Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-06-21 PC Regular Meeting Minutes MINUTES _ PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION TUESDAY - JUNE 21, 2011 I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Campbell called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Sonia Campbell, Chair Nancy De Luna, Vice Chair Van Tanner Roger Dash Connor Limont ..,, Members Absent: None Staff Present: Jill Tremblay, Assistant City Attorney Dave Erwin, City Attorney Kevin Swartz, Assistant Planner Lauri Aylaian, Director of Community Development Tony Bagato, Principal Planner Mark Diercks, Transportation Engineer Spencer Knight, Landscaping Manager Tony Becker, Administrative Secretary III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner Dash led the pledge of allegiance. IV. SUMMARY OF COUNCIL ACTION Ms. Aylaian informed the Planning Commission that the City Council met on June 9, 2011, reviewing only two items that concerned the Planning Commission: Piero's Pizza Vino requested financial assistance for a faQade enhancement on their new El Paseo location—they requested $60,000 and MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 were granted that amount; the other item was the continuation of the Von's matter to the July 14th City Council meeting. V. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NONE VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Request for approval of the June 7, 2011, meeting minutes. Action: Commissioner Limont moved and Commissioner De Luna seconded the approval of the June 7, 2011 meeting minutes. Commissioner Tanner requested a correction to the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting comments: he wanted to clarify that the BMX course was tentative and hadn't yet been installed. Motion carried 5-0 with corrections. VII. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Case No. PP 07-14 Commerce Realty (Jensen's), William Lang, Applicant. Applicant requested a one-year extension for PP 07-14 for an interior remodel and a minor addition to the Jensen's Shopping Center and shops on El Paseo. B. Case No. PMW 11-168, Karen Genoway and Indian Ridge Country Club, Applicants. A request by the applicant for a lot-line adjustment merging part of `lot 146' to all of `lot 47' to accommodate construction of a swimming pool at location. Public Works has approved this adjustment. Action: Commissioner De Luna moved and Commissioner Dash seconded approving consent calendar items. Motion carried 5-0. Vill. PUBLIC HEARINGS Chair Campbell announced that anyone who challenges any hearing matter in court may be limited to raising only those issues he, she or someone else go 2 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 raised at the public hearing described herein, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing. Iwo A. Case No. DA/ PP/CUP 09-507 & TT- 36284, 5-Star Hotel, Applicant. Recommendation to City Council for approval of a Development Agreement, Precise Plan, Conditional use Permit, Vesting Tentative Tract Map and Mitigated Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact for a proposed 82 room hotel and a 59 unit residential condominium project with ancillary uses and amenities on ± 4.97 gross acres of currently vacant land (±4.27 acres) and to- be-vacated frontage road (± 0.7 acres) located east of Highway 74, west of Ocotillo Drive, and south of the Imago Art Gallery. The subject property address is known as 45-640 Highway 74. Chair Campbell instructed the audience about the procedure of the public hearing and asked that the speakers wait until the applicant and staff spoke. The audience then would be allowed to speak and she asked that no one be repetitious and that their comments be brief and to adhere to the 'five minute rule'. In the interest of brevity, she also asked that if anyone in the audience was speaking on behalf of a group or an HOA, that they be the spokesperson for the entire group. Principal Planner Tony Bagato orally presented his staff report and PowerPoint presentation. Mr. Bagato talked about the site and its location in reference to its Now neighbors. He mentioned that the site slopes 28' from south to north. The site was originally approved for a hotel (that was built before the City was incorporated and was demolished in 1983]. Another 3-story, 248-room hotel was approved for the site, but was never built. The zoning that has been in place since the 1980's is PC-4/ Resort Commercial. Mr. Bagato briefly showed the landscaping plan. It showed that there would be three driveways; all could be accessed from Highway 74, none from Ocotillo. The driveway to the north (closest to El Paseo) would be for service only. The other two drives would be for guests/residents of the hotel and condominiums. He showed some renderings of the existing property and how it would look with those drives installed. There would be left-in turns permitted