Port Names New Director of Land Use Planning

Port Names New Director of Land Use Planning

Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

The Port of San Diego recently appointed John Helmer as Director of its Land Use Planning Department. As Director, he is responsible for overseeing all land use planning, environmental review, and coastal entitlements for redevelopment projects on Port Tidelands.

Mr. Helmer has been serving as the Acting Director of the department since February 2008. He was initially hired by the Port of Diego in August 2004 as the Manager of Planning Services. Since then, he has led planning efforts on key Port projects like the proposed Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan, the Lane Field development, and the Old Police Headquarters and Park Project.

With over 30 years of experience working in both the public and private sectors, Mr. Helmer has managed a wide array of planning projects including hotel conference centers, residential and industrial developments, and general and specific plans for cities and counties. He has extensive experience preparing and managing environmental impact reports, resource management plans, and opportunity and constraints analyses. Prior to joining the Port, Mr. Helmer was the owner of a planning and land use consulting business.

Mr. Helmer received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara and completed all course work for a Master's Degree in Community and Regional Planning at California State University, Chico. To complement his education and work experience, Mr. Helmer has also served as the President of the Board of Trustees for the Land Trust in Santa Barbara County where he was closely involved with a number of successful land conservation and conservation management projects.