Lorie Sinnott seeks seat on Menlo City Council Lorie Sinnott seeks seat on Menlo City Council (June 02, 2004)

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

Another hat has been thrown into the ring in the contest for two four-year seats on the Menlo Park City Council.

Planning Commissioner Lorie Sinnott -- the second planning commissioner in the race -- ended speculation about her running for the council in an announcement late last week.

Planning Commissioner Kelly Fergusson announced her candidacy for the council last week. (See the May 26 issue of the Almanac on the Web at AlmanacNews.com.)

In her statement, Ms. Sinnott said that, if elected, she hopes to moderate the divisiveness that arose from a revised set of home building and remodeling rules that the council recently rescinded. The council acted in response to about 2,500 signatures on a successful community petition that forced the council to either repeal the rules or put them up for a vote by town residents.

Ms. Sinnott's husband, architect Samuel Sinnott, actively assisted in recommending changes to the town's remodeling rules, Ms. Sinnott said.

"I think the City Council made a difficult but necessary decision to rescind the changes they had previously adopted," she said. "I think we can bring both sides together to craft changes to our current policies in an atmosphere of cooperation and respect without facing a divisive election over the issue."

In her statement, Ms. Sinnott said she has "already received the backing of a broad cross-section of Menlo Park community leaders," including Mayor Lee Duboc; current council members Nicholas Jellins and Mickie Winkler; former mayors Ted Sorensen, Bob McNamara, Dee Tolles and Bob Burmeister; and current and former executives of the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Sinnott served on the Planning Commission from 1990 to 1998 and was reappointed by a 3-2 City Council vote in March 2003. Her appointment was opposed by councilmen Chuck Kinney and Paul Collacchi, both of whom supported the reappointment of Toni Stein.

Mr. Collacchi chose not to run for re-election this year, while Mr. Kinney said he has not yet decided if he will seek a third term.

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