from the center lane of Highway 74. Mr. Bagato then talked about the parking for the hotel: much of the parking would be underground in a parking garage. He mentioned that the trash enclosure would also be underground—as approved by Burrtec. The hotel itself would be two buildings in horseshoe shaped configurations. The middle entrance would guide traffic into the complex between the two buildings where the valet service would be for arriving guests. Mr. Bagato showed a rendering of the site with the frontage road missing as designed by the applicants and 3 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 endorsed by the City's Public Works Department. Mr. Bagato mentioned that the setbacks for the buildings are between 40' and 50' from Highway 74 (with no frontage road as part of the proposal). �'M+ The hotel will have 82 rooms and 59 condominiums—that can be sold or rented as part of the hotel package. The condominiums can be rented back to the hotel if they are not in use by the owner. There will also be meeting rooms, an antique shop, a signature restaurant and indoor/outdoor lounges and a pool on the roof (3rd floor) for residents and a pool for guests on the ground floor. The parking proposed will be a total of 376 stalls (underground with two levels both underground). An alternative solution proposed would have been to have one level of underground parking that would hold 233 stalls and off-site parking that would hold up to 210 spaces. The decision was to have the parking be completely on-site including employee parking. Valet parking would be managed by the hotel and would be available to everyone twenty-four hours per day. Mr. Bagato discussed traffic impacts on the area. He stated that the traffic report showed that the hotel would only add about 72 additional cars per hour on the road during peak travel time. Staff reviews of the study showed that this is a less-than-significant impact to traffic on Highway 74 and doesn't warrant a traffic signal. Mr. Bagato wanted to state what the zoning ordinance said about height, since there seemed to be an issue with height in that area. He wanted to clarify that the code states that height of a structure is measured vertically from an average grade. The building was purposely designed to have the highest element on its northern end away from the residences at the south end. The average height of the 3rd story roof is 35' which is in compliance with the ordinance. There is a parapet that goes over that by 3'. Part of the 4th story would be permitted under a development agreement at 50'. The overall average height is within the height requirement. This same standard was used to measure Westfield Mall and the El Paseo Gardens (both tiered buildings, like the proposed hotel) as well. View analysis studies were completed to show the impact the structure would have on the neighborhood once built. Balloons and photo studies were used to show what the height would be when the hotel was completed. The landscaping was inserted on some of these simulations in order to show what the view would be from a driving height driving down Highway 74, as well as standing in a courtyard in Sandpiper, and on a nearby sidewalk on El Paseo. The 4th floor of the hotel would be set back 45' from Highway 111 in addition to the setbacks already in place to assure it would be hidden as much as possible. Not 4 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2011 Mr. Bagato showed some slides of what the original proposal would have looked like so the Commission could compare it to what was proposed. The r•• hotel use for the property was always supported by staff, but the massing was too great to be endorsed at a staff level. Over time, staff and the applicant received some letters of opposition and considered as many of them as possible in the renderings of the new proposal—the finished product which is being portrayed tonight. The property was reduced in size twice, once by about 30,000 square feet and once again by 12,000 square feet for a total reduction of 42,000 square feet. The ARC approved the new design on July 13, 2010. Mr. Bagato mentioned that there were a few more letters of opposition received just before this meeting for an overall total of about 25 and nearly 350 letters received in favor of the project and one letter from Mr. David Austin of Imago Art Gallery who said that he would no longer oppose the hotel (nor did he say he would support it). In conclusion, staff supports the applicant's request to develop the hotel at this site as it conforms to the zoning. The applicant has also offered to modify their working plan to accommodate as many of the nearby residents with their concerns during the construction of the hotel. The findings for approval and all supporting documentation are included in the packet. Mr. Bagato offered to answer any questions. Commissioner De Luna wanted to state for the record that