HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-12 Non-AgendaFrom:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Our Palm Springs Trans Community
Date:Wednesday, March 12, 2025 10:58:25 AM
Jeffrey Bernstein
Councilmember
City of Palm Springs
cell: 442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Colleen Doyle <cadoyle@gmail.com>
Subject: Our Palm Springs Trans Community
Date: March 12, 2025 at 10:00:50 AM PDT
To: 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 Council Member Bernstein,
I am writing to you as I'm concerned about the safety and well-being of the Palm Springs
trans community.
Palm Springs is a progressive and inclusive city, but actual support for the trans community
requires direct investment in trans-led organizations that are working to create the same
equality and equity as its gay & lesbian counterparts.
I'm urging the city to allocate increased funding and greater resources to trans-led
organizations that provide essential services, advocacy, and community support in light of
policy efforts to dismantle these critical services. Ensuring the well-being of trans residents
isn’t just about visibility—it’s about action.
As a person who cares about the trans community, I am requesting a commitment from the
City of Palm Springs to sustain funding, infrastructure support, and policies that uplift trans
citizens.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center needs the City of Palm Springs to set aside
funding during the creation of the new City budget in order to provide a community safety net
to allow the Transgender Health and Wellness Center to continue their good work for
thousands of transgender individuals.
Now more than ever, we need to stand by the most vulnerable members of this community.
I hope that with your position on the Palm Springs City Council you support the right for
transgender citizens to live with dignity, respect, and equality and are willing to act in this
precarious moment.
Sincerely,
Colleen Doyle
--
she/her
03/12/2025
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:Wednesday, March 12, 2025 6:31:52 AM
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Your Comments/Sus comentarios
May not be currently being discussed but speeding, tailgating, passing over double lines in residential areas, blatant
stop sign running. People may not be dying in accidents as of yet due to these but an ounce of prevention is worth
the inevitable consequences. Reviewing PSPD logs shows few traffic stops, with warnings or advisement,
enforcement is needed, tickets should be practice rather than warnings. Andreas Hils, Bogert Trail south end is a
prime example of all the above. This has been documented in emails to PSPD and all that is done is enforcement on
an irregular basis at the two stop signs. No radar has been run to stop the speeders. Speed limit is 30 MPH,
cars/trucks consistently ignore this. With the aged population up here, exiting driveways and all the bicyclists and
walkers and dog walking an incident is, at sometime inevitable. The Chief, who has our complete support seems to
disagree. Some of us have been emailing for years requesting more help. Reaction on south end.
Thank you,
City of Palm Springs
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Please support the Palm Springs Trans community and the Transgender Health and Wellness Center
Date:Tuesday, March 11, 2025 8:09:27 PM
Thank you!
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bernstein
Council Member
City of Palm Springs
442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: "David P. Combs" <treeeetop@yahoo.com>
Subject: Please support the Palm Springs Trans community and the
Transgender Health and Wellness Center
Date: March 11, 2025 at 2:35:11 PM PDT
To: 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:
As I'm sure you are aware, the Trans community has been under relentless attack
since last year's election campaign. Even Democrats like Governor Newsom have
decided to put their own political ambitions before the safety of Trans
Californians.
Palm Springs is home to the Transgender Health and Wellness Center, a world-
class provider of mental health, medical, and social support to Transgender
residents. The county funding of the Center was imperiled last month when the
Riverside continuum of care auditors demanded the release of private personal
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
information. That crisis has been averted without requiring the Center to violate
the privacy of its clients.
However, I have every expectation that attacks on the Trans community and the
Transgender Health and Wellness Center will continue. In addition, as federally-
funded health care agencies are pressured to discontinue services to Trans clients,
the Center is committed to back-filling services if federally-funded agencies are
forced to cut back.
The City of Palm Springs has a duty to protect the lives, health, and well-being of
Trans residents. During the creation of the new city budget, please appropriate
funds for the Transgender Health and Wellness Center to continue its life-saving
services to thousands of individuals.
Palm Springs is known worldwide as a haven for LGBTQ+ residents and a
destination for LGBTQ+ visitors. You have the power to ensure that LGBTQ+
really does include the letter T. Support the Transgender Health and Wellness
Center in the next city budget.
Sincerely,
David P. Combs
Palm Springs, CA
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Jeffrey Bernstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Fwd: Our Trans Community
Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 9:15:57 PM
Thank you!
