Challis Macpherson, former Chair of Land Use and Planning Committee (LUPC), declared her candidacy for LUPC chair Wednesday. It is an office she held for many years. This office handles all the projects prior to planning. It is the busiest committee the Venice Neighborhood Council has. It is also the most contentious.

In the last week, LUPC has particularly been under fire. Jake Kaufman, present chair, will not be running. Robin Rudisill, present member, has declared candidacy for the chair and Jim Murez, present member, was rumored to have declared candidacy for chair of LUPC.

Macpherson’s candidacy statement is as follows:

There have been some issues lately with LUPC process. I have been asked by many Venice stakeholders to stand for re-election. I am doing so with the hope of restoring LUPC credibility.

I have been a Venice community activist since 1975 when I joined the Venice Town Council and the Free Venice Food Cooperative. I served nine years on the Community Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC) which heard, debated and recommended actions on Venice land use and planning issues to the then Council Member, Ruth Galanter. I served as chair of the VNC land use and planning committee (LUPC) from 2005 to 2010 at which point I retired from public service.

Through PlanCheckNCLA, an organization of land use activists throughout LA, I teach other land use committees how to work within their community and with the City of Los Angeles. I teach from a book I wrote entitled, “Manual of Operations.”