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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-12-05MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE (CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO, PALM DESERT CAMPUS) (UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE) Friday, December 5, 2003 8:30 a.m. City of Palm Desert - Civic Center Administrative Services Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Tschopp convened the meeting at 8:39 a.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Excused Absence: Councilman Buford A. Crites Mayor Jean M. Benson Councilman Jim Ferguson Councilman Richard S. Kelly Mayor Pro Tem Robert A. Spiegel David DeMauro, Vice President for Administration & Finance, CSUSB Fred Jandt, Dean, Palm Desert Campus, CSUSB C. Michael Webster, Vice Chancellor, Administration, UCR Terry Green, Assistant Dean, Desert Programs, UCR David Tschopp, Committee Chair Also Present: Carlos L. Ortega, City Manager/RDA Executive Director Justin McCarthy, ACM for Redevelopment Mark Greenwood, City Engineer Philip Drell, Director of Community Development David Yrigoyen, Director of Redevelopment Michael Tracey, Interim Assoc. Vice President, Development, CSUSB Hamid Azhand, Interim Dir., Capital Planning, Design and Construction, CSUSB Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk 111. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. MINUTES of the Meeting of April 23, 2002. DECEMBER 5, 2003 Upon a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Spiegel, second by Councilman Crites, and unanimous vote of the Committee, the Minutes were approved as presented. V. NEW BUSINESS A. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY. SAN BERNARDINO David DeMauro Vice President DeMauro provided a slide show presentation, showing work completed and in progress on the Palm Desert Campus, and the following aspects were highlighted. Mary Stuart Rogers Building (Building No. 1) serving the campus well. — About 1,000 students currently on the two campuses (College of the Desert facilities and the new campus). — Completion of the Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence (Building No. 2) will allow the COD facilities to be closed. The theater/lecture hall will serve larger classes by September 2004. — 15 degree programs and 1,600 alumni, growing each year. — Student Composition: 42% Hispanic; 80% Female; 80% Working Full-time; Average Age 36; 55% Graduate Students; 45% Undergraduates; 90% from Community Colleges; 50% Enrollment is Liberal Studies (common forteaching). — Looked forward to continuing to complement COD offerings. In this semester, CSUSB-PD classrooms accommodated some COD classes due to an unexpected closure of classrooms. — Collectively working with UCR on ways to combine activities, such as: bookstore, library materials, security, parking, and maintenance programs that will help provide economic benefits for both. — Distance Learning Classrooms being utilized, not only with the San Bernardino campus but with other universities like Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Pomona, or other campuses. Palm Desert also originates some of these offerings. — Working with UCR and the Berger Foundation to bring Internet 2 connections to the PD campus. Will enable faster, clearer, and more accurate services. — Students report receiving excellent services. — Information Resource Center (modern library), not only resources on hand but also electronic access to information worldwide. Students are provided 24/7 access to specialized databases from their homes. Information Resource Center is open to the public and with a nominal fee (approx. $25), can get the 2 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE DECEMBER 5, 2003 same access as students. Campus is wireless, although hard wire connections are faster. Joint Campus Technology Committee working on technology solutions (i.e., high-speed wireless), would welcome City representation. Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence (Building No. 2) — $9 million budget (gifts from City of Indian Wells, $5 million; Annenberg Foundation, $3 million; Berger Foundation, $1 million). — Revised schedule, about six months behind anticipated timetable, with challenging obstacles that delayed construction start until July 2003. — 20% complete presently, with finish expected July 2004; classes to begin September 2004. — Had hoped for a bond initiative on March ballot for capital funds for the necessary equipment; however, appears it will be delayed at least until November. Have been working with Chancellor's Office in Long Beach to get interim financing for equipment, which they understand is a top priority. — Building is approximately 24,000 square feet. — Accommodates approximately 447 FTE students. — 30 self -instructional computer stations. — Provides some lower division laboratory space and six faculty offices. Goal to attract more permanent faculty on campus full-time. — 300-seat Multi -Use Facility (large lecture hall/theater), which can also be utilized by community groups based upon established University procedures. — Sculpture Plaza Working with Palm Springs Desert Museum to design an area in the Indian Wells Center for Educational Excellence that will be very accessible, where people will gather or walk through, to display five or six pieces of art. Have even modified some of the lighting design in the plaza to best accommodate the artwork. Exact details on the pieces to be placed can be obtained from Vice President DeMauro or Dean Jandt. — Theater/Lecture Hall with large entryway, facilities to support whole theater activity to come later. — 1st Floor includes six faculty offices, areas to provide student services, 24-station science lab, and administrative support. — 2nd Floor includes 26-station behavioral science lab and four classrooms of 30 stations each. — 3rd Floor has computer lab with 20 stations, advanced computer lab of 30 stations, one classroom for 26 students, and a seminar room for 20 students. — When completed, this facility will enable the campus to serve almost all of its enrollment at this location, while still working with COD and a few other locations to accommodate the balance of needed classrooms. 