After serving for 13.5 years (to say nothing of his distinct 5-year run before that), Larry Ciardella has stepped down from his seat on the Milpitas Planning Commission. Ricky Ablaza, who’s come in to take his place, was sworn in during June 18’s Milpitas City Council meeting.
Ciardella showed up an hour before Ablaza’s first Commission meeting, on June 26, for a celebration in his honor, where his fellow public officials thanked him for his years of service. Soon 7 o’clock — the Commission meeting’s start time — came along, and Mr. Ciardella humbly exited City Hall.
“I think I left at 10 minutes to 7,” he recalled.
Ciardella leaves with fond memories of his 2 Commission runs, which he described as “very rewarding.” Speaking on his initial 5-year span, he said, “We did some huge projects. The Great Mall, and McCarthy Ranch, and all of those [landmark projects]…”
From the more recent stretch, he pointed to “All the development we approved on Montague; that was pretty neat…”
And still, as of now, Ciardella sees the fruits of his Planning Commission work all around him: “You know what’s kind of neat? You drive down the road [and say]: You know, I approved that over there; I approved that over there. That’s kind of neat.”
