February 17, 2010 -- The appointment of a new council member to replace the late mayor Ken Genser could turn into a showdown between two men who have brought to the Planning Commission opposing views on development.

Planning Commissioner Ted Winterer has been a champion of slow growth, helping to spearhead an initiative that would have placed a yearly cap on most commercial development in the beachside city.

Terry O'Day, who ushered in a new era on the powerful board when he was appointed to replace Kelly Olsen, co-chaired the campaign that successfully defeated the initiative, known as RIFT.

In a political arena where most council members -- including Genser, who died last month -- have mollified their views on development, two starker viewpoints could not be better represented.

Winterer wants to preserve the city pretty much "as is;" while O'Day is open to more development. The issue is critical as the City puts the finishing touches on the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), which will dictate development in the beachside city for the next quarter century.

With the council set to argue over whether developers should get an extra floor in exchange for "community benefits," the differing philosophies could make a difference. This is especially important when major projects totaling more than 2 million square feet will be negotiated with development agreements over the next year.

But this is Santa Monica, and in any other City, Winterer and O'Day would be viewed as liberals cut from the same cloth. Both champion public transit (O'Day, along with former mayor Dennis Zane, were responsible for the half-cent LA County transportation tax).

Both say the want to reduce congestion and set aside more open space. And both have the kind of experience and history volunteering that the council likes to see in a candidate.

Both Winterer and O'Day have served on the Planning Commission, and Winterer has been on the Parks and Recs Commission as well. Both also made respectable showings in council races. Winterer finished fifth in the 2008 race for four council seats; O'Day finished fourth in the 2006 race for three seats.

But while Winterer scraped by with little cash, O'Day counted the support of a $500,000 campaign bankrolled by the owners two luxury beachfront hotels, who also backed Council member Bob Holbrook -- who is considered staunchly pro-business -- in his 2006 re-election bid.

In the end, the vote may not be unlike the showdown between Gleam Davis and Patricia Hoffman to replace Herb Katz a year ago.

Davis, like O'Day, was considered a moderate when it came to development, while Hoffman was viewed as anti-development. It took eight rounds of voting before Davis gained the necessary four votes. (Genser finally switched from Hoffman.)

Winterer also was in the running, falling one vote shy on three rounds, with Council member Bobby Shriver sticking with him for all eight rounds. (Holbrook and Council member McKeown also cast votes for Winterer.)

In the past, a slow-growth candidate might have had a good chance with members of Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR) casting four of the six votes. But things have changed.

For the first time last year both Genser and Council member Richard Bloom were backed by developers, who also have supported Council member Pam O'Connor. So it will likely be an uphill battle for Winterer

All this, of course, is asuming School Board member Oscar de la Torre, who also has thrown his hat in the ring, doesn't get the nod. Stranger things have happened. Or have they?