there were 400 letters in favor of and 40 opposed. She wanted to state that some of the letters' authors were the same—where the same person authored a different letter; thereby reducing the `opposition' numbers by about 19. Commissioner Tanner asked about the parking. He asked what kind of staffing will be needed for the hotel, since employees will also have to park on-site. Mr. Bagato stated that he contacted other Rosewood hotels around the country and they keep about 100-150 employees on staff. Commissioner Tanner's concern was that there wasn't enough parking for employees and residents and hotel guests. Commissioner Limont stated for the record that she received two phone calls about the hotel. She wanted to ask staff, though, about the height. If she were standing on the north side looking at the building, is that the 60' height calculation or is that the 47' calculation? Mr. Bagato indicated the tallest point by pointing to the map on the screen. Commissioner Dash wanted a brief explanation of the terms `setback' and `massing'. Mr. Bagato stated that the term massing is the building itself: how much room will it take in existence. The term 'setback' is how far the building is 5 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 `set back' from the face-of-curb, or a roadway or similar. He pointed to a few renderings on the overhead presentation to illustrate. err Hearing no further questions of staff, Chair Campbell asked the applicant to come forward. She declared the public hearing open. Matt Joblon, 9355 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210, greeted the Commission. He began by giving an overview of the project and how the desert needed its first 5-star hotel. Their research indicated that there is major wealth within a two hour radius of the desert, but currently there is no 5-star retreat for these people to come to, in the Coachella Valley. Mr. Joblon stated that his company has worked diligently with the neighbors to come to a workable agreement that would alleviate their concerns, but also keep the integrity of the 5-star status of the hotel. The applicant held over 200 meetings with City staff, interested members of the community and various businesses. Mr. Joblon introduced the architect for the project, Richard Revere of Rote' Studio, 515 S. Flower 7th Floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90071, began by talking about the site itself. Mr. Revere stated that he visited the desert quite a bit and tried to incorporate the desert elements: the vast sky, the expanse of the sun and etc. into the design of the building. In the project style, he wanted to portray a large `landmark image' while blending in the small, hospitable style of the retreat aspect of the desert. Mr. Revere mentioned that adding much landscaping, shutters, and over-hangs helped to keep a modest and `cool' feel. Also using an 'indoor/outdoor' functionality by woo opening up the buildings to the courtyards helped keep the space open and beautiful. Mr. Joblon came back to the podium and talked about the grassroots informational program and how the firm went door-to-door to talk with the various HOA's that would immediately be affected. He also mentioned that the applicant employed various methods of media to get the word out and bring interested parties to `the table' to discuss the pros and cons of this project. Their first sets of meetings were with the Ocotillo HOA. The HOA asked for very specific resolutions to their issues: no access to the hotel from Ocotillo, massing had to be oriented away from Ocotillo, landscaping had to be incorporated on the Ocotillo side of the project well and, finally, no nighttime noise from the hotel. These conditions were placed before the applicant and they worked together to incorporate these requests along with the criteria that would make the hotel a 5-star destination: no room could face Highway 74, the rooms had to be over a certain square footage to be considered luxury, and the resort had to be a quiet, artistic retreat. Mr. Joblon, after going door-to-door, discovered that the majority of the Sandpiper community were in favor of the project but weren't sure about certain ..r 6 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21�2011 aspects of it. The goal was to reach out to as many people as possible to get their input and that was accomplished. Over 10,000 fliers were sent to residents in the area, including Sandpiper, El Paseo, Ocotillo and similar neighborhoods, and COD. Dr. Jerry Patton announced that the Hospitality Program at the college would support this endeavour as long as some of the students would be able to work or intern at the hotel. In the end, the massing was cut down, the parapet was re-oriented and impact to views taken into consideration in order to make it as pleasing to the majority of Palm Desert residents as possible. Mr. Joblon showed some `before-and-after' slides