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  Design Review Commission

The Design Review Commission's goal is to establish and enforce standards, policies and practices that will promote and enhance design of the City's built environment through review of individual buildings, structures and their environs prior to construction - including site relationships and other aesthetic considerations.

Term
Design Review Commissioners hold appointments for a 3-year term.

Meetings
The Design Review Commission meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of  each month in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 1666 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek.

Agendas, staff reports, past meeting resumes and audio recordings can be found on the City Clerk web pages at Public Meetings Videos.

Members

 
Dorothy McDonald, Chair
(2nd term, 2011-2014)

 
Mark Lopez, Vice Chair
(2nd term, 2009-2012)

 
David Crawford
(1st term, 2010-2012)

 
Mike Fotheringham
(1st term, 2010-2013)

 
Philip Volkmann
(1st term, 2011-2014)

 

Note: Year in parentheses denotes dates of term

Commission Duties
The Design Review Commission is composed of five members appointed for three-year terms on a staggered basis. The composition of the commission includes three registered architects and/or registered landscape architects and two residents at large. The three registered design professionals need not be residents of the City. The Commission generally meets at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of each month in the City Hall Council Chamber.

The Design Review Commission's scope of responsibility is to:

  1. Improve the physical image of the built environment in the City of Walnut Creek through design and architectural review of:
    1. Buildings and Structures;
    2. Site Planning and Circulation Layout;
    3. Signs and Graphic Images; and,
    4. Landscaping and Paved Surface Treatments
  2. Propose and recommend policy to the City Council as it relates to the design review of buildings, signs, landscaping and other components of the City's built environment;
  3. Prepare and adopt broad guidelines and standards to be used as a basis of review for various development proposals;
  4. Act on behalf of the Council and exercise independent authority on all Design Review proposals;
  5. Advise and provide input to the Planning Commission on various development proposals requiring Planning Commission action;
  6. Periodically review and consider the Design Component of the General Plan and provide input to the Planning Commission; and,
  7. Assist and provide policy direction to City staff regarding city design issues.

Staff contact: Scott Harriman, Assistant Planning Manager, at (925) 943-5899, ext. 2212