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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0104 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY - JANUARY 4, 1994 7:00 P.M. - CIVIC CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBER 73-510 FRED WARING DRIVE '� * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I . CALL TO ORDER Chairman Spiegel called the meeting to order at 7 : 00 p.m. II . PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner Jonathan led in the pledge of allegiance. III . ROLL CALL Members Present: Bob Spiegel, Chairman Paul Beaty Sabby Jonathan Carol Whitlock Members Absent: None Staff Present: Jeff Winklepleck Carlos Ortega Marshall Rudolph Tonya Monroe Joe Gaugush IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: �.r Consideration af the December 7, 1993 meeting minutes . Action: Moved by Commissioner Whitlock, seconded by Commissioner Beaty, approving the December 7 , 1993 meeting minutes as submitted. Carried 4-0 . V. SUMMARY OF COUNCIL ACTION: Mr. Winklepleck summarized pertinent December 9, 1993 city council action. VI . CONSENT CALENDAR None. VII . PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Continued Case No. TT 27698 - TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION, Applicant Request for approval of a tentative tract map to re-subdivide a portion of ,", Tract 15000-1 . MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 Mr. Winklepleck indicated that this item was continued at the ""� December 7, 1993 meeting to allow the applicant to meet with home owners in an effort to alleviate their concerns . The applicant felt that had been accomplished. Mr. Winklepleck stated that the request was a refiling of a previous map (TT 23151) which was approved by commission in 1988, but had not been finaled. He said this map would redefine the entryway at Desert Falls Country Club and no new construction would result from this map. Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions . Commissioner Whitlock noted that the staff report indicated that the area would be used for open space/recreational amenities . She asked what recreational amenities were proposed. Mr. Winklepleck replied none, it would be as it was right now--the open space/recreational amenities was the fountain and landscaped areas . Chairman Spiegel opened the public testimony and asked the applicant to address the commission. MR. DAN KIPPER, J. F. Davidson, 3880 Lemon Street in Riverside, said that he was the engineer for the project and represented Temple Construction. As stated by Mr. Winklepleck, this was a refiling of a previous map and ""r all the conditions of approval had been met and improvement plans and f inal map had been approved by the city engineer. He said he appreciated staff ' s help in the refiling and indicated that they had been unable to record the map previously in the legally prescribed time. No new structures would be added; the map would delete six lots previously recorded and create six lots for the six existing structures . Chairman Spiegel asked why there was a certain amount of animosity expressed by residents . Mr. Kipper replied that it had to do with the association, maintenance and assessment issues, which did not effect the map and was more of a civil matter than a land use matter. Chairman Spiegel asked if anyone wished to speak in FAVOR or OPPOSITION to the proposal . There was no one and the public testimony was closed. �.n► 2 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 ""' Action: Moved by Commissioner Whitlock, seconded by Commissioner Jonathan, approving the findings as presented by staff . Carried 4-0 . Moved by Commissioner Whitlock, seconded by Commissioner Jonathan, adopting Planning Commission Resolution No. 1635, approving TT 27698 subject to conditions . Carried 4-0 . VIII . MISCELLANEOUS A. SECTION 4 PRESENTATION BY LON RUBIN AND PBR. Mr. Winklepleck introduced Mr. Lon Rubin, who would be giving the presentation. MR. LON RUBIN, with Palm Desert Golf Partners at 77-570 Springfield Lane, Suite D in Palm Desert, said that on December 20, 1993 they made a presentation to the city council on the progress they had made on their plan to develop Section 4 . As a result of that presentation, city council recommended that they schedule as soon as """ possible a study session with the planning commission to get their input on their plan because they were on a fast track to finalize a preferred plan by the end of January so they could be in a position to file for their environmental impact report the first of February. They had a project schedule that was fairly ambitious, but was in keeping with council ' s wish to stay on a fast track. Hopefully by the end of July the project would be approved. First, they had to make a presentation of their present plan and get comments and suggestions . He introduced Mr. Ken Ryan and Mr. Mike Doty with the planning firm PBR. He turned the meeting over to Mr. Ryan to describe the details of the current plan. MR. KEN RYAN, PBR, said he would provide a brief overview of how they got to where they are today with the plan and the specific elements of the concept and answer any questions . He indicated that their booklet provided the concept for the plan, the schedule and a brief overview of the primary elements and direction they had received and the city' s vision for the property. The concept included data for the Marriott Timeshare criteria, the involvement of the Southwest Desert Museum, the Sports Park, staff input and the .... 