FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
SPECIAL AGENDA ITEM #1
MEETING DATE: July 17, 2024
PREPARED FOR: Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY: Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
SUBJECT: Interview and Consider Appointment of Applicant to Serve on the Fairfax Planning Commission
RECOMMENDATIONS
Interview applicant Daniele Petrone and consider their appointment to the Fairfax Planning Commission to fill an unexpired term to May 31, 2028.
DISCUSSION
The Planning Commission serves as an advisory body to the Town Council on planning policies and regulations. The Commission is responsible for bringing a broad variety of expertise and experience in reviewing:
• Planning applications
• Fairfax ordinances
• The Town General Plan and Housing Element.
There is currently one vacancy on the Planning Commission. The term of this vacant position is a full four-year term. The Town began soliciting for Planning Commission applications in April by advertising the vacancies on the Town’s website and in several newsletters. The Council conducted one interview at the June 5, 2024 regular meeting, but did not make an appointment to allow for other candidates to interview.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
ATTACHMENT
Application (redacted)
Q1
Contact information
• Name Daniele Petrone
• Address
• City/Town Fairfax
• ZIP/Postal Code94930
• Email Address @gmail.com
• Phone Number415-
Q2
Which committee or commission are you applying for?
• Planning Commission
Q3
Which position on the Emergency Preparedness Committee are you applying for? Respondent skipped this question
Q4
What is the date of the meeting you attended prior to completing your application? • Date / Time01/11/2024
Q5
Why are you interested in serving on a board or commission? I believe my extensive experience with Urban Planning, combined with my intimate knowledge of Fairfax, make me uniquely qualified to serve on the Planning Commission. As a Marin County native, Fairfax resident, and avid bicyclist, I’m excited to work towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all Fairfax residents, be they current or future.
Q6
How long have you lived in Fairfax?
6 years
Q7
What relevant work or life experience do you have for the board or commission you're applying for?
I received both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Urban Planning from Cornell University. After graduate school, I went to work for Nelson\Nygaard, a dynamic, national transportation consulting firm, which afforded me five years of varied, complex transportation planning experience across the country. I devised contextually sensitive plans in the fields of bicycle and pedestrian planning, Transportation Demand Management, and parking management, and authored reports on the links between transportation and land use. I wrote general plans, station access studies, and bicycle and pedestrian plans. In 2015, I changed gears and went to work in private real estate development. Since then, I have managed the design process, approvals process, financing process, and construction of four mixed-use infill projects in Sonoma and San Luis Obispo counties. My role has given me a front-row seat to the interface between the public and City Planning Commissions. My current role also includes public outreach efforts, public meetings, and cross disciplinary collaboration, all of which I believe are useful skills to have in a future Commissioner.
Q8
What is your vision for the Town of Fairfax?
Fairfax's strengths are lie in its compact urban form, pedestrian/bicycle friendliness, economic diversity, and sense of community. My vision for the town is to further strengthen those attributes -- making Fairfax a place where a broad range of folks can afford to live, where many multimodal transportation options are available for everyone, regardless of age or ability, and whose downtown remains bustling and vibrant. I am passionate about local and national planning issues and am excited about the opportunity to put my skills to good use. I look forward to hearing from you soon and I thank you very much for your consideration.
Q9
Describe possible areas in which you may have a conflict of interest with the Town.
I am in real estate development and while we currently have no projects planned in Fairfax, it is always a possibility.
Q10
How did you hear about this vacancy?
• Town website