Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appointments Boards Commissions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Palo Alto council holds interviews for Architectural Review Board candidates; appointments set for June 2
Summary
The City Council interviewed six candidates for three open seats on the Architectural Review Board and heard a clerk report that one applicant withdrew. Final appointments were scheduled for the June 2 council meeting.
PALO ALTO — The City Council conducted interviews Tuesday for candidates seeking appointment to the Architectural Review Board (ARB), hearing eight applications in the extended recruitment for three seats expiring March 31, 2028.
Procedural note: The clerk said eight candidates had been invited to interview; six attended. "Our first candidate, Matthew Kelly, unfortunately, had reached out to staff to officially withdraw his application," the city clerk said at the start of the item. Staff also noted city appointments are scheduled for the June 2 council meeting.
Who spoke: Candidates who gave opening statements and answered questions included Martin Jodrick (local design‑build practitioner and founder of Mindframing), Ashutosh Gupta (licensed architect with experience in sustainable design), Caitlin Putt (resident with a technical and MBA background), Navin Govind (architect/urban designer with public‑sector experience), Bai Shu (licensed architect with large‑project entitlement experience), and Grace Lee (architect/landscape designer and former ARB member). Several council members asked questions about contextual design, public engagement and balancing development with neighborhood character.
Themes from interviews: Candidates emphasized a mix of technical experience and community perspective. Martin Jodrick said ARB could "do more to publicize the reasons for their decisions" and help define what "craftsmanship" means in Palo Alto. Ashutosh Gupta stressed human‑scale design and outdoor spaces on transit corridors. Several candidates described working with multiple jurisdictions and the value of streamlining objective design standards to reduce friction in permitting.
Next steps: Appointments are scheduled for the June 2 City Council meeting; council will consider public comment and the clerk's report in making final appointments.
Ending: The council thanked candidates and staff and noted that final ARB appointments will take place at the June 2 meeting.
