San Gabriel : Planning Board Created

Concerned about the proliferation in recent years of unruly development projects, the City Council voted Tuesday to set up a 7-person design review board to ensure that plans for future commercial projects or multiunit residential buildings are compatible with existing buildings.

Council members have expressed a concern for, among other things, the preservation of the city’s mission-style decor. San Gabriel is the home of the San Gabriel Mission, which was established in 1771.

The new board--consisting of the planning director, a planning commissioner, four design professionals and a non-professional person--will review plans for proposed projects at the request of the Planning Commission.

Any decision by the board can be appealed to the Planning Commission and the City Council. Plans for new single-family homes will not be subject to scrutiny by the board.