Coastal Commission looking very green
Mike Lee
San Diego Union-Tribune
01/18/2011
A San Diego County Democrat has moved into a leadership post at the California Coastal Commission, a local developer has moved out and a strong conservationist has replaced him.
Combined with the ascendance of an environmental activist Sara Wan as chairwoman, the powerful commission is looking very green as it goes into a year that may include a review of bayfront redevelopment in downtown San Diego.
That green tinge might not last long because eight of the commission’s 12 members — include the controversial Wan — could be replaced by the governor or legislature by the end of May.
“It’s premature to draw any conclusions about the commission because we are right in the middle of a significant transitional period,” said Warner Chabot, chief executive of the California League of Conservation Voters.
The commission is one of the most important agencies in California because it controls building and other issues along the 1,100-mile shoreline. The panel pays no salary, but its statewide exposure can be politically valuable.
Esther Sanchez, an Oceanside councilwoman who joined the commission in August 2009, was elected as the vice chairwoman in December. The alternate commissioner seat for San Diego County remains vacant, though Sanchez said she expects it to be filled soon with a political appointment.
Sanchez said she learned a lot from Pat Kruer, a La Jolla developer and one of the commission’s veterans, who resigned from the panel about a week ago. He could not immediately be reached on Tuesday but his resignation widely attributed to health reasons.
Last year, Kruer weathered a controversy over his connections to his brother’s business, which was involved with a proposal to revamp the San Diego bayfront. Kruer was later fined $1,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to fully report his financial interests from 2005 through 2009.
Kruer was replaced by David Allgood, Southern California director of the California League of Conservation Voters. Allgood is joined by commission newcomer Wendy Mitchell, a board member for his organization and one of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s final appointments.
“With CLCV family on the commission, we can feel more confident that the best decisions will be made to protect our coasts from inappropriate developments and pollution,” said the group’s website.