of what the hotel would have looked like with no changes made as it was originally proposed and what it will look like after making all of the changes requested by neighbors. Mr. Joblon also showed statistics of what other entities, had they been approved there, would have impacted the area: A fast food restaurant would have nearly doubled the traffic counts. Had the hotel that was approved in the late 1980's been built, it would have doubled traffic counts and been slightly taller[based on what was approved at that time]. Mr. Joblon wanted to illustrate how hard the applicant worked with all interested parties to make this a world-class project. Mr. Joblon pointed out that the entrance to the north (toward El Paseo) is for service/freight only. The second entrance is for arriving guests and the final entrance is a private one for the residents. The hotel will have valet parking only and a management company will manage the valet twenty-four hours per day. Mr. Joblon commented that this hotel would probably generate over$2 million in annual revenue and over 250 permanent jobs, nearly 150 non-permanent construction jobs for a $125 million total impact to the community. Mr. Joblon pointed out that each condominium would lease/sell for nearly $2 million and this would significantly impact nearby property values and add foot traffic to El Paseo. The applicant plans to use as many local contractors and as much local talent as practically possible for the construction and operation of this hotel. Rosewood recently partnered with a high-end, luxury Asian hospitality company. Asia is a booming market for high-end travel and travelers and this is a wonderful opportunity to bring those travelers here to the desert via the Rosewood brand. This hotel will differentiate Palm Desert from other cities in the Coachella Valley. Mr. Joblon wanted to point out a typical case study identifying why this hotel would work, when the Ritz Carlton, in Rancho Mirage, did not. The Ritz Carlton has failed three times in the past few years because it is a 240 room hotel in a seasonal market. The fixed overhead drained money during the off-season and firing/hiring staff proved very difficult and unheard of for a luxury hotel. The Ritz had smaller rooms and lower ceilings which gave an unfriendly feel to the space. That project also had a lack of identity; they would tout large, 7 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 luxurious meeting spaces and offer cheap room-rates during the week and then charge over $400 for the weekend for the same small rooms. The corridors were built in a maze and were not easily negotiable. The key point was that there seemed to be no `connection' to the desert—the butler service staff were dressed in very formal wear (top hats/tails) in over 100F heat and it just didn't match the desert surroundings. The Rosewood project is different: larger rooms, and meeting spaces, 10' ceilings, clear identity and the building and the staff would match their surroundings. The hotel is designed to be connected to the desert as if it had been there for 100 years without looking old, like it had been there for 100 years. Mr. Joblon mentioned that the team that would be outfitting the design, opening and building of this hotel has done this for other 5-star hotels around the world: in Italy, New York, Beverly Hills, and Chile to name a few. Mr. Joblon summed up by saying that his team has worked very hard to listen to everyone involved: the City, the residents/neighbors and the Rosewood brand in order to bring the first 5-star hotel to the desert. He offered to answer any questions. Commissioner Limont began by asking if this would be LEED registered. Mr. Joblon stated that they were registered, but they do not know at what level they would be certified. He opined that it would be `basic'. Commissioner Dash offered his compliments to the applicant and wanted to know about the ingress of the service road and how that might tie up traffic. He noted that semis turning at such a short radius and with valet parking only at the hotel, which would increase the traffic snarl that he envisions, would happen. He wanted to know what the hotel would do about that, especially when there is no frontage road for deceleration into the hotel coming from the south, down the grade, or from the north turning into the service entrance. Mr. Joblon stated that the hotel would schedule service deliveries very early in the morning or late at night and would not affect traffic as much at those times. Regarding the main entrance, where the valet is located, the rule for any 5-star hotel is: if one must wait longer than one or two minutes, then one would be a VERY dissatisfied client and would not return to that hotel. Therefore, the valet staff would be many and be trained to retrieve and park cars quickly and efficiently. The staffing needs will be anticipated before a large event so