20 people applied for the seat on the Planning Commission
that was vacated by Ted Winterer’s ascension to the City
Council. Tuesday night, the City Council spent less than
a minute naming one of the 20, Sue Himmelrich,a lawyer,
to succeed Winterer.

The Commission is the premier residents’ commission as its primary
task is reviewing proposed commercial developments and making recommendations to the City Council. It was also a stepping stone
to the City Council for three of the current Council members –-
Gleam Davis and Terry O’Day, as well as Winterer.

Tuesday night, Landmarks Commissioner Nina Fresco was nominated by Winterer lawyer Sue Himmelrich by Tony Vazquez, lawyer Frank Gruber by Bob Holbrook and journalist and teacher John Smith by Kevin McKeown. After a whirlwind first ballot, Himmelrich took the lead, and, in a blink, was elected by acclamation. There was no discussion, before or after the whirlwind rounds of voting.

Luckily,for the Council, and the rest of us. Himmelrich, a 21-year resident of Santa Monica, seems well-qualified for her new assignment, and may add some starch to Commission deliberations.

According to her application, “After graduating from Harvard University in 1975 and Columbia Law School in 1983, I practiced civil litigation in corporate law firms, as a partner and associate, for 15 years. In 1997, I started a solo litigation practice in Santa Monica, shifting my focus from litigation to alternative dispute resolution in 2002. As a litigator, mediator, temporary judge and (non-practicing) real estate broker, I have handled a wide range of matters relating to property and development, from mediating unlawful detainer cases in the Santa Monica courthouse to litigating disputes between national companies over development rights. I am familiar with the LUCE and the Housing Element, as well as with California laws relating to land use planning, general plans, specific plans, and density bonuses. As a result of my work at Western Center on Law and Poverty, I have developed expertise on housing policies that will help to promote more affordable housing and retain diversity in Santa Monica.

“Santa Monica is at a planning crossroads. During my work with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles on the Village Trailer Park development agreement, I scrutinized both the LUCE and the Housing Element in great detail. As a 21-year resident of the City with a law office in Santa Monica from 1997 until I joined Western Center on Law and Poverty in 2012, I am committed to Santa Monica’s diversity and sustainability at this critical juncture. Finally, as a mediator for the last 12 years, I have learned that every voice should be heard and acknowledged.

“Mediator, US District Court and LA Superior Court (2001-present), 2nd District Court of Appeal (2005-present); Temporary Judge, LA Superior Court (2009-present); Volunteer Attorney, LAFLA (2006-present); Pollwatcher, Democratic National Committee (2004-present) and Obama for America (2007-2008); Volunteer, Obama for America (2007-present); Attended City Council, Planning Commission, and community group meeting relating to the LUCE, the Housing Element, and affordable housing policies.”

For the record, the Dispatch endorsed Fresco and civil engineer Armen
Melkonians for the Commission.