3 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE DECEMBER 5, 2003 — Construction going well; very pleased with the general contractor and subcontractors, masonry contractor of particular note. — With completion of the Center, will add 150-250 parking spaces; has been a challenge to accommodate the many student vehicles. Will also provide additional development of Berger Drive, which will eventually have a center median and two lanes on the opposite side. Majority of the spaces will be across from Berger Circle, consistent with one of the planning design elements in order to keep the parking away from Cook Street and keep it more attractive. There will be some area for drop-off parking and some handicap accessible spaces close to the building. Phase III (Building No. 31 — Capital Campaign getting good start to raise another approximately $9 million, hopefully, yet this season. — This building would be located further south along Cook Street. — Not yet designed until monies are raised to hire the architects to prepare the schematic designs, which will be brought back to the Committee for consideration. View Corridor — Have contracted with Ron Gregory to work with faculty and students from COD to provide a schematic design, to be reviewed by the Committee. — Raising money to construct the project. — May be divided into one, two, or three different projects, with the first being to dress up the corner of Frank Sinatra/Cook Street. University Park Planning Area — University Planning Staff has been working with City Staff for development that will occur across the street from the campus; working on alignment of Berger Drive with the street that will go into the new area. — Outstanding communication between City and University staff. Responding to question by Councilman Crites, Dean Jandt said CSU would like to discuss a presence at a permanent COD Eastern Valley Center if it was instituted. Vice President DeMauro added that CSUSB worked with a number of community colleges throughout San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to provide outreach to students. Upon inquiry by Councilman Ferguson regarding the balance of the University's undeveloped120 acres, Vice President DeMauro said interim uses of various sorts had been discussed, including a recent idea that may include something like a conference center, which was very preliminary and officials would want to come back 4 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE DECEMBER 5, 2003 to discuss further. He noted that the existing agreement provided for interim uses that may end up constructing facilities that could later be transferred to the University as the student population grows. They felt there were several opportunities like that, which they'd like to talk about with the City. He said throughout California the demand to serve students outstrips resources, especially in the Riverside and San Bernardino areas that are growing so rapidly. In further response, he said that eventually on -campus student housing would be necessary. They've had preliminary discussions with developers who might be willing to come onto sites like this and, at their expense and risk, build student housing and facilities, which would take the risk off the University and achieve services for students. He noted that the Master Plan for the campus included student housing. In answer to Councilman Crites, Vice President DeMauro said ground has been broken on a project with a private developer, developed and financed at their risk, on private land across the street from the San Bernardino Campus. The University has an option to purchase the facility for a guaranteed maximum price, or it can be affiliated with the developer in order to provide student housing, limited to CSUSB students. Therefore, he said in answer to the latter part of the question, it would not be opened up to non -students. He said a feasibility study that included a market study demonstrated that the potential demand was there to rent out the units. He said that prompted officials to look at the Palm Desert Campus as well. He added that it was their feeling the Palm Desert area should be very attractive to students from out of the area; they foresee it being a "destination campus," which will require student housing. Responding to Councilman Ferguson's inquiry about locating a community aquatic facility through the YMCA, Vice President DeMauro said the YMCA had not contacted the University yet, but they would welcome such a discussion. B. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE C. Michael Webster Vice Chancellor Webster recalled for the Committee that UCR had both Phases I and II in development simultaneously, which had probably cost about eight or nine months' construction time. The projects were bid about six months ago and all bids were rejected in the first solicitation. After some value engineering and restructuring of the projects, UCR went back out to bid and came in under budget on both. The Chancellor approved the bids, the State Department of Finance has approved the bid structure on the revenue bond, and they've started working with the contractors; construction to begin on December 9. Grading was scheduled to continue through mid -January, utility undergounding to be completed by February, concrete work completed by mid -April, steel shell to go up late April or early May, walls and roofing to be completed in early fall, sidewalks/parking lot/landscaping 5 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE DECEMBER 5, 2003 completed by early December 2004. He said they expected to begin commissioning the two buildings in March 2005, first instruction to begin late spring 2005, with a full array of programs to go in Fall 2005. Vice Chancellor Webster went on to explain that one of the major issues they dealt with was the coordination of funding —Mr. Heckmann's gift was sufficient to construct the building, and the City made a $2 million loan to complete the $8 million project; but there was no money for equipment or furnishings. However, he was extremely pleased to report that even in these tough budget times, the UC Chancellor had allocated $1.2 million for fully furnishing and equipping both buildings with the latest technology and capacity. Assistant Dean Green would be overseeing the furnishing and equipping of the buildings. He further reported that they were in the process of hiring an executive director for UCR-Palm Desert, expected to be completed by mid -Spring 2004. He said this position would report directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor Provost, the chief academic officer on campus; the majority of the programs would be offered under the direction of the Executive Director, as well as under the Graduate School of Management. He said the new Dean, Rajiv Banker, will be here January 1 from the University of Texas, Austin, noting he was very strong in entrepreneurial studies and would be playing a major part in programmatic development of the center. Upon inquiry, Vice Chancellor Webster said UCR was working with the City Manager's Office to arrange a ceremony to officially break ground and celebrate commencement of construction on the project. He said they particularly wanted to recognize the partnership between the City, its Redevelopment Agency, and Cal State that made their project possible. In response to Councilman Ferguson, Assistant Dean Green explained