as to mitigate any traffic snarls. Mr. Joblon pointed out that if the hotel needed to (for example) have 20 valet staff to handle just one event, then that is what the hotel would do. The hotel management are `experts' in this line of business because they are 5-star and expected to be `experts' at traffic mitigation and efficient parking for their guests. He mentioned that driving from the south, down the grade, there is a curb-cut at the last entrance that will help slow the traffic ingress. The hotel has verbally promised Ocotillo not to use their road for ..r 8 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2011 access and that is a promise they intend to keep. As a secondary measure, the residents' entrance (Sd entrance) can be used as a back-up valet entrance should the need arise. He wanted to reiterate to the Commission that a 5-star hotel does not generate the same traffic volumes that a Marriott or a Motel 6 does, and the traffic studies show that traffic would be of very minimal impact. Commissioner De Luna wanted to know more about this secondary valet location. Mr. Joblon stated that if there is an `issue' in the middle entrance (main entrance), then extra staff and driveway can be used to minimize any problems. The same valet company that manages the hotel guests also will manage the residents' entrance (3rd entrance) and they will have a plan of action in place should this need ever arise. (Spoken words off microphone). Chair Campbell asked for the name of the gentleman speaking since he contributed comments: Dale Yonton with Nadel Architects, 1990 S. Bundy Dr., Los Angeles. Commissioner Tanner asked about signage at the hotel and if the applicant had talked with the City about their requirements. Mr. Joblon stated that many conversations have taken place and a modest sign toward El Paseo would be placed alerting potential guests to the location. Commissioner Tanner asked if there would be signalization for any of the drives. Mr. Joblon stated that the City decided that no signalization would be justified due to such minimal traffic impacts. Commissioner Limont asked what the two tall objects were in the courtyards at the hotel, what are the materials that they are made of? Mr. Revere stated that they are columnar water features—a quasi-artistic experience designed to combine concrete, water and other materials that can add to the entrance. Commissioner Limont wanted to know how the hotel will be lit. Would there be up-lighting or landscaping lighting? Mr. Revere stated that all lighting would be muted: landscaping light, fountain light and any facade lighting would be subdued and indirect. Commissioner Limont also wanted to know about the westerly facing windows and how the hotel would minimize the sun impact to keep the building cool and not reflect the sun into the neighbors' yards. Mr. Revere stated that they studied this intensively and found that the shutters, the overhang (nearly a 12' overhang), tinted glass, and landscaping will keep the reflectivity to a minimum. Commissioner Dash wanted to know more about the pool on the roof. He wanted to know if that was going to be a huge noise problem. Mr. Joblon stated that Palm Desert has a very strict noise ordinance and the hotel will abide by those codes. He also stated that the residents that live in the $2million residences are not there to have parties, but are there to relax and enjoy serenity of a 5-star experience. He alluded to these residents not permitting that kind of noise themselves. 9 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 Hearing no other questions, Chair Campbell asked the applicant if he had anyone else he wanted to present to the Commission. Seeing none, she began the open forum and asked only those individuals who were in favor of the project to come forward to speak. Mr. David Fletcher and Mr. Fred Fern came forward. Mr. Fletcher, Chartwell Properties and a businessman on El Paseo, 73061 El Paseo Ste. 200, stated that he had high expectations for El Paseo and introduced Fred Fern who also strongly supports the project. He stated that El Paseo strongly needs an influx of new customers and a 5-star hotel will deliver that, while delivering increase in sales dollars and tax dollars for the City. He wanted all people of Palm Desert, even those opposed, to look at this hotel through `rose colored glasses'. Mr. Wayne Sharp, 73920 Grapevine, has been here for over 50 years and has seen many changes to the desert. He stated that property is perfect for a hotel because most other types of businesses wouldn't work due to traffic patterns, but a hotel would be great. He also is semi-representing Monterey Country Club after talking with many of his friends there and they are all in favor of this project. Ms. Barbara DeBoom, Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce CEO, stated that the Board of Directors who represents merchants and restaurants