Planning commissioner unexpectedly resigns

Dave Brooks

Huntington Beach Planning Commissioner Randy Fuhrman unexpectedly

resigned Wednesday after several months on the board.

Fuhrman, 51, choose to resign because his wife got a new job in

San Diego, he wrote in his resignation letter. City Attorney Jennifer

McGrath said Fuhrman had sent the letter to Planning Department

official Scott Hess Wednesday, announcing his resignation effective

at noon.

The news came as a shock to his fellow Planning Commissioners, who

said the night before Fuhrman had participated in a Planning

Commission hearing and gave no indication he was planning to call it

quits.

Recently reelected City Councilwoman Debbie Cook appointed Fuhrman

to the Planning Commission in December. Neither Cook nor Fuhrman were

available for comment by press time.

A retired air traffic control operator, Fuhrman came to the

Planning Commission after a long history of service to the city and

the Orange County Sanitation District. Previously Fuhrman had served

on the city’s environmental board and was the treasurer of Cook’s

reelection campaign.

Before his appointment to the Planning Commission, Fuhrman was

best known for his attempt to stop homeowners in the Huntington

Harbor area from expanding their homes into an ice plant-covered

easement that ran through his neighborhood. Fuhrman, who lives in

Huntington Harbor with his wife Cathy Fuhrman and their two golden

retrievers, said the expansions changed the character of the

neighborhood, and were often unsightly. After months of campaigning,

he and a small group of supporters were able to get the ordinance

approved by the council, only to see it overturned when the newly

elected City Council took office in December.

Fuhrman was an outspoken advocate for neighborhood preservation,

often saying he believed development projects should be analyzed for

their impact on the entire community. In a January interview with the

Independent, Fuhrman said the city needs to look at development

projects in a larger context.

“You have to be clear on the concepts, not just the facts,” he

said then. “It’s important to get your facts correct always, but you

have to understand the issues.”

Planning Commissioner Tom Livengood said he was shocked upon

hearing of Fuhrman’s resignation.

“I’m very surprised that he resigned,” Livengood said. “He gave

every indication last night that he would be continuing with the

Planning Commission.”

Commissioner Robert Dingwall expressed similar sentiments. “I had

no idea this was coming,” he said.

Tuesday’s meeting saw Fuhrman appeal plans by a neighbor to expand

their home into the easement Fuhrman had fought to protect, but later

recused himself when the item was brought up for a hearing and vote.