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Planning Agency
Powers and Duties
The Planning Agency reviews and comments on the City's Comprehensive Plan, makes recommendations on zoning changes (rezones), and reviews subdivision plats.
Members, appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council, serve without compensation for a 4-year term.
Membership
|
Position # |
Name |
First Appointed |
Current Term Expires |
Term # (Full Term) |
|
1 |
Robert Polwarth, Chair |
2009 |
12/31/2012 |
1st |
|
2 |
Aaron Bekkerus, Vice-Chair |
2008 |
12/31/2010 |
1st |
|
3 |
Donald Riecks |
2003 |
12/31/2010 |
2nd |
|
4 |
John Savage |
2002 |
12/31/2012 |
2nd |
|
5 |
Cass Prindle |
2007 |
12/31/2010 |
1st |
|
6 |
Leslie Newman |
2009 |
12/31/2010 |
1st |
|
7 |
Shannon Hoel |
2009 |
12/31/2012 |
1st |
| Bob Polwarth, Chair – North Hill Neighborhood Project Manager for a small public works commercial general contractor since 1993 and several apartment complexes in Des Moines. Raised in Eastern Washington, Mr. Polwarth received a BA History from WSU in 1971. He and his family moved to south King County in 1984, and he earned a BS in Construction Management from the University of Washington in 1993. “As for why I applied to serve on the Planning Agency….well you get to a certain age and you want to serve. I’ve lived in three distinctly different parts of the city - the good, the bad, and the ugly! I always wondered why everybody seemed to complain so about “development” or lack thereof in our fair city…and with my construction and economics study background, it seemed a good fit. I have a strong belief that run of the mill auto dependent suburban development patterns we usually have seen (since WWII) are wasteful and frankly unsustainable, and that action does not necessarily equal progress.” | |
 |
Aaron Bekkerus, Vice Chair – North Hill Neighborhood Information Technologies Project Manager. Aaron has lived in Des Moines nearly his whole life. He has enjoyed many of the activities that city has to offer, from youth sports to boating. Aaron attended Des Moines Elementary, Pacific Middle School and is a graduate of Mt. Rainier High School. Aaron went on to receive a BA in Business from Seattle Pacific University and an MS in Software Development and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. "I volunteered to serve on the Planning Agency to provide the perspective of a young person that has seen the city grow and change over the course of the last three decades. As someone who will be ‘inheriting’ the City I think it is important to be involved to help shape where it is headed.” |
 |
Don Riecks – North Hill Neighborhood Don Riecks grew up on the East Coast, served in the Navy during the Korean War and earned higher education degrees in New York State. He was attracted to the University of Washington in 1960. Don moved to Des Moines to assist in the construction and inauguration of the Highline College Library. He served as library director and night administrator until his retirement. He has lived on North Hill for almost 40 years. He has a diverse background in the areas of personal and nonverbal communications, photography, acoustics and architectural design. He has been active in community affairs since North Hill was annexed to Des Moines. |
 |
Cass Prindle - Zenith Neighborhood Manager – Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. Cass has lived in the Des Moines area for 40 years. He and his wife raised their 2 children here and are currently raising their grandson. For 40 years he has worked as a Union Carpenter in Western Washington and for 32 of those years as Superintendent for 2 large public works general contractors. Cass currently manages the service for the five-state Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters based in Kent. “I try to give back to the community when there is an opportunity, so I volunteered when a member of Des Moines Planning Agency asked if I would be interested in working with them. Besides helping out at the Planning Agency, I work with several area boards and advisory committees.” |
 |
Leslie Newman – North Hill Licensed Real Estate Broker – RE/MAX All City in Burien Washington. Leslie Newman has been a professional, licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Washington for over 15 years and a Realtor for 25 years. Over the years, Leslie has worked closely with the real estate, building and development community in the design, build, development, and implementation of several small and large plats mostly in the Puget Sound area. Leslie believes in the values of managed growth and the partnership of density and economic development working hand in hand. She currently is becoming certified as both a “Green” Real Estate Specialist and is obtaining her “Green” designation to work towards helping people and communities practice development that enhances people, prosperity, and the planet. “I volunteered to serve on the Planning Agency because I felt very strongly that Des Moines has underutilized potential and that the Planning Agency was a good place to begin helping to develop that potential.” |
 |
Shan Hoel – North Hill Neighborhood Media Director/Corporate Projects Manager – TransGroup Worldwide Logistics Operations and administrative experience in freight forwarding and transportation logistics, marketing, environmental initiatives, aviation and small business ownership. Industry/community activities include: Freight industry advocate for U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership; Board member of Seattle-Tacoma Air Cargo Association (STACA); Advisory Board member (Industry) of UW Global Trade, Transportation and Logistics (GTTL) Program; and Volunteer at a Seattle school for homeless and transitional children. “I volunteered to serve on the Des Moines Planning Agency to lend my voice and vision to help balance community development and resource conservation. Des Moines is a diamond in the rough and we have an opportunity to do something really special here in the years to come.” Specific interests include: improvement/revitalization of the downtown/marina area; development (both economic and open space) of vacant land under the flight path; and light rail and other forms of public transit. |
Messages may be left for all Planning Agency Members at (206) 870-7576 (Planning and Building). You can also email them directly - planning_agency@desmoineswa.gov.
Special Accommodations
The City provides special accommodations such as hearing devices, wheelchair space, and large print material for City meetings. Anyone needing special assistance please contact the City Clerk’s office at (206) 870-6519.
Current Activities
Last fall, the City Council tasked the Planning Agency to work with City planning staff to review design guidelines for the Downtown Neighborhood. The goal is to fashion a document that blends a sense of public vision with concrete and easily understood guidelines for designers and developers as they evaluate, plan, and implement development projects in the downtown waterfront core. This document is but one part of an overall revitalization strategy for the Downtown, but it is an important one since it will affect the pattern and the "look and feel" of the new environment we shall see and experience in the future.
This effort builds upon several years of discussion within the Council and represents its efforts to bring the widest possible array of stakeholders into the process. As part of the guideline review, several public outreach gatherings will be scheduled by the Agency in the near future. In the meantime, the Agency has set up an email account planning_agency@desmoineswa.gov, and public comments are encouraged.
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