Garcetti names his planning commission

Mayor Eric Garcetti, at the conclusion of his third month in office, on Monday appointed the members of his citywide planning commission. There is one holdover from the Villaraigosa planning commission — plus two key Wendy Greuel backers in the last election and some more Garcetti campaign contributors.

The names: Robert Ahn, David Ambroz, Maria Cabildo, Caroline Choe, Richard Katz, John Mack, Dana Perlman, Marta Segura and Renee Dake Wilson.

A selection of coverage — first David Zahniser for the LA Times:

Garcetti chose former Police Commission president John Mack and former Metro board member Richard Katz to serve on the panel, which vets the city's largest development projects before sending them on to the council.

Mack was a Greuel campaign co-chair and Katz co-hosted fundraisers for Greuel. Both were among nine commissioners announced by the mayor.

Katz, who owns a firm that offers strategic advice and crisis communications consulting, said Garcetti personally called him and "talked about the need to gather talent from around the city."

"I think most of the people who supported Greuel or Garcetti want him to be successful, because we all live in this city," Katz said....

The mayor tapped attorney Dana Perlman, a campaign fundraiser for President Barack Obama who donated $1,350 to Garcetti's mayoral bid. Perlman is the lone holdover on the Planning Commission, having been appointed to it by former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa last year.

Alice Walton at KPCC:

The Planning Commission is the first step in the approval process for major building projects and real estate developments in the city. Mayor Eric Garcetti named nine men and women to the panel, including former Police Commissioner John Mack and former Metro board member Richard Katz. (For what it's worth, both Mack and Katz supported Wendy Greuel in the mayor's race.)

The other nominees are attorneys Robert Ahn, Dana Perlman and David Ambroz, architect Renee Drake Wilson and banker Caroline Chloe. The president of the East L.A. Community Corporation, Maria Cabildo, and Marta Segura, owner of a firm that specializes in community engagement and campaign development, round out the nominees.

The commission appointments must be approved by the Los Angeles City Council.

The Daily News:

Mayor Eric Garcetti completed his appointments to the city Planning Commission on Monday, announcing the full list of nine nominees that includes civil rights leader John Mack and former Assembly Minority Leader Richard Katz.

Mack most recently served on the city Police Commission, and Katz served on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“These commissioners will help us strengthen each of Los Angeles’ unique neighborhoods,” Garcetti said.

LA Observed file photo