It would be hard to overstate the impact John Wright has had on Clovis. For the past 30 years he has guided an effort to produce good city planning that has left a splendid imprint on Clovis and the region, raising the bar for planners and elected officials everywhere. The Bee's Marc Benjamin marks Wright's retirement with a story today.
There may be no arena that has a greater impact on the everyday quality of life we enjoy than effective planning in our communities. Wars rage, economies soar and crash, great issues of the day are debated, but I'm not sure anything hits us closer to home than whether a convenience store will be going in down the street, or whether our kids have parks in which to play, or how our neighborhoods are designed.
John Wright weathered some storms over his years as Clovis' chief planner. He emerged as one of the true heroes of that sorry period in the early '90s we know as Operation Rezone, when council members in both Clovis and Fresno were literally in the pockets of corrupt development interests.
Through it all he kept an even keel, and he managed to realize a vision of livable neighborhoods, delightful trails and open spaces, and a revitalized downtown Clovis. Wright would be the first to say he didn't do it by himself, but he really did provide the sort of leadership that is all too rare in our communities. We're all fortunate that the retirement he plans will be a busy one, including the Valley's Regional Blueprint, studying the preservation of farm lands, the Clovis general plan and special projects, including a large regional park along Dry Creek.
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