HomeMy WebLinkAbout4A Public CommentAnthony Mejia
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
joe joeenos.com <joe@joeenos.com >
Thursday, July 22, 2021 2:53 PM
City Clerk; Geoff Kors; Christy Holstege; Lisa Middleton; Grace Garner; Dennis Woods;
Justin Clifton
Arenas Road Re-opening
NOTICE: This message originated outside ofThe City of Palm Springs --DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are
sure the content is safe.
FOR PUBLIC COMMENT:
Dear Mayor and City Council members-
In your discussions tonight about re-opening Arenas Road, please consider the following:
-The closure of Arenas Road at S Palm Canyon Drive has made this a safer intersection for pedestrians. It is one of the
notable downtown intersections where southbound traffic enters eastbound Arenas at a high rate of speed,
endangering pedestrians and diners waiting for Lulu and Zin reservations. It's also an intersection which is poorly signed
and oftentimes has vehicular traffic turning right onto Palm Canyon Drive and into on-coming traffic. This is a dangerous
intersection!
-The dining pavilions you approved for Lulu and Zin were invaluable during the height of the pandemic for each
restaurant to accommodate diners when their dining rooms were closed. They may be more infrequently used now-
especially because of the heat-but with the looming Delta variant in California, there's a chance that restaurant dining
rooms may have to again limit capacity or close. Without knowing how much more impactful the Delta variant will be, is
it smart to dismantle these outdoor dining rooms now and to ask both restaurants to reconstruct them if they are
needed? And come September and with cooler weather, guests are going to want to be dining outdoors again.
-I'm also aware that Mindy Reed and Zin were being a "good neighbor" by offering to locate their outdoor dining area
from Palm Canyon Drive to Arenas to placate a complaining Palm Canyon Drive business. I would agree that due to the
limited number of parking spaces on the NE block of Palm Canyon Drive (Zin frontage) that the appropriate location for
Zin's outdoor dining room is its current Arenas location.
-With all of the stops and starts due to Covid that directly impacted restaurants, are you placing an unfair burden on Zin
and Lulu by asking them to prematurely close their outdoor dining only to have to spend time and money reconstructing
them if we have another shut down? Do restaurants really need another huge expense ... just to stay open and survive?
The Arenas Road re-opening discussion is premature. As a city we should wait to be discussing this until we have a
better handle on Covid and its variants.
Thank you.
Joe Enos
Joe Enos & Co. I Palm Springs
760-322-7476 office
310-746-7530 cell
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Anthony Mejia
Subject: RE : Palm Canyon Outdoor Dining Approval for ABC
From: Mindy Reed <zinlps@yahoo.com >
Date: July 22, 2021 at 1:02:31 PM PDT
To: Donn Uyeno <Donn.Uyeno@palmspringsca.gov>, Geoff Kors <Geoff.Kors@palmspringsca.gov>,
Christy Holstege <Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca .gov>, Justin Clifton
<Justin.Clifton@palmspringsca.gov>, Alex Perez <alex.perez@palmspringsca.gov>, Dennis Woods
<Dennis.Woods@palmspringsca.gov>, Lisa Middleton <Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca .gov>, Llubi Rios
<Llubi.Rios@palmspringsca.gov>, Marcus Fuller <Marcus.Fuller@palmspringsca.gov>, Grace Garner
<Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: Fw: Palm Canyon Outdoor Dining Approval for ABC
NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs --DO NOT CLICK on links or open
attachments unless you are sure the content is safe.
Mayor, council and city staff,
I apologize for my delay in sending this -I have been out of
town with no internet dealing with a family emergency in
Michigan.
Please put this in the official Record of comments for tonight's
Council meeting.
I would like to request that since you are re-opening Arenas
that I be allowed to have my original Temporary LUP minus the
Palm canyon space in front of the restaurant be re-approved.
For those of you not in the original loop on this -
I was promised use of Arenas when my neighbors complained about
the LUP that had been originally approved on Palm canyon Dr like
other restaurants.
Attached is the the resulting TLUP drawn by Donn Uyeno for me
with one parking space on Palm canyon and the remainder on
Arenas and a forwarded email. This was submitted and approved
by the city and the ABC.
My business neighbors contacted the city (Dr Ready) and
complained about the one space on Palm canyon that I was
approved for and I in good faith and an effort to make peace and
preserve 100% of their street frontage, agreed in conversation
with Dr. David Ready to only have frontage on Arenas. This was
approved, marked on the pavement, permit at the ABC paid for and
in process.
when the K-rails were dropped my space was made smaller and when
I emailed to ask why, I was told that LULU's requested to be on
Arenas also and the result was I (again) lost dining area to
neighbors. when I brought up that I had given up space on Palm 1/,z.,,,ft.u 'ZA.
1
n EM No.4 /t Pt1blili~Nt/
canyon and moved to Arenas and promised fair space, the decision
was made by the city to close the street, allow Zin to go on
Arenas and give LULU both Arenas and Palm canyon Dr.
