Ketchum Planning Director Harold Moniz is heading west, and his migration will begin Friday, Oct. 26, his last day at Ketchum City Hall.
Moniz has accepted a position with the downtown Seattle architecture firm CollinsWoerman. It's a 100-plus person firm that has had success working on medical and office campuses, as well as on large commercial buildings and downtown high rises.
"I've been hired as a senior planner, and I will be helping their public and private sector clients to achieve their goals," Moniz said.
He said he is particularly excited about the opportunity to work on a project in which he'll help the city of Bellingham, Wash. redesign its waterfront.
Meanwhile, the city of Ketchum is scrambling to shore up its planning department. The department was already down a senior planner, and now it will also be bereft of a director.
"They're actively working on a couple different scenarios," Moniz said.
Former Ketchum Planning Director Lisa Horowitz is on contract with the city and could help shore up the department during the impending transition.
Moniz began with the Ketchum Planning Department in November 1999 as a staff planner. When Horowitz resigned in 2002, he filled in, first as interim director and later in an official capacity.
He said he's proud of a lot of the city's accomplishments during his tenure.
"I think we've created movement in the affordable housing awareness. My biggest achievements were probably the downtown master plan and the beginnings of the Fourth Street Heritage Corridor," he said. "And I'm also extremely proud of the council."
In particular Moniz said he is proud of the current city council's work to obtain properties for a town plaza between Sun Valley Road and Fourth Street on East Avenue.
"That, to me, is a major landmark in this town's history, that they (the council) had the foresight to make that happen," Moniz said.
The planning director maintains a cup-half-full perspective of local planning issues and said Ketchum is poised for great things.
"Look around the downtown core and see how much is underdeveloped or vacant: Warm Springs Ranch, Warm Springs Village, Sun Valley Co. redevelopment. This community can do some amazing things if they have the willpower and leadership to do it. Conversely, they can kill it for decades if they want to."
Moniz said, most of all, it was a pleasure working for the mayor, the council and the community as a whole.
"I hope I've left things poised to accomplish even greater things," he said. "But I've got nothing but respect for the leadership of the mayor and the council. These guys have big hearts, and they're doing their best to do great things for this community, and they should be applauded for that."
Ketchum Planning Director Harold Moniz will leave the resort city Oct. 26 for a job with a Seattle architecture firm Photo by Mountain Express
