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| MCC looking to appoint new board member By Jeanine Gore--Half Moon Bay Review Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, April 7, 2004 5:56 PM PDT On the Midcoast Community Council - a board where most members tend to agree and whose platforms are colored with a similarly verdant shade of political paint - raucous debate, stalemates and Wild West standoffs tend to be few and far between. Very far between. Nevertheless, the council needs to fill its tie-breaking seventh seat, and after a seven-month vacancy, it's ready to do just that. The MCC is an advisory body to the county board of supervisors. The MCC will appoint its new board member April 14. To fill the spot, a crop of three strong candidates have come forward - so strong, in fact, that most board members say they're having a hard time making up their minds about who to choose. "I'm impressed. I'd pick all three if I could. They all have different strengths," said Chairperson Kathryn Slater-Carter. The candidates include Andy Calman, a doctor from Montara, who helped manage the Howard Dean campaign in California and also served on the citizens academy under San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill and belongs to the Wilderness Society and Sierra Club; Gael Erickson, a teacher and technical writer from El Granada who serves on the MCC parks and recreation committee and belongs to the Committee for Green Foothills and Sierra Club Greenbelt Alliance; and Neil Merrilees, an architect from Montara, who serves on the MCC planning and zoning subcommittee. Both Erickson and Merrilees ran for election to the council in November. During a candidate forum that aired on Midcoast Television, candidates were given a minute each to respond to a number of questions from the audience pertaining to growth, traffic, neighborhood development and potential incorporation of the Mid-Coast, for example. For the most part, the three candidates platforms were in agreement. All favor carefully planned growth, protection of the rural character of the coast and forging an improved relationship with the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. On the topic of growth, Calman said he would favor reducing the number of houses allowable under "build-out," which is the maximum number of residences permitted by the county to be built on the Mid-Coast. The county's number is simply too high, he said. "I do not accept the county's build-out numbers," he said. Calman said that number should be lowered to match the limited capacity of roads, sewer and water systems. Merrilees took a different tact, saying that because build-out by its very nature is an unavoidable concept, it's critical to review and possibly revamp the rules governing development. By streamlining planning guidelines, the MCC can ensure whatever is built is exactly what the community desires and melds with the neighborhood character, he said. "If I were king of the world and I was in charge of everything, I would stop all building for a year (for a review of the rules) and then I'd let build-out happen after that," he said. Erickson said that done correctly, the Mid Coast Local Coastal Plan Update project currently underway will rectify the current planning problems. The LCP update is one of her primary focuses, she said. All three candidates felt the new Cunha school site should be in the Mid-Coast rather than in Half Moon Bay, which they said would make more sense not only because it would relieve traffic congestion but also because it would be closer to the majority of students, most of whom reside in the Mid-Coast. Sara Bassler, an MCC board member, said the decision would be tough and she, like others on the MCC, is hoping the community will weigh in on the matter at the upcoming April 14 meeting. "I haven't decided. I'm really very torn." Bassler described their strong points, saying of Merrilees "Every time he opens his mouth he's got these creative ideas so I'd like to have him on the council." She said some of Erickson's strengths include activity in local politics as well as the Committee for Green Foothills. She described Calman as a dynamic speaker who "seems politically savvy and we could use that, too." Board member Paul Perkovic said he too hadn't made up his mind and declined to comment on which candidate he favored. Charlie Gardner, on the other hand, said Neil Merrilees, is his choice hands down. "I need another voice of reason on the board," he said. "He's (Merrilees) got the best and freshest ideas. He's good for the Coastside." The va-cancy was created when board member Sandy Emerson gave up the position about a month before the November election. The window has already closed to fill the seat through the standard election proceedings. Public comment will be accepted at the April 14 meeting before the appointment. Opinions can also be sent to all board members by e-mailing mcc@sanmateo.org. |