With the new year comes new leadership for the Santa Maria Department of Community Development, which oversees the city’s planning and building divisions. City Manager Rick Haydon announced in a release from the city the appointment of Chuen Ng as the new director of the department. Ng begins his appointment as director on Jan. 9.
“I’m very pleased that the city was able to find someone with Chuen’s skill set,” Haydon said in the release. “He’s very cognizant of the current trends in the planning and development arena and in talking to some of his colleagues. He also appears to bring a very practical and objective approach to problem solving. I think he’ll be a great complement to our department head team.”
Ng succeeds Larry Appel, who has served as director of Community Development for the city since 2009. Appel retired in December, his career in public planning spanning nearly 36 years. And only three of those years were spent working outside Santa Barbara County (Appel worked for El Dorado County from 2006 to 2009), according to the release.
During his time with Santa Maria Community Development, Appel played an instrumental role in major projects such as the Windset Farms greenhouse complex and the Edwards Theatres in the Santa Maria Town Center mall. Appel oversaw the successful completion of both projects but retired during the ongoing Enos Ranchos project—the upcoming retail complex currently under construction along Highway 101 and Betteravia Road. Appel played a large part in the planning process for the complex project, which will include Costco and Lowes among other retailers and restaurants.
Jumping into an ongoing project of such magnitude might seem intimidating, but Appel’s successor is excited to start working now that the torch has been passed to him.
“I’m looking forward to serving the city of Santa Maria and helping facilitate the development of quality projects within the community,” Ng said in the release. The new director is also eager to “continue the beautification efforts that the City Council have been supporting and city staff have been implementing.”
Overall, Ng has more than a decade of experience in municipal planning. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in public policy and a Master of Arts degree in city and regional planning. Ng’s last job before accepting the position was working for the city of Lancaster in the Antelope Valley. As the planning section Manager, Ng managed the development, review, and planning processes for the city and oversaw the work of the planners, building technicians, and safety technicians.
“I’m eager to join a city with a leadership team that places a high priority on the delivery of municipal services,” Ng said in the release. “I look forward to establishing meaningful relationships with community stakeholders, especially those from the development community and the building industry.”
Ng also promised to “strive to continue to keep customer service a high priority in the Community Development Department.”
Although this will be Ng’s first time working on the Central Coast, he’s no stranger to the area. Ng lived in Santa Maria while obtaining his master’s degree, commuting to San Luis Obispo to attend classes at Cal Poly. Moving back to the Central Coast is a big perk, in Ng’s opinion.
“On a personal note, my wife and I are looking forward to relocating to Santa Maria where we can raise our two young boys in a family-friendly environment,” he said in the release.
The Community Development Department office is located at 110 S. Pine St., No. 101, Santa Maria. For more information call 925-0951, Ext. 2240, or visit cityofsantamaria.org.
Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
