The replacement for Bruce Ehlers in the Encinitas Planning Commission will be a man with more than 38 years of experience in commercial real estate and investment banking, the city council decided on Wednesday, May 25th.
In a 4-1 vote, with Councilwoman Joy Lyndes opposed, the council elected Robert Prendergast, a managing director of investment sales at Jones Lang LaSalle, as the next Olivenhain / New Encinitas representative on the commission.
There were three applicants for the job – Prendergast, engineering firm president Frederick Snedeker, and Daniel Vaughn, biopharmaceutical consultant, who co-founded and serves as president of Encinitas Residents for Responsible Development.
Lyndes said she thought the council should elect Vaughn because he seems to have the strongest community support – 18 people emailed the city to support his rendezvous – “and I would say that Feeling respectful. “
But Mayor Catherine Blakespear said it would “take a break” to elect Vaughn because he leads a group that has filed several lawsuits against the city over the controversial Encinitas apartment project, a development proposed near Encinitas Boulevard to go to Rancho Santa Fe Road. Intersection. She said Prendergast had the right skills for the job and a “lack of other relevant areas”, unlike Vaughn.
The city is facing a sudden break in the planning commission because council members ordered Ehlers to step down in April, saying they do not believe he could be impartial about housing development issues. She cites legal documents that Ehlers, who is the key author of the city’s 2013 growth control initiative, filed a lawsuit against the city last year, and recent comments he made to the news media about housing issues. Supporters of Ehlers called his abduction a vindictive political stunt, which was done to calm him down as he ran for a seat on the city council.
The motion to elect Prendergast was made by Councilor Joe Mosca, who represents the Olivenhain region. Mosca, who is not seeking re-election in November, said all three applicants were praised for their willingness to serve on the planning commission, but said the prendergast’s background in real estate and his experience as a city commissioner – he serves in the city. Mobility and Road Safety Commission – makes him the best choice for the job.
Mosca added that the planning commission post read many documents and involved a lot of time commitment.
“A lot has happened here and I think Bob has that commitment,” he said.
Prendergast told the council during his introductory speech that he had lived in Olivenhain for 19 years, had extensive experience in real estate development problems and could “offer a set of skills not currently found in the commission.”
He said he thought “development in our community is inevitable”, but he looks forward to finding solutions to help the community grow while maintaining its character.
