I served on the East Bethel Planning Commission during a period when significant development proposals were being considered. My record shows a consistent approach: support responsible growth, insist that major decisions follow the Comprehensive Plan, and make sure the public benefit is clear before the City grants flexibility or accepts long-term obligations.

On the Public Record

• Growth should follow the Comprehensive Plan. I repeatedly stated that I was not opposed to development, but that density, land use, infrastructure and neighborhood impacts should be consistent with East Bethel’s adopted vision.
• Mixed-use development should actually be mixed use. I argued that residential growth in mixed-use areas should include meaningful commercial opportunities and walkability rather than simply increasing housing density.
• PUD flexibility should produce a public benefit. When a development asks the City to deviate from normal standards, I believe residents should receive something meaningful in return—better design, preserved open space, environmental protection, infrastructure improvements or another identifiable community benefit.
• Major questions should be answered before approval. I pushed for traffic, engineering, fiscal and environmental issues to be resolved rather than assuming they would be fixed after preliminary approval.
• Taxpayers should understand the long-term cost. I requested fiscal analysis of major development proposals and questioned whether future maintenance, infrastructure and service obligations were being weighed against projected revenue.
• Existing neighborhoods and rural character matter. I raised concerns when development intensity, access, traffic or layout could shift costs or impacts onto established East Bethel residents.
• Regulation should remain practical. I supported reasonable rules for storage containers, more flexible food-truck permitting, an appropriate septic variance, and the sale of unusable City property to an adjoining owner. Planning should protect the community without creating unnecessary restrictions.