Ed Lauing feels comfortable in the middle chair on the dais.
Lauing has been paying his civic dues at City Hall for the past decade, first on the Parks and Recreation Commission, where he served for seven years, and then on the Planning and Transportation Commission, where he is now in his fourth year.
In four of those 10 years, Lauing had been chosen by his colleagues to serve as chair, a nod to both his moderate positions and his low-drama disposition. As a former CEO who currently works as an executive recruiter, Lauing believes his business background and his city background give him the perfect platform to steer the city.
"I know what the job is," Lauing said, referring to his decade of interactions with city staff and council members.
He also knows the issues. While serving on the parks commission, Lauing took part in reviewing and approving the city's new parks master plan, the creation of a dog park at Peers Park (and exploration of other parks elsewhere) and the reconstruction of the municipal golf course, now known as Baylands Golf Links.
As a planning commissioner, Lauing had worked on updating the city's Comprehensive Plan, revising its zoning code and reviewing specific development proposals. He has frequently advocated for a cautious, data-driven approach and sporadically clashed with commissioners who favor moving faster and more aggressively on policy changes.
At times, this view has put him at odds with the council, as when he was part of a 4-3 majority in 2018 that voted against creating a new "affordable housing overlay" district that would give developers zoning incentives to build below-market-rate units. Lauing recommended that the zone change, which was proposed to facilitate the construction of the 59-apartment Wilton Court development on El Camino Real, be further refined before it can be applied citywide. He also, however, supported moving ahead with the Wilton Court project under a "planned community" zone, which gives developers and the city more leeway on negotiating zoning concessions and public benefits (the council overruled the commission and approved the housing-overlay district).
His conditional support for housing was also on display in August, when the commission was voting to rezone commercial properties along San Antonio Road to allow housing construction, including a 102-unit mixed-use development at 788 San Antonio Road. While others argued for swift approval, Lauing insisted that the motion also include a recommendation that the city conduct an analysis of land use and transportation along the San Antonio corridor to identify and predict future traffic patterns and problems.
The transportation analysis, he argued, needs to be an "integral" part of the motion supporting the zone change. The commission ultimately agreed and voted 6-1 to move the project forward.
Like most of the 10 candidates in the field, Lauing believes affordable housing should be the city's primary focus when it comes to residential construction — a view that naturally aligns him with the more slow-growth camp that includes Councilman Eric Filseth and Vice Mayor Tom DuBois (both of whom have endorsed his campaign) and Lydia Kou, who is now seeking a fresh term. That said, he believes that the community, much like the council and the planning commission, has become too polarized.
"One of the ideas that I think is really important is to get out of the poles," Lauing told the Weekly, "Polarization is OK to begin a debate on an issue but at some point you have to close the ranks if we want to get it done. That's been the problem, fighting in the community, fighting on the council, fighting in its commission."
Affordable housing, he said, is one area on which there appears to be community consensus. He supports passing zone changes to facilitate it and using funds from a business tax to support it. Unlike Kou, who strongly supports the city's 50-foot height limit, Lauing said the limit should be a "guideline" — strictly enforced in single-family neighborhoods but open to adjustment in places like Palo Alto Square at El Camino Real and Page Mill Road.
"If you show me a project at, let's say, Palo Alto Square, that will put up 300 to 400 housing units over the next three years and it has to go to 75 feet instead of 50, I'd be at that meeting in a nanosecond, listening to what's going on."
Like other council members, he believes city staff have taken too large a role in shaping the city's policies. But unlike Pat Burt, who attributes this trend to a heavy-handed approach from the current city manager and city attorney, Lauing believes the council is largely at fault. By setting too many priorities, by failing to give staff clear direction and by not following up in a timely fashion, the council has created a situation in which staff has a hard time making progress on its many assignments.
"I don't think the city manager and the city are trying to set policy," Lauing said. "I think they end up setting policy because they don't get enough specific direction from council on a number of issues."
The city budget is one area in which Lauing wants to see clearer priorities. The budget, he said, should reflect the city's values, with the priority given to ensuring public safety, followed by essential services such as utilities and street paving and then spending on parks and community services such as programs for youth mental health.
By contrast, capital spending, such as for a new public safety building, can be delayed into future years, he wrote in a Palo Alto Neighborhoods questionnaire.
"The push into the future doesn't work forever," Lauing said. "Eventually parks need to be redone, tennis courts need resurfacing and a public safety building needs to go up. But 'wish-list' items need to be distinct from 'must-dos.'"
Read profiles of the nine other candidates:
• Rebecca Eisenberg: Swinging for the fences
• Lydia Kou: Playing zone defense
• Steven Lee: Proudly progressive
• Raven Malone: Seeking social justice
• Greer Stone: Keeping it local
• Greg Tanaka: Following the money
• Cari Templeton: Ready to listen
More election coverage:
• VIDEOS: Watch our debate and interviews with the 10 City Council candidates in Palo Alto
Comments
Registered user
Crescent Park
on Oct 4, 2020 at 12:05 pm
Registered user
on Oct 4, 2020 at 12:05 pm
Mr. Lauing has been impressive in the forums. I've found his answers thoughtful and well reasoned. Given the impacts of the pandemic, I will sleep well at night knowing he is looking out for our interests and working for us. Given all the challenges we need candidates who are interested and focused on all aspects of a functioning, city and not just the issue of the moment. Ed has and will deal with the range of issues needed. He has been in a tough position on the Planning Commission review of Castillejea, staying neutral and commenting narrowly on the referral to Council. I believe this is to preserve his ability to participate on Council should he win. I hope residents see the wisdom of this approach.