Mayor demotes design board chairman in Santa Rosa Plaza dispute

Santa Rosa's mayor demoted the chairman of the city's Design Review Board this week in what some viewed as retaliation for the board taking action that would require Santa Rosa Plaza to study ways of improving pedestrian access through the mall.

The 700,000-square-foot mall's perceived barrier to downtown's east and west sides has long been a contentious city issue.

The already divided City Council will now be forced to weigh in on the sensitive subject again, in part to determine whether the review board — whose members are appointed by the council — had the legal authority to take the action that it did.

The seven-member board last Thursday let stand its prior approval of a request made by Simon Property Group, owner of the mall, for pedestrian improvements on the Plaza's western exterior. That approval was conditional on Simon coming back to the city within three years with a plan for improving access through the mall.

The action was taken over the objections of city staff members, who warned the board that it likely didn't have the legal authority to add the additional pedestrian improvement condition.

In an email to Mayor Ernesto Olivares on Friday, Ken MacNab, then the board's chairman, stated that the board majority acted as it did because it "strongly supports" the city's efforts "for the strengthening of this key downtown linkage."

He wrote that the board wanted the project to proceed "while at the same time nudging the policy and community interests forward."

"While you may not agree with the approach, I hope you can at least understand why it was taken," MacNab wrote.

Olivares responded on Sunday by informing MacNab that he was removing him as chairman of the board. "You are correct, I do not agree with the approach you took," the mayor wrote in an email.

MacNab, who resides in Santa Rosa and is a planner for the city of Calistoga, declined comment this week. He remains a member of the design review board.

Councilwoman Marsha Vas Dupre appointed MacNab to the review board three years ago. He was appointed chairman by then-Mayor Susan Gorin and re-appointed to that role by Olivares.

Gorin circulated an email this week in which the councilwoman lamented MacNab's demotion. She wrote that MacNab and the board were working toward the community's goal of linking downtown, and that "apparently an effective chair is having to bear the brunt of this disagreement over the role of the (review) board."

Gorin was unavailable for comment this week.

Olivares, however, insisted that his decision to demote MacNab should not be seen as a defense of the Simon Group, the nation's largest shopping center development firm.

"It had nothing to do with the project itself," the mayor said. "It had to do with the process of working with our Community Development Department and the City Attorney's Office."

Olivares has been critical of Simon Property Group in the past, including this summer when the city sought a "connectivity" feasibility study in exchange for the Indianapolis-based real estate giant getting the city's blessing to charge for parking at the Santa Rosa mall. Those plans are on hold.

But Olivares this week said the city can't force Simon to construct a new through-way for pedestrians to appease critics. "All we can do is ask," the mayor said.

Les Morris, a spokesman for Simon, said the company would have no comment on what he characterized in an email Thursday as a "municipal personnel issue."

But he added that Simon "understands the need for improved connectivity" and that the company is working toward that goal in an ongoing multi-million dollar renovation of the mall.

In an unusual twist, Community Development Director Chuck Regalia appealed the actions of the review board to the City Council — not Simon.

Regalia was unavailable for comment Thursday.

City Attorney Caroline Fowler said Regalia's appeal asks that the City Council approve the pedestrian work requested by Simon but drop the extra condition imposed by the review board.

Fowler said that position is supported by her office.

"I believe the condition attached by the board was not authorized and exceeded their legal authority," she said.

Doug Hilberman, who was appointed to the review board by Councilman Scott Bartley, is the new chairman. Hilberman declined comment Thursday.