A day before a highly anticipated Planning Commission hearing on cannabis, a new 3rd District commissioner was appointed to the seat. John Parke, an attorney who specializes in land-use and trust matters, has lived his entire life in Santa Barbara. He replaces Cerene St. John, who had a family emergency out of the area, said 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann at a prior meeting. A past member of the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission, Parke said in a statement he believes agriculture “has proven to be the most constant part of the County’s economy and most valuable component of our quality of life.”
