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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-04-24 . � � �'��'� CITY OF PALM DESERT . PALM DESERT ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION MINUTES APRIL 24, 2001 **************************************************************************************************** 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 Wayne Connor X 5 3 Ronald Gregory, Chairman X 7 1 Kristi Hanson X 6 2 Neil Lingle X 4 4 Richard O'Donnell X 5 3 Chris Van Vliet X 7 1 John Vuksic X 8 0 Also Present: Phil Drell, Planning Director Steve Smith, Planning Manager Martin Alvarez, Associate Planner Spencer Knight, Landscape Manager Daisy Garcia, Code Compliance Gail Santee, Senior Office Assistant III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 11, 2001 Commissioner Vuksic moved, seconded by Commissioner Lingle, to approve the minutes of April 11, 2001. The motion carried 3-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent and Commissioner Van Vliet abstaining. IV. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS A. None i � � � ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24,2001 MINUTES V. CASES A. Final Drawings 1. CASE NO.: CUP 01-08 APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS): Bill Beamer, 02 Wireless Solutions, 8300 Utica Avenue, #245, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 Hank Hohenstein, 9090 Calle Escorial, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Approval of 50- foot freestanding telecommunications tower installed as a flag pole LOCATION: 47-535 Hwy. 74 (St. Margaret's Church) ZONE: P Mr. Alvarez distributed photographs of the site's existing 20-foot high flag pole. There is a new form of telecommunications installation which Mr. Hohenstein distributed photos of. It consists of a flag pole with a flag, a 16" diameter (without taper) pole which will house some communication antennas at the top which will be screened with a cover. The equipment for the unit will be housed behind solid block walls which will not be visible, located just to the left of the building and behind lush landscaping. This is a first for the City and is before the Commission as to whether or not it is a "stealth design" and whether or not it is compatible in this location. This would serve as a proto-type for future installations. The mature palm trees nearby on the site range from 45 to 55 feet in height. The base is concrete, with a deep footing. There is a plate bolted to the concrete and welded to the flag pole. The plate will be flush to the ground. The base will be screened by landscaping. Commissioner Gregory stated he would support the project subject to the pole color not being white. Off-white, galvanized metal, blue, G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 2 ., . �r `'� ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 AGENDA grey were acceptable colors. The actual color could be approved by staff. Presently, no lighting is planned as the flag will be brought down at night. Commissioner Lingle asked if the height could be lowered. Mr. Hohenstein responded he would have to ask the engineers. However, by lowering this one, it could mean that its transmission range is shortened and another tower would have to be put up closer than planned. Action: Commissioner Gregory moved, seconded by Commissioner Vuksic, to grant approval subject to the color of the flag pole not being white. Blue, grey, metal, and off-white were recommended colors. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. 2. CASE NO.: CUP 01-04 APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS�: JOSHUA KRZANAK, TELECOM WIRELESS SOLUTIONS, 1823 East 17th Street, Suite 205, Santa Ana, CA 92705 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Approval of 65- foot freestanding telecommunications tower installed as an artificial palm tree LOCATION: 74-735 Hovley Lane ZONE: Open Space The applicant is requesting approval to install a 65-foot telecommunications tower disguised as a palm tree on the soccer park property on Hovley Lane. Mr. Alvarez reported that the applicant proposed to create a small grove of trees by planting additional 40-45 foot palm trees. The location is to be next to the well site. Date palms were recommended as the best choice. The Commission was asked how many trees should be planted and what the best solution would be. In deciding on how tall the accompanying date palms should be, Mr. Drell stated that the tower antenna had to have ten-foot clearance. Given time to mature, the trees would be 40-45 feet in height when planted. G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 3 ., . � `�w+� ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 AGENDA Action: Commissioner Gregory moved, seconded by Commissioner Van Vliet, to approve the project subject to having date palms, as determined by the City Landscape Manager. The number of date palms will be 5 or 6 and with varying heights. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. 