Menlo Park: Planning commissioners bid farewell to public office, for now Menlo Park: Planning commissioners bid farewell to public office, for now (May 08, 2002)

**Council, bike commission might come later, they say.

By Pam Smith

Almanac Staff Writer

Mondays are opening up for Eric Gilbertson and Jose Fernandez.

The two most senior members of the Menlo Park Planning Commission have left one of the city's more powerful decision-making bodies. Mr. Gilbertson has served two four-year terms on the commission, the maximum allowed, while Mr. Fernandez served one four-year term and chose not to re-apply. The City Council appointed their replacements April 30.

Both men say they will take a breather from public office, but they are not closing the door on re-entering city politics.

Mr. Gilbertson, a software engineer, said that he is content to have his schedule a little more open in the near-term. "At this point, I'm just going to enjoy having my Mondays back with my family for a while," he said. "It's time for someone with fresher views."

A 22-year resident of Menlo Park who often rode his bike to and from meetings, Mr. Gilbertson said he may apply for an appointment to the city's bike commission, where he served before, when another spot opens.

Mr. Fernandez, an architect and president of a local political group, the Menlo Community Association, said he may run for the City Council or apply for a commission in two years. At the moment, his schedule is spread too thin, he said.

He plans to devote more time to the city's arts and culture task force, forming this spring, as well as to his position as a board member of the Midpeninsula Community Media Center, a nonprofit organization that operates local public and government access channels.

The Fernandez family also plans to construct a new house, he added. His years on the commission have probably shown him that is no small feat.
Parting thoughts

"I see real benefit" to coming up with new guidelines for the city's review of residential projects, said Mr. Gilbertson. Such guidelines have been in the hammering-out stages since a 21-member citizen task force began studying the issue in 1999.

But it's not easy to find a middle ground between those who want more control over the size and style of homes, and those who want the city to have a more "hands-off" approach, said Mr. Gilbertson, noting that even the seven planning commissioners couldn't agree.

"It got bumped up to the City Council in fairly ambiguous form," he said.

The City Council is scheduled to consider the commission's recommendations at its June 4 meeting.

On the same topic, Mr. Fernandez said he thinks commissioners and neighbors shouldn't be able to nitpick so much about style when someone applies for permission to build a home.

"I think we're all under the misconception that we have good taste, and we all question if our neighbor does," he said.

In trying to keep out the "lemons," commissioners or neighbors may be keeping out extraordinary examples of architecture, too, he said.