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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-13 ARC Regular Meeting Minutes CITY OF PALM DESERT ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES OCTOBER 13, 2020 (VIRTUAL ZOOM MEETING) I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 12:30 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Commissioners Current Meeting Year to Date Present Absent Present Absent Chris Van Vliet, Chair X 13 2 Karel Lambell, Vice Chair X 14 1 Allan Levin X 15 Michael McAuliffe (late) X 13 2 Jim McIntosh X 13 2 Jim Schmid X 13 2 John Vuksic (late) X 14 1 Also Present Ryan Stendell, Director Community Development Eric Ceja, Principal Planner Kevin Swartz, Associate Planner Nick Melloni, Assistant Planner Janine Judy, Recording Secretary Cancelled meetings: 12/24/19, 3/10/20, 3/24/20, 4/14/20, 8/11/20 III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: September 22, 2020 Action: Commissioner Levin moved to approve the September 22, 2020 meeting minutes. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Lambell and carried by a 5-0-2 vote, with Lambell, Levin, McIntosh and Van Vliet voting YES, and McAuliffe and Vuksic absent. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES October 13, 2020 G:\Planning\Janine Judy\ARC\2020\Minutes\201013min.docx Page 2 of 7 V. CASES: A. Final Drawings: Commissioners McAuliffe and Vuksic arrived at 12:35 p.m. 1. CASE NO: SARC 20-0005 APPLICANT AND ADDRESS: SHORT STOP CORPORATION, 74478 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Consideration to approve a request to convert an existing Chevron gas station to a Sinclair gas station. The project includes refacing two (2) existing monument signs (not altered in height), adding Sinclair’s branding to the existing canopy, and modifying the existing signage for “Short Stop” by removing the existing blue tiles. LOCATION: 74478 Highway 111 ZONE: DE Mr. Kevin Swartz, Associate Planner, reminded the Commission that this item was continued from the June 23, 2020, Architectural Review Commission (ARC) meeting. The project request is to convert the existing Chevron gas station on the corner of Highway 111 and Deep Canyon Road to a Sinclair gas station. The project includes refacing two (2) existing monument signs (they will not be altered in height), adding Sinclair’s branding to the existing canopy, and modifying the existing signage for “Short Stop” by removing the existing blue tiles. Staff recommends approval of refacing the existing monument signs and the modification to the existing “Short Stop” sign. In regards to the canopy, the applicant is including their branding and logo, and staff is requesting comments from the ARC. Staff will work with the applicant on the decorative dinosaur along Deep Canyon. The Commission discussed the blue green tile on the Short Stop building, the Mailbag store, and the restaurant. Mr. Swartz recommended for this to be cohesive the stacked stone should be applied to all buildings similar to the stacked stone shown on the gas pumps. The Commission discussed the amount of the primary green color on the canopy and how the colors need to match as they wrap/transition the corners. Commissioner McAuliffe said the first submittal had white edges meeting green edges and it did not present as a three-sided ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES October 13, 2020 G:\Planning\Janine Judy\ARC\2020\Minutes\201013min.docx Page 3 of 7 design. He thinks the way they’ve cleaned it up certainly is a lot stronger and irrespective of how the Commission feels about the color at least placement of it has improved. The Commission and the applicant had a long discussion on how the white and green wrap the corners. The Commission suggested the applicant submit a 3-D rendering of the entire canopy to show how the white and green wrap the corners. Commissioner Vuksic still had concerns with the amount of the primary green color and suggested that the color not be solid from top to bottom on that surface. The applicant stated that this is the corporate color scheme and it is not something they have flexibility with. However, he stated they will work with staff and corporate to make it work at this location. The Commission discussed the Cam’s Corner sign at the corner of Highway 111 and Deep Canyon Road and asked the applicant to reconfigure it as an overall improvement to the visual appearance of this corner. They also suggested submitting a landscape plan for that corner. ACTION: Commissioner Lambell moved to continue Case No. SARC 20-0005 subject to: 1) submitting a 3-D rendering of entire canopy to show how the white and green wrap the corners; 2) applicant needs to come back with a cohesive design in regards to signage, tiles, and stone veneer for the entire building; and 3) applicant to address the Cam’s Corner sign. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Vuksic and carried by a 7-0 vote, with Lambell, Levin, McAuliffe, McIntosh, Schmid, Van Vliet, and Vuksic voting YES. B. Preliminary Plans: 1. CASE NO: PP 20-0002 APPLICANT AND ADDRESS: NADEL ARCHITECTS, INC. 1990 S. Bundy Drive, Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90025 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Consideration to approve demolition of the existing Pizza Hut building within the Neighborhood Walmart shopping center, and construct a new 7,500- square-foot retail/restaurant building with four (4) tenant suites. LOCATION: 72310 Highway 111 ZONE: P.C.-(3) Mr. Kevin Swartz, Associate Planner, reminded the Commission that this item was continued from the July 28, 2020, Architectural Review ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES October 13, 2020 G:\Planning\Janine Judy\ARC\2020\Minutes\201013min.docx Page 4 of 7 Commission (ARC) meeting. The project request is to demo the existing Pizza Hut building within the Neighborhood Walmart shopping center, and construct a new 7,500-square-foot retail/restaurant building. The building is proposed with four (4) tenant suites, but could be altered based on tenant needs. At the July 28, 2020, ARC meeting, the Commission had concerns with the west elevation since it faces Highway 111. The concerns had to do with it appearing as back of house with the utility rooms being visible. The ARC discussed rotating the building so the back of building would front the gas station. He stated that the owners and architect have tried several designs including rotating the building, but due to site challenges they cannot rotate the building. They are proposing to screen the west elevation with a screen wall and landscaping. The applicant updated the landscaping design around the building, along Highway 111, and within the parking lot. The landscape design consists of a desert theme, with species requiring minimal water usage. The proposed landscaping along Highway 111 will be heavily landscaped with a variety of shrubs. The proposed project