HomeMy WebLinkAboutInitiate Amendment of Hillside Planned Residential DsitrictCITY OF PALM DESERT
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor And City Council
FROM: Phil Drell, Director of Community Development
DATE: December 14, 2006
REQUEST: Initiation of Amendment to Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 25.15 Hillside
Planned Residential District.
I. RECOMMENDATION:
By minute motion initiate amendments to Chapter 25.15 relating to public hearing
notification, building size and lot coverage, and ridge top development as proposed in the
following discussion.
II. DISCUSSION:
The review of recent hillside home cases revealed the need to amend the current
ordinance in the areas of public notice, home size limitation for lots approved prior to the
2004 code amendment and the regulation of development on ridge tops.
1. Public Notices:
The existing citywide public notice procedure involves publishing in the Desert Sun
and mailing to property owners within 300 feet of the project perimeter. In the
Hagadone case, notices were not sent to Ironwood residents since they were
1,400 feet from the project. While the 300-foot standard is adequate in most
cases, line of sight characteristics of hillside homes require a unique formula.
The proposed amendment would require a detailed graphic line of sight analysis in
all directions. The noticing area would extend a specified distance (i.e. 500-1,000,
etc.) beyond the first developed residence within the line of sight area. HOA's
would automatically get noticed. The attached aerial photo of the
Bighorn/Ironwood area illustrates which residents would have been notified for the
Hagadone house depending on varying distances. Since notifying everyone within
the line of sight could involve the entire city, it is recommended that the 1,000-foot
distance plus associated HOA's be adopted as a reasonable compromise.
Prepared by:
Philip Drell
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.
December 14, 2006
2. Building Size Limitation:
The hillside lots within the Canyons at Bighorn were approved and graded
pursuant to the pre-2004 Hillside Ordinance that allowed for larger pads in excess
of 30,000 square feet in areas with moderate slopes. There were no specific
house size limitations other than the constraints of pad size and architectural
review. The current code limits total building area including garages and
accessory structures to 4,000 square feet based on 40% coverage of the
maximum disturbed pad area of 10,000 square feet. The 4,000 square foot
limitation is consistent with the R-1 coverage standards that range from 30% to
50%.
The proposed amendment would restore the relationship between pad and house
size for existing lots approved and graded under the old code. These lots would
be subject to the standard R-1 coverage limitation of 35% up to 50% with
Architectural Review Commission approval. The City Council could call up cases
as necessary. These homes would not need to apply for size exceptions pursuant
to the current section 25.25.030D. Any request to enlarge an existing pad would
trigger the exception provision and associated public hearing process.
3. Ridge Top Development:
Most of the City's hillside areas involve ridge tops or steep canyons. It would be
difficult to prohibit all ridge development without encouraging extensive grading of
steep slopes. Obtrusive ridge top development can be discouraged by adding the
following specific language to 25.25.010.
Purpose: Development on or across prominent ridges shall be
discouraged. To the greatest practical extent, grading shall preserve
existing ridgelines. Pad elevations and architectural design shall be set so
that rooflines are not visible above ridgelines.
ZITY COUNCIL 1j.TI0N:
APPROVED, ✓ DENIED,
RECEIVED__ .. OTHER .
'EETIiG DATE
AYES:rEf
NOES:
Director of Community Development ABSENT • ,
ABSTAIN: "W
Reviewe• . nd Appr rd by: VERIFIED BY: V-L14 //",%YY 1
Original on File with City
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Homer Croy
ACM for Deve ment Services
G:\Planning\Tonya Monroe\wpdocs\JANINE-P\Drell SR 061201.doc
Carlos Orteg
City Manager
Page 2 of 2
Clerk's Office
Page 1 of 1
Klassen, Rachelle
From: Lawrence Sutter [Iarrysutter@earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 9:36 AM
To: rspiegel@ci-palm-desert.ca.us
Cc: Klassen, Rachelle
Subject: Comments on Changes to Hillside Ordinance
Dear Bob,
Thank you very much for your call requesting our comments on the proposed amendments to the Hillside Ordinance. Since
you are out of the office, I thought I would send this email reply.
Item 1 Public Notices -- I think this is a very reasonable approach and support the idea.
Item 2 Building Size Limitation -- We care less about home size, but do care greatly about what is visible to valley residents.
Therefore, the planning department's recommended changes are not objectionable.
Item 3 Ridge Top Development -- I do not understand the rationale behind the wording in this paragraph, especially "It would
be difficult to prohibit all ridge development without encouraging extensive grading of steep slopes." And, I do not understand
the sentence, "Development on or across prominent ridges shall be discouraged."
We would like to be explicit in the amended ordinance and insure that any ridge line development NOT be allowed in the scope
of the ordinance, not just "discouraged." Perhaps there are technical reasons for the recommended wording. The present
wording is worrisome. Perhaps I am missing something.
I do like the wording in this section not allowing rooflines to be visible above ridgelines. This is clearly stated.
So, all looks fine except Section 3. Ridge Top Development. We would like to see such development clearly not allowed, not
just "discouraged." I would appreciate knowing the rationale behind the recommended wording in 3. Ridge Top Development.
Thank you for soliciting our inputs. We in Ironwood are appreciative of you and the council being so proactive on this very
important matter. I am available throughout the holidays if needed.
Best,
Larry Sutter
Board Member, Ironwood Master Association
President, Ironwood Homeowners Association VII
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12/14/2006
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