3. CASE NO.: MISC 01-07 APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS): CHRISTOPHER GROSS, 45795 Mountain View Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Approval of an exception for a 15-foot setback from face of curb for a 6-foot high block wall LOCATION: 45-795 Mountain View Avenue ZONE: R-1 12,000 Photos of the site were distributed to the Commission. There is a 6-foot wall that should be 15 feet from the face of the curb. In this case, it extends out to 13' 8" from curb face. The adjacent property owner, Ms. Jean Marie Tabe, was present and stated that she did not have a problem with the wall. However, when she owned another piece of property there were similar problems that occurred and when she tried to sell that house, she ended up paying for those problems. She stated that if the City was willing to accept responsibility for any problems that may occur with the fence that is not in code and out of compliance should she decide to sell her present house, she would have no objections. Mr. Gross stated that the wall was already in place. They had their final inspection scheduled for the same day the opposition was filed for the wall. He has lived on that property for twelve years. There are slump stone walls on two sides of the property now. The wall will be landscaped. Throughout the neighborhood, there are similar walls and some not as nice as this one that encroach upon the setbacks. There are new walls going up right now that are not setback where they should be. The person who is opposed to this is a new person on the block. Mr. Gross presented a letter he had G:/planninglgale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 4 .. . �'' `'� ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 AGENDA given to the neighbor to let her know they would be doing the work; the relationship has gone downhill since then. Commissioner Gregory stated the Commission was concerned about setting precedents. Typically, when something is a few feet or inches off, no one cares. However, when someone does care, it is important to follow the rules. In a case like this where it is only a few inches, that makes the difference between something being right and not right. In this case, cutting the wall back and adding proper ends on the block would not be difficult. Commissioner Van Vliet pointed out that the building permit indicates the wall will be 15 feet back. Mr. Gross stated the contractor had made a mistake by extending into the setback. The City could have picked up on it. Commissioner Van Vliet stated it was wrong and because there was an objection from a neighbor, he felt it should be cut back to meet the ordinance. Commissioner Gregory explained there were times when the Commission does allow people go into the setback when there is a good reason for it. While this was an inadvertent mistake, it should be fixed. There was not a good reason for the wall to be in the setback. Action: Commissioner Gregory moved, seconded by Commissioner Lingle, to deny the request due to objections raised by the adjacent neighbor and lack of compelling reasons to grant an exception. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. 4. CASE NO.: SA 01-40 APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS): ANDY FERGUSON, PS SERVICES, INC., 316-B E. Dyer Road, Santa Ana, CA 92707 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Approval of new business signage for Guaranty Bank LOCATION: 72-625 Hwy. 111 ZONE: C-1 G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd S .. . � �" ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES Action: Commissioner Van Vliet moved, seconded by Commissioner Vuksic, to add this case to the agenda. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. Mr. Alvarez distributed plans for new signage for the Guaranty Bank at 72-625, near TGI Fridays. The existing letter "G" facing Hwy. 111 is 24"; applicant would like to increase size of the "G" to 36" with the rest of the letters being proportionate. They do have the square footage because of the long frontage. The "G"'s on the signs on the east and west elevations are 20" and the applicant would like to increase in size to 24". Commissioner Gregory stated that although he realized the applicant was entitled to a certain amount of square footage of sign area, it appears the proposed signage is too large for that particular plane. Action: Commissioner Vuksic moved, seconded by Commissioner Van Vliet, to approve the new signage subject to 1) on the north and east elevations, reducing the size of the "G" to 30 inches and making the other lettering proportionate and 2) on the west elevation, reducing the size of the "G" to 24 inches and making the other lettering proportionate. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. B. PRELIMINARY PLANS 1. CASE NO.: APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS�: CORTLAND MORGAN, Architect, 6910 Woodland Drive, Dallas, TX 75226 GLENN HARRIS, Ruth's Chris Steak House, 3321 Hessmer Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Request for Commission's comments on preliminary architecture and landscaping for 9,007 sq.ft. Ruth's Chris Steak House at new location G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 6 .. � `� ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES LOCATION: 74-738 & 74-740 Hwy. 111, northeast corner of Hwy. 111 and Village Court ZONE: PC-4 The Commission was provided colored elevations and sets of plans for the Ruth's Chris Steak House restaurant. Ms. Desiree DoerFler and Mr. Cortland Morgan were present as representatives for their client, Ruth's Chris Steak House. Ms. Doefler explained that their client bought this property in anticipation of building a freestanding, independent shell building. Their client would like to acknowledge and be very environmentally friendly. They are trying to avoid the typical "steak house" look, ie, wood paneling and heavy colors. They are trying to lighten the look and be very regional in how they present themselves throughout the country. In addition, they want to be very efficient in how they manage the construction costs. The emphasis behind this building is to