Issue date: April 21, 1999
By MARION SOFTKY
Portola Valley's newest planning commissioner, Arthur T. "Chip" McIntosh, is a professional in real estate -- but not a land developer.
"I've always been in the real estate investment business. I've never been a developer," Mr. McIntosh told the Portola Valley Town Council in an interview April 14. "I have no conflict whatsoever with land use in Portola Valley."
Later that evening, the council unanimously appointed Mr. McIntosh to fill the vacancy created when Planning Commission Chairman Kirke Comstock was appointed to the Town Council to replace Councilman Richard Merk, who resigned in February, citing pressures of family and business.
Mr. McIntosh was the only applicant for the post.
A resident of Westridge, Mr. McIntosh is no stranger to Portola Valley town government. He serves on the town's open space and finance committees, and has previously applied for the Planning Commission.
He promised to bring balance, fairness, a keen sense of community, and a commitment to conservation, to his new position, which involves reviewing plans for developments, ranging from individual homes to major subdivisions.
The greatest challenge to the commission, he said, is to deal with constant pressures to develop open space, while being fair to applicants. "I am in favor of fairness, but I believe in preserving what I moved here for."
For almost 20 years, Mr. McIntosh said, his main investment business was in buying distressed apartments around the country, improving them and eventually selling them. For the last 10 years, he has been in the almond business, sharing ownership of several almond groves in the Central Valley with a partner. "It's pretty far afield," he commented.
At the same meeting, the council also appointed Alexander H. "Mike" Schilling to the Architectural and Site Control Commission, which oversees specific design of lots, landscaping and buildings.
Mr. Schilling, who lived in Portola Valley from 1957 to 1961 and then returned in 1994, noted he had done his homework for the commission by attending two meetings and a field trip. "I was impressed both by the diligence and thoughtfulness of its members and feel that my background in engineering and business might fit in and lend perspective to the commission," he wrote in his application.
Commission Chairman Carter Warr welcomed Mr. Schilling as an appropriate replacement for Commissioner Bud Eisberg. "Mike will (also) bring a neighbor's perspective," he said. "In a meeting, it's nice to have that point of view, particularly on contentious issues."
© 1999 The Almanac. All Rights Reserved.