NORRIS RETIRES AFTER SERVING WOODLAND FOR TWO DECADES
After nearly 20 years of public service in Woodland, Principal Planner Cindy Norris retired leaving behind a trail of significant accomplishments that residents continue to benefit from today.
The Woodland City Council honored Norris during its Tuesday, Jan. 16 meeting with a certificate of appreciation highlighting her 33 years of public service, 18 of which were in Woodland.
City Manager Ken Hiatt applauded her work on the city's general plan and the guidance she provided to the planning commission.
“Just her dedication and the way she went about her work every day and her very pleasant demeanor,” Hiatt highlighted during the meeting. “She's extremely talented, very thoughtful and we were very fortunate to have her for so many years here.”
Tania Garcia-Cadena, Woodland's mayor and executive director of the Woodland Food Closet, noted that although
Norris is leaving, she's excited to have her volunteer at the food closet.
“Cindy was very helpful when I came on the council and I had some questions about different things that I totally was unaware of that the planning department handled,” Garcia-Cadena stressed. “She's just done an amazing job and she'll definitely be missed because I think we have relied on her a lot and her knowledge is always so extremely helpful, but I do look forward to having her as a volunteer for the food closet.”
Reflecting on her nearly two decades of service in Woodland, Norris said, “Woodland is a wonderful, family-feeling community” with many kind people who are passionate about their town.
“So many in this community love to serve and offer their time and abilities to assist when they can,” she emphasized. “It has been such a pleasure to work for Woodland and I hope that my efforts have had a positive effect on people's lives and livelihoods.”
When asked to explain the importance of the projects she's helped complete or start for the city, Norris said the planning policies and regulations impact “the physical appearance and arrangement of development in a community.”
She noted that consideration for what types of land uses can be allowed as well as where and how they will look is regulated through planning documents.
“As example, a single-family residence may be required to have a front porch or a commercial building to save a varied roofline, or how big a sign is allowed,” she added. “The comprehensive zoning code has been thoughtfully written over the last several years to incorporate the best practices and to ensure a high level of design quality that will result in a community that continues to be a place where people are proud to say that they live and work.”
Background
Norris' career in planning began in the mid-1980s after stumbling into the profession by studying geography, environmental studies and civil engineering.
“I happened to read a job announcement for an assistant planner with the city of Claremont,” Norris recounted. “I realized that planning was a field that combines, directly and indirectly, many aspects of various disciplines that affect the type and physical arrangement of land and built environment.”
Before Woodland, Norris worked for the communities of Davis and Rancho Cucamonga, where she started her planning career.
When looking back at her career in Yolo County, she highlighted her involvement in the 2001 development of the Davis Downtown and Traditional Residential Neighborhood Design Guidelines, management of the Woodland Historical Preservation Commission and overseeing the Historic Walking Tour book.
Norris also worked with members of the planning commission, ensuring they understood all the complexities involved in the city's general plan, zoning code and more.
Marco C. Lizarraga, chairman for the commission, attended the Jan. 16 meeting and thanked Norris for her help.
“I have to thank Cindy for her understanding of us commissioners and her willingness to share with us and work with us to make sure that we got through all the things and projects that are a benefit to our city,” Lizarraga emphasized.
Additionally, she spearheaded the interim zoning ordinance effort in 2018 and 2020, has been working on the comprehensive zoning code update for the last few years and managed the city's cannabis program and the most recent update to the city's housing element.
Spring Lake
One of Norris' most significant contributions to Woodland is the work she put into the development of the Spring Lake community. The Spring Lake Specific Plan was approved in 2001 and Norris was hired in 2005 when planning and development for the community were still underway.
She replaced then Spring Lake Planner Lance Lowe in 2007 right before the great recession that led to