I supported this as it would create a larger, safe outdoor
dining area for both us as well as an area for guests of LULU,
Kaiser, Las casuelas and Zin to all wait for tables off the
sidewalks with distancing for COVID and safe from traffic and
think that LULU's and myself collaborated to make a nice safe
space without actually even taking any parking spaces away as
the North side of Arenas is a Loading zone and the south side of
Arenas was a passenger drop off and this could still be
accomplished in the area in front of where the street was
closed. I paid an additional $100 to the ABC for this new
footprint.
I understand the pressure you are under to re-open Arenas and
although I think it is a nice space, ~uests love it and it in
fact makes this very busy pedestrian intersection safer from
wrong way traffic on Palm canyon, I am not fighting to keep it
closed. I will be closing Zin from August 3 to September. If
you are going to open the street, no one is sitting out there as
I have canceled contracts with misting company and it is simply
too hot without investing more money which obviously is not a
good business decision, so in my opinion there is no reason on
my end to wait until September 1st, however LULU may disagree.
The Delta surge is still going up and there is a very good
likelihood we will again need to distance for safety and to slow
the spread. My business would be unprofitable using only the
space I have in my restaurant and patio and providing safe
distance. with what looks like all this extra space to others
that I have had on Arenas, my total seat count from October thru
last month when we could fully seat inside was actually only 15
seats more than what I was seating pre-COVID.
Taking Arenas space away from Zin will force me to lay off
approximately 12 full time employees from Pre-COVID
numbers. These outside spaces are still critical to keep
restaurants open once the weather breaks and essential to
keeping our community safe from another uptick in cases AND
prevent closures.
I am hoping that you will consider that our tourists love
outside dining, that it creates safe spaces to eat and that it
creates increased revenue in tax dollars for the city as well as
keeping people employed and housed. I have been a supportive
community member here for over 17 years as a business owner and
I trust that you will make a decision on this that is fair and
will allow Zin to be in the future.
I understand there will be some sort of permitting cost and
rental for the space. Please remember that this space is
creating revenue for the city which offsets some of the cost and
that these spaces cannot be used when raining, when we have high
wind warnings and other inclement weather. while you are making
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sure the city's costs are covered and possibly a small% of
revenue is made from the rental, please realize that basing the
fees you charge the restaurants for these spaces the same as our
landlords are charging us is not realistic. (this was a rumor
going around)
Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,
Mindy Reed, owner
Zin American Bistro
198 s Palm canyon Drive, Palm Springs
pszin.com
760 322 6300
Revel Public House //
Palm Springs Brewing co
140 s Palm canyon Drive, Palm Springs
REVELps. com
760 325 9464
-----Forwarded Message -----
From: Donn Uyeno <donn.uyeno@palmsprinqsca.gov >
To: Mindy Reed <zin1 ps@yahoo.com >
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2020, 05:12:14 PM PDT
Subject: Palm Canyon Outdoor Dining Approval for ABC
Here is the layout for ABC approval.
Donn Uyeno, P .E.
Principal Engineer
City of Palm Springs
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 323-8253 Ext. 87 44
Donn.Uyeno@PalmSpringsCA.gov
Please note: City Hall Office Hours are M-Th, 8:00 am -6:00 pm
3
City of Palm Springs
Engineering Services Department
3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way• Palm Springs, California 92262
Tel: (760) 323-8253 • Fax: (760) 322-8360 • Web: www.palmspringsca.gov
October 22, 2020
Zin America Bistro
198 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
{sent via e-mail)
Re: COVID-19 Local Government Authority's Authorization for Temporary Use
of Public Area for Outdoor Dining
Dear Applicant:
The City of Palm Springs has reviewed your proposed temporary outdoor dining area
located in the public right of way. As the Local Government Authority of that space, the
City has authorized the use of the diagramed area in your Temporary Land Use Permit,
for outdoor dining.
Please note that stanchions with rope or cable are the barrier preferred by the City for
your outdoor service area. The City discourages the use of fence or railing that must be
secured in place with a weighted base or feet that may pose a tripping hazard. Alternative
barriers are allowed but must be submitted to the Development Services Department for
review. When alternative barriers are used no penetration of the sidewalks or streets is
allowed. In addition, the mechanism used to secure the alternative barrier shall not
extend into pedestrian pathways or create a trip hazard. A minimum 5-foot wide
pedestrian path is required except on Palm Canyon Drive. On Palm Canyon Drive a 6-
foot wide pedestrian path will be required.
If any alcohol is to be served in this area, all Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
(ABC) requirements shall be part of this approval.
Applicant shall make available, upon request, a copy of insurance documents as specified
in the Temporary Land Use Permit.