alike voted unanimously in favor of this project. Mrs. Mary Helen Kelly, 56800 Burroweed Ln, stated that her and her late husband moved to the desert in the late 1950's and it has been home ever since. He used to say that you can either move forward or backward but never just stay still and she wants Palm Desert to move forward. She noted that this hotel will make that happen and will help support our City services that we hold dear. Mr. Maurice Levenoff, 45325 Sage Ln, said he read about the hotel in the news paper. He listened and was 'wowed' by the project. He owns condominiums nearby and has heard all of his concerns alleviated about traffic and design and hopes that the Commission will vote in favor of this project. Mr. Cal Butler, General Manager of Marrakesh Country Club, spoke in favor of the project. He has stayed at a Rosewood Hotel before and spoke very highly of the experience. He speaks for Marrakesh and asks for a vote in favor of the project. Ms. Nancy Biles, 45830 Ocotillo, spoke in favor of the project. She and her fellow members have been told and had their concerns alleviated about the use of their road and the noise issues and are in favor of the project. am 10 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21�2011 Mr. Engin Onural, 73111 Ste. 103, El Paseo, a shop owner/sushi bar owner wanted to say that he wanted to start construction as soon as possible to bring new people to walk El Paseo and enhance Palm Desert. El Paseo has quite a few empty shops and this would be a great way to bring in more business. Ms. Lois Haskell, 72825 Laurel St. spoke saying that she and her family have lived here for 40 years and just recently she retired from over 31 years of service at the Marriott Corporation in Rancho Mirage. She said that this would be a great opportunity to bring the desert its first 5-star hotel. Ms. Mimi Jones, President of Desert Contractors Association, spoke in favor of the project since it means local jobs for local contractors. She urged the applicant to hire local contractors. Ms. Deborah Quinn, Owner of Pastry Swan Bakery, 73580 El Paseo, spoke in favor of the project as a 5-star hotel will certainly help El Paseo through the lean summer months for foot traffic. Mr. Doug Ballog, 73200 El Paseo-Real Estate developer, spoke highly in favor of the project. It would be great for the city: merchants and homeowners alike. Mr. Ed 011mann, General Manager of Westfield Palm Desert. voiced his support of this project. Seeing no one else wanting to speak in favor of the project, Chair Campbell asked those opposed to the project to come forward. Ms. Bridget Zappia, 40686 Via Fonda, came up to the lectern and spoke against the project. She applauded the standards that City officials have set and urged them to uphold those standards already in place and she didn't feel that this hotel met those standards. Ms. Jan Coffman, 363 Sandpiper, stated that she came with an intention to be in support of the project, but after hearing the presentation about the height and mass, she is now against it. She is mainly opposed to the 4th story. Mr. Bob Barton, 243 Sandpiper, spoke neutral to the project saying that his biggest and only concern was the outdoor swimming pool and that the hours should be very limited to keep the noise to a minimum. Ms. Kim Housken, 73237 Samarra, asked question of the applicant about the garage access, and will there be any self-parking allowed, and regarding setbacks of the building and why the hotel has smaller setbacks than her private residence. Her final question was about the Scenic Preservation Zone and why that wasn't given attention in the staff report. 11 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 Mr. Neal Mays, 212 Sandpiper, is a board member of their HOA and he spoke against the project. He was concerned about the water usage and sustainability of the project. He indicated that he would like to keep Palm Desert small and a retreat, not a large destination. Ms. Gail Steinart, 45480 Ocotillo, spoke as in favor of the project, but wanted the applicant to contact her directly to show her exactly what the project will look like from her front door and asked if the power lines[currently at the site] would be undergrounded. She is confident that the traffic issue has been handled. Mr. Joblon stated that he would contact her sometime that week and discuss these issues. Ms. Heidi Hanskins, 211 Sandpiper, spoke briefly about how Palm Desert is more than just El Paseo and that once this building is built it will be there forever and wants the Commission to take that into account. Mr. Craig Armstrong, 72748 Beavertail St, spoke neutrally on the project but to reiterate to the Commission that not everything about Palm Desert is Gucci, it's the weather and the quiet and desert beauty. Seeing no one else, Chair Campbell asked Mr. Joblon to come up once more to rebut anything said tonight. Mr. Joblon said that the most efficient way was to briefly answer some of the questions raised and afterward, have people talk privately with him or his firm about specifics. He mentioned that the construction ..r process would take about 24 months. They will adhere to all codes and ordnances to keep the neighbors from being disturbed. He wanted to let people know that recently, upon receiving a call from Mr. Bagato regarding dust issues, Mr. Joblon had a contractor go to the site and sprayed a sealant on the dirt to hold it in place, exemplifying that they were actively working to take care of issues as they arose. The traffic report stands for itself and doesn't need to be rehashed, the numbers are stated in the report. Mr. Joblon stated that there is no glass that will be reflective at driving level on Highway 74, and there will be a multitude of landscape to help keep the sun from being an issue to drivers and neighbors. A parking study was done and compared to other hotels of this caliber in similar zones and the results were that they will be very much `over parked': they have more parking than they are required to have. Finally, he reiterated that in order to get some approvals from nearby neighbors and STILL keep the 5-star rating for this hotel, many of the sacrifices that could be made were made in order not to deny the integrity of either side, and keep the 5-star rating. Commissioner Tanner asked how many rooms are in the 41h story. Mr. Joblon stated that those are the duplex units as part of the suites of the hotel. ■o 12 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21, 2011 Chair Campbell asked if there was anything further to add. Mr. Joblon said that his presentation was complete. With that, Chair Campbell closed the public hearing and asked for Commissioner Comments. Commissioner Limont asked staff how many rooms there are at the Marriott Desert Springs. Mr. Bagato didn't know, and Ms. Aylaian estimated that there were about 900. Commissioner Limont wanted to know what the occupancy was on those rooms. Ms. Aylaian stated that she knew the year-round occupancy, but not off-season. For the entire valley the number is about 60% and for the Marriott it was closer to the `mid sixties'. Commissioner Tanner commented that after weighing the pros and the cons and after having lived here for over 30 years, he has seen many changes in the City. He wanted to comment that the City takes the desert very seriously and complimented the applicant on working so closely with the City and the neighbors to where the hotel would be built. He is pleased to see that this will bring jobs and wants to see the hotel use local hires, not only for construction, but also for mid-management staff at the hotel. He motioned for approval. Commissioner De Luna seconded and expanded her motion by saying that the Planning Commission's task is mainly to verify that a project's use is compatible with the zone it's going into. This parcel of land was always zoned for a hotel and this conforms to that zone. She is very pleased to see such attempts on the part of the applicant to work with the neighbors to make this as pleasing as possible, but she also realizes that you can't please everyone. She realizes that partial views will be lost, but that is not a requirement of the Planning Commission nor of the City, to preserve a view. Nonetheless, the developer has worked very hard to preserve as much of the desert and its character. She said she agreed with Mary Helen Kelly and voted to move the City forward with this project. Commissioner Limont stated that she was in agreement with her colleagues on most all points. She indicated that she felt that no matter the project, the Commission should look at the use of the project and remember that Palm Desert is a destination and what causes that: not Gucci, not El Paseo, but it's the desert—the natural setting—and the Commission would be foolish to forget that with a project of this magnitude. She felt that the hotel was too large for this area. She wanted to emphasize that if this project does go forward, that Rosewood build it because it truly is a wonderful company to have here. She indicated that this project is too large for this area and will cause too much traffic and will not vote for it, unless it were to be downsized. Commissioner Dash spoke about his delight that Palm Desert keep strict codes to make it the beautiful place it is today. He indicated that his fears have been alleviated by hearing tonight's presentation about traffic and massing and noise, 13 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 and he reiterated that the applicant has been working well with the neighbors and does not wish to see that cooperation end. The hotel will bring so many advantages to Palm Desert in the form of jobs and service and was most pleased to see that Dr. Jerry Patton, President of COD indicated in a letter that this hotel could partner