HomeMy WebLinkAbout05212024 email re Serena ParkFrom:Teri McCoppin
To:David Newell
Cc:Planning
Subject:Re: Serena Park Development Agreement Amendment Request
Date:Tuesday, May 21, 2024 2:28:07 PM
Attachments:Outlook-csc1ictv.png
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To Planning
I am a resident in PSCC (the neighborhood most impacted and in closest proximity to the Serena Park Project).
I do not believe that the proposal to amend the DA should be approved.
The amended DA would allow developer to pay the DA fee to the city over a 2 1/2 year period, with the first payment (of less than 21%) not due til June of 2025. Meaning developer could start
with construction 12 months before first payment due. Since the length of the original agreement has not changed, my neighborhood could be in a construction zone from now through 2038. We
have seen several different projects languishing for years in our city, so this not to be dismissed out of hand. Payment (or at least partial payment) of the DA fees, as in the original DA, has been
a safeguard for my community to not be in the middle of a construction site, for the 20 year period as agreed to.
It also concerns me that the EIR for this project dates from 2014. We have had numerous “only once in every 100 years” events as far as rainfall and storms since then that seem to be happening
on an ever more frequent basis, meaning the area’s streets are flooded much more frequently and with deeper impact than anyone could have foreseen in 2014. The impact of this development,
displacing land that has been used to mitigate these flooding effects, might have much more drastic consequences for my neighborhood than the report had projected.
The EIR report also concluded that the 3300 daily trips per day in and out of the 386 unit Serena development would not impact the community enough to warrant any additional traffic signs
or signals. It is hard to imagine that this additional traffic would not impact PSCC residents ability to get in and out of our neighborhood in a timely manner.
I am glad the Staff took the initiative to add the Maintenance and Dust Control Plan to the proposed change in DA, along with its section referring to the Default of Property Maintenance
Obligation. I know this has been an ongoing battle with the current owner, but I don’t see the monetary penalties written into the Default.
Lastly, I wanted to address the third vehicular entrance to the development being proposed as part of this amended agreement. What locations are being discussed, will it be for emergency
vehicles only, for use by construction trucks through the infrastructure timing, for use by construction throughout the (possibly 14 more) years of construction, or now a third entrance to be used
forevermore?
In closing, I am against moving forward with this amended DA for the Serena Park Project
Thank you for your consideration
Teri McCoppin
2545 N Whitewater Club Dr #C , PSCC
Sent from my iPad
On May 20, 2024, at 5:45 PM, David Newell <David.Newell@palmspringsca.gov> wrote:
Teri—
As requested, I'm providing links to the Wednesday night Planning Commission agenda and staff report for the Serena Park Development Agreement Amendment:
5/22 Planning Commission Agenda:
https://destinyhosted.com/agenda_publish.cfm?id=72567&mt=PLAN&vl=true&get_month=5&get_year=2024&dsp=ag&seq=1507
Serena Park Staff Report:
https://destinyhosted.com/palmsdocs/2024/PLAN/20240522_1508/4937%5FITEM%5F%232A%5F%2D%5FPC%5FCombined%5FPacket%5F5%2D22%2D24%5FDA%2D2024%2D0002.pdf
Feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Best,
David
DAVID A. NEWELL, AICP | ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING
City of Palm Springs | Department
of Planning Services
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm
Springs, CA 92262
t: 760.323.8245 | f: 760.322.8360
| david.newell@palmspringsca.gov