3 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 early environmental work that had been done in �' preparation to process the CEQA requirements, which would be an environmental impact report in conjunction with approval for the project. The elements in the plan also reflected a city desire to provide recurring revenue for the city. When going through the elements, some of the resort elements would provide long-term value for the city in terms of uses that provide recurring revenue. He said the plan included two 18 hole golf courses that were returning nines revolving around all the uses that had been sited on the property and maximized the relationship of the golf to the various uses . He felt what was important to note was that over the next few weeks the golf course architect, the firm of Dr. Hurdzan and PGA Tour Champion John Cook, would be refining the course. PBR' s area of expertise was establishing relationships between land uses and golf courses . The golf course architect would refine the course. The north course was referred to as the city' s tournament course, which was designed to encourage and maintain a major television championship tournament as part of the concept. He said there would be no homes around the tournament course, but the uses that did reflect relationships with this course was the clubhouse, the conference center, hotel designations, "r , and the sports park. He explained the course layout relative to the clubhouse facility. The concept for the second golf course revolved around the Marriott timeshare expansion. Commissioner Jonathan asked if the first course was a municipal course. Mr. Ryan concurred. Commissioner Jonathan asked if the second course would be private for Marriott timeshares; Mr. Ryan concurred. Commissioner Jonathan asked if it would be a semi-public where the public could pay to play. Mr. Ryan stated that he thought it would be semi- public. Mr. Ryan indicated they would be processing a full environmental impact report and would be preparing a development concept plan, which they would be bringing back to the commission in terms of landscape, architecture, and the overall concept for the project. From a design/image standpoint that would tie it all in together within the framework of signage, entry treatment and architecture. The city' s north course was to provide a natural desert landscape course. � 4 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 "" Chairman Spiegel asked if it would be like Bighorn; Mr. Ryan said it would be similar to Bighorn, but hopefully would be improved upon and more native plants would be utilized. Mr. Ryan said that in addition to that theme was the ability for water conservation and opportunities from an image and environmental standpoint. He stated that they would distinguish between the two courses with the resort course having some water in terms of irrigation and providing a water element from a design view. One focal point revolved around the clubhouse, which was a shared clubhouse as well as a shared driving range that could accommodate both tournament play, public use and both courses, as well as a conference center and 15 acre luxury hotel site. Chairman Spiegel asked if there were any developers interested in the hotel . Mr. Rubin said that one of the significant things that had occurred during December was a letter of intent being signed between Palm Desert Golf Partners, Marriott Corporation and the city for the Marriott to purchase and option the 600 units of timeshare. In addition to their purchase of the timeshare units, they have an option on one hotel site and they would be granted a right " of first opportunity to purchase the remaining hotel site. Marriott 's vision for the project was that it would become a world class Marriott campus of hotels and timeshare facilities . They indicated that their first choice for the first hotel site would be a Residence Inn, which would not be the dominating 15 acre hotel site. The other concept that effected their planning was the hopeful presence of the Southwest Museum. The city and the Bishop Estate had mutually funded two feasibility studies and a financial/fund raising study to determine the feasibility of bringing the Southwest Museum' s ancillary facility to Palm Desert. The present plan was to have the museum as the anchor tenant to , phase II of the 26 1/2 acre commercial center, the first phase which was under construction and to be completed in the next couple of months . The museum would be surrounded by very high quality Santa Fe type southwest retail facilities of the type found in Santa Fe New Mexico, which would blend in with the theme of the museum itself. Mr. Ryan said that the Marriott timeshare units were oriented in proximity to Marriott and took advantage of having the entry directly across the street from the Marriott. There would be gate guarded access to the right and left to the timeshare units and would have � 5 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 emergency access from Portola, and if necessary along � Cook. The timing of the timeshare units was important and the plan provided flexibility. They could easily make the first phase happen on one side in a 20 or 30 acre manner and the same would go for the other portion of the project, which could be cul-de-sacced so that future construction could take place without any impacts to the current residents . The fact that the phase I commercial for Desert Marketplace was accommodated under the land plan as well as a designation for the Southwest Museum and the theme retail; with that element combined with the timeshare and the conference center, luxury hotel and clubhouse, they felt this was a special element in terms of the project and the entry sequence. He felt there were some spectacular opportunities; the entry sequence would be theme retail, very nice architecture, streetscape, golf view windows, easy access right or left, very clear access to timeshare, and golf on both sides of that entry sequence arriving at the conference center and hotel . He said their traffic consultant had looked at this and they would be doing a detailed traffic study with the environmental documents, but based on the uses shown on site from an access point off Country Club and Cook, the primary road to the project was comfortable in terms of handling � traffic. They wanted to make sure they could accommodate a second access if they needed to for emergency vehicles, and that could be