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Home My WebLink About2025-01-09 Non-AgendaFrom:Steve Kluth To:City Clerk Cc:David Ready Subject:Pedestrian and bicycle safety and improved traffic in Downtown Palm Springs Date:Thursday, January 9, 2025 12:10:43 PM 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 Palm Springs city staff, I have a proposal which would improve pedestrian safety downtown along with saving the city money for electricity and maintenance costs. The idea is to revert Palm Canyon Drive from Alejo to Ramon back to a two-way street. I have no idea how long it as been one-way. I've seen photos from decades ago which show it as one-way but I doubt it was that way 100 years ago. Along with reverting to two-way status, the stop lights from Amado to Ramon would all be replaced with all-direction stop signs. Removing the center turn lane would be optional though keeping it might be better for emergency vehicles (You'll need input from the Police and Fire Departments on this). Pros: Slows cars down through downtown and speeding will be practically non-existent (unlike now where cars race through downtown especially later at night) Stop signs are much cheaper to maintain than traffic signals Saves time with emergency vehicles not having to go around the block to reach some destinations Reduces speeding downtown traffic as it will encourage drivers to use Indian Canyon as a faster way to get to the south side of the city Removes the need for the rarely used left-lane bike sharrow on Palm Canyon Easier to park cars with slower traffic (note: no parking spaces will be lost) Saves in energy cost as stop signs don't require electricity Slower traffic means more customers will want to stop and walk around downtown It's less confusing for tourists driving Slow traffic is much quieter leading to improved outdoor dining experiences Cyclists can travel safely both ways on Palm Canyon downtown instead of riding on the sidewalk (which happens despite the signage) Cons: Cost of repainting the road Cost of removing old signals/signs and installing stop signs Cost of new sign for southbound traffic at Alejo to alert drivers of the loss of a travel lane (though this could be easily accomplished by making the left lane left-turn-only at the light) Confused drivers for the first few days 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda I really think this is an inexpensive way to make downtown Palm Springs safer for everyone; pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers. It should also improve sales downtown as the slower traffic should lead to pedestrians staying longer as it will improve the walking experience. Right now cars frequently drive 30-40 mph downtown, especially south of La Plaza. There are still several points of discussion. It is debatable whether all intersections should be all-way stops; La Plaza and/or Museum Way could just be stops for those streets and not Palm Canyon. (My own opinion is La Plaza should be all-way but I don't know about Museum Way.) I also don't think Palm Canyon south of Ramon should be two-way as the five-way intersection one block south at Camino Parocela is confusing enough. I would replace the lights at Ramon with stop signs but not the ones at Alejo. For anyone saying it will take longer to get through downtown I have two points; first, Indian Canyon is designed for traffic to go south quickly and second, Downtown Palm Springs is a destination not an obstacle to get through as fast as possible. I don't it's smart to keep the stop lights as they encourage through traffic, and many tourists cross streets illegally despite the "No Walking" signs because they don't use or are unfamiliar with the beg buttons. This is a quick, simple, and inexpensive way to improve safety downtown. I have cc'ed my City Council Representative David Ready as he may have some ideas about this also. Did I mention this is both incredibly cheap and saves the city money in the long run? Respectfully, Steven Kluth 161 Caravan PS, CA 92264 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:Jeffrey Bernstein To:City Clerk Subject:Fwd: Public Comments Date:Sunday, January 5, 2025 1:33:52 PM Attachments:Statement on Warehouse 4 Dec 2024 Planning Commission.docx Statement on Chick-Fil-A 11 Dec 2024 Planning Commission.docx Thank you! Jeffrey Jeffrey Bernstein Council Member City of Palm Springs 442-305-9942 Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov Begin forwarded message: From: Roy Clark <royclark90278@mac.com> Subject: Public Comments Date: December 16, 2024 at 2:32:51 PM PST To: Jeffrey Bernstein <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov> 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. Hi Jeffrey, Thank you for our meeting this afternoon. It was very productive. Attached are the public comments that Bernard and I gave to the Planning Commission. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda Roy 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda Statement on Warehouse for 4 December 2024 Planning Commission Meeting Good evening Chair Weremiuk and Planning Commission Members. I’m Roy Clark, Chair of the Sustainability Commission. I’m speaking on behalf of the Sustainability Commission on item 3B, the Environmental Impact Report on the planned warehouse on North Indian Canyon and 19th Avenue. We recognize the Zoning Code amendment from January 2022 and the importance of the warehouse project to the City of Palm Springs. Noted in your staff report are two significant and unavoidable impacts from the project, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Transportation. The Office of Sustainability and the Sustainability Commission developed a Sustainability Plan in 2016 and a Climate Action Roadmap in 2021. The former has long-term goals for reducing City-wide greenhouse gas emissions, while the latter has more specific steps to be taken in the coming years. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions world-wide will help to slow down and reverse global warming. California Senate Bill 32, signed in 2016, requires significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions state-wide in certain years. In 2020, Palm Springs met the required 15% reduction from 2010 levels, because of the adoption of Desert Community Energy’s (community choice aggregate) carbon-free program. A 40% reduction from the 2020 levels is required by 2030. I’d like to pause and emphasize: There was a 15% reduction required in the ten years from 2010 to 2020, and a 40% reduction is required in the ten years from 2020 to 2030. We’re already 4 years into the latter time frame. We will have an updated greenhouse inventory for 2022 soon, which will show if we’re on track for meeting the 2030 goal. It should be noted that commercial and industrial buildings each account for about 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the City, and motor vehicle transportation accounts for about 50%. Sustainability has been working on specific goals for reductions in greenhouse gas emission, and we plan to make presentations to the City Council in the coming months. For buildings they include electrification, increased use of solar and other forms of renewable energy, and energy storage. For transportation they include increased use of electric vehicles, public transit, ridesharing, and active transportation for workers and residents. They should be applied to this project. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda I want to acknowledge the agreement between the Sierra Club and the project developer. As we go forward with new developments in the City, it’s important that Planning and Sustainability work together to meet our climate goals. Thank you. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda Statement on Chick-Fil-A for 11 December 2024 Planning Commission Meeting Good evening Chair Weremiuk and Planning Commission Members. I’m Bernard Rottner, Vice-Chair of the Sustainability Commission. I’m speaking on item 2B, the proposal for construction of a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in The Springs Shopping Center. In the nearly twenty years since the Environmental Impact Report on which this project is being considered was released, our planet has experienced measurable warming and climate change that threaten our health and livelihoods. The Office of Sustainability and the Sustainability Commission developed a Sustainability Plan in 2016 and a Climate Action Roadmap in 2021. The former has long-term goals for reducing City-wide greenhouse gas emissions, while the latter has more specific steps to be taken in the coming years. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions world-wide will help to slow down and reverse global warming. California Senate Bill 32, signed in 2016, requires significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions state-wide in certain years. In 2020, Palm Springs met the required 15% reduction from 2010 levels, because of the adoption of Desert Community Energy’s carbon-free program. A much larger reduction, 40%, from the 2020 levels is required by 2030. Motor vehicle transportation accounts for about 50% of the greenhouse gas emission. The City Council has stated many times in recent years that climate change and Sustainability will be considered in all decisions. During the “Visioning Sessions” for the City 2022, it was stated that Sustainability should “underpin all priorities, programs and projects”. Therefore, it’s recommended that a more rigorous analysis of the impacts of the Chick-Fil-A project on the environment and climate, especially from the three-lane drive-through and traffic in the surrounding area, be conducted. Any needs for mitigation should be identified before the Planning Commission makes a decision on whether or not to proceed. Thank you. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:City of Palm Springs To:City Clerk Subject:*NEW SUBMISSION* Submit Public Comment to the City of Palm Springs Date:Tuesday, December 17, 2024 10:55:33 PM 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. Submit Public Comment to the City of Palm Springs Submission #:3679241 IP Address:104.28.85.116 Submission Date:12/17/2024 10:55 Survey Time:34 minutes, 22 seconds You have a new online form submission. Note: all answers displaying "*****" are marked as sensitive and must be viewed after your login. Full Name/Nombre City of Residence/Ciudad de residencia Palm Springs, Phone (optional) /Teléfono (opcional) Email (optional/opcional) Your Comments/Sus comentarios Thank you to former council members Holstege and Middleton for their contributions to our city! Thank you to former mayor Garner for her continued work and commitment, former mayor Bernstein for his leadership, and current mayor deHarte for his work during this year! Welcome to new members Soto and Ready! The city is fortunate to have your combined diversity of work, cultural, and other experiences to lead our city forward. I'd like to request that all members consider rescinding our city's support for the State of Israel. As someone born into a Christian family and who embraces diversity, peace, and empathy, I generally think that our city embraces these values too. Our city represents a safe place for all, including oppressed LGBTQ+, immigrant, women, and other communities. Amnesty, the UN, International Court of Justice and others concluded that Israel is committing genocide so our support for Israel now feels like a blemish on our city's reputation. Please consider rescinding it. Thank you, City of Palm Springs This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:Jason Luke To:City Clerk Subject:Fwd: Airport Development and Consolidated Car Rental Facility location Date:Monday, December 16, 2024 3:21:05 PM Attachments:Airport Development and Consolidated Car Rental Facility location.pdf 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. To: the City Clerk, please submit attached letter regarding location of consolidated car rental facility as public comment for the public record. thanks ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Naomi Soto <Naomi.Soto@palmspringsca.gov> Date: Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 3:11 PM Subject: Re: Airport Development and Consolidated Car Rental Facility location To: Jason Luke <jasonlukeplus@gmail.com> Thank you for your email. The airport is an important city priority and community engagement is an important aspect to ensure we have an airport that matches the needs of our city. The new proposal will be presented in January to Council. I recommend you submit public comment to the city clerk as well for the public record: CityClerk@palmspringsca.gov. Thank you, Naomi From: Jason Luke <jasonlukeplus@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2024 2:43 PM To: Ron deHarte <Ron.deHarte@palmspringsca.gov>; Naomi Soto <Naomi.Soto@palmspringsca.gov>; Grace Garner <Grace.Garner@palmspringsca.gov>; Jeffrey Bernstein <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov>; David Ready <David.Ready@palmspringsca.gov> Subject: Airport Development and Consolidated Car Rental Facility location 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 Honorable Mayor and Honorable Council Members, 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda I am writing to express my support for the thoughtful development of our beloved airport and to offer my perspective on the future location of the Consolidated Car Rental Facility. I strongly advocate for the Southern location, as it presents significant advantages over the Northern location near the baggage terminal. Concerns with the Northern Location: Passenger Inconvenience During Construction: The temporary relocation of car rental facilities to the parking lot would greatly inconvenience passengers. Reduced Parking Capacity: Parking availability for all passengers would be diminished until construction is complete, potentially leading to increased traffic congestion as cars circle Kirk Douglas Way in search of parking. Traffic and Safety Concerns: Car rental customers would need to cross Kirk Douglas Way to access their vehicles, creating delays and safety hazards for both pedestrians and traffic. Undesirable Environmental Impacts: The close proximity of construction to passenger areas would result in increased noise, dust, and disruption to the arrivals experience. Additional Mitigation Costs: Addressing these issues would require significant resources, such as temporary relocation of car rental partners, construction of climate-controlled waiting areas, portable restroom rentals and servicing, additional traffic management personnel, and public relations efforts to address passenger concerns. Advantages of the Southern Location: The Southern location eliminates many of these challenges by being distanced from the primary passenger traffic areas. Additionally, it opens the door to innovative planning opportunities in line with modern airport design principles, which focus on optimizing traffic flow and passenger convenience. Planning Benefits of the Southern Location: Improved Traffic Management: Modern airports often separate arrival and departure zones to reduce congestion. The Southern location would allow for this improvement, easing the flow of traffic and better managing access through Kirk Douglas Way. Enhanced Terminal Design: The baggage claim area could be relocated landside, directly across from the consolidated rental car facility, creating a dedicated arrivals zone. This separation would prevent future congestion caused by arrivals and departures sharing the same entry point, a limitation inherent in the Northern location. Increased Capacity and Revenue Opportunities: Repurposing the current baggage claim space could accommodate additional carriers, expand services, and boost airport revenues. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda Expanded Landside Curb Length: The Southern location would allow for extended curb length, providing invaluable support for passenger transfers and streamlining drop-off and pick-up operations. Economic and Long-Term Value: Airports are vital economic generators, operating under specific real estate zoning mandates. While cost concerns are valid, it is far more expensive to rectify a flawed decision in the future than to invest in a well-conceived solution today. The Southern location aligns with long-term strategic planning and positions the airport for future growth and efficiency. Thank you for taking the time to consider these ideas. I hope they provide valuable insights to guide your decisions regarding the future of our cherished airport. With gratitude and sincerity, Jason Luke 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:City of Palm Springs To:City Clerk Subject:*NEW SUBMISSION* Submit Public Comment to the City of Palm Springs Date:Saturday, December 14, 2024 11:06:16 AM 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. Submit Public Comment to the City of Palm Springs Submission #:3672881 IP Address:47.158.9.7 Submission Date:12/14/2024 11:06 Survey Time:7 minutes, 54 seconds You have a new online form submission. Note: all answers displaying "*****" are marked as sensitive and must be viewed after your login. Full Name/Nombre George Janofsky City of Residence/Ciudad de residencia Palm Springs, Phone (optional) /Teléfono (opcional) Email (optional/opcional) geopsca@gmail.com Your Comments/Sus comentarios I am a 21 year resident of Sunmor and now with better weather, a bike rider for almost all errands and recreation. I have always been concerned with the lack of bike lanes on Ferrell between Ramon and Tachevah which is mostly residential. Also with the lack of crosswalks at Amado and Andreas I a many in our neighborhood have felt unsafe riding bikes or even trying to cross the street. With Palm Springs now being a Blue Zone city, I would like to know what changes are planned to make that end of Ferrell as safe as the portion between Ramon and 111? Thank you, City of Palm Springs This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email. 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda From:Jeffrey Bernstein To:City Clerk Subject:Fwd: Essential! Date:Monday, December 16, 2024 9:47:32 AM Jeffrey Bernstein Mayor City of Palm Springs cell: 442-305-9942 Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov Begin forwarded message: From: "Domicone, Harry" <domicone@callutheran.edu> Subject: Essential! Date: December 16, 2024 at 8:02:26 AM PST To: "Jeffrey (Jeff) BERNSTEIN" <Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov> 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 Councilmember Bernstein: I STRONGLY support a moratorium on drive-through restaurants in Palm Springs for all of the reasons that are obvious, including (and especially!) air quality, traffic challenges, increased litter, and noise. The academic literature and popular press are FILLED with scientific and anecdotal evidence that support such a ban! Respectfully, Harry Domicone Harry Domicone Palm Springs, California 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda 01/09/2025 Public Comment Non-Agenda