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bernstein
Council Member
City of Palm Springs
442-305-9942
Jeffrey.Bernstein@palmspringsca.gov
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jo Ann Bollen <letsvotecv@gmail.com>
Subject: Our Trans Community
Date: March 10, 2025 at 5:22:10 PM PDT
To: 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 Council Member Bernstein,
As a citizen of the Coachella Valley, I am very concerned about the safety and well-being of
our trans community.
Palm Springs has long been recognized as a progressive and inclusive city, but true support
for the trans community requires direct investment in trans-led organizations that strive to
create the same equality and equity as its gay & lesbian counterparts.
I hope that the city can allocate increased funding and greater resources to trans-led
organizations that provide essential services, advocacy, and community support in case the
radical policy changes being implemented to eradicate these services are implemented.
Ensuring the well-being of trans residents isn’t just about visibility—it’s about action.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
As a person who cares about the trans community, I am requesting a commitment from the
City of Palm Springs to sustain funding, infrastructure support, and policies that uplift trans
people in Palm Springs and have Palm Spring recognized as the historical destination for the
LGBTQ+ community. Our trans siblings must be terrified with the Trump Musk war on the
vulnerable, and for good reason.
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center needs the City of Palm Springs to set aside
funding during the creation of the new City budget in order to provide a community safety net
to allow the Transgender Health and Wellness Center to continue their good work for
thousands of transgender individuals.
We have to earn our reputation of tolerance, inclusivity and support for our vulnerable
communities with action.
I hope that with your election to the Palm Springs City Council you will support the right for
transgender citizens to live with dignity, respect, and equality and are willing to invest in the
community.
Respectfully submitted.
Jo Ann Bollen
--
Jo Ann Bollen
Field Team 6 Voter Registration Coach
and Swing State Trainer
(helpmydrive@fieldteam6.org)
Founder, Vote Coachella Valley
Chair, Programs Committee, Democrats of the Desert
(760) 702-0639
Register to Vote at https://voterizer.org/
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Roxann Ploss
To:Ron deHarte; CityManager; Roxanne Rodriguez
Cc:Peter Moruzzi; Frank Tysen; judy deertrack; dick Burkett
Subject:members of City Council, Architectural Commission, Planning commission.
Date:Sunday, March 9, 2025 9:37:02 PM
Attachments:Environmental advocates sue Palm Springs over planned warehouse.pdf
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unless you are sure the content is safe.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If the renditions of the approved warehouses are, indeed, as shown in
the attached article, all I can say is "shame on you". These pictures are
even worse than the visions I had conjured from the written
descriptions.
The enormity is one thing, the lack of architectural redemption is
another. And the lawsuit, quite rightly, emphasizes the destructive
cumulation which the buildings will guarantee.
Jobs? Probably not anywhere near the "700 new jobs" often cited. AI
will take care of that. Taxes generated? I never asked whether
incentives were being offered (thus mitigating any income), but it is
very hard to believe that these monstrosities can be justified.
The phrase "slippery slope" comes immediately to mind. Once anything
that large is built, the floodgates will have been opened. What an ugly
legacy you will have left.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
3/9/25, 8:07 PMEnvironmental advocates sue Palm Springs over planned warehouse
Page 1 of 5https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-springs/2025/03/…%20have%20sued%20the,objections%20of%20some%20local%20residents.
Environmental advocates sue Palm
Springs over large warehouse
planned north of I-10
Show Caption
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
3/9/25, 8:07 PMEnvironmental advocates sue Palm Springs over planned warehouse
Page 2 of 5https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-springs/2025/03/…%20have%20sued%20the,objections%20of%20some%20local%20residents.
An environmental group is suing Palm Springs and a developer over a
large planned warehouse, saying it doesn't do enough to mitigate
greenhouse gas emissions.
The lawsuit argues the developer could purchase carbon offsets to
reduce the project's environmental impact.
The city approved the project despite objections from residents and a
local advocate, citing potential economic benefits like property tax
revenue.
Environmental advocates have sued the city of Palm Springs over a large
warehouse project slated for the north part of the city.
The lawsuit comes a little over a month after the Palm Springs City Council
allowed the project to move forward over the objections of some local
residents.
"Our lawsuit basically says the city of Palm Springs should require full
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
3/9/25, 8:07 PMEnvironmental advocates sue Palm Springs over planned warehouse
Page 3 of 5https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-springs/2025/03/…%20have%20sued%20the,objections%20of%20some%20local%20residents.
mitigation of this project’s greenhouse gases and it’s not," said Dean
Wallraff, executive director of the nonprofit legal group suing the city, called
Advocates for the Environment. "So that’s what we want."
The 739,360-square-foot warehouse would generate about 9,438.5 metric
tons of carbon dioxide and other equivalent greenhouse gasses per year,
according to an environmental impact report completed as part of the
project. Much of those greenhouse gases would come from vehicles
entering and exiting the facility, and are unable to be mitigated.
But Advocates for the Environment argues in the lawsuit the project's
developer, PS Canyon Development LLC, who is also being sued, could
purchase carbon offsets that would reduce the overall carbon footprint of
the project.
"It’s small in the overall scheme of things," Wallraff said. "But that’s the
nature of the beast. It’s all these small contributions that add up to this huge
cumulative impact worldwide."
City spokesperson Amy Blaisdell said the city had not yet been served with
the lawsuit.
"The City of Palm Springs conducted a thorough environmental review
process consistent with the requirements of the California Environmental
Quality Act," she said in an email to The Desert Sun. "The City Council voted
to advance the project in accordance with applicable regulation and policy."
Representatives PS Canyon Development did not respond to requests for
comment.
The Palm Springs lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions Advocates
for the Environment have undertaken in an attempt to lower greenhouse gas
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
3/9/25, 8:07 PMEnvironmental advocates sue Palm Springs over planned warehouse
Page 4 of 5https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-springs/2025/03/…%20have%20sued%20the,objections%20of%20some%20local%20residents.
emissions of developments in California. Wallraff said some developers
choose to settle the lawsuits brought against them by purchasing carbon
offsets, in a process that could take around six months.
Otherwise, the issue could be litigated through the court system, which
could potentially drag on for years, delaying completion.
The 739,360-square-foot project is planned for the corner of North Indian
Canyon Drive and 19th Avenue. The location is part of an area the city
council has targeted for warehouse development. It is near I-10 on a largely
empty plot.
The site could accommodate either a traditional warehouse, used for storing
goods, or a fulfillment center, which is used to deliver goods to businesses
and people. An operator for the site had not come forward at the time PS
Canyon Development submitted the project for approval to the city.
In 2022, the city council loosened building restrictions on the plot of land for
which the warehouse is planned in an attempt to lure developers and bring in
a new revenue stream. The warehouse project could generate $1 million in
property taxes for the city, a sizeable chunk of the $32.5 million the city
earned in 2023.
Some local advocates have also pushed back against the warehouse project
since news of its development first broke. A Palm Springs resident appealed
the Planning Commission's approval to the city council over environmental
concerns in late January, although the council allowed the project to move
forward.
The lawsuit was filed in Riverside County Superior Court on Feb. 20. A case
management conference was scheduled for March 17.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
3/9/25, 8:07 PMEnvironmental advocates sue Palm Springs over planned warehouse
Page 5 of 5https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-springs/2025/03/…%20have%20sued%20the,objections%20of%20some%20local%20residents.
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him
at smorgen@gannett.com.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Cindy Cairns
To:City Clerk
Cc:Llubi Rios; Alyssa Chavez; Nora Ayala
Subject:FW: 03/03/2025 - Mail Received - Louis Schneider
Date:Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:52:45 AM
Attachments:03-03-2025_ Mail - Louis Schneider.pdf
Public comment received.
CINDY CAIRNS | SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO CITY MANAGER
City of Palm Springs | Office of the City Manager
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
t: 760.323.8211 | f: 760.323.8207 | cindy.cairns@palmspringsca.gov
Palm Springs City Hall is open 8 am – 6 pm Monday through Thursday, and closed
on Fridays
From: Nora Ayala <Nora.Ayala@palmspringsca.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 11:40 AM
Cc: Alyssa Chavez <Alyssa.Chavez@palmspringsca.gov>; Cindy Cairns
<Cindy.Cairns@palmspringsca.gov>; Llubi Rios <Llubi.Rios@palmspringsca.gov>
Subject: 03/03/2025 - Mail Received - Louis Schneider
Good morning Council (Bcc’d),
Attached is correspondence that we received from Louis Schneider. Please let me
know if I can be of further assistance.
