At their August 18 meeting, the Orinda City Council received the final report of the Planning Process Review Task Force. Upon receiving the report, the council dissolved the task force and commended their efforts.
Vice-Mayor and task force chair Tom McCormick thanked the task force members, who were all present, telling them, "Finally return to your families."
However, not everyone was happy with the task force's work. One speaker, Ann O'Connell Nye, was particularly displeased with their final report.
"I was sitting at Peet's the other day, looking at Long's and the hardware store, trying to imagine a five story building in their place. And I was horrified at the idea of a building like that obstructing the view of Orinda's hills," she said.
O'Connell Nye's comment was a reference to the task force's recommendation that the city change the maximum building height from 35 to 55 feet in selected areas.
In response to her comment, Council Member Steve Glazer reminded her and the rest of the audience that the final report still had many steps to pass through before it becomes law. He encouraged participation and input from the public during those steps, so that the final laws would best reflect their image of Orinda.
"I thought that more people would be here tonight. This is the beginning of a long process, and nothing has been decided yet. We definitely encourage more input from the public," said Glazer. The task force report is available on the city's website, http://www.ci.orinda.ca.us.
Vice-Mayor and task force chair Tom McCormick thanked the task force members, who were all present, telling them, "Finally return to your families."
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA