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Home My WebLink AboutSR 12/13/07 - C26960 - Lndscaping/Screening of PD Mobile Estates CITY OF PALM DESERT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Authorization to negotiate an agreement and solicit bids to provide a landscape buffer between the Palm Desert Mobile Estates and the Palm Valley Storm Channel, and to suspend enforcement action on a Notice to Abate for 60 days pending execution of said agreement. SUBMITTED BY: Lauri Aylaian �� Director of Community Developme t �F�4'��' QrA�'��(�—a _ � ��;��s��u��_ �— l C� ~ �� APPLICANT: Mr. Mark Bessire Palm Desert Mobile Estates " � �"��E�TO 2r�'J��;�� DATE: December 13, 2007 � Recommendation: That the City Council, by minute motion: 1. Approve a landscape-only approach to screening the recently-exposed north face of the Palm Desert Mobile Estates RV storage area; 2. Authorize staff to negotiate a three way cost sharing agreement between the City of Palm Desert, the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), and Palm Desert Mobile Estates, and authorize Mayor to execute same; 3. Appropriate necessary funds for the project in an amount not to exceed $15,000 to Account No. 400-4614-433-4001; 4. Suspend enforcement action and continue hearing of appeal of Notice to Abate for sixty days pending successful resolution of the issue; and, 5. Authorize the City Manager to dismiss the Notice to Abate upon execution by all parties of cost sharing agreement. Staff Report Palm Desert Mobile Estates Landscaping/Screening Agreement December 13, 2007 Page 2 of 6 Executive Summary: Approval of the staff recommendation would result in the planting of a natural landscape screen on the north side of the Palm Desert Mobile Estates, along the south side of the Palm Valley Storm Channel, and the dismissal of code enforcement action against the mobile home park. The landscape material should provide solid screen within four years. The cost of the landscape installation would be shared between the City, CVWD, and Palm Desert Mobile Estates. I. BACKGROUND: On October 25, 2007, the City Council directed staff to attempt to negotiate an agreement between CVWD, Palm Desert Mobile Estates, and residents of the Chaparral Country Club that would result in installation of a fence and landscaping to screen the Chaparral residents from a view of the mobile home park that was exposed by CVWD's removal of mature tamarisk trees on the south side of the Palm Valley Storm Channel. The exposed view of a portion of the park, that portion that stores recreational vehicles (RVs), is also the subject of a code enforcement action against Palm Desert Mobile Estates, since the municipal code requires that RV storage areas be screened from public view. II. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Three possible solutions to the screening issue have been identified by the various involved parties. No solution is perfect; each solution has strengths and weaknesses. They can be summarized as follows: Solution Pros Cons Install a chain link fence Complete visual screening Most expensive solution with a fabric wind screen almost immediately. Solution is ($100K; City's share $40- and landscape plant favored by the Chaparral 50K). Fabric screen is likely material residents to become tattered and unsightly over time. Screened chain link fence will be unattractive, especially in such a large expanse. Public Hearing is required if ARC will not approve use of chain link fence. Chaparral residents would not artici ate in cost Staff Report Palm Desert Mobile Estates Landscaping/Screening �greement December 13, 2007 Page 3 of 6 Strict enforcement of the No hard costs to the City. Soft Mobile home park could code compliance action costs (legal fees) are possible. potentially gain compliance by moving RVs to south side of the park, which would still leave mobile homes exposed to view. Even screening RVs in their current location will leave a portion of the mobile home park exposed to public view. Installation of native plant Cost of the screen is shared Landscape screen will take material without a fence equitably between three parties: about four years to grow in City, CVWD, and Palm Desert fully Mobile Estates. City's share should be $10,000 or less. Naturalistic landscape screen will be an attractive buffer for the lon term Ilt. