Three San Francisco planning commissioners walked out during a closed-session meeting to appoint a new planning director on Wednesday, frustrated by the mayor doing away with any candidate search or even interviews of anyone other than the mayor’s preferred candidate, Sarah Dennis Phillips.
Kathrin Moore, Gilbert Williams and Theresa Imperial, all Board of Supervisors appointees, left about an hour into the three-hour meeting. Moore and Imperial declined to comment on their reasons for walking out. “We just walked out of the hearing, so that will let you know how we feel about it,” Williams said.
Commissioners had received calls earlier this week from mayoral policy chief Ned Segal, asking them to advance Sarah Dennis Phillips’ name to Mayor Daniel Lurie. Dennis Phillips was the executive director of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
Some received Dennis Phillips’ resume only late last night, hours before the vote this morning.
Their remaining colleagues, all mayoral appointees, later sent Lurie a recommendation that Dennis Phillips be the next planning director. She met with the four remaining commissioners for about an hour after their colleagues walked out, responding to questions about her work experience and speaking on her behalf.
Segal, the mayor’s policy chief for housing and development, and a rep from the Department of Human Resources were also present. Lurie formally appointed Dennis Phillips less than an hour after the planning commission meeting ended.
Past and current members of the planning commission said that they were shocked by the walkouts. Former members said that they did not have any knowledge of walkouts by members of the planning commission prior to this.
The Board of Supervisors appointed Moore to the planning commission in 2006, Imperial in 2020 and Williams in 2024. Imperial is the executive director for the Bill Sorro Housing Program, and Williams is a union carpenter at San Francisco Public Works and a member of PODER. Moore is an architect and urban designer.
After Phillips met with the four remaining commissioners, the meeting continued, closed to the public, for about an hour. When the doors reopened, the commissioners announced that they had come to a decision.
Lurie has no time for Democracy or Charters when there’s DEVELOPERS to appease!
Rich Hillis has been the best Planning Director of the past 2 decades — hands down. Hillis leaves office the beginning of July and, now more than ever, the office of Planning Director should not be left vacant for months on end in order to spin wheels and burn $’s with yet another “national search” when we already have well-vetted and really excellent/knowledgable “home grown” candidates like Sarah Dennis Phillips to choose from. Dennis Phillips is, without a doubt, the most qualified person to ascend to the position of Planning Director since Alan Jacobs in the late 60’s and early 70’s. She’s pro-housing and has a track record of getting things done. She has managed complex endeavors and sizable agencies. She’s a tested leader and is exceptionally well liked in the Planning Dept. Commissioners Moore, Imperial and Williams represent the reactionary old-guard way of thinking in SF. In particular, they are the advocates for continuing the decades long status quo approach to housing (non) creation that has led to chronic scarcity and runaway housing costs. Furthermore, Moore treats her position on the Commission as practically a birthright sinecure. For Pete’s sake she’s been appointed and reappointed by the so-called progressive faction of the BOS (i.e. Peskin) since 2006! Even Randy Shaw said enough is enough way back in 2014! All 3 of them should resign so the City can get some fresh/forward thinking blood on the Planning Commission and move this City forward! Kudos to Mayer Lurie, for not getting bogged down in such nonsense, and for moving expeditiously!
” She’s pro-housing and ”
and that’s the only criteria YIMBY tools have.
When you give a job to someone without any work experience, it’s not surprising that they make bush-league mistakes.