One of the best Planning Commission members in the 40 years I’ve been covering that body is stepping down after two decades of service. Kathrin Moore told me she will rotate off when her term ends this summer. “Twenty years is a long time,” she said.
Commissioner Gilbert Williams, who has also been an excellent addition to the panel, is also at the end of his term, and one commission post is vacant.
That means Sup. Rafael Mandelman will have a chance to reshape the commission, which plays a critical role in San Francisco: The commission oversees land use policy for the city, and since so much of local politics is about land use, the seven commissioners have tremendous influence.
For most of the past decade, the commission has been split on key issues, with the three members appointed by the president of the Board of Supes standing up to the three appointed by the mayor. Since all three of the vacancies are for board-appointed supes, Mandelman, who is much closer to the mayor than previous board presidents, will be able to shape future debates…