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the third option described above: installation of irrigation, shrubs, and small trees that will create a natural landscape buffer in several years. Discussion with the various parties involved indicates that CVWD and the Palm Desert Mobile Estates will likely share equally in the costs with the City. Neither the Chaparral HOA nor the residents are willing to participate in the cost of the work. However, the residents there can easily and economically block their view of the mobile home park and RV storage area by installation of several trees on their own (north) side of the channel. (See photos beginning on Page 5 of this report.) With the concurrence of the City Council, staff proposes to finalize an agreement between the parties under which: • The City will solicit bids and award a contract to install irrigation plus 200 five-gallon shrubs and small trees on CVWD's property on the south side of the channel. • CVWD will install an irrigation meter to provide water for the landscaping. • Palm Desert Mobile Estates will pay the ongoing water bills for irrigation of the landscaping. Staff Report Palm Desert Mobile Estates Landscaping/Screening Agreement December 13, 2007 Page 4 of 6 • Tamarisk trees growing from the roots and seeds of the trees that were removed will be allowed to grow along with the new landscape material. The plant material will not be pruned, and will be left to fill in as a natural- looking, living screen. Palm Desert Mobile Estates will be responsible to maintaining the landscape at this level. • Each of the three parties will contribute to the cost of the work. Palm Desert Mobile Estates has committed to contribute a minimum of$5,000 if this solution is acceptable to the City Council, and if the code enforcement action is halted. Additional financial participation, so as to match the amount contributed by the City and CVWD, will be requested by the property manager but must be approved by the owner of the mobile home park. Staff estimates that with equal sharing, each of the three parties would pay approximately $10,000. In no case should the City's portion exceed $15,000. Submitted By: Lauri Aylaian Director of Community Development Approval: Appr Homer L. Croy Paul Gibson ACM for DevCe� �ment Services Director of Finance % ;;ITY COUNCI�.ArTTCtI�3o APPROVED `� DEt�1IED E�LCE T VED �?�`�iER Carlos L. Ort a - City Manager s"�E�I��; ��-�� - - AYE�: � Y ( � � > I�14i,S: r�aE�lT• �ssx�zra: VERIFIED BY: �riginal on �'ilP wi h City Clerk's Offi�� Staff Report Palm Desert Mobile Estates Landscaping/Screening Agreement December 13, 2007 Page 5 of 6 � �.�. ,� � :�� .., �� ;. �r�� E�, ,. �: � �, .� �� yy� � �� k.` � �l,y��"i�" � �`� �"` � ��s' S'�,' ,�*.. f,r �� ues e � � s.�,_. ,,,q, � ""4�`� � �,� �`-, ,K�x :.� .. � „� � :, - r u '�" �'� ,'� �. ... , < k^ _ . ., ., ;� as,�.. - ,�,� j =„qfl � t - NS � ' � k. , ' _w ��, � � �G '�4 � ,'t��'? �1?�� :�i'� � �,.P„��t'�`' "''4 � � a,.b, ��n,�`t$.'��• � �y. �, ��. � .� � , � . -�. �.e z '. � . . . . 4. .+n, iP?,-'+ �' .. .. . . ..� S6�t�.'''� . _ . � t,,a. ... ,. If the RV storage area (at right) is screened, the remainder of the mobile home park will still be exposed to view from Portola Avenue. � . �� ,� F.,, � � �� -�= # �. � ,� �� x��+� �� __ , � � ,�� . � � , _, . . � � ��. ;.� �;�� ,.� ��. � �� ,: � ; . .�ry ..r , , � �: .,,, _�. rn .. _ _ .. �.. .�? , :�� ,,�:,,..�,,, .< �""�"_'�,_ �„t..a: '�dM�"s.�, F_„�,,,, Addition of several trees by Chaparral on the north side of the channel would complete the screening from their development of the mobile home park and RV storage area. Stafif Report P�alm Desert Mobile Estates Landscaping/Screening Agreement December 13, 2007 Page 6 of 6 ., �� : ��i�F; �� ;:�: �� ' � �:, ��. 4s Jfi "fz ��'��,�f' �^t t'� . . . . . �¢', . . � � � � � �� "� t "�#'i*��' '�r "` � �, i .:'�� F , F i y ''i 1 f �, '�N '" o"�k�9� � �'��'� �s .s �.��. � �� 5� ",j{ � �'r` � F b 4 �. �+ # � - � � �. �f a�b 1 � P . . 'm.a:,��.,'", .: n�,.u`�.st�`�;,"�s�,r�+a� .y,,.-= v�r��,sa,.�' � -.»,�:. � ; ' ° . . . . ,r"`"�'" '�.'�,�.. .. �.,o,, - ��.� xa `w�+� . �`;y ;:. .. - .. .�v,�,,. ,, ... ,:��. �;� �'� <.., � „ µ �� ,, ��z ;� � � , , ; ��,. �� . �; � = r ,.. „ : ., � r.� e � . � �. � T , " � �.. � � � > �� .- , � . . . � .�,,,� � � �la�, �+e�� i Staff believes that the expanse of fence and screen (15' high and 1,350' long) needed for this application would present an unattractive solution. This photograph shows a chain link fence with tan coloured wind screen material.