CLOCK TOWER at Westminster Civic Center. The English Tudor theme comes from the naming of the city (OC Tribune photo).

By Jim Tortolano
Orange County Tribune

A proposed major zoning and general plan update emphasizing mixed-use land development was sidetracked at Wednesday’s meeting of the Westminster City Council.

The council was short-handed to start, with Vice Mayor Mark Nguyen and Councilmember Namquan Nguyen absent.

After a lengthy presentation and some public comment, the council was about to vote on a motion to approve when Councilmember Amy Phan West rose to leave the dais.

She was asked not to depart because her leaving created the absence of a quorum which would stop the council meeting. However, she did walk out.

After several minutes she returned, re-establishing the quorum. However, when the motion to approve was taken up, West said, “I have to abstain. I need more time to think about this.”

That again stopped the action, as a majority of affirmative votes was needed.

A motion to continue the matter to the next council meeting on April 22 was approved.