with COD's Hospitality program to place more qualified students in better jobs, locally. He is looking at this project for its merit to the city as a whole and sees this as a benefit and will therefore, vote in favor of it. Chair Campbell concurred with her colleagues and stated that she is in favor of this project and reminded everyone that many years ago a much larger hotel and restaurant was slated to be built on this same site and were never built, and to please imagine what kind of traffic that would have created for Highways 74. So having a smaller, 5-star hotel on the same site is certainly an asset to the City. This hotel will add revenues to the City through TOT for things that a city needs: police, fire and schools since redevelopment monies are being taken away. This hotel is a good thing and is good for the city as a whole and she, therefore, will be voting in favor of the project. Action: Commissioner Tanner moved and Commissioner De Luna seconded approving DA/PP/CUP 09-507 and TT 36284, subject to the attached conditions. Motion carried 4-1 (Commissioner Limont voting NO). Commissioner Tanner moved and Commissioner De Luna seconded adopting ..r Planning Commission Resolution No. 2554 approving DA/PP/CUP 09-507 and TT 36284, subject to the attached conditions. Motion carried 4-1 (Commissioner Limont voting NO). Chair Campbell called a five minute recess. IX. MISCELLANEOUS Villa Portofino That the Planning Commission direct staff to work with the property owners to modify the Villa Portofino Senior Housing Agreement and to develop a work program that identifies specific actions to resolve each outstanding non-compliance issue. Commissioners De Luna and Tanner recused themselves from the proceedings and exited the Council Chamber. No 14 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 Kevin Swartz, Assistant Planner, orally presented a brief staff report to the Commission. On June 10, 2011, Family Development closed escrow with City National Bank on the remaining parcels at Villa Portofino. Staff recommends that the owners continue to work with City staff on a work program that would identify and resolve outlying non-compliance issues. If the work program is not followed in a timely manner, staff will then recommend a revocation of the entitlements of the Development Agreement. Mr. Swartz offered to answer any questions. Hearing none, Chair Campbell called for a motion. Action: Commissioner Limont moved and Commissioner Dash seconded directing staff to work with the property owners to modify the Villa Portofino Senior Housing Agreement and to develop a work program that identifies specific actions to resolve each outstanding non-compliance issue. Motion carried 3-0-0-2 (Commissioners Tanner and De Luna ABSENT). Commissioners Tanner and De Luna re-entered the Council Chamber. X. COMMITTEE MEETING UPDATES .. A. ART IN PUBLIC PLACES COMMISSION Commissioner Campbell stated that there was no meeting last week; the meeting was moved to tomorrow. B. LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE Commissioner Limont mentioned that there was no meeting; the next meeting will be in July. C. PARKS & RECREATION Commissioner Tanner said that the Aquatic Center grand opening would be held Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 10 a.m. and said it would be a 'splash'. D. PROJECT AREA 4 COMMITTEE Commissioner Dash indicated that the meeting was Monday, June 20, 2011, and reviewed a video of the Palm Desert Country Club Executive Golf Course. He stated that it had fallen out of escrow and was now on the open market. There were some questions about what the City of Palm Desert could do, if anything. The other item discussed was Carlos Ortega Villas. vow 15 MINUTES PALM DESERT PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 21 2011 XI. COMMENTS Ms. Aylaian informed the Commissioners that the next meeting is slated ..� for July 5, 2011, and asked if the Commissioners were going to be present. Commissioner Limont stated that she would not be present for that meeting but would be available for July 19, 2011. Commissioner Tanner said he thought he might not be in town, but would check his calendar. He stated that he thought it might be better to hold things over until the 19tn if that were possible. Mr. Bagato stated that there were just a few CUP's that would be on the agenda for July. Chair Campbell stated that she would be here (as did Commissioners Dash and De Luna) but that there would be a quorum and the 5tn would be ok with her. Mr. Bagato said that word would be sent to the Commission about whether or not there would be a meeting for July 5tn XII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Campbell motioned for adjournment of the meeting, Commissioner De Luna seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 8:24 pm. LAURI AYLAIAN, Secretary ATTEST: SONIA MAMPBELL, Chair Palm Desert Planning Commission /tb .rr 16