Thank you,
NORA ELIZA AYALA | EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
City of Palm Springs | Office of the City Council
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
t: 760.322.8385 | f: 760.323.8207 | nora.ayala@palmspringsca.gov
Palm Springs City Hall is open 8 am – 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and
closed on Fridays
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Steve Kluth
To:Ron deHarte; David Ready
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:Creating a safer downtown by reverting Palm Canyon Drive to two-way traffic
Date:Sunday, March 2, 2025 1:55:23 PM
Attachments:Downtown PS Palm Canyon Drive proposal.pptx
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unless you are sure the content is safe.
Mayer DeHarte, Councilmember Ready,
I'd like to propose something to the city council which I believe would make Downtown Palm
Springs a much safer environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers. This would be to
revert Palm Canyon Drive downtown back to two-way traffic with all-way stops replacing the
stop lights from Amado to Ramon. There are several good reasons for this.
Slower traffic through downtown
Safer downtown for everyone – drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians
Saves money (stop signs are cheaper than traffic signals)
Cyclists less likely to ride northbound on Palm Canyon sidewalks
Fewer and less deadly accidents
Fewer confused drivers, especially tourists, who often start driving the wrong way
before realizing their error
Fewer confused pedestrians who aren’t used to beg buttons to initiate walk signal
More pleasant outdoor dining experience (quieter)
Eliminates British-style parallel parking on left side of Palm Canyon
Emergency vehicles can travel both directions to improve response times
Supports 2021 Palm Springs Pedestrian Plan
I have also put together a PowerPoint presentation (attached) which I would be glad to present
to the council should you desire. I believe this is the next logical step for downtown traffic
after the reconfiguration of Indian Canyon Drive to two-way traffic a few years ago. It both
makes a safer downtown and saves money in the long run, a win-win in my opinion.
Respectfully,
Steven Kluth
161 Caravan
Palm Springs, CA 92264
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
Making a Safer Downtown Palm Springs
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
Current issues
Palm Canyon Drive is the main street of downtown Palm Springs. It is
currently three lanes, all of which are southbound, along with parking
on both sides of the street. This leads to drivers maneuvering between
lanes to speed through downtown which has contributed to
unnecessary accidents such as the fatal accident early morning Feb 8,
2021 at corner of Arenas Road. There are also accidents involving
wrong-way drivers confused by the one-way configuration. Drivers
frequently hold up traffic in the left side lane as few people have
experience in parallel parking on that side of the street. The one-way
means cyclists either have to ride the wrong way on the street or, more
typically, ride on the sidewalks and endangering pedestrians despite
signs prohibiting cycling on downtown sidewalks. Cyclists also frequently
avoid the sharrow as it’s in the left lane which is both unconventional
and highly dangerous.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
Proposed solution
•Reconfigure Palm Canyon Drive from Alejo Road (Frances Stevens
Park) to Ramon Road as a two-way street with a center turn lane.
•Replace all stop lights from Amado to Ramon with stop signs. Palm
Canyon Drive at Alejo would remain a stoplight-controlled
intersection. Palm Canyon Drive at Ramon would be converted to a
four -way stop.
•Palm Canyon continues to be one-way southbound from Ramon to
Camino Parocela
03/12/2025
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•All-way stops on Palm Canyon Drive from south of Alejo (Frances Stevens Park) to and including Ramon Rd
•Parking lane shown here also includes some dining parklets
03/12/2025
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Benefits and drawbacks
•Benefits
•Slower traffic through downtown
•Safer downtown for everyone – drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians
•Saves money (stop signs are cheaper than traffic signals)
•Cyclists less likely to ride northbound on Palm Canyon sidewalks
•Fewer and less deadly accidents
•Fewer confused drivers, especially tourists, who often start driving the wrong way before realizing their error
•Fewer confused pedestrians who aren’t used to beg buttons to initiate walk signal
•More pleasant outdoor dining experience (quieter)
•Eliminates British-style parallel parking on left side of Palm Canyon
•Emergency vehicles can travel both directions to improve response times
•Supports 2021 Palm Springs Pedestrian Plan
03/12/2025
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Drawbacks
•Illegal U-turns
•Initial confusion for some with new configuration
•Costs for reconfiguration
•New overhead cross-street identification signs for northbound traffic
•New northbound signal at Alejo
•New stop signs
•Parking directions and other informational signs on east (new northbound) side of Palm
Canyon will need to be reset for northbound traffic
•New street paint for lane markings
•Some people will complain because they will
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
Challenges
•Reconfiguring intersection at Alejo for two-way traffic
•New stoplight needed for northbound Palm Canyon Drive
•May need additional mitigation for safety
•Alerting drivers to new traffic pattern
•Palm Canyon Drive configuration between Ramon Road and Camino
Parocela (should be delayed until traffic patterns stabilize)
•Identifying all needed changes for safety
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
The proposed trial program
•Set all current light signals from Amado to Ramon (inclusive) to
flashing red
•Install eight stop signs for new northbound lane on Palm Canyon
at corners with light signals
•Move informational signs like three hour parking limit to face
northbound parked vehicles
•Repaint street including painting over (highly dangerous) bicycle
sharrow
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
Possibly Asked Questions (PAQ)
•Will there be less parking? No. Existing parking spaces on the east side of Palm Canyon Drive will not be removed. It will only eliminate British-style parallel parking.
