of San Rafael DRB Q20 Education: B.A. Arc hitec ture U.C. Berkeley Q21 Why are you interested in s erving on a board or c om m iss ion? I was born and rais ed in San Rafael. I feel it is my dut y and owe t his town my ex pertis e on how the city evolv es and it's relations hip with the build environment . I lov e San Rafael. I have raised my own family here at the s ame s chools etc . I hav e es tablis hed my bus ines s here. This is my home and will be for the res t of my day s. I want to contribute. Q22 Describe pos sible areas in whic h you may have a conflict of interest with the City: N/A Page 4 Boards, Commissions & Committees Application 3 / 3 Q23 Upload your resume. Stewart%20K%20Summers%20Resume.pdf (573.1KB) Q24 Ethnicity / Raza/etnia: Q25 To which gender do you most identify?¿Con qué género se identifica más? Q26 How old are you?¿Cuántos años tienes? Page 5: Demographics / Datos demográficos Stewart K. Summers, Architect ___ Stewart K. Summers has over 30 years of experience in the Architectural field. During that time, Stewart has worked on diverse projects that include Custom Residential, Subdivisions, Additions and Alterations, Commercial Office, Restaurant and Religious Assembly. This wide range of experience has allowed him to become well versed in managing projects of all types and obtain technical proficiency required for a variety of project types. Stewart’s skills extend to an extensive understanding of the entitlement process and dealing with local government agencies to secure project approvals. Stewart has received certifications from Built it Green as Certified Green Building Professional and Certified Green Rater and currently serves as a member of the City of San Rafael’s Design Review Board. Professional Experience 2007 – Present: Principal Architect SKS Architects, San Rafael, California • Principal Architect and Project Manager on a variety of projects ranging from Commercial to Custom & Spec Residences, Remodels and with the associated coordination of Consultants, Jurisdictional Entitlement Processes, preparation of Construction Documents and Construction Management. 1995 – 2007: Licensed Architect, Project Manager, Cad Manager Urban Dynamics Inc. dba G. Thomas Telfer, Architect, Novato, California • Project Architect and or Project Manager on a variety of projects ranging from Commercial to Custom & Spec Residences, Remodels, Additions and Multi-Family along with the associated coordination of Consultants, Jurisdictional Entitlement Processes, preparation of Construction Documents and Construction Management. 1989 – 1995: Project Manager, Cad Manager, Draftsman Urban Dynamics Inc., a California Corporation, dba Telfer– Chiesa–Dunham & Johnson, Architecture & Engineering, Novato, California • Project Manager on a various projects ranging from Commercial to Residential. Managing and Training of Staff in the utilization of AutoCAD as the primary design and drafting tool for the firm. Cad Drafting on various projects 1983 – 1989: CAD Draftsman Craiker Associates, Inc., San Rafael, California • Autocad Drafting of Design and Construction Documents on various projects, commercial and residential. Education & Certificates 1995-present: Licensed as Architect in State of California #C25816 Acquired required Equitable Practical Years of Experience by College Education credits and work experience to qualify for State of California Architectural Licensing 1985 – 1989: Bachelor of Arts, Architecture University of California, Berkeley CA 2008-present: Certified Green Building Professional Acquired certification as green building consultant through Build It Green (non-profit in Berkeley, CA focusing on healthy and energy/resource efficient homes for California) Professional and Community Affiliations Board Member, City of San Rafael Design Review Board, term 2007-present Build it Green Certified Green Building Professional, 2007 Eagle Scout, Troop 101, San Rafael, CA - 1984 Planning Commission Proposed Member Roster City of San Rafael Name Term Term Limit Jill Rodby District 1 Rep 04/2023 through 10/2025 1/3 Aldo Mercado District 2 Rep 08/2022 through 10/2026 2/3 Jon Haveman District 3 Rep 08/2022 through 10/2026 1/3 Jon Previtali District 4 Rep 07/2021 through 10/2025 1/3 Samina Saude Design Professional 10/2023 through 10/2027 2/3 Vacant Licensed Architect 08/2024 through 10/2028 1/3 Vacant At-large 10/2024 through 10/2028 1/3 Vacant Alternate Member Licensed Architect 08/2024 through 10/2028 1/3 Vacant Alternate Member Licensed Architect 08/2024 through 10/2028 1/3