Commissioner stepping down

Chico Planning Commissioner Dave Kelley has announced he will not reapply for his commission seat after eight years on the job. Kelley came in ninth in an 11-candidate race for four Chico City Council seats in the general election.

He was on the only candidate endorsed by both this paper and the Chico Enterprise-Record. In a letter announcing his decision, Kelley recalled his first commission meeting “where the very first item was a classic he-said/she-said style neighborhood dispute over an ‘illegal’ second dwelling unit—complete with pointed testimony and a long gritty history.”

He said among the most memorable hearings were the expansions of Enloe Medical Center and Costco and the “wrongheaded denial of the Walmart lot line consolidation,” which helped keep the store from expanding into a supercenter. Kelley said he appreciated the chance to work on the general plan update and gave thanks to city staff and fellow commissioners.