Planning Chief Resigns Amid Conflict Claims

Carson Planning Commissioner Francisco (Frank) Gutierrez has resigned in the wake of allegations by a mobile home residents group that he voted for and profited from a residential development project in the city.

Gutierrez, in a letter delivered to Carson Mayor Michael Mitoma over the weekend, said the accusations made by Homeowners Against Rent Decontrol are “full of falsehood and innuendo.” He further stated that “the pettiness and dirty politics that I foresee in the current election will result in me being the scapegoat and sacrificial lamb for other persons’ and groups’ political agenda.”

Connie Hathaway, chairwoman of Homeowners Against Rent Decontrol, claims that Gutierrez has business ties to David Thomas, president of Thomas Development Inc., and violated conflict-of-interest statutes in voting on at least one of the firm’s projects in the city. The Torrance company has built several residential housing developments in Carson and is attempting to close a mobile home park in the city.