•Why will it be quieter? Electric cars are only quiet until they reach about 25 mph when the noise from the tires starts exceeding the noise generated by internal combustion engines. Cars frequently exceed the posted 25 mph speed limit. Cars will be forced to stop (or at least significantly slow down) at each stop sign.
•Will it really save that much money? The cost to replace a typical four-legged intersection is about $300,000.1 This doesn’t include the cost of electricity to run the lights or the cost to repair due to accidents and vandalism. There are eight intersections with lights; some (like La Plaza) have unusual configurations. The cost to replace stop lights at all eight intersections with stop signs will require far less expense and upkeep in the long run.
•Why is this beneficial to emergency response times? Emergency responders will be able to answer calls directly on Palm Canyon Drive if located further south than the emergency. Additionally, the middle/turn lane should usually be vacant or easily vacated to make way for emergency vehicles.
•Has anyone actually died on this stretch of Palm Canyon Drive? 19 pedestrians and 10 cyclists were reported in accidents in Palm Springs in 2021 alone. While no pedestrians have died on downtown Palm Canyon Drive, there have been pedestrian fatalities on Palm Canyon Drive including one as recently as 13 February 2025.2 Page 145 of the Palm Springs Pedestrian Plan shows six pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions with injury along this stretch; however, no date range is given and the intersections at Amado, Andreas, and Ramon are all hidden by info boxes on the map so there may have been more incidents.
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
References
1.Paul Ward Manager (2011–present) “In my life as an engineer, I built a lot of signalized intersections. We would
bookmark about $200–400k for the signals, controllers, mast arms, etc. This does not include any civil work (road,
sidewalks, curbs, right of way, etc)” https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-to-install-or-replace-traffic-lights-
at-an-intersection-in-the-United-States
2.Pedestrian killed in traffic collision on N. Palm Canyon in Palm Springs Thursday
https://kesq.com/news/2025/02/13/pedestrian-killed-in-traffic-collision-on-n-palm-canyon-in-palm-springs-thursday/
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
Reconfiguration of North Palm Canyon Drive at Alejo Road intersection
NORTH
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Terry Spear
To:City Clerk
Date:Saturday, March 1, 2025 1:36:49 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.
When are you going to deal with the appropriation for survivors section 14
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Adam Ottenstein
To:City Clerk
Subject:Need right turn only lane @ …..
Date:Friday, February 28, 2025 2:53:18 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.
At the intersection of El Cielo going west on Ramon, that right lane should be a right turn only
lane, (except city buses), which would alleviate traffic congestion at that intersection. Usually
only one in twenty cars goes straight and that backs up that lane.
Thanks for your time, Adam Ottenstein
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Bonnie Ruttan
To:City Clerk
Subject:ACO vacancy
Date:Thursday, February 27, 2025 5:41:12 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.
To Palm Springs City Council Members
As a volunteer at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, I’m concerned at the thought of
eliminating an ACO position. If anything, we need MORE officers, not fewer
I’ve seen the level of work they perform
Sincerely
Bonnie Ruttan
Resident
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
From:Jim Seavey
To:City Clerk
Cc:smorgan@palmspri.gannett.com; luis.avila@kesq.com; Peter Henson
Subject:Proposed Palm Springs Picklball Court Paln....
