LG Town Council selects three new planning commissioners
Appointments to Burke, Trevithick, Talesfore
Six apply for three seats
By Gloria I. Wang
The Los Gatos Planning Commission has three fresh faces on board.
Morris Trevithick, Michael Burke and Joanne Talesfore were appointed to the commission by the town council March 18. Talesfore will replace Planning Commission Vice Chair Suzanne Müller, who abruptly submitted a letter of resignation to the town earlier that day, while Trevithick and Burke took the seats vacated by Jim Lyon and Peggy Marcucci when their terms expired Jan. 31.
The three new commissioners all have extensive town volunteer experience and professional backgrounds ranging from art and education to engineering, economics and religion.
The planning commission is the town body responsible for granting building and development applications, as well as making recommendations to the town council on zone change requests. Vice Mayor Sandy Decker called the group "the town's highest appointed committee."
From a pool of six applicants, council members selected Trevithick, Burke and Talesfore after interviews and reviewing their applications and a sample planning project case study. Questions included the candidates' view of the role of planning commissioners as opposed to that of the council, their interpretation of the General Plan, and whether they saw themselves as preservationists, pro-property rights, or pro-growth.
Trevithick is a native of New Zealand who has lived in Los Gatos for 14 years with his wife, Elizabeth. A Christian Science practitioner and teacher, Trevithick's past jobs include management consulting, economics and city planning. Trevithick earned a master's in economics and a Ph.D. in public and international affairs before moving to Canada and then settling in Los Gatos. Most recently, he was on the town's Redevelopment Advisory Committee, and Public Library Committee and has been involved with the Forbes Mill Condominium Association.
Trevithick says he decided to apply for a position on the commission because he felt his education and experience could contribute to the town's well-being. "I've always liked the idea of participation in planning," Trevithick said, explaining his belief that sound planning is central to any community.
Burke, an engineer for Adobe Systems, has served on the Los Gatos General Plan Committee since 1998 and is currently its chairman. Having lived in Los Gatos since 1962, Burke said of the town, "While it's grown a lot more than maybe I'm happy with, it's still not crazy, like San Jose or Sunnyvale. It's done a good job of maintaining its small-town charm."
Through the years, several people had asked Burke to apply for the commission, but only recently did he feel like he was qualified for the position and would do the job right.
Burke says he knows he will experience "a lot of work and some sleepless nights" in the next four years, but is excited about the opportunity.
Burke and his wife, Lynn, live on Hicks Road with their cat.
Talesfore has been involved in the community since she moved to Hernandez Avenue in 1978. Her résumé includes membership on the Los Gatos General Plan Task Force, teaching in Campbell and Los Gatos, founding the Neighborhood Alliance, chairing A Place for Teens' Food Fest, volunteering for the San Jose Junior League and leading the Silicon Valley Arts Council.
An employee of the Los Gatos Union School District, Talesfore is an arts resource/arts grant manager. She and husband Nick moved to Los Gatos "because it reminded me of where I grew up," Talesfore said, referring to rural Pennsylvania.
Serving on the General Plan Task Force encouraged Talesfore to try to leave a legacy in the town. She asked herself, "What can I do to ensure that this community will be here for the future people who move into town, long after I'm gone?" The answer was becoming a planning commissioner.
"I'm excited because this is a new opportunity," Talesfore said. However, she also said, "I'm nervous because I'm replacing someone who was marvelous. I'm hoping I can pick up where she left off."
That "someone marvelous" is Müller, a Los Gatos resident of 22 years who will be moving to Woodside in a month or two. Because Müller and her husband, Peter, work from home in running a product development and industrial design consulting firm, in November they had looked into purchasing a Woodside home that suited their needs. Also, their client base was in the peninsula area, and the Müllers wanted to be more central to their clients. Negotiations fell apart in January, however, and the couple decided to try to renovate their home to their standards.
According to Müller, the owners of the Woodside home approached her a few weeks ago. Although the paperwork is not finalized, Müller anticipates moving before May.
"I'm not fleeing Los Gatos," Müller said. "It's a big change. It's been so fun volunteering and working with the town." Müller is relieved that she will still be close enough to visit her friends and colleagues. "It's not as if I'm moving off to Mars," Müller said, laughing.
As for the new appointees, Müller said, "I was kind of excited. They're not just new people; they're new people with some experience under their belts."
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
