Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-01-04 PC Regular Meeting Minutes MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION tow TUESDAY - JANUARY 4, 2011 I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Limont called the meeting to order at 5:58 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Connor Limont, Chair Mari Schmidt, Vice Chair Sonia Campbell Nancy De Luna Van Tanner Members Absent: None Staff Present: Jill Tremblay, Assistant City Attorney Lauri Aylaian, Director of Community Development Kevin Swartz, Assistant Planner Missy Grisa, Assistant Planner Tony Becker, Administrative Secretary III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner De Luna led the pledge of allegiance. IV. SUMMARY OF COUNCIL ACTION Ms. Aylaian reported that the City Council had not met since the last regular meeting of the Planning Commission; therefore, there was nothing to report at this time. V. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NONE VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4 2011 Request for approval of the December 21, 2010, meeting minutes. wwr Action: Commissioner Tanner moved and Commissioner Schmidt seconded the approval of the December 21, 2010 meeting minutes. Motion carried unanimously 5-0. VII. CONSENT CALENDAR NONE Vill. PUBLIC HEARINGS Chair Limont stated that 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. CUP 09-236 Omnipoint Communications Inc. A subsidiary of T-Mobile USA. Inc., Applicant. Approval to construct, operate and maintain a new 60' high T-Mobile mono-palm wireless telecommunications facility consisting of six panel antennas, two GPS antennas, one emergency generator, one parabolic antenna, six BTS radio cabinets, coaxial cable running from the antennas to the BTS, power and Telco utility connection to be installed at 47-900 Portola Avenue, APN: 630-250-045. Assistant Planner Missy Grisa orally presented the proposed project to the Planning Commission. She showed Power Point slides of the location and renderings of what the site would look like with the tower. She mentioned that the CUP was approved by the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) with conditions for aesthetic and landscape impacts. It was called up by the City Council in early January 2010 after being approved by the Planning Commission. The City Council called up the matter and continued it to a date uncertain to give the applicant time to propose a new location that wasn't as close to residences as was their previous proposal. The previous location was well within 300' of adjacent residential neighbors, whereas the new site is over 700' from the nearest residence. The ARC approved the new proposed location which is next to vacant land within the Living Desert, with the condition that the .r 2 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4 2011 applicant screen the equipment enclosure with landscaping should that adjacent vacant land be developed. The applicant has chosen to be proactive by landscaping the equipment enclosure now, rather than wait for the land to be developed. The proposal allows for a 60' mono-palm to be installed next to a grove of existing palm trees. The new location next to the grove will not affect existing landscaping. The equipment enclosure is a 17' x 20' space with 8' high block walls that would match the existing walls of nearby buildings. Staff sent notices to nearby neighbors and businesses and received no feedback either in favor of or opposition to this project. Ms. Grisa entertained Commission questions. Commissioner De Luna began by asking how tall above the grove would the tower be. Ms. Grisa stated that the tower would be about 15' higher than the grove of trees: some of which are 45' high now. Commissioner De Luna followed up by asking about the growth rate of the trees, and is staff convinced that at its present design, the tower wouldn't be a behemoth above the grove? Ms. Grisa indicated that staff isn't concerned about the height because staff realizes that the tower needs to be higher than the grove to maintain a certain amount of signal quality. As the [live] palm trees grow closer to the tower height, the live palm trees would have to be replaced with shorter trees, whereas the tower will always remain the same height. Commissioner De Luna asked who would be in charge of maintaining the live trees. Ms Grisa said that the Living Desert would maintain them. The applicant, however, would be responsible for maintaining the landscaping around the equipment enclosure. Commissioner Tanner commented that the only entity that this would have a negative effect on would be the Living Desert and they haven't offered any objection to it. He confirmed with Ms. Grisa that the Living Desert has had no objections. She confirmed that neither the Living Desert nor the City of Indian Wells had communicated any objection to this tower. Commissioner Schmidt voiced her concern about the area around the tower and the amount of undergrounding that would be required to connect the tower to T-Mobile's cables outside of the facility. By her calculations, that is nearly 600' of undergrounding that would disturb existing landscaping and root systems of existing trees. Her question is who would be responsible for that? Ms. Grisa stated that the City's 3 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING [`OMMISSION JANUARY 4 2011 landscaping department would oversee any changes that would be made at the Living Desert, but that the applicant would be responsible for replacing any dead landscaping with in-kind • landscaping should the need arise. Commissioner Limont declared the public hearing open. Ms. Monica Moretta of the T-Mobile West Corporation, 1 Winters. Ste. 100, Irvine, CA 92218 stepped up to the podium and stated to the Commission that T-Mobile reviewed the staff report and asked that they be allowed to install the landscaping around the equipment enclosure at this time, instead of waiting for a future date. She stated that T-Mobile is happy and willing to abide by all the conditions placed on them by the City of Palm Desert. She offered to answer any questions. Hearing