Date:Thursday, February 27, 2025 4:04:26 PM
Attachments:PBCourts2.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.
This email is being sent to the members of the Palm Springs City council, Pete
Henson, Sam Morgan and Luis Avila re; the above subject.
City Council Members:
It's not too late for you to fix this project that is grossly out of control.
Or, you can let it go forward and reply to the excess expenditure of
funds, as had to be done by the previous council who wasted
$6,000,000 converting Indian Canyon into two way traffic.
And, you now have the responsibility for the $500,00 cost to move a
statue 100 feet; yet another ill fated job that was not done correctly
the first time.
If you continue to let the current pickleball project go forward, you
will have accomplished a trifecta of poorly planed projects; this one
at a cost of $6,000,000+.
The pickleball courts really need additional parking, not trees and not
a second picnic area at the east end of the park. I understand the
issues of global warming ant the positive impact that trees can have.
But, trees do not belong near tennis or pickleball courts, any more
than they belong on soccer, or softball/baseball/football fields.
At the last Council meeting there was discussion of the expense of
maintaining park facilities. Well, planting trees adjacent to
tennis/pickleball courts will increase that expense due to all of the
leaves that will be deposited on the courts and the premature wear
they will contribute.
There are two tennis courts at Ruth Hardy Park that never receive
play (where the backboard is located) because the trees that
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
surround those courts continually drop debris on the courts. And, then
there is the issue of shadows and the difficulty of picking up the ball in
your vision as it moves between sun and shade.
Please, use the funding to expand the parking lot. You can plant
trees in other areas of the park. We need additional parking for the
increased numbers that will be coming to the park to play on the only
public regulation pickleball courts in the valley.
We also need the space between the two rows of 12 courts to be
expanded to handle the 200 people who will be here to play in the
winter, to say nothing of the 300 people who will sign up for
tournaments. And, your are going to host tournaments to generate
income for the maintenance of the courts aren't you?
The lack of parking and space for players/spectators between the
courts, and bleachers for seating in the area, are the downfall of the
current plan. If you go forward without making modifications to the
plan you will have completed the trifecta, because the current plan
will not work with the number of people who will be coming to the
courts to play; also,the neighbors will NOT be happy about the hugely
increased number of cars parked on their streets!
The attached document contains this missive and background
information on these and other issues associated with this ill fated
plan.
Regards,
Jim Seavey
1043 East Suntan Lane
Palm Springs, CA 92264
jwseavey@norseaodyssey.com
541 261 3414
Palm Springs resident for 15 years
"Attitude reflects leadership."
"Travel is fatal to bigotry, prejudice and hate."
"In order for people to respect the law, first, the law must be respectable."
"I am only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand."
"Stand By Me" Playing for Change | Song Around The World
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
To: Palm Springs City Council Members February 27 2025
Subject: Pickleball Court Project
It’s not too late for you to fix this project that is grossly out of control. Or, you can let it
go forward and reply to the excess expenditure of funds, as had to be done by the
previous council who wasted $6,000,000 converting Indian Canyon into two way traffic.
And, you now have the responsibility for the $500,00 cost to move a statue 100 feet; yet
another ill fated job that was not done correctly the first time.
If you continue to let the current pickleball project go forward, you will have
accomplished a trifecta of poorly planed projects.
The pickleball courts really need additional parking, not trees and not a second picnic
area at the east end of the park. I understand the issues of global warming ant the
positive impact that trees can have. But, trees do not belong near tennis or pickleball
courts, any more than they belong on soccer, softball/baseball/football fields.
At the last Council meeting there was discussion of the expense of maintaining park
facilities. Well, planting trees adjacent to tennis/pickleball courts will increase that
expense due to all of the leaves that will be deposited on the courts and the premature
wear they will contribute.
There are two tennis courts at Ruth Hardy Park that never receive play (where the
backboard is located) because the trees that surround those courts continually drop
debris on the courts. And, then there is the issue of shadows and the difficulty of picking
up the ball in your vision as it moves between sun and shade.
Please use the funding to expand the parking lot. You can plant trees in other areas of the
park. We need additional parking for the increased number sthat will be coming to the
park to play on the only regulation pickleball courts in the valley. We also need the space
between the two rows of 12 courts to be expanded to handle the 200 people who will be
here to play in the winter, to say nothing of the 300 people who will sign up for
tournaments. And, your are going to host tournaments to generate income for the
maintenance of the courts aren’t you?