try to accommodate the different levels of requirements. She noted the building had been set far back from the road for better access. Ms. Doerfler stated it was a square building. There are protrusions that move forward and are meant to be shading elements. As Ruth's Chris is based in New Orleans and has 77 outlets, they would like to retain some of the southern influence and symmetrical balance. The dome feature will outline the entrance and provide diffused light into the building. Mr. Morgan stated the building had been designed for its energy costs being well aware of the area's energy situation. They are looking at alternatives for their HVAC system and how they build up the envelope. Not shown on the exterior elevations are the sun shading devices on the interior. Rather than having those devices expressed on the exterior of the building which is typical of buildings along the street, it allows them to simplify the basic form of the building and build faster. Commissioner Gregory noted that the concerns were not with the New Orleans based architecture. Rather, it was with the two different styles on the same building. Mr. Morgan stated that the client the work has been very traditional and it has been slow process to ween them from that. This building is an attempt to move away from strictly traditional and will be something that will be G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 7 .. „ ��rrw' � ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES a preview for future projects. In a sense, it is a stepping stone. As future projects develop, they expect to have a little more flexibility. Ms. Doerfler stated the building was designed to catch attention. The architecture/ building is becoming the sign, and therefore, hopefully wouldn't need additional letter-type signage. She used McDonalds as an example of the building being the signage. However, even McDonalds has regionalized their look throughout the country. They still want an element that identifies it as a Ruth's Chris, even though it may be completely different than any other location. Signage will be submitted on a separate permit application. Ms. Doerfler explained that within the company there was concern about signage. The president of the company, if he could, would opt to not have any signage on the building. However, the people operating the business want everyone to know that this is where we are. By turning the building to make the access as efficient as possible, the front elevation no longer faces Hwy. 111, it is not the dominant feature. The side (south) elevation becomes the dominant feature. While the front facade is fairly traditional and symmetrical, the side elevation provides intrigue. Also the projections will hide the roof top mechanical units. Commissioner Vuksic stated he had no problem with anything being said and any comments the Commission makes are not intended to stifle the creativity. It is a great site and this building will stand out. His only concern was why they should have a Vegas style porte cochere on this whimsical building. There are a lot of great things going on, but the front entry looks as though it needs to be abstracted. The porte cochere just doesn't need to look as classical. It could be simplified, its just the details. Mr. Morgan suggested having square or angular columns instead of round ones. Ms. Doerfler stated they had intended to put mosaic on the columns to tie in with the stained glass windows. The applicants provided the Commission with possible alternatives they had drawn for the porte cochere. The windows will be stained glass in attempt to meet the City's artistic requirements. It was suggested the applicants talk to AIPP during their visit. G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 8 .. . �'�,,,," �„ ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES Ms. DoerFler commented that the lease for Ruth's Chris' current location would expire in February, 2002. They are under a tight deadline. She asked if it would be possible to continue through the permit process while working on the requested revisions. If they could start construction in August, they could make it by the end of the year. Mr. Drell stated the entry was a major element. He thought the Planning Commission should be shown what it will look like instead of"we're working on it." While the dome balances the porte cochere, in reality from a street level perspective, the dome won't be seen as much. Commissioner Van Vliet added that he liked the intent and he thought the project was great. He noted that the colors, at this point, may be too yellow. He stated he had a problem with the porte cochere, the whole entry way, as it is a pretty substantial element. It doesn't fit, the overhang, the height - doesn't seem like it blends. The rest of building; he has no problem with, he likes it. The Commission would like to see the porte cochere fit in better with the building. Several discussions followed concerning both the porte cochere and the building's colors. The Commission felt that it would be beneficial for the applicant to have the Commission's full endorsement prior to going before the Planning Commission as this would be the most efficient way to get through the process. Staff suggested that the applicant provide progress drawings of just the porte cochere that could be reviewed prior to the next ARC meeting. Action: Commissioner Van Vliet moved, seconded by Commissioner Vuksic, to continue the case with the recommendation that the porte cochere be redesigned to include architectural details from the main building. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 9 .. ,. �✓` `�ti�"' ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24,2001 MINUTES 2. CASE NO.: PP 01-02, C/Z 01-02 APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS� ROBERT ORR, 77-734 Country Club Dr, Suite K, Palm Desert, CA 92211 ROBERT RICCIARDI, 75-090 St. Charles Place, Palm Desert, CA 92211 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Preliminary approval of revised architecture and landscaping plans for office/bank complex, COUNTRY CLUB BUSINESS CENTRE LOCATION: 74-150 Country Club Drive, north side of Country Club Drive, 450 feet east of Portola ZONE: PR 5 to be re-zoned OP The original proposal for this site included three office buildings: a two-story bank building in front facing Country Club Drive and two one-story buildings behind. Lacking ARC's approval, the Planning Commission chose not to proceed, and the applicant withdrew his application. The applicants have revised the project and are planning only two buildings, instead of three. The front building will still be the bank building, but it will be one story instead of two. The drive-thru will be located at the rear (north) of that building. The middle building has been removed and replaced with a park-like setting. The second building at the north end will be a blend of one- and two-stories. The two-story portion will overlook the golf course. The maximum height is now at 18 feet stepping up to 22 feet on the bank building and 25 feet on the office building to the north. Mr. Ricciardi pointed out the many shadows and recesses. The front building will step up and have a higher part in the center. The drive-thru will not be seen from Country Club Drive. The building will be located 30 feet from the property line allowing for landscaping along Country Club Drive. This is the same setback as the Homme project to the west. G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 10 .. .. '�' `�wr�" ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES Commissioner Gregory asked about the potential problem of having people cross from the main parking area at the rear of the bank by walking across the drive-through access. Mr. Ricciardi pointed out that the offices on the Homme property were similar in set up. Commissioner Gregory asked about the west property line. Mr. Ricciardi responded that there were 12 foot easements on both adjacent properties. Mr. Drell explained that the 24-foot drive aisle is being constructed. The full aisle improvement will be made with the exception of the landscaping. When the landscape plan is submitted, there would be trees in that easement area. Mr. Drell suggested installing blow-sand fencing on the adjacent undeveloped property to prevent sand blowing into the applicant's parking lot and against the buildings. Commissioner Gregory remarked that this was a significant improvement over the previous submittal on what remains to be a very tough site. Mr. Ricciardi stated the colors will be submitted with the working drawings, but that they would be a combination of beiges. The preliminary landscape plan will be submitted shortly and will include plans for the west side of the project. Action: Commissioner Vuksic moved, seconded by Commissioner Lingle, to grant preliminary approval to the revised plans for the project. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. 3. CASE NO.: PP 01-11 APPLICANT (AND ADDRESS� JEANNE LeDUC, PALM DESERT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, PO Box 3958, Palm Desert, CA 92261 TERESA LaROCCA, CITY OF PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, 73-510 Fred Waring Blvd., Palm Desert, CA 92260 NATURE OF PROJECT/APPROVAL SOUGHT: Preliminary approval of architecture and landscape for 40-acre, 162-unit affordable rental housing development , Hovley Gardens LOCATION: Between Avenue 42 and Merle Drive, west of Cook Street G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 11 .. . �r � ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES ZONE: R-1 M Ms. Terre LaRocca introduced the team members involved with this project as well as the reason behind it. Hovley Garden Apartment will be a development on 12 acres of a 40-acre site between Avenue 42 and Merle Drive. The northeast corner of the 40-acre site will be used for the expansion of the City's Corporation Yard. The apartment complex is sited on the balance of the east side of the property (minus the expanded Corporation Yard) and a future 162-single family rental residence project is scheduled for the west side. The reason behind this project is the City's obligation to provide affordable housing under two mandates. One is a State mandate; the second is a legal stipulation. The legal stipulation under which the City function requires that it produce the units by a certain period in time. At this stage, the City had to produce another 124 units by January 1, 2001. That deadline was missed. The next stipulation is 122 units by January 1, 2002. The third is for 13 units by January, 2006. The City is between a rock and a hard spot as far as the production of the units is concerned. The State mandate (RHNA) requires that 444 units be produced by the year 2005. This project will assist in meeting that goal. The multiple family complex will provide 123 units, the single family complex will provide 162 units. Ms. LaRocca introduced members of the development team: Mr. Dan Horn, Palm Desert Development; Marvin Roose, Mainiero, Smith & Associates; Raoul Young, Interactive Design; Franklin Gonzalez, Palm Desert Development's architect; and Ray