Newport Beach names Jonathan Langford, Brady Barto to Planning Commission

Two new planning commissioners were named this week to replace Erik Weigand and Lauren Kleiman, who were elected to the Newport Beach City Council in November.

Jonathan Langford and Brady Barto each received six votes on Tuesday from the City Council to serve on the commission. Barto’s seat on the commission will go until June 2025; Langford, on a coin toss, was given a seat that will expire in June 2024. Weigand and Kleiman were first appointed to the commission in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Five candidates were considered for the two positions.

The Planning Commission reviews and acts on issues relating to planning and development, as an advisory board to the City Council on those same issues. Newport Beach’s planning commission has seven members and meets twice a month.

Langford and Barto will be sworn in at the commission’s next meeting on March 9.

Barto has lived in Newport Beach for about 40 years, according to his application, and his family and related entities own commercial and residential properties in the city. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from Chapman University in Orange in 2005 and currently works as an exploration manager at Signal Hill Petroleum.

“As a third-generation resident in our city, serving on the Newport Beach Planning Commission would be an opportunity for me to use my experience and skills to give back to the community I care deeply about,” Barto wrote in his application. “My work experience has taught me the importance of balancing the needs of the community, the municipalities and the property owners.

“That balance is critical for a planning commissioner and the combination of my career experience and understanding of the unique villages that make up our city makes me uniquely qualified for this position.”

Langford is also a longtime resident of Newport Beach, having lived in the city for 36 years, according to his application. Langford owns a house and rental property in the city. He has family members who own property within the city, as does his employer, Mesa Centers, where he is director of real estate. Langford received his bachelor’s degree in business and real estate from USC in 2008.

In his statement, Langford said his personal, professional and nonprofit experiences qualified him for the position.

“As a lifelong resident of Newport Beach, I have a strong appreciation for the distinct villages that make our community the greatest place to live,” Langford said, noting his position as president of the Friends of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter and related work. “As a real estate professional for multiple large retailers, I have worked with city planning commissions to entitle properties across the Western states.”

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