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Home My WebLink AboutLndscp Btfctn Cmte - 11/18/09 CITY OF PALM DESERT �� MINUTES -- LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING . Wednesday, November 18, 2009 — 11:30 a.m. Public Works Conference Room — Palm Desert Civic Center 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260 I. Call to Order 11:30 a.m. II. Roll Call Present: Absent: Chairman H. Spencer Knight Member Martin Alvarez Vice-Chairman Lauri Aylaian Member Mark Greenwood CITY CO[JNCILACT(ON Member Richard S. Kelly A�t�ItovFD >?��-�,-�� Member Connor Limont RF.CEIVED_�__�� c�'�'��[;R Member Jay Niemczak Member Bob Spiegel n7(�,I�',TINC UATE _ l-�:�-�G/L Member John M. Wohlmuth AYF,s: � "�sn� ��rri sv � _ n� ;�P,- , N�FS: � � Also Present: At3SE;vT: e� Diane Hollinger, Landscape Specialist A13STAIN: Hart Ponder, Code Compliance Manage cRtFtF;u RY: rc Bertha A. Gonzalez, Recording Secreta��inal on File with City Cler •s Otrce III. Oral Communications Member Spiegel indicated that forward movement on the CalState/UCR View Corridor Landscape Design Project has stalled. He suggested staff take look into it. IV. Consent Calendar A. MINUTES of the Regular Landscape Beautification Committee Meeting of Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Approve as presented. APPROVED MINUTES LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE November 18, 2009 Upon a motion by Chairman Knight, second by Member Limont, and 6-0 vote of the Committee Board with Member Aylaian and Member Niemczak abstaining, the Consent Calendar was approved as presented. V. Consent Items Held Over None VI. New Business A. Proposed Landscape Desiqn Manual Vice-Chairman Aylaian informed the Committee that there are three components to the City's landscape book series. The Landscape Palette and Landscape Maintenance Books have been completed and are currently for sale. Now, staff is focusing on completing the third component, which is the Landscape Design Manual. Because there is nothing in writing that addresses the City's landscape standards, City staff is often put at odds with consultants especially when it refers to the spacing of plant material. The Landscape Design Manual will address these issues and hopefully minimize any conflicts. Vice-Chairman Aylaian presented a draft of the landscape design manual and detailed the three main components as follows: • Part One: Desert Landscape Design Principles - Design Criteria — Includes a description of five design criteria that provides sufficient basis for a successful planting design: Texture, Movement, Color, Placement, and Inorganics. - Plant Material — Limited only by the creativity of a designer, the City will evaluate the appropriateness of the plants selected for sustainability and location. • Part Two: Design Process - Site Analysis — Includes topography, light/shadow, wind, and infrastructure. - Water Calculations — Includes water conservation in the design process and irrigation design. • Part Three: City Approval Process - Landscape plans that require City approval: New/retrofitted commercial and industrial projects, multi-family projects, common areas and model residencies of planned residential 2 APPROVED MINUTES LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE November 18, 2009 developments, and residences with a landscape area greater than 5,OOOsqft. - Types of landscape review: Ministerial, which does not require a public hearing, and Discretionary, which does require a public hearing. - City approval process flow chart, which outlines the steps by which a landscape design is submitted, reviewed and approved by the City. Staff will like to have the manual become available in conjunction with the City's Turf Conversion Rebate Program, which is scheduled to begin at the beginning of 2010. All three manuals will be made available through the internet. Therefore, staff requested the Committee's input in order to proceed. Questions/Comments included: 1. Member Spiegel indicated that The Living Desert is holding drought tolerant and desertscape classes. He asked staff to contact them and to ensure that the classes are in conjunction to City standards. 2. Page 6 contains a picture of a type of grass that is not on the landscape palette. Is this type of grass being installed? Member Knight informed the Committee that the City does not use this type of grass; therefore, the photo will be replaced. 3. On page 11, is the photo part of the City? No 4. On page 18, the photo displays the logo of Sierra Landscape, is this appropriate? No, staff will replace the photo. 5. Is the maintenance section of the Appendix consistent with the landscape maintenance manual? According to Member Knight, it is. In addition, at the end of the section it refers to the maintenance manual. 6. The manual seems to be missing an installation section. According to Member Knight, installation was intentionally left out, but it can be incorporated should the Committee require it. 7. Does the manual address scalping? Scalping is addressed in the section of the Appendix, but not in the body of the manual. Staff will add it to the body of the manual. 8. On page 19, is the photo one of a tree that fits the space or does not? According to Chairman Knight, the photo is one of a tree that fits the space. Staff was asked to show a photo of a tree that fits the space and one of a tree that does not. This will provide better guidance on what the City is trying to avoid. 9. Before page 21, the photos contain captions, but not after. Can captions be added? Yes. 3 APPROVED MINUTES LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE November 18, 2009 10. On page 29, windbreak design palette needs to address both good and bad windbreaks. 11. On page 37, compost is not addressed. Why? Chairman Knight informed the Committee that the he prefers to not recommend compost. He prefers to recommend Vermaculture. The Committee suggested that backyard compost be addressed in the manual. 12. On page 31 there is a photo of a girl drinking water. Member Greenwood directed staff to ensure that the City owns the right to . publish the photo. . Member Wohlmuth was absent from the meeting after 12:00 p.m. Upon a motion from Chairman Knight, second by Member Limont and a 7-0 vote of the Committee Board, staff was directed to incorporate the changes and submit to the first City Council meeting of December. VII. Continued Business A. Proposed Residential Landscape TurF Conversion Rebate Proqram Chairman Knight informed the Committee that due to interest from other cities in the program, the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) decided to return the item to their board and request additional funding. This has delayed to program; therefore, staff expects that the program will not be available until February 1, 2010. Staff has provided a link on the City's website under the name of Cooperative Landscape Water Manaqement Proqram, which provides information to residents with the latest information in regards to the program and will update it accordingly. CVWD will also advertise and applications will become available two weeks prior to the start of the program. When the program becomes available, applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. When funds are depleted, the program will no longer be available. Informational item; no motion required. VIII. Old Business None 4 APPROVED MINUTES LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE November 18, 2009 IX. Reports and Remarks - Member Limont asked if the trees that were cut down at Homme-Adams Park will be replaced. Chairman Knight informed the Committee that the Potice Department is still trying to interview the person might be responsible for the cutting of the trees. Should they succeed, there will be consequences. If they don't, for the moment, the trees will not be replaced due to the significant cost and lack of available water. Member Limont expressed her belief that the trees should be replaced. - Member Kelly indicated that Edison had topped some trees at the corner of San Luis Rey and Fred Waring. Member Knight will investigate since the City has an agreement with them not to top trees. - Hart Ponder informed the Committee that the City Council passed an ordinance addressing foreclosures. Due to this new ordinance, City staff received a check for $31,000 in penalties from Bank of America. Code Compliance is going through process of collecting penalties accordingly. X. Adjournment With no further business or discussion, and Landscape Beautification Committee Board concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 12:19 p.m. H Sp ce ht, Landscape Manager ATTEST: _, j .� -.�' _... ��/�/ _,. - .-'G' ertha A. Go alez, R rding cretary Landscape eautifica ion Committee 5