Published: Saturday, March 6, 2010
Edmonds man goes from outsider to council chief
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Matthew Williams / The Herald
Edmonds City Council President Steve Bernheim attends a meeting Tuesday.
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Matthew Williams / The Herald Edmonds Council President Steve Bernheim attends Tuesday night's meeting in Edmonds, Wash., on March 2, 2010.
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Matthew Williams / The Herald Edmonds Council President Steve Bernheim attends Tuesday night's meeting in Edmonds, Wash., on March 2, 2010.
EDMONDS — Stephen Bernheim wasn’t involved in politics six years ago.
He was, however, upset about a planned four-story commercial building project near his downtown home that he thought violated city height restrictions.
Bernheim, his wife, Susan Bauer, and neighbors sued the city and developers, claiming the City Council should never have approved the project.
They won. A Snohomish County judge ruled that the city wrongly interpreted its own land-use law. He ordered the council to reverse its decision to approve the project.
In 2007, Bernheim went on to run for City Council and defeated incumbent Richard Marin to win a four-year position on the council.
Now, as the newly elected council president, Bernheim leads the legislative body he once challenged head-on.
Bernheim, 54, downplays his rise from neighborhood activist and outsider to his new position as council leader and city insider.
To him, the lawsuit was simply something he had to pursue because, he said, it was the right thing to do. The project the city approved, he said, should not have been.
“I knew that it violated the law,” he said.
Those who know him say Bernheim is committed to ideals of openness and the democratic process. They say the lawsuit and his move into elected office reflect his idealism and search for truth in whatever he does.
“He’s not a career politician,” said Darrell Marmion, the neighbor who joined in the lawsuit against the city. “He’s just trying to do his part as a politician. I respect that about him.”
Councilman Michael Plunkett served on the council at the time of the lawsuit.
“Steve and I could go around and around on the interpretation of the judge’s ultimate decision.” Regardless, Plunkett said, Bernheim had a right to take the city on.
Bernheim, an attorney, is a relative newcomer to the city who jogs regularly, loves gardening and cooking and is passionate about environmental issues.
He and his wife moved from Kenmore to Edmonds in 2003, in part because he wanted to live close to the legal office he’d opened here in 1998.
He owns an electric car and the couple have another one that runs on biodiesel. They get about half of the energy to heat and light their house from solar panels.
“I think people should buy less gas,” he said. “I wish everyone would stop buying foreign oil and save our country.”
Born in Paris, Bernheim is the son of Alain Bernheim, a concert pianist, and Barbara Meyer, a microbiologist.
He grew up on the East Coast, was raised mostly in northern Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania by his mother.
He said his interest in the environment, law and government stems largely from eight years he spent living on a Virginia farm during his childhood and his exposure to the ideals espoused by the Society of Friends — commonly known as Quakers — a Christian religious movement founded in 17th-century England. Many adherents of the religion are known for social activism. Bernheim attended the Quaker-influenced Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. from fifth grade through high school.
“I’m definitely an adherent to Quaker principles,” Bernheim said. “It’s a very humanistic philosophy that applies to your daily life. Simplicity is a big part of it and respect for others, quiet reflection.”
D.J. Wilson, who was elected to the council at the same time as Bernheim, said his colleague is idealistic yet savvy enough to “know when to keep his mouth shut.”
“That’s a characteristic in short supply on the council,” he said.
Bernheim earlier this year urged the council to endorse proposed state legislation that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. That legislation was never approved at the state level, but the council adopted a resolution in support. A group is gathering signatures to put an initiative on the ballot to legalize marijuana.
“That’s something that’s very personal to him because as a lawyer, he works in the courts,” Wilson said. “He’s formed an opinion that marijuana clogs the courts.”
Bernheim said he enjoys the process of government but is more concerned about the results that come from that process than the process itself.
“I want to get people doing things,” he said. “I’m much more interested in creating an efficient process so that the people’s will — whatever it is — comes out. If everybody’s happy, I’m happy. So I’m just trying to work on making people happy.”
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com
He was, however, upset about a planned four-story commercial building project near his downtown home that he thought violated city height restrictions.
Bernheim, his wife, Susan Bauer, and neighbors sued the city and developers, claiming the City Council should never have approved the project.
They won. A Snohomish County judge ruled that the city wrongly interpreted its own land-use law. He ordered the council to reverse its decision to approve the project.
In 2007, Bernheim went on to run for City Council and defeated incumbent Richard Marin to win a four-year position on the council.
Now, as the newly elected council president, Bernheim leads the legislative body he once challenged head-on.
Bernheim, 54, downplays his rise from neighborhood activist and outsider to his new position as council leader and city insider.
To him, the lawsuit was simply something he had to pursue because, he said, it was the right thing to do. The project the city approved, he said, should not have been.
“I knew that it violated the law,” he said.
Those who know him say Bernheim is committed to ideals of openness and the democratic process. They say the lawsuit and his move into elected office reflect his idealism and search for truth in whatever he does.
“He’s not a career politician,” said Darrell Marmion, the neighbor who joined in the lawsuit against the city. “He’s just trying to do his part as a politician. I respect that about him.”
Councilman Michael Plunkett served on the council at the time of the lawsuit.
“Steve and I could go around and around on the interpretation of the judge’s ultimate decision.” Regardless, Plunkett said, Bernheim had a right to take the city on.
Bernheim, an attorney, is a relative newcomer to the city who jogs regularly, loves gardening and cooking and is passionate about environmental issues.
He and his wife moved from Kenmore to Edmonds in 2003, in part because he wanted to live close to the legal office he’d opened here in 1998.
He owns an electric car and the couple have another one that runs on biodiesel. They get about half of the energy to heat and light their house from solar panels.
“I think people should buy less gas,” he said. “I wish everyone would stop buying foreign oil and save our country.”
Born in Paris, Bernheim is the son of Alain Bernheim, a concert pianist, and Barbara Meyer, a microbiologist.
He grew up on the East Coast, was raised mostly in northern Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania by his mother.
He said his interest in the environment, law and government stems largely from eight years he spent living on a Virginia farm during his childhood and his exposure to the ideals espoused by the Society of Friends — commonly known as Quakers — a Christian religious movement founded in 17th-century England. Many adherents of the religion are known for social activism. Bernheim attended the Quaker-influenced Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. from fifth grade through high school.
“I’m definitely an adherent to Quaker principles,” Bernheim said. “It’s a very humanistic philosophy that applies to your daily life. Simplicity is a big part of it and respect for others, quiet reflection.”
D.J. Wilson, who was elected to the council at the same time as Bernheim, said his colleague is idealistic yet savvy enough to “know when to keep his mouth shut.”
“That’s a characteristic in short supply on the council,” he said.
Bernheim earlier this year urged the council to endorse proposed state legislation that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. That legislation was never approved at the state level, but the council adopted a resolution in support. A group is gathering signatures to put an initiative on the ballot to legalize marijuana.
“That’s something that’s very personal to him because as a lawyer, he works in the courts,” Wilson said. “He’s formed an opinion that marijuana clogs the courts.”
Bernheim said he enjoys the process of government but is more concerned about the results that come from that process than the process itself.
“I want to get people doing things,” he said. “I’m much more interested in creating an efficient process so that the people’s will — whatever it is — comes out. If everybody’s happy, I’m happy. So I’m just trying to work on making people happy.”
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com
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