Lopez, landscape architect This is a partnership between the developer and the Redevelopment Agency. The developer will be submitting tax credits on June 15 which is the only time they can be submitted in order to get into the program. The project is being fast-tracked with hopes of presenting it to the Planning Commission on May 15`h, to the agency by June 14t". The project is looking at energy efficient applications including the placement of the buildings within the complex. Mr. Horn, President, Palm Desert Development Company, reported they had been working on this project with the City for about three years. The program the project is being developed under is called the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. This year, Riverside G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 12 .. .. �,r �' ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES County will get possibly two projects for the entire county. There may be as many as ten projects submitted. This project needs to be submitted by mid-June. Mr. Horn stated he was a 2"d generation affordable housing developer who has worked under every government program since 1970. They have done about 500 +/- units under this existing program. They done about 750-800 units under other multiple family programs as well as 1,000 single family units. This team has been assembled to give the City of Palm Desert one of the best affordable housing projects in the county. Mr. Marvin Roose, of Mainiero, Smith & Associates, reported the site was currently zoned R-1 (M) uses which is single family mobile home type uses. However, the General Plan is Service Industrial. It abuts Service Industrial projects to the north, east. The soccer park is to the northwest with housing on the west and south sides. The City Corporation Yard will take about three acres, multi-family is going on about 12 acres, and the single-family on the balance of the 40 acres. Mr. Raoul Young, of InterActive Design, described the structure of the site to the Commission stating the it was based on two primary issues. One is that the street approach to your apartment is not between the rear end of cars which is common for apartment complexes. There is an opportunity that if you create a street, there can be front doors on that street, sidewalks flanking the street, and street trees that create a boulevard and shared space. There was also the desire not to put a wall separating the multi-family units from the single family units, not to do a traditional gated community that says "we live here, you live there". Instead, the road between the two will be the seam with the development on the multi-family and the single family of the same scale and architectural character and a feel that they belong in the same neighborhood. They created a new product which is unusual in multi-family affordable housing project: town homes. These are two-story town homes which face the main residential street as well as Avenue 42. This gave them the opportunity to create a street section with a 36 foot wide road, a parkway with trees, and a sidewalk with town homes on one side and the narrow lot single family product on the other. Mr. Gonzalez described the buildings within the multi-family complex. The community building, the 2-bedroom units, the 3- bedroom units, and the 4-bedroom town homes. Each type of unit is in its own building. The buildings' exterior will be stucco with tile G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 13 ,, ., � � ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES hip and gabled roofs. Clad metal (aluminum) awnings will accent each window. Colors will be soft desert tones, facias will be a white, cream color. The 12-unit Building 1 s (2 bedrooms/2 baths) buildings are designed with the idea of having a common stairway going through. There is an open area so that the kitchen windows views the open atrium. This will allow light and ventilation. There is a flat roof structure that covers that entry over each unit. Each unit will have a balcony. Some of the units will have exterior stairs. The buildings have been sited with the short side of each building towards the heat in an effort towards saving energy. There will be 16 inch foam overhangs. The 12-unit Building 2s' (3 bedrooms/2 baths) have a chimney feature which is, in fact, the vent for the water heaters. The 4-plex two-story town homes have 4 bedrooms/2 baths and an attached garage. They are located along the border streets. There are 3 bedrooms upstairs with a full bath and one downstairs with a full bath. The architectural details follow those of the apartment buildings. The individual air conditioning units are located in the units with the condensers located outside, ground level. Ms. LaRocca stated they were investigating some sort of system that would be able to periodically take the units off the electric grid The 2-story community center will have a kitchen, a fireplace, and a public room downstairs with the manager's accommodations upstairs. There may be a security-type gate or something to prevent people from going in and out without permission. Action: Commissioner Gregory moved, seconded by Commissioner Lingle, to grant preliminary approval. Motion carried 4-0 with Commissioners Connor, Hanson, and O'Donnell absent. G:/planning/gale santee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 14 �� tt � � ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 24, 2001 MINUTES VI. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m. STEVE SMITH PLANNING MANAGER /gs G:/planning/galesantee/wpdocs/agmin/ar010424.min.wpd 1$