no other comments, Commissioner Limont declared the public hearing closed and asked for Commissioner Comments. Commissioner Campbell stated that seeing and hearing no complaints, she'd move for approval. Commissioner Tanner seconded the motion. Commissioner Schmidt wanted to make mention that everyone worked very hard for this and did a superb job on the project. She stated that she realized that no site was any better than another at this point, and the service is certainly needed in that area, so having the tower would improve service for people's benefit. With that, she stated that she is in favor of this project. Commissioner Limont concurred and thanked the Living Desert for their assistance with this matter. Action: Commissioner Campbell moved and Commissioner Tanner seconded the motion to approve case CUP 09-236 with conditions. The motion carried for approval 5-0. Commissioner Campbell moved and Commissioner Tanner seconded adopting Planning Commission Resolution No. 2540, recommending approval of CUP 09-236 with conditions. Motion carried 5-0. B. Villa Portofino r■r 4 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4 2011 Continue the discussion of Villa Portofino until the February 1, 2011 ... Planning Commission meeting which will allow escrow to close between City National Bank and Continental East Fund VI, LLC. Assistant Planner Kevin Swartz orally presented his request for a continuance for the Villa Portofino project discussion. Since the Oct 19, 2010 Planning Commission meeting, city staff and the representatives of the various parcels have been meeting in order to resolve each issue that was outlined in the conditions set forth at the last Planning Commission meeting. At this time staff and the property owners are still in the process of reviewing the work program. However, there has been no agreement reached yet between City National Bank and Continental East Fund, who is purchasing City National's parcels. Escrow is scheduled to close in late January between these two; therefore, staff is requesting a continuance of this matter until the meeting of February 1, 2011 in order to give time for escrow to close and to give staff time to update pertinent information. At the February 1s' meeting time, staff will present the new findings to the Commission. If escrow does not close during this time, staff will come back to the Planning Commission with a new recommendation at the February Is' meeting. With that, Mr. Swartz entertained questions. Chair Limont wanted to clarify for the record that staff was simply asking for a continuance on this matter. Mr. Swartz indicated that was correct. Commissioner Tanner motioned and Commissioner Campbell seconded the motion to continue the matter to February 1, 2011. Chair Limont addressed the audience stating that she understood that they were there to speak about the matter. She encouraged them to send their correspondence to the City via email or letter. Action: Commissioner Tanner moved and Commissioner Campbell seconded staff's request to continue the matter to the meeting of February 1, 2011. Motion carried 5-0. IX. MISCELLANEOUS APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHAIR/VICE CHAIR. mow 5 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4, 2011 APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE LIAISONS TO ART IN PUBLIC PLACES, LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION, PARKS & RECREATION AND PROJECT AREA 4 COMMITTEES. Ms. Aylaian spoke saying that if the Commission desired to continue with the present rotation, then CommissionerNice Chair Schmidt would move up to Chair and Commissioner De Luna would take Vice Chair. She also indicated that there is no formal requirement that this method be followed, as it is at the pleasure of the Commission to either appoint, rotate or move as they wish. Chair Limont thought Commissioner De Luna should be, "thrown into the mix". Commissioner Tanner brought up the point that two seats were expiring (Limont and Schmidt's) and that was under the purview of the City Council to fill those. He asked, therefore, if the Commission could leave the slate as it was until the City Council held interviews. Ms. Aylaian stated that the Commission could opt to continue the matter until a future meeting if they so chose. Commissioner Schmidt asked the City Attorney, Jill Tremblay, if for unknown reasons that Limont and Schmidt were not reappointed by the City Council, but they had been reappointed by the Planning Commission, what would happen then? Ms. Tremblay replied that there would be another vote by the Planning Commission. Commissioner Schmidt asked if there was a time frame that someone must serve on a commission or committee before they could be Chair. Ms. Aylaian said that there was not. Ms. Aylaian stated that the City Council would-be conducting their interviews in late January. - Chair Limont stated that it would be prudent to continue the matter until the February 1st meeting to give the City Council time to interview their candidates and then vote at that time for Chair/Vice Chair. It was also noted that the Planning Commission would continue on a 'rotation basis'. Action: Commissioner Limont called for a vote to continue the matter until the February 1, 2011 meeting. Motion carried 5-0. UW 6 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 4 2011 X. COMMITTEE MEETING UPDATES Now A. ART IN PUBLIC PLACES Commissioner Campbell stated that there was no meeting. B. LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE Commissioner Limont stated that there was no meeting. C. PARKS & RECREATION Commissioner Tanner commented that there was no meeting. D. PROJECT AREA 4 COMMITTEE Commissioner Schmidt stated that there was no meeting. XI. COMMENTS Happy New Year from all of the Commissioners. XII. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Schmidt moved and Commissioner De Luna seconded the adjournment of the meeting by minute motion. The motion carried 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 6:22 p.m. ---------------- LAURI AYLAIAN, Secretary TEST• V M. CONNOR LIMONT, Chair Palm Desert Planning Commission /tb 7 �rrrr