More design review changes looming

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday continued its overhaul of the city’s design review process after it voted to reconstitute both Design Review Boards and move their meeting times to the evening.

In voting to change the meeting times for the two Design Review Boards from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every Thursday, council members said they hoped the move would invite more public participation.

“I think this is a long time coming,” Councilman Frank Quintero said.

The change will take effect Jan. 10 when the two boards resume their regular schedules.

With a four-hour change ahead — and discontent with the performance of some board members still lingering — the majority of the council also voted to reconstitute both boards next month as a way to reinforce upcoming changes to the design review process.

Council members gave themselves a 30-day deadline, starting Jan. 1, to consider their nominations — one for each board. While many on the council said most current Design Review Board members would be reappointed, some would not — either because of scheduling conflicts with the new meeting time or from a decision not to renominate them.

When that happens, the council will simultaneously consider an ordinance to stagger the new first-term runs of the board members so that they will serve concurrently with the remainder of their nominating council member. At the end of that term, the council member can then renominate the Design Review Board member to serve for an additional four years.

During the four weeks leading up to the reappointments, Planning Director Hassan Haghani said his staff would ask current Design Review Board members to adjust their schedules to accommodate the new evening times.