requires approval of a Precise Plan by the Planning Commission. The project complies with all development standards including setbacks, building height, parking, lot coverage, and land use compatibility. Staff agrees with the ARC that the building should be rotated so the elevation fronting Highway 111 is not back of the building. The City currently has this same challenge with the existing buildings in the Las Sombras center on Highway 111 and Fred Waring Drive (Olive Garden) where the buildings are screened with walls fronting Highway 111 and are unattractive. Staff has concerns with the proposed building design, and is requesting comments from the ARC. The Commission discussed the rotation of the building and reviewed the studies. The applicant stated that with the configuration of the easement and utilities it would not allow them the ability to rotate the building. The Commission expressed concern with the building facing Highway 111, which is the main corridor to the City. The applicant went over the changes recommended at the last meeting. They reduced the number of trellis items on the building and balanced that out with awnings. They added additional layering to the massing of all towers that are now four-sided. They created alcoves for the electrical room door and the fire riser door on the south elevation. They added a segmented screen wall made of stone along with wire mesh vertical trellises detailed on the landscape plan. They also added green screens on the walls. The Commission and the applicant discussed the parapets coming off the towers that wrap the corner. It was suggested that the parapets need to carry back further. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES October 13, 2020 G:\Planning\Janine Judy\ARC\2020\Minutes\201013min.docx Page 5 of 7 Commissioners Schmid and Vuksic left the meeting at 1:40 p.m. The Commission discussed the wire mesh screen material that will be placed on the walls and vertical trellises and was concerned that the plants will fry with the desert heat. They suggested that the applicant restudy all plant material. In closing, Mr. Swartz stated that staff will be more involved in the actual construction, as well as going out to the site more often. He said the working drawings will return to the Commission along with a sign program. ACTION: Commissioner Lambell moved to approve subject to: 1) applicant shall work with staff on the southwest elevation screen wall; 2) submit alternative to iron grid landscape wall; 3) submit roof plan to show location of roof access; and 4) parapets shall carry back further. Motion was seconded by Commissioner McAuliffe and carried by a 4-1-0-2 with Lambell, Levin, McAuliffe and Van Vliet voting YES, McIntosh voting NO, and Schmid and Vuksic absent. 2. CASE NO: PP 19-0010 APPLICANT AND ADDRESS: DMA, 35493 Veranda Avenue, Wildomar, CA 92595 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Consideration to review exterior elevations for a new industrial building. This project was approved by the Planning Commission and conditioned to return to ARC for design review. LOCATION: 73725 Dinah Shore Drive ZONE: S.I. Chair Van Vliet abstained from this project and remained in the meeting. Mr. Nick Melloni, Assistant Planner, reminded the Commission that this item was originally approved by the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) on July 14, 2020, subject to design revisions to add recessed windows on the primary elevations and moved on to the Planning Commission (PC) meeting on September 15, 2020. The application was approved subject to a condition that the project return to the ARC for revisions to the building architecture and landscaping. The PC was concerned that the front elevations lacked sufficient articulation to break up the massing. The applicant has resubmitted revised elevations to address the PC’s comments and recommended approval. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES October 13, 2020 G:\Planning\Janine Judy\ARC\2020\Minutes\201013min.docx Page 6 of 7 Mr. Melloni presented the changes made since the meeting on September 15, 2020. The Commission discussed the recessed areas on the upper and lower windows, lowering the height of the soffit of the east and west covered entries and the awnings that wrap onto the east and west elevations. They suggested connecting the recess from the first floor to the second floor to break the strong horizontal articulation of the building to give this another layer of articulation, and remove sections of awning that wrap onto the east and west elevations. The Commission also requested a full set of drawings and a roof plan. The Commission reviewed and discussed how the signage placement is obscured by the central tower, which protrudes out about five feet and felt it may create a line of sight issue making visibility of the signage difficult. The Commission said this is an interesting building but was concerned with a repeat of architecture. They pointed out that the band going around the top of the building with three covered entries down below are all the same. It becomes monotonous and the applicant is missing an opportunity to do something different with that. It was suggested that the center entry be higher and more celebrated and carry the hierarchy of the building where the other two are supporting characters in the composition of the front of this building. The Commission reviewed and discussed the steel awnings going around the corners of the building and felt they were not doing anything for the building other than leaving windows uncovered to the right of them. They suggested omitting the sections of the second story metal awnings which wrap onto the east and west elevations. The Commission asked why the PC recommended that this come back to the ARC. Mr. Melloni said the PC wanted to make sure that the architecture came back for another look. The PC also made some comments about the landscape and retention basin which would be approved by staff. ACTION: Commissioner Lambell moved to continue Case No. PP 19-0010 subject to: 1) submit a full set of drawings, including a roof plan; 2) connect the recessed areas between the upper and lower windows; 3) lower the height of the soffit of the east and west covered entries; and 4) remove sections of awning wrapping onto the east and west elevations. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Levin and carried by a 3-1-1-2 vote, with Lambell, Levin, and McIntosh voting YES, McAuliffe voting NO, Van Vliet abstaining and Schmid and Vuksic absent. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES October 13, 2020 G:\Planning\Janine Judy\ARC\2020\Minutes\201013min.docx Page 7 of 7 C. Miscellaneous Items: None VI. COMMENTS None VII. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Levin moved to adjourn the Architectural Review Commission meeting at 2:40 p.m. ERIC CEJA PRINCIPAL PLANNER SECRETARY JANINE JUDY RECORDING SECRETARY