the core focus would be entrepreneurial management. He noted that they were finding the principles of entrepreneurialship apply to other disciplines, such as arts administration for operating theaters, cultural centers, museums, or dance companies, for which they've been conducting discussions with the McCallum Theatre and Palm Springs Desert Museum for possible internship sites. It's also possible that people like Ted Giatas will serve as adjunct faculty in the program. He said medical management was another area where entrepreneurialship could be applied. The entrepreneurial management core would be marketed both nationally and internationally, noting that UCR already had established some relationships with universities in the Far East and in Europe, and some of the degree programs would be linked with those other programs abroad. He pointed out that they were excited about an entrepreneurialship degree package being developed by UCR's science and engineering faculty —possibly a Master of Science or a Master of Advanced Study 6 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE DECEMBER 5, 2003 degree —aimed at students and recent graduates coming out of engineering and science majors who have a desire to start up new businesses or are already working in companies and need this type of focus. He said they would be working with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) and other strategies already in place as a catalyst to create some new technology -related ventures, as well as some other specialty programs appropriate for the Desert and that complement existing programs. He said they had a number of patents and a solid program in engineering in some specialty institutes (i.e., nanotechnology) where discoveries are being made, but the bridge between them and business needed fostering. A Research Park has been developed adjacent to the Riverside Campus with a Center for Technology Development, specializing in taking innovations out of UC labs and linking them to business. It will be extended to the Palm Desert operation, and representatives felt it would also be appropriate for collaboration with the CSU facility here. He and Dean Jandt meet regularly to discuss these possibilities, and he commented that as developments occur, they would be reported here. Vice Chancellor Webster echoed the comments made by Vice President DeMauro that working with City/Redevelopment Agency staff was a true pleasure, and he noted the professionalism shown was second to none. He said the outcome would show that the project was worth all the effort. C. CSUSB/UCR COOPERATIVE PROJECTS David DeMauro/Michael Webster • Alignment of Berger Drive • Shared services and facilities • Development of view corridor • Internet2/CENIC capabilities Vice President DeMauro stated his part of this presentation had been incorporated in the report given under New Business Item A, above. Vice Chancellor Webster said along with their two projects, UCR will be fully developing Berger Circle the entire length of their project. He said that will enable movement off Frank Sinatra Drive through UCR's property along Berger Circle into Cal State's property. He noted that he and Vice President DeMauro were co-chairing a Joint Operation Oversight Committee that looks at all the issues of parking, security, maintenance, using the same engineers for the parking lot and development of the Circle to ensure a seamless transition between the institutions. Vice President DeMauro commented that CSUSB's Master Architect William Shum had accepted a position with San Jose State and was in the process of making that move. He introduced Hamid Azhand, who had been the Associate Director of 7 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE DECEMBER 5, 2003 Capital Planning and Development, now the Interim Director. Mr. Azhand had been with the San Bernardino Campus for some 10 years and was very familiar with the Palm Desert Campus after working on several of its projects. Vice President DeMauro went on to note that one of the projects Mr. Azhand worked on was the small block building north of the Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway Building. He said many had asked about it —it contained the campus telecommunications equipment in a controlled environment. The facility will also connect the UCR campus, noting it was one example of the cooperative efforts. He said the conduits will be run along Berger Circle to be sure the hard wiring capabilities are in place for Internet 2 and any other advances beyond. He went on to talk about CENIC, a non- profit organization established by the University of California and the California State University, Community Colleges, and others in order to put together the latest technology to connect campuses. He said currently it was hard wire in the form of fiber optic cable and equipment; it was also a think-tank working on the latest technologies, like updating with wireless. CENIC representatives have been on the campus and closely involved in the developments there; it is CSU's intent to keep state of the art technology in all of its facilities. Responding to question, the Universities' officials affirmed that at this time, Palm Desert was the only campus where CSU and UC are neighbors. Chairman Tschopp complimented all the Committee Members for their tremendous efforts and cooperation, foreseeing that this would be the model for communities and institutions to follow in the future. He looked forward to the benefits that will be derived by the entire area. With Committee concurrence, it was determined that meetings should be scheduled semiannually. The next meeting, therefore, would be scheduled for mid -May 2004. Upon inquiry, Assistant Dean Green responded that although there have been some personnel changes and the frequency of the meetings has been low, there was still a Committee consisting of senior leadership from the three institutions --the President of COD, Executive Vice Chancellor of UCR, Dean at CSU, and Vice Chancellor of CSU—and he and Dean Jandt also participated to provide continuity. He said their last meeting was in September to provide introductions of the new people and establish a basis for moving forward. Dean Jandt reminded members that the Topping -Out Ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, at 10:00 a.m. 8 MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE PALM DESERT CITY COUNCIL SITTING AS MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE VI. ADJOURNMENT DECEMBER 5, 2003 There being no further business or discussion, and with the concurrence of the Committee, Chairman Tschopp adjourned the meeting at 9:38 a.m. ATTEST: C. DAVID TSCHOPP, CHAIRI/1 7 RA HELLE D. LASSEN, CITY CLERK/SECRETARY CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA/ UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE 9