provided between the two golf courses and the logical separation for a fire access could be provided to Portola. Another use that was part of the project area was office professional along Country Club, which they felt was appropriate with the adjacent use of the nursing care and the church site. Commissioner Jonathan asked if that was being designated as a use, or if that was part of the city-owned property and the city would get into a building situation like at the civic center park. Mr. Ryan indicated this was included in the overall project boundary area and the city asked them, as part of the master plan project in processing the development concept plan rezoning the entire property in terms of a planned community designation, to look at what would be appropriate for that location. Commissioner Jonathan asked if that was part of the city-owned acreage; Mr. Rubin said it was currently owned by the city and was contemplated that it would be put into the public/private partnership land that would be developed by the joint public/ private partnership. � 6 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 �,., Much of the land that was in the southwest portion of the property was owned by the city. Mr. Ryan said that they also designated hotel use for the corner of Cook and Frank Sinatra Drive. They felt from a criteria standpoint that it was an appropriate use based on access and with the future interchange improvement of Cook at I-10 it would be a street heavily used. Similar to the entry across from the Marriott Desert Springs, this would be a corner that needed to be treated very carefully in terms of landscape criteria, setback, architecture and one of the first things people would see when they got off Cook Street when the future interchange improvement was made. They also accommodated the sports park location and there was a pretty good distance in terms of the golf. Mr. Rubin stated that during the month of September he met with nine community associations to explain what they were trying to accomplish and to show them the plan as it existed. By and large he received an enthusiastic response from all the associations; the only negative comment he received was from one association directly across from the site viewed as hotel sites in the upper .r corner of Frank Sinatra and Cook. One of the Desert Falls Associations directly across were the only ones who verbalized any negative comments to plan and it related to those hotel sites . He felt that corner logically should be a hotel corner and the residents ' concerns could be met with setbacks and landscaping. Right now the residents that live in that community have a fairly quiet setting because Cook Street dead ends into Frank Sinatra and in a couple of years that would be a major intersection. Commissioner Jonathan asked what the build out time line expectations were and how it related to the construction of the Cook Street Interchange. Mr. Rubin said that the plan was to build at least one golf course immediately, as soon as entitlements were obtained and construction drawings were completed, and that would point toward construction of golf course one beginning in fall of 1994 and completion in summer-fall of 1995. Chairman Spiegel asked who would pay for it. Mr. Rubin said it would probably be the resort course and not the city course because there would be commitments to Marriott to deliver them a finished golf within a certain time and they wanted Marriott to come in and start building units adjacent to their course. There were � � MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 significant economics benefits to having the Marriott come �, over sooner rather than later. He said the golf course would be paid for by the public/private partnership; most of the funding would come from the city under a revenue sharing plan proposed between the city and the Bishop Estate where the city would share 50 percent of the revenue from the resort development and the city receiving 50 percent of the revenue from the commercial development. The amounts of money to develop the two facilities was approximately equal and the Bishop Estate would put up all the money for the commercial facilities, the two phases of the shopping center, and the city would put up all the money to develop the resort component. The municipal course money would be put up by the city and that was a separate type of funding under public works . The timing of construction of the second course would depend upon the play generated under course one. They did not want to build two courses and have both of them not successful . Preliminary indications were leading to definitive agreements with Marriott that would bring to bear the exact number of rounds they would commit to buy and in what time frames; that would help them decide when the second course would be built. He felt the remaining uses of hotel sites, theme retail, and office professional would occur over a ten year period. He did not see this all happening at once and all the financial projections were based upon � conservative estimates of absorption. Commissioner Jonathan said that given the increased demand on traffic circulation, at what point would they expect during that ten year process for the Cook Street Interchange to be completed. Mr. Rubin indicated that it was his understanding that the interchange would be completed in the two to three year range. Mr. Ortega said that the current schedule was for it to begin in the spring of 1995 . Mr. Rubin stated that all of the traffic mitigation would be to Level C. They had done a substantial part of the traffic work based upon the former plan and very little additional traffic work needed to be done. Chairman Spiegel asked who would pay for the conference center and clubhouse. Mr. Rubin said the clubhouse would be paid for in the public/private partnership. The conference center was a land use and they planned to sell or lease that land to a conference center developer. They did not expect