Design Consultant Declares Her Candidacy in Culver City

A Studio Estates building design consultant has entered the Culver City Council race, becoming the fifth person and the only woman to challenge three longtime incumbents in the April 12 election.

Janine Lauren, 43, was the last entrant in the race before candidate filing closed Thursday.

She said that she plans to run a low-budget “Thomas Paine-style campaign” in the local papers.

“I want to test the American democratic principle that it is not only feasible, but people have an obligation to speak out whether or not they have powerful political endorsements, huge campaign chests or name recognition,” said Lauren, a former history teacher.

Unlike the four other challengers, Lauren said she does not support an initiative campaign to lower the maximum height of new buildings in the city.

“I’m not pro-growth, I’m not no-growth, I’m not slow-growth,” she said, adding that the city’s major problem is its lack of a master plan.

She suggested that the problems of traffic and parking could be lessened by constructing high-rise residential complexes in the southern part of the city. Residents there could work at the Corporate Pointe office parks and shop at Fox Hills Mall.

“It’s not the inalienable American right to own a car, and we’re going to have to talk about it,” she said.

Four other challengers--Jim Boulgarides, Steven Gourley, Richard E. Pachtman and Ron Perkins--filed candidacy papers last week. Also running are the three incumbents, Mayor Richard Brundo, Vice Mayor Paul Jacobs and Councilman Paul Netzel.

Randall Unruh, son of former state Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh, had taken out filing papers but did not return them. He said that he will decide next week whether to run as a write-in candidate.

Council members are elected at-large to four-year terms.