Andrew Crabtree – most recently a City of San Jose employee whose career in the planning and development field spans more than 20 years – has been selected as the new Community Development Director for the City of Morgan Hill according to an announcement from City Manager Steve Rymer.
“I believe Morgan Hill is a great city with both a strong identity and sense of community,” said Crabtree, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design and a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I’m very excited to join a team of professionals committed to the delivery of high-quality services for the community.”
Crabtree, who will earn a $136,000 annual salary, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the planning, building and code enforcement functions of the department, which includes a team of 14 full-time employees, two contract planners and one part-time building inspector.
In addition, Crabtree will be asked to “advance the City Council’s priorities, actively engage with the community, continue to manage a cost-recovery activity while providing community access and service, continue streamlining of the development services processes, and lead the General Plan Update and other long-range planning activities.”
Crabtree, who also holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering-Architecture from the University of Tokyo, Japan, spent the past 1.5 years as the City of San Jose’s Division Manager of Environmental Review and Sustainability, Ordinance & Analytics in the Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department.
Crabtree was one of seven finalists chosen by the City of Morgan Hill to interview with community members, other community development directors in the county and a panel consisting of Morgan Hill City employees.
“Mr. Crabtree has a long history of dedication to the profession and comes highly recommended by colleague and peers,” said Assistant City Manager Leslie Little, who oversees Community Development. “Morgan Hill is fortunate to be in a position to take advantage of his many skills at a time when the economy is improving and our Downtown Development plans prepare to be advanced. I’m confident that he will be a wonderful complement to the City of Morgan Hill team.”
Crabtree has also worked for the City of Campbell and the City of Oakland.
