Port Townsend: City Council to discuss Planning Commission size

PORT TOWNSEND — The City Council is expected to take action on an ordinance Monday expanding the Planning Commission from seven members to 11 members.

Several newly elected council members have pushed the expansion proposal as the city gears up for the five-year update of the city comprehensive land-use plan.

Proponents say expanding the commission would increase input.

The majority of the Planning Commission members oppose the idea.

And Councilman Geoff Masci called the move “a political effort to stack the deck.”

But Councilwoman Frieda Fenn, a “controlled growth” advocate, said expanding the board will improve comprehensive plan talks.

“This is not based on getting a majority on the board,” she said. “We want historic perspective and a lively mix of opinions.”

The rest of this story appears in today’s Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.

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