HUNTINGTON BEACH : Design Review Board Loses 2 of Its Seats

Citing a lack of public interest, the City Council eliminated two seats last week from an architectural advisory board that had been reserved for city residents.

The Design Review Board, which advised the council and Planning Commission on building issues, will be reduced from seven members to five next month. The change will leave only one community representative on the board.

The board, which meets weekly, has been plagued by absences among its at-large community members, said Michael Adams, city community development director. Board meetings have occasionally had to be canceled because there were too few members present.

In addition, Adams said, the city has had difficulty attracting qualified candidates because board membership requires expertise in structural and architectural design.

At Adams’ request, a council majority voted to eliminate two of the three seats set aside for city residents. The board will still include a council member, a planning commissioner and two city staff officials.

Councilwomen Grace Winchell and Linda Moulton-Patterson, both of whom voted against the change, agreed with two residents who argued that the move would cut two-thirds of the public’s voice on the panel.

“I’m concerned that public representation is fading,” resident David Sullivan told the council.

The majority, however, contended that the change would be justified because the public is now overrepresented on the board.

“The intent of this board is not to be a public board. It’s an expert-review board,” Councilman Don MacAllister said. MacAllister added that he believes city residents will nonetheless be well represented because the council and Planning Commission representatives on the board also represent the community at large.