HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-01-23 ARC Regular Meeting Minutes
City of Palm Desert Page 1
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION
CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
MINUTES
(HYBRID MEETING)
Pursuant to Assembly Bill 2449, this meeting may be conducted as a hybrid meeting
allowing public access via teleconference or in person.
1. CALL TO ORDER
A Regular Meeting of the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) was called to order by
Chair Vuksic on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 12:30p.m. in the Development Services
Conference Room, City Hall, located at 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California.
2. ROLL CALL
Present: Commissioners, Dean Wallace Colvard, Nicholas Latkovic, Michael McAuliffe,
Vice Chair Jim McIntosh, Francisco Sanchez, and Chair John Vuksic.
Absent: Commissioner James Edward Blakeley.
City Staff
Present: Richard Cannone, Development Services Director, Nick Melloni, Principal Planner;
Carlos Flores, Senior Planner; and Melinda Gonzalez, Recording Secretary, were
present at Roll Call.
3. NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT
Chair Vuksic opened and closed the non-agenda public comment period. No public
comments were provided.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
Associated documentation and video on the following item can be viewed on the Architectural
Review Commission Information webpage at, https://www.palmdesert.gov/our-
city/committees-and-commissions/commission-information.
Chair Vuksic opened and closed the public comment period for the Consent Calendar. No
public comments were provided.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COLVARD, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MCAULIFFE,
CARRIED 6-0 (COMMISSIONER BLAKELEY ABSENT), to approve the Consent Calendar.
Tuesday
January 23, 2024
12:30 p.m.
Regular Meeting
Architectural Review Commission Minutes January 23, 2024
City of Palm Desert Page 2
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COLVARD, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER
MCAULIFFE, CARRIED 6-0 (COMMISSIONER BLAKELEY ABSENT), to approve
the Architectural Review Commission Regular Meeting minutes of January 9, 2024.
CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER: Items removed from the Consent Calendar for separate
discussion will be considered at this time.
None
5. ACTION CALENDAR
A. FINAL DRAWINGS
1. CASE NO: DR 23-0021
NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Consideration to approve a
Design Review to develop a 4-story, 128-key, 67,568 square foot Towne Place
Suites by Marriott hotel development located on a 2.87-acre vacant parcel east of
Monterey Avenue, south of Interstate 10 Freeway, and north of Dinah Shore Drive,
within the Monterey Crossings Specific Plan (Assessor’s Parcel Number 685-020-
021).
APPLICANT AND ADDRESS: AO Architects, Orange, CA 92866
LOCATION: Vacant 2.87-acre parcel east of Monterey Avenue, south of Interstate
10 Freeway, and north of Dinah Shore Drive, within the Monterey Crossings
Specific Plan (Assessor’s Parcel Number 685-020-021).
ZONE: Planned Commercial - 3 (PC-3) & Freeway Commercial Overlay Zone
(FCOZ)
Principal Planner, Carlos Flores, narrated a PowerPoint presentation on the item
and responded to Commission inquiries. Tom Bergeron with AO Architects,
Applicant, Vasanti Okuma with Fountainhead Development, Developer, and
Robert Curley, Landscape Architect were present.
Chair Vuksic opened the public comment period and invited the applicant to speak.
Tom Bergeron with AO Architects, Applicant, Vasanti Okuma with Fountainhead
Development, Developer, and Robert Curley, Landscape Architect introduced
themselves and answered questions from the Commission. With no other
members of the public wishing to comment, Chair Vuksic closed the public
comment period. Discussion on the item ensued with Commissioners providing
comments for the project.
Following discussion, MOTION BY CHAIR VUKSIC, SECOND BY
COMMISSIONER LATKOVIC, CARRIED 6-0 (COMMISSIONER BLAKELEY
ABSENT); to continue Case No. DR 23-0021 with the following comments:
Architectural Review Commission Minutes January 23, 2024
City of Palm Desert Page 3
1. Create more prominence for the main entrance.
2. Create some variety with the use of windows at the stairs.
3. Return the parapets on the tower elements so that they are four-sided
elements.
4. Return other parapets 10 feet onto the adjacent roof.
5. Create more architectural elements within the façade to create shade and
recess for some of the windows.
6. Revisit the red-stone clad tower element so it does not appear so top heavy
and to create more of an offset for the red stone.
7. Revisit the lattice element on the south side of the building, add architectural
interest without the use of plant material.
8. “Achilea x ‘Moonshine’” should be replaced with another plant material that is
more suitable for the area.
6. NON-ACTION ITEMS
None
7. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS & COMMENTS
A. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSIONERS
Commissioner Colvard provided an update on the Cultural Arts Committee (CAC)
reporting the North Sphere Fire Station will have an opportunity for a Public Art piece
to be installed. Additionally, the El Paseo metal signs located at the end of either side
of El Paseo are being decommissioned. Lastly, the CAC approved a LED lighting plan
for the Starburst sculpture located on San Pablo and San Gorgonio which will allow
for the lights to change during the different seasons and time of day.
B. CITY STAFF
Principal Planner Melloni reported the Planning Commission meeting of January 16,
2024, was canceled due to lack of a quorum, therefore, the draft Objective Design
Standards document will be presented to the Planning Commission for adoption at the
meeting scheduled for February 6, 2024. The draft ODS document is available on the
City’s Engage Palm Desert website; the public can leave comments and feedback
regarding the document on this website.
C. ATTENDANCE REPORT
The attendance report was provided with the agenda materials. The Commission took
no action on this matter. Upon inquiry, recording secretary Gonzalez explained the
attendance report is a rolling twelve month calendar.
Architectural Review Commission Minutes January 23, 2024
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8. ADJOURNMENT
The Architectural Review Commission adjourned at 2:16 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Melinda Gonzalez
Melinda Gonzalez, Executive Administrative Assistant
Recording Secretary
ATTEST:
Carlos Flores
Carlos Flores, Principal Planner
Secretary
APPROVED BY ARC: 2/13/2024