Parking and area for the players/spectators between the courts and bleachers for seating
in the area are the downfall of the current plan. If you go forward with making
modifications ou will have completed the trifecta.
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Background:
The lack of transparency in the pickleball courts project has reached unbelievable
heights. The residents and both short term and long term visitors continue to be baffled
at the response from the city about two items that demand investigation.
The Pickleball Ad-Hoc Group that was appointed to represent the players at Demuth
Park did not represent the majority of the players. Mary Barsleeau was appointed to this
group during its initial formation. Ms. Barselau is a vendor of Pickleball Teaching
Services to the City of Palm Springs and, as a result, her inclusion as a member of this
group was/is a HUGE conflict of interest. Her opinions do not reflect those of the
players at Demuth Park. Her interest is making money utilizing city facilities. And, to
make matters worse, she was allowed to select/appoint many of the members of the Ad-
Hoc Group. Several of the members of the group do not play pickleball at Demuth Park.
As a result, any and all input from the Ad-Hoc Group should be discarded. The goal of
the group is listed as follows:
“The goal was to create a concept that reflects the needs of the user as well
improving the usable space between the parking lot and the pickleball courts for
all.”
This goal has not been achieved by the current design/plan for the following reasons:
1. This plan was intended to establish 24 new pickleball courts at Demuth Park. The
current plan includes a picnic area and an arboretum. Neither of these items have
anything to do with Pickleball Courts.
First, trees are the bane of tennis and pickleball courts; trees have leaves and leaves
come off of trees very easily; with wind being the major contributor to this activity, and
here in Palm Springs we have wind, lots and lots of wind.
The southwest corner of the existing pickleball courts is a continual problem due to the
pine needles that land on the courts from the trees immediately to the west of the courts.
Why on earth should more trees be planted on the north side of the courts when they
have nothing to do with pickleball courts. And, there is the issue of the space to the north
of the courts being very much needed for additional parking! More on this issue further
on.
There is an existing picnic ground 100 feet west of the existing pickleball courts. We do
not need a picnic area on the north side of the courts. We do not need trees on the north
side of the courts.
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What we do need are things that we do not have today:
1.We need wind screens. The new courts require wind screens on all four sided of
the courts.
The only access to the courts we have today is from the north. As a result it is not
practical to have wind screens on the north side of the courts because people
waiting to play would not be able to see when courts become available for play
and this would cause even more time to be wasted getting players from concluded
games off the courts and the players for the new game replacing them on the
courts.
Because there needs to be wind screens on the north side of the courts (the
direction the prevailing winds come from 90+% of the time) seating outside the
courts in this area is a waste of money because no one will be able to see anything
inside the court area due to the wind screens. And, because the entry/exit points
for the courts are NOT in this area no players will be congregating in this area.
2.The entire area around the courts needs to have an isolation zone between the
court fences and any landscaped area.
We have two major problems today due to the sprinklers for the grass spraying
water on the courts and the slope of the land being north to south causing all rain
water and landscaping water to run off the landscaping on the north side of the
courts onto the courts.
When this happens all of the decomposed granite that the Parks and Rec
Department has placed on the north side of the courts washes onto the courts.
This, coupled with all the sand that comes with this creates excess wear and tear
to the court surface and as a result resurfacing is required prematurely. This is not
addressed anywhere in the proposed design.
3.Today, we have 12 courts which equals a maximum of 48 people playing at a
time. It is quite common, during the busy season (Oct-Nov thru Mar/April) to
have 40 people congregated outside of the courts during the busy hours each
morning of the week waiting their turn to get onto the courts to play. The number
of players waiting to play can be greater during weekends in which more out of
town players are present for advertised non-pickleball events.
The existing parking lot has 35 parking spaces plus two handicap spaces. The
animal shelter administration is not happy with the pickleball players parking on
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“their” street; the street has 17 parking spaces. But, the pickleball players have no
choice because there is inadequate parking in the parking lot adjacent to the
pickleball courts. Sunny Dunes, north of the courts, has 15 parking spaces on the
court side of the street.
4.The money that is being wasted on trees and seating and picnic space on the north
side of the courts should be used to expand the existing parking lot to the east all
the way to the street where the animal shelter is. This space should be
incorporated with the existing parking lot and the space between the existing lot
and this area and the courts courts should all be utilized for additional parking.
