NEWPORT BEACH
The empty seat on the Planning Commission will be filled by attorney Steven Kiser. He beat out 32 other applicants for the coveted spot after Mark Hoglund resigned before his term ended. Kiser will serve until the end of June 2004.
He is walking into one of the more controversial years for the Planning Commission, with the so-called Greenlight measure on the horizon. If approved, the measure will give residents the opportunity to approve or deny proposed developments--something that Kiser does not entirely support.
“I think the Greenlight initiative is put forward with the best of intentions,” he said, adding that despite this, planning decisions are better made by people with the time and expertise to review the volumes of reports.
The Ohio-born real estate lawyer has lived in Newport since 1974. He has been involved with the Cameo Community Assn., the American Bar Assn. and the Building Owners and Managers Assn. He received law and business degrees at UCLA, the University of Maryland and Florida State University. He and his wife have two children.
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