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Paul Scarlett, the director of Portland鈥檚 Bureau of Development Services since 2005, stepped down Monday under pressure from Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.

Eudaly immediately appointed Rebecca Esau as interim director and announced a search for a permanent director.

In a memo to the bureau鈥檚 employees, Eudaly praised Scarlett鈥檚 accomplishments during his 12-year tenure. 鈥淣evertheless, since I took office in January,鈥� she stated, 鈥渋t has become clear to me that the bureau will benefit from new leadership.鈥�

Scarlett had worked for the city since 1989, when he served as a planner in the Bureau of Planning. He was promoted to inspection supervisor for the BDS in 2001, and then to inspection manager in February 2005. He was appointed director in July 2005.

Eudaly devoted most of her memo to Esau鈥檚 credentials and experience. Esau has served as manager of the BDS鈥� Land Use Services Division for the past 14 years. Eudaly praised Esau鈥檚 leadership style as 鈥渃ollaborative, inclusive, innovative and resourceful.鈥�

Eudaly was not available for comment Monday, said her chief of staff, Marshall Runkel.

Eudaly oversees Development Services, the city bureau responsible for processing development applications and issuing building permits. The bureau is working to hire dozens of new employees to deal with a permit backlog. Complaints of low morale have long dogged the department.

Eudaly previously spearheaded the effort to create an ordinance requiring landlords to compensate tenants if they鈥檙e forced to move after a rent increase of 10 percent or more, or receive a no-cause eviction notice. Landlords sued to strike the ordinance; the case is currently being weighed by a Multnomah County district court judge after summary judgment arguments last week.