Richmond Planning Commission appointees set

An executive with the nonprofit Better Housing Coalition and a landscape architect are set to be appointed to the Richmond Planning Commission, despite concerns from a city councilman that it could end up with an anti-development bias.

Lynn McAteer, vice president of planning and special projects for the housing coalition, and Doug Cole, a landscape architect and president of designforum, were recommended this week by the council's Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee after interviews with four finalists.

If approved, perhaps as early as tomorrow, McAteer and Cole would succeed Beverley Lacey and Bob Mills on the nine-member commission, which reviews development plans and makes recommendations to council on rezonings and special-use permits.

Councilman Douglas G. Conner Jr., a member of the commission and chairman of the council's land-use committee, said he's prepared to support both candidates but worries that McAteer may have a pro-preservation bias, calling her "very, very green."

"We have to have a good, even balance between business and community, " Connor said.

Councilman Charles R. Samuels praised both candidates' credentials and said he foresees a commission composed of "folks who are all dedicated to the city and want to see what's best, not for any particular project but for the city."

McAteer endorsed the idea of balanced development in her application for appointment. Yesterday, she reiterated the point and said it's healthy to debate what should be saved and what should be built new.

"I think what I said in the interview is we need to focus on quality development and great development because I think our citizens deserve that," she said.

The tension between development and preservation played out through the process of updating the city's downtown master plan, which included a focus on protecting and providing public access to riverfront. Last month, Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced a departmental reorganization plan that would merge the economic-development and planning functions into a single department.

The debate will likely boil over in the coming months as Echo Harbour, a proposed high-rise along the city's eastern riverfront, is expected to be introduced for consideration by the Planning Commission and ultimately the council.

One of the candidates interviewed but not picked as a finalist for the commission is Mark S. Lindsey, a partner of Councilman Bruce W. Tyler in the Baskervill architectural firm. Baskervill is the project architect for Echo Harbour. The other candidate interviewed was Robert C. Burns of Commonwealth Architects.

Tyler said he didn't participate in the interviews because of his work with Lindsey and doesn't oppose appointing McAteer or Cole. However, Tyler said he wants to hear the rationale for the selections and why neither Lindsey nor Burns was chosen.

"I'm looking forward to hearing how they came to their recommendations," he said.

Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or .