Sincerely, ~"'!::~. M.P.A fc~~ Engineer
32 outdoor seats
68 outdoor seats
Anthony Mejia
Subject: RE: From Lee Marcus -Kaiser Grille Palm Springs -Parklets
From: Lee Marcus <ekmorcus@aol.com >
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 202110:15 AM
To: Grace Garner <Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>; Dennis Woods <Dennis.Woods@palmspringsca.gov>; Geoff Kors
<Geoff.Kors@palmspringsca.gov>; Christy Holstege <Christy.Holstege@palmspringsca.gov>; Lisa Middleton
<Lisa.Middleton@palmspringsca.gov>
Cc: Llubi Rios <Llubi.Rios@palmspringsca.gov >; CityManager <CityManager@palmspringsca.gov >; Shari Wrona
<Shari.Wrona@palmspringsca.gov>; Jeff Ballinger-C <Jeff.Ballinger-C@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: From Lee Morcus -Kaiser Grille Palm Springs -Parklets
NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs --DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are
sure the content is safe.
Dear Mayor Holstege and Our Esteemed Palm Springs City Council,
The past 18 months have been trying and damaging for all of us. Thank you all for your positive and strong
intentions and leadership during the covid crisis. Whether we agree or not, our intentions are all the same -the
best interest of our community and our people. Thank you.
I write you today on the subject of Parklets. I respectfully request that my email be included in Council minutes
and my perspective respectfully considered, please. I know I speak for many.
I offer this not as an un-constuctive criticism, but instead as constructive critique to look forward to the next
time we may be confronted with similar circumstances we may use the wisdom of lessons learned from our
past to move forward any more productive cohesive manner.
In August 2020 when I was approached by the city with a parklet idea I told members of the Planning
Department and others I fully supported the market idea and ideal, but to integrate the Parklet concept properly
we needed several things.
1. Take the time to do it right so that it would be ready in time for the beginning of season in November but
really not necessary until Christmas week. I was asked about Labor Day weekend I said that's three days of
high volume at best and then Business drops dramatically. My view was it it was more important to get it right
in time for upcoming season than to get it now.
2. That we needed very highly articulated standards and then we should study best practices and standards from
"model communities".
3. In fairness to our retail community, they deserved similar outdoor retail opportunity consideration. This was
obviously declined and has created controversy.
4. Palm Canyon Drive should be closed in it's entirety at a minimum from Tahquitz to Baristo.
5. The process should be inclusive.
My counsel was ignored and we rushed in. I will not rehash the consequences; we all know what they are.
Approximately a year ago, I supported this wholeheartedly even though I would never have use of
or access to parklet dining. It was the right thing to do for our community at the time. Now is the
time to eliminate what was always intended on being a temporary program to see our community
through the worst of Covid. ; / t-£{ Ut-(
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ITEM No. iA" Pulkc Cwvn,,,J
My strong recommendation based upon experience and observation is to terminate the use of all parklets
immediately. I encourage our City Council, City Staff and City Counsel to slowly tour Palm Canyon Drive
during both day and evening hours with a specific view to the parklets. Most (the overwhelming majority) of
these parklets are idle and look more like a carnival dumping ground or storage areas than well conceived, well
developed and well executed lovely outside dining experiences. They are an eyesore and traffic impediment at
best (NOT the lovely outdoor dining experiences contemplated), and do not positively contribute to our guest
dining experiences and Our Palm Springs Brand. Parklets are now a detraction. While a very few
are developed to a high standard, the overwhelming majority are developed to a low standard. There is either no
or minimal use or value to parklets at this time. It is my belief parklets should be eliminated. Any restaurant that
tells you that they need parklets to survive, is flat out not being truthful or is failing anyway with or without
parklets. The parklets are not being used and we now have unrestricted indoor dining -vastly different than a
year ago or even three months ago in high season with serious indoor dining capacity restrictions. The
restaurants that do use parklets now on a limited basis have ample outdoor seating and full indoor seating
capacity without parklets. ALL Restaurants are now permitted to operate at full capacity. Looking long-term, I
see no way that we as a community should even consider allowing retail to do similar or same outside shopping
experiences; expanding the program depreciates the value of our Palm Springs brand in addition to creating
congestion, foot traffic, safety and other issues. These issues will only magnify next season as our city swells
with visitors and seasonal residents. It is simply wrong in my perspective to continue this. The city made a one
year commitment to test parklets through Labor Day Weekend 2021; given the dog days of
summer, parklets are not used or needed-even now. And for those that push parklets through the end of the
year, it is not busy enough to justify them given the fact we have full unrestricted inside seating capacity.
Parklets were originally contemplated and approved as a temporary fix, only. I am completely opposed to
expanding or extending the parklet program for any time. And I am vigorously opposed to any contemplation of
a longer term or ongoing parklet program . Approximately a year ago, I supported this wholeheartedly even
though I would never have use of or access to parklet dining. It was the right thing to do for our community at
the time. Now is the time to eliminate what was always intended on being a temporary program to see our
community through the worst of Covid.
Additionally, The Arenas street closure should be terminated. I was told the closure was temporary until July 1,
2021. This closure has negatively impacted my business. I supported the Arenas closure on an interim basis
only. I will no longer support the closure and ask that Arenas Street be immediately re-opened in full
as originally promised.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely and with my high esteem,
Lee Morcus
Founding Proprietor
Kaiser Grille Palm Springs
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