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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0621 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION �. TUESDAY - JUNE 21, 2005 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Tschopp called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner Finerty led in the pledge of allegiance. 111. ROLL CALL Members Present: Dave Tschopp, Chairperson Jim Lopez, Vice Chairperson Cindy Finerty Members Absent: Sonia Campbell Sabby Jonathan Staff Present: Phil Drell, Director of Community Development Doug Phillips, City Attorney Steve Smith, Planning Manager Francisco Urbina, Associate Planner Ryan Stendell, Assistant Planner Phil Joy, Associate Transportation Planner Tonya Monroe, Administrative Secretary IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Request for consideration of the June 7, 2005 meeting minutes. Action: It was moved by Commissioner Finerty, seconded by Commissioner Lopez, approving the June 7, 2005 meeting minutes. Motion carried 3-0. V. SUMMARY OF COUNCIL ACTION ... Mr. Drell and Mr. Smith summarized pertinent June 9, 2005 City Council actions. MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 VI. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS MS. ANNE ROSENBLATT, 37-659 Drexell Drive addressed the Commission. She stated that she was present because her backyard backs up to the Marriott Shadow Ridge. Chairperson Tschopp explained that item was an agendized item and the Commission would be discussing that later. She would have an opportunity to discuss that item at that time. Ms. Rosenblatt said it wasn't really related to the property they were discussing this evening. She wanted to say that for four years she has been doing battle with the Marriott to try to prevent golf balls from coming into her backyard. She has had two windows smashed. Her truck has been damaged. Her neighbor two doors down has had five windows smashed. She constantly gets golf balls every day in her backyard. And the golf balls come at 200 mph and she was trying to get it resolved. Chairperson Tschopp asked if this had anything to do with the project that is being discussed tonight. If it did, he asked that she bring it up at that time. If not, he suggested that her concerns or complaints would be better taken up with the City staff because it wasn't really a Planning Commission issue. Ms. Rosenblatt said she had already done that two years ago. She talked to the City. She had the City Mayor over at her house and they didn't do anything about it. It's an accident waiting to happen. She just wanted to say that for four years she has been living with this golf ball problem. At least five to six per week come in and Marriott doesn't do anything about it. Chairperson Tschopp encouraged her to talk with staff and Marriott. She thanked him. VII. CONSENT CALENDAR None. 2 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 Vill. PUBLIC HEARINGS Anyone who challenges any hearing matter in court may be limited to raising only those issues he, she or someone else raised at the public hearing described herein, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. A. Case No. PP/HPD 05-07 -HABITAT ARCHITECTURE/GUY DREIER DESIGNS, Applicant Request for recommendation of approval to the City Council of a precise plan of design to allow a 10,291 square foot single family home within the Hillside Planned Residential zone located at 700 Summit Cove with the Canyons at Bighorn. Mr. Stendell reviewed the main issues of the staff report and recommended that Planning Commission recommend approval to the City Council. Chairperson Tschopp asked if there were any projects that would be looking at this house from the east. Mr. Stendell said no. The property to the east sloped up. He said this property was the lowest lot on this hillside. Looking east they would just be looking at the mountain. He pointed out the location of the Hagadone house, the large home approved about a year ago through the same exceptions process. This was down the hill from that house, as well as on the other side of the hill from the city on the south side of the hill from the city. So from the city down the hill, this house couldn't be seen. It would be completely behind the hill and up against it. The only way to perhaps see it would be coming down Highway 74 and looking down into it. There were no other questions for staff. Chairperson Tschopp opened the public hearing and asked the applicant to address the Commission. MR. GUY DREIER, 74-105 Mockingbird Trail in Indian Wells, addressed the Commission. He stated that he had the opportunity to design this house. Like the Hagadone house, this was a great opportunity for a house in the hillside. They tried to give a very organic shape and form to the house to grow out of the hillside. He said this house would sit very low on the hillside. They tried to make it very low slung, curved and sculptural instead of jagged like the hilltop. It was very soft. The materials were slate, copper, natural %NW 3 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 stone and blocked glass. They tried to make it very organic. He asked if there were any questions. There were none. Chairperson Tschopp asked if anyone wished to speak in FAVOR or OPPOSITION to the proposed project. There was no one and the public hearing was closed. Chairperson Tschopp asked for Commission comments. Action: Commissioner Lopez stated that the proposed home was very beautiful. He thought the applicant did a great job with it and moved for approval. Commissioner Finerty concurred that it was a beautiful home and nicely designed. What bothered her was they worked very hard to come up with an ordinance. The ordinance was pretty specific about the size of the dwelling. This particular house would be two and a half times that and if they kept excepting and excepting, it would basically render the ordinance useless. She was a big proponent of the one house per five acres and putting some limits. Although this was beautifully done, she had to come down on the side of the ordinance which took years to finally come to fruition. Chairperson Tschopp thought the building was absolutely magnificent. The ordinance also gave reasons for exceptions, which were taken into consideration such as view shed, topography, profile of the structure and so forth. He definitely felt the proposed home met it and set the tone for the rest of the homes going on the sides of the mountains. He was very much in favor of it. Chairperson Tschopp called for the vote. Motion carried 2-1 (Commissioner Finerty voted no). It was moved by Commissioner Lopez, seconded by Chairperson Tschopp, adopting Planning Commission Resolution No. 2337, recommending to City Council approval of Case No. PP/HPD 05-07, subject to conditions. Motion carried 2-1 (Commissioner Finerty voted no). B. Case No. PP/CUP 98-5 (Revised) Amendment No. 1 - MARRIOTT OWNERSHIP RESORTS, INC., Applicant Request for approval of an amendment to the precise plan of design (building locations, heights and other matters) in 4 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 tow Phases 7, 8 and 9 of the Shadow Ridge Resort at 7400 Shadow Ridge Road. Mr. Smith outlined the salient points of the staff report, noting that the building at the north end might encroach across an existing property line. They would either need to adjust that out or adjust the location of the building on that pad. They might be able to address that with the amount of property in that location. Mr. Smith recommended approval and asked if there were any questions. There were no questions for staff. Chairperson Tschopp opened the public hearing and asked the applicant to address the Commission. MR. STEVEN WITHERS, 712 Main Street, Windermere, Florida, the Vice President of Architecture and Design for Marriott Vacation Club, addressed the Commission. He said the amendment was driven by requests from their owners and guests who stay there who wanted to get more of a residential scale to the buildings and more of a desert landscape garden that was pedestrian based. Before they had buildings along the roadway. This was trying to create pedestrian gardens. They worked closely with the City to make it more of a desert experience all the way through. They revised some of their first phases to bring that concept up and more into character with what they and the City both wanted. He thought the explanation of what they were trying to do was pull the buildings back from that property line and create courtyards. The courtyards did a couple of things. He said that the buildings shade the pool noise from the Drexell neighborhood. To address one of the comments from the open forum, these buildings were pulled further back from the golf course and that golf line could now be actually slightly pulled west to help the issue of impacts. He thought that was addressed through this plan a little bit. He said they've planted trees along the north property line and would continue to address the issues there. In all, he thought this plan was more respectful of the Drexell neighborhood, as well as responding to their neighbors and guests who want more of a pedestrian, desert environment. That was their intent. 5 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 Chairperson Tschopp asked if anyone wished to speak in FAVOR or OPPOSITION to the matter. There was no response. Chairperson Tschopp closed the public hearing and asked for Commission comments. Action: Commissioner Finerty stated that this was one of those rare times when applicants were asking to lower the heights and pads, so it was really a privilege to move for approval. Commissioner Lopez concurred. He thought the drop in building height and the pads to accommodate a four-foot reduction in the building height was important, especially for the residents along Drexell Drive. He thought the setback area being increased to 480 feet was also a plus and could also help in the direction the golf course might take and alleviate some of the problems along that hole. He thought it was a great idea to shield the noise that comes from everyday pool use and this would really help the situation. He seconded the motion. Chairperson Tschopp concurred that the decrease in height, the number of units, the increase in setbacks sounded like a win-win situation for the city. ri He called for the vote. Motion carried 3-0. It was moved by Commissioner Finerty, seconded by Commissioner Lopez, adopting Planning Commission Resolution No. 2338, approving Case No. PP/CUP 98-5 (Revised) Amendment No. 1, subject to conditions. Motion carried 3-0. C. Case No. PP 01-16 Amendment No. 1 - PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, Applicant Request for recommendation of approval to the City Council of a precise plan to construct a 5,725 square foot Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce / multi-tenant office building (the Henderson Community Building) and a height exception to allow a 22-foot high building with architectural projections up to 37 feet high on property located at 72-575 Highway 111. Mr. Urbina reviewed the staff report and recommended that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council approval of Case No. PP 01-16 6 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 Amendment No. 1, subject to findings and the conditions as stated in the Planning Commission resolution attached to the staff report. Chairperson Tschopp opened the public hearing and asked the applicant to address the Commission. There was no response. Chairperson Tschopp asked if anyone wished to speak in FAVOR or OPPOSITION. There was no one and the public hearing was closed. Chairperson Tschopp asked for Commission comments. Commissioner Lopez stated that his initial concern was the height. He went and looked at the location. This building would be eight feet lower than the Visitor Center and that pretty much alleviated his concern. He was fine with the project and thought it looked good. Commissioner Finerty concurred. Action: It was moved by Commissioner Lopez, seconded by Commissioner Finerty, approving the findings as presented by staff. Motion carried 3-0. It was moved by Commissioner Lopez, seconded by Commissioner Finerty, adopting Planning Commission Resolution No. 2339, recommending to City Council approval of Case No. PP 01-16 Amendment No. 1, subject to conditions. Motion carried 3-0. IX. MISCELLANEOUS None. X. COMMITTEE MEETING UPDATES A. ART IN PUBLIC PLACES None. B. LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE Commissioner Finerty said the meeting was canceled. ti.. 7 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2005 C. PROJECT AREA 4 COMMITTEE Commissioner Finerty reported that the meeting was informational. Mr. Drell noted that the Palm Desert Country Club developers received their construction loan funding. They were out to bid on all the major contracts and the project was moving forward. XI. COMMENTS Mr. Smith advised that the July 5, 2005 meeting could be canceled because there was only one item ready, the time extension amendment, and it could be put off until July 19, 2005. Commission concurred with the cancellation. Chairperson Tschopp suggested polling the Commission to what their schedules were for July, August and September to make sure there was a quorum. Staff concurred. XII. ADJOURNMENT It was moved by Commissioner Lopez, seconded by Commissioner Finerty, adjourning the meeting by minute motion. Motion carried 3-0. The meeting was adjourned at 6:34 p.m. S EPHEN R. SMI H, Acting Secretary ATTEST: \--- DAVID E. TSCHOPP, Chairperson Palm Desert Planning Commission /tm 8