5.Now, consider that we will be going from 12 courts with 48 players to 24 courts
with 96 players. And, keep in mind that this will be the ONLY PUBLIC pickleball
facility in the Cochella Valley that will be constructed to the standards for
pickleball courts that includes fences between each courts and sufficient space
around the courts to actually play the game. All other courts are converted tennis
courts.
6.You will realize very quickly that the number of people using this new facility
will double and triple depending on the activity.
Because these will be the only courts in the valley that will not be converted
tennis courts, people will flock to Demuth Park to play on them. Kind of like that
famous movie line, “Build it and they will come!”
So, with 96 players on the courts during the busy season, we will have ~130+
players waiting to play. To think that these courts will not suffer this kind of
demand is just plain silly, and foolish.
7.And then there are tournaments that will undoubtedly be held here as well.
Tournaments typically have three (3) times the number of participants than the
courts can accommodate. This means that there will be ~300 people needing to
have a place to congregate, sit and play during such events.
We know the courts themselves will accommodate such a crowd, but there is
currently no provision to provide an area for players to congregate and sit that will
accommodate ~100 to 200+ players.
The current plan has a space between the courts where players enter and exit the
courts that is much, much too small for so many people. And make no mistake,
the players need to be in the area where they enter and exit the courts or there will
be complete and total chaos trying to keep players moving on and off the courts in
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a timely manner.
And, where will all these people be able to sit? More on this further on.
8.The area to the north of the courts that the current plan has earmarked for seating
and picnic space needs to be incorporated into the center area between the courts
to expand the width so this space can accommodate the number of players who
will be in this area.
Also, the current plan calls for 10 benches for seating in this area. Each bench will
accommodate 4 to 5 people meaning 50 people may have a place to sit. Simply
ridiculous considering that for tournaments there wil l be ~200 people waiting to
play.
This space needs one three tier bleacher facing each court for the entire length of
the area between the courts where players will enter and exit the courts and
congregate. Use the available funding for something practical like seating and
parking.
9.Also, the entire area between the two 12 court sections needs to have a cover for
sun screen. This structure should be incorporated into the fencing for the courts in
this area so that the entire area between the courts is covered. It is pointless to put
up separate, individual covers in this area.
Other failings of this project.
There is reference to a start date but, no completion date or time-frame for the
construction!
What kind of public project is issued to a vendor without a completion date or time-
frame? Many of us, over the past several weeks, have attempted to get the Parks and
Recreation Department Director to provide a time line from from start to completion of
this project. We have been ignored/stonewalled.
The new director is the first director to not reply to emails that I have sent, ever. Viki,
Cynthia and Yvonne all were excellent at their job by communicating with the users of
park facilities. Sadly, the new director is failing miserably at doing this part of his job.
RECOMMENDATION:
The scope of this project has more than mushroomed, it has exploded like a nuclear
bomb, quadrupling from ~$1.5M to ~$6+M because the leader of the Oswit Land Trust
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda
lobbied for trees and others insisted that we have a picnic area and seating on the north
side of the courts at the expense of inadequate space for the number of players that will
use the facility; think about the area where people enter and exit the courts and need a
place to sit and watch the games and rest as well as parking for players and spectators.
Palm Springs does need a world class pickleball facility. “Build it and they will come!”
PICKLEBALL FACILITY: A place to accommodate pickleball players and spectators.
This means that there needs to be accommodation for vesicles that are driven to/from the
facility. More space for parking should be taken going west from the facility between the
picnic area and child play area up to the softball field. The existing parking west of the
softball field is already inadequate when softball and soccer are in session and should
never have been considered as an alternative for pickleball player/spectator parking.
This means that there needs to be space to accommodate all of the players and spectators
to include adequate seating.
This is nothing more than common sense.
It is not too late to rein this project back and get these glaring issues fixed so Palm
Springs will have a pickleball facility that will draw people from all over the world to
play pickleball.
Respectfully,
Jim Seavey
1043 East Suntan Lane,
Palm Springs, CA 92264
jwseavey@norseaodyssey.com
541 261 3414
Full time Palm Springs resident for 15+ years.
Cc:
Pete Hensen,
Luis.Avila – KESQ
Sam Morgen -Desert Sun
03/12/2025
Public Comment
Non-Agenda