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Committee moves two City Planning Commission reappointments to formal review
Summary
The Committee of the Whole interviewed incumbents Rachel Udabi and Adrian "AK" Bennett and moved both reappointments to formal session with recommendations to approve after brief questioning on community engagement and solar policy.
City Council Committee of the Whole members interviewed two City Planning Commission incumbents and sent both reappointments to formal session with recommendations to approve.
Rachel Udabi, a current city planning commissioner, described her work on the commission and said she had engaged residents and community organizers in zoning and planning questions. “I very proudly voted no,” Udabi said, referring to the city planning commission’s vote on the city solar amendment, and added she had written a letter to council explaining her reasons. The committee heard her account of reviewing staff reports and asking questions at commission meetings.
Adrian Keith Bennett (AK Bennett), also an incumbent city planning commissioner, described roughly 10 months of service since his May 2024 appointment and cited his construction-industry background and a personal history of buying and redeveloping land through the land bank. He told members that citizen participation — whether in person or online — helps the commission understand neighborhood impacts.
Council members thanked the nominees for their service. Member Angela Whitfield Callaway specifically praised Udabi’s independent vote on the solar amendment and said it reflected work on behalf of neighborhoods; Member Mary Waters noted she had recommended Udabi earlier because of that independence. Director Todd joined briefly to acknowledge the process.
A motion was made to send line item 5 (Rachel Udabi) and line item 6 (Adrian Keith Bennett) to formal session with recommendations to approve; the committee acted by unanimous consent ("hearing no objection, that action shall be taken").
Why it matters: The planning commission reviews zoning, master plan consistency and site proposals that shape neighborhood change. Reappointments keep institutional knowledge on the commission while the council continues oversight.
Actions and next steps: The reappointments were forwarded to a formal council session with recommendations to approve; formal confirmation remains the next procedural step.
