Longtime Commissioner Tim Hughes Resigns, Weighs In

By Martin Henderson

Calling his time as a planning commissioner "a small yet cherished part of my life experience," Tim Hughes bowed out of a role he has held for two decades of service to Lake Forest. 

Hughes, who was selected by his colleagues as the chairman of the Planning Commission for 2013, sent a letter to city clerk Stephanie Smith dated July 3. It is still unsigned, but Smith confirmed with Hughes that he meant what he wrote, and considered the resignation official as of July 17. 

Hughes was one of the founding planning commissioners for the city with an appointment in 1992 by then councilman Tim Link.

Hughes had been a disaster insurance adjuster, but recently changed jobs. He has missed the last couple of meetings.

"I will be spending extended and unpredictable periods of time away from Lake Forest," Hughes wrote. "The uncertainty of my schedule makes it almost impossible to represent the interest of citizens of Lake Forest. To competently represent the citizens ... requires thorough preparation and regular attendance, neither of which I can accomplish consistently with my new employment obligations."

Hughes expanded on his letter Wednesday by phone from Portland, where he is the northwestern regional manager for Frey-Moss Structures, which constructs modular buildings on site at schools, hospitals and the like.

"I would typically spend 80-plus hours in preparation for a planning commission meeting," Hughes said. "That's just the way I felt I needed to represent the citizens of the community. I just don't have that time available to me. I couldn't do something partway. I couldn't do it justice. 

"It was hard because it was something I really grew to enjoy. When I started, I wasn't really comfortable, but it became part of who I was, which is something I said I would never let happen."

• Follow Lake Forest Patch on Twitter
• Follow Lake Forest Patch on Facebook

Absent Hughes, the makeup of the Planning Commission will change dramatically in the midst of the city's greatest building boon. Including David Carter (19 years) and Terry Anderson (6), who were replaced in January by election of the city council, more than 45 years of experience and institutional knowledge have been removed since the city council election in November.

Hughes' preparation and attitude meant developers, owners and colleagues needed to ready for his tenacity and attention to detail.

An example of Hughes' diligence in his role took place at the first meeting that included newly elected commissioners Andrew Hamilton and C.J. Brower. 

A developer hoping to build residences at the Foothill Auto Mall location gave his initial presentation to the committee. When Hamilton said the developer had done a lot of work and he didn't find it necessary to send him back to the drawing board, Hughes offered an admonishment, that the commission was responsible to the residents to get it right, not to the developer to make it easy.  

It was the first of a few meetings in which Hughes took his younger colleagues to task. In leaving his position, Hughes said he felt Brower and Hamilton weren't ready for the role, and hoped former commissioner Anderson would get the endorsement of the city council when it interviews and selects his replacement. 

"I can tell you on a number of occasions, Brower and Hamilton have demonstrated they didn't know the material and repeatedly asked questions that were stated in the package we had been given," he said. "The new commissioners ... are not interested in open dialogue but would rather take the position they're not going to mess with business.

"Their attitude is (developers and owners) put all this work into it, what right do they have to not support it? My response is why do we need a planning commission? ... That's a stance that represents the businesses and not the residents; we've seen from surveys that less than 3 percent of businesses are owned by residents of the community."

That battle, though, is no longer Hughes' to fight. Despite his longevity, he said he would not have received another term given the makeup of the current city council.

"There was no chance [being appointed again] was going to happen," Hughes said. "I was willing to stick my neck out and do what was in the best interest of the community. Unfortunately, I had to leave before I had the opportunity to be shown the door." 

Nevertheless, that door is pretty special. Even though Hughes now spends most nights in Portland, he will still continue to watch what happens in Lake Forest. It is, still, home.