the city or partnership to be doing that directly as an activity, but that could change. Other than the building of the golf courses and club facilities, they did not 8 "'�I MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 ,,�, contemplate the city/private partnership to be an active builder. Chairman Spiegel asked if single family homes were ever considered for this area instead of timeshare. Mr. Rubin replied that in the early iteration there were some single family homes, some condominiums and some timeshare units considered. The basic difference of the two plans was the elimination of the single family and condominium uses and the more intense development of resort uses . During the time period with the attraction of the museum and Marriott coming from discussions to the point of a letter of intent to buy the units and take an option on the hotel sites, the motivating factor in causing them to delete the housing units other than the timeshare units, was everyone 's sights regarding this property as a full scale long-term destination resort. Chairman Spiegel asked for comments by the commission. Chairman Spiegel felt that the city would be dependent upon the Marriott and the city recently approved some timeshare units at the rear of their current development and as they were able to sell them they would have a place over there. They would live or die by the hands of the Marriott and he ' �., was not sure that was the way for Palm Desert to go. Mr. ', Rubin said that part of the negotiations they would be having ' from the letter of intent stage to the definitive agreement stage would be focusing on that issue particularly. It was extremely import to them that the Marriott only continue building on the south until the property on the north was ready rather than allowing them to completely build out the south before they came to the north. He felt this was probably the most delicate of the negotiating points that needed to be determined because the economic consequences to the project were significant. He knew the Marriott was very short of golf and needed the golf courses as soon as possible, so it was a give and get situation. The idea in the mind of the council in doing this in the first place was to create a long term stream of revenue, and in constructing the plan for the pro ject as well as constructing the deal with Marriott these issues would be in mind. Instead of extracting from them the highest per unit price for the land and getting no residuals, they gave them a lessor price and extracted from them a long term revenue stream in terms of amenity fees, use fees for golf, and the establishment of a Mello-Roos District that would give the city continuing revenue from this property into infinity. That was part and parcel of what they were trying to accomplish, as well as ... 9 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 create a project that would be compatible and a world class � resort. Chairman Spiegel asked if this would be coming back to the planning commission. Mr. Winklepleck replied yes, that this was basically an informational item; once the EIR was completed it would be back. Mr. Rubin stated that they would welcome during the next 30 days any particular comments or suggestions on specific aspects of the plan before they got into a preferred plan, which they hoped to obtain by the end of the month. Chairman Spiegel said he would be glad to pass any comments on to the planning department. IX. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS MR. FRANK LESSAR, a resident of The Villas, indicated that at the corner of Cook and Frank Sinatra where there was a potential plan for a hotel site, he said that when he drove by that area, there were a lot of for sale signs and people were trying to sell that property and asked how that fit into r, the proposal . Mr. Rubin said that he thought Mr. Taylor' s signs had been removed. Mr. Lessar indicated that he would look into it. MR. WILLIAM SWANK, property owner of 420 acres north of this project, stated that he felt they had done an outstanding job in presenting this package to the city and was a beautiful plan that was well conceived. He said he only had one problem and everyone knew what that was . He asked what would happen if the second golf course was never built; the plan would not work at that point--the plan worked beautifully now but if they never got to the other part it could be used for other uses . He understood that the city was going to finance the other course and hoped the city would jump right in and build their course and that would complete the plan. He stated that he felt the developer and PBR had done an outstanding job as well as staff. His problem had not gone away, but had not been heard yet. He said again that the developer had done a good job on the proposal . Chairman Spiegel noted that the planning commission could not answer Mr. Swank' s question, but it was a good question to ask and the commission appreciated the comments made. 10 ''r MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 1994 ,r,,, X. COMMENTS 1 . Commissioner Jonathan thanked Mr. Rubin and PBR for the information. 2 . Chairman Spiegel said that the possibility of a joint meeting with the city council and planning commission was discussed with Mayor Wilson to find out the council 's direction and for the commission to give their input and thoughts about the city for 1994 . Mayor Wilson would be recommending to city council that this be pursued and it would probably be a luncheon meeting in the near future. Commission concurred and directed Mr. Winklepleck to pass the information on to Mr. Diaz to get this moving. XI. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Chairman Spiegel, seconded by Commissioner Whitlock, adjourning the meeting by minute motion. Carried 4-0 . The meeting was adjourned at 7 :47 p.m. �r� � ! '� ~ ��'/�/�/ �• RAMON A. DIAZ, ec ary ATTEST: ;� ������, < . �. ROBERT A. SPIEGE , ixman Palm Desert Planning' Commission /tm """ 11