HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-25 - Study Session
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Study Session of the Palm Desert City Council, Successor Agency to the Palm Desert
Redevelopment Agency, Housing Authority, and Board of Library Trustees
Minutes
*,
* Councilmember Quintanilla participated remotely in accordance
with AB 2449.
1. CALL TO ORDER - STUDY SESSION
A Study Session of the Palm Desert City Council was called to order by Mayor Harnik
on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 2:45 p.m., in the Council Chamber, City Hall,
located at 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California.
2. STUDY SESSION TOPICS
2.a CIRCULATION ELEMENT GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
Brian Wolfe, consultant from Fehr & Peers, narrated a PowerPoint presentation
and responded to Council questions. In response to concerns about truck route
enforcement, Mr. Wolfe noted that AB 98 would be implemented through signage
to support delivery-only restrictions.
City Council expressed concern about relying too heavily on the Portola
Interchange to address Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Level of Service (LOS)
impacts. Mayor Harnik emphasized the importance of making Highway 111 more
inviting and enhancing its overall character. She further requested the removal of
the 88.8 VMT/LOS specification from the planning document, noting potential
inaccuracies and the associated risk to future funding.
2.b UPDATE ON MEDIAN LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT
(PROJECT NO. CFA00011)
Shawn Muir, Community Services Manager, provided an update on the Median
Landscape Master Plan development, including Tier One and Tier Two budget
phasing, and introduced representatives from Hermann Design Group.
Armando “Opus” Garza, consultant with Hermann Design Group, narrated a
PowerPoint presentation and responded to City Council questions.
During the discussion, the following topics were raised:
• The reasoning behind using the same design approach for both Highway
111 and El Paseo, with a focus on visual cohesiveness.
• The use of multiple design tiers versus a single, uniform design, with
varying preferences for the amount of landscaping.
Docusign Envelope ID: 175B6ECA-2FE1-47B3-92B7-2F6557319C74
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• Safety considerations related to gabion features included in the design.
• Interest in combining internal LED lighting with uplighting to enhance
gabion visibility and design impact.
• The need for lush landscaping and vibrant colors, particularly in freeway
offramp areas, along with a request for cost estimates.
• Suggestions to incorporate natural plants where metal planters are
proposed, and to coordinate El Paseo median landscaping with adjacent
outdoor dining areas.
2.c 2025 MID-YEAR UPDATE ON CITY COUNCIL GOALS
Department Directors provided verbal updates on the status of City Council goals
and responded to City Council inquiries.
3. ADJOURNMENT
The City Council adjourned the Study Session at 4:06 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
_________________________
Michelle Nance
Acting Assistant City Clerk/Assistant Secretary
_________________________
Anthony J. Mejia, MMC
City Clerk/Secretary
Palm Desert Study Session MinutesSeptember 25, 2025
Docusign Envelope ID: 175B6ECA-2FE1-47B3-92B7-2F6557319C74