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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/2/2000 - STAFF REPORTS Rodger Garrett, 900 East Saturnino Road, Palm Springs, speaking for myself and other tenants at the Villa Serena Apartments at the same address in downtown Palm Springs. Robert and Joanne Landry, a retired couple on a fixed income had their monthly rent increased by $175 in July. Rosemary Morris, a retired woman on a fixed income had tier monthly rent increased by $130 in July. Narage Lockhart, a single mother, had her rent increased by $100 in July. Bill and Penny Waters, a couple with children, had their rent increased by $200 per month in July. Milton Philips, who just celebrated his 90th anniversary on the planet, will have his monthly rent increased a total of $100 over one year when his lease expires this fall. Ruth Weil, an 88-year-old retiree was forced to move because her rent was increased by $100 per month on a one- bedroom unit in July. Moreover, the owners of Villa Serena Apartments have authorized further additional increases of up to $100 monthly since the above-cited rent hikes. Were this simply an accurate reflection of the changing economics in Palm Springs, which it is not, or at least not yet., we might be less upset. But that is not the case. What is the case is that the owners and management of Villa Serena Apartments have clearly and documentably conspired to increase the revenues at our complex with a strategy of increasing rents and decreasing services to heterosexual tenants while targeting, providing increased services and amenities, bending house rules and regulations for, and in some instances free rent to new and presumambly more financially tolerant homosexual tenants who would presumably like to live in an all-gay complex. e C)L,P— C Statements were made to a number of witnesses who are on record reporting that the manager of Villa Serena Apartments told them --- and repeated to them -- that it was his intention to turn the 78-unit facility into an all-gay complex. Because of this approximately one dozen Villa Serena Apartments residents have filed complaints with the State's Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Item: The manager at Villa Serena Apartments has been accused of violating state statute by entering tenant's apartments without service of notice. Item: The attorney for Heathman-Hill Investments and Villa Serena Apartments, a General Partnership, has been accused of repeatedly hiring an attorney service in Bermuda Dunes to falsify affidavits of service of summons and complaints regarding intention to evict several tenants so that they have no documents to respond to and no notice of the hearings which then wind up in summary judgment. Item: The manager at Villa Serena Apartments has repeatedly misrepresented the truth in verbal and official written communications, placing tenants in anguish with regard to eviction for false or questionable cause or other threatened actions against them. Item: The manager at Villa Serena Apartments has been accused of causing official records to be altered and/or destroyed, possibly with the authorization of the general partner and/or agent of record. Item: When accused of these and other statutory violations and r threatened with discovery to prove the allegations, the attorney for Heathman-Hill Investments and Villa Serena Apartments agreed to settle a counter-action against his clients rather than allow documentation of these allegations to surface. Villa Serena means "serene village" in Spanish, but it is anything but. And if this is the beginning of a trend in Palm Springs, serenity may become a thing of the past elsewhere in rental complexes including mobile home communities. Thus far, only the local media have given space or air time to the matter. But, as in the case of issue of spring break every night on Palm Canyon Drive, the matter may ignite interest by the media in far bigger markets... Southern California or even nationally for that matter... as reverse discrimination and block- busting by militant gays against straights -- especially elderly straights -- will be an easy sell by whoever decides to make a few telephone calls. Because we know more gays who deplore this situation than we know gays who support such malicious and illegal actions, we suspect that the militants are in the minority. Gays and lesbians have done more in recent years to revivify Palm Springs than any other identifiable group. There are none among us who decry their right to live as they choose. But we do decry anyone's right to force us from our homes or place us in contentious, inhospitable and emotionally draining living conditions. Thus, and in view of the fact that the owners and management of Villa Serena Apartments refused to sit down with us under the auspices of the City's Human Rights Commission, we are again requesting that Council devise and pass a resolution calling upon the State's Department of Fair Employment and Housing, at its regional offices in San Bernardino, California, to take all necessary investigative and other activities to resolve this matter. JAN -26' 99 ("'JE) 16 01 CITY 9F PAU SPRINGS TEL: 760 322 8,360 P. 001 Post-W Fax Note 7671 pa3b � Frog �,(,5,-- Co.lDcP� '•'� Planning Commission Minutes Patin 'f3-. �5 of March 12, 1997 Pax 7j J / Fax# Pape 10 � u^ e, z Case 5.0739-CUP - Fox Motors, Inc. - Cont"d rnT� done under certain circumstances, but this is difficult do. 'ryplcaily, a request of this type is not a trigger point for change, but 1 sually a structural change. Commissioner Rays stated that he would Ilk p suggest to the property owners that they consider re-evaluating the lightin system. In response to Commissioner Ju/eored, uestion regarding security lighting in the area where the vehicles will b Planner stated that there is enough lighting, but staff will look at the if applicant desires additional lighting. Public hearing opened. Lillian Fox., o/ofroperty and the applicant, stated that their business is primarily for and accounting, with vehicles rarely being kept on the property; maholding facility is in Bermuda Dunes, and occasionally subject area d, but rarely overnight. Would be willing to look at an enhanced li Public aring closed. f MI5 (Duffy(Jurasky; 6 •• 0; Mills and Foster abstained - business related) to at ove subject to conditions shown in staff report, correcting the repoit to dicate "B" care instead of "6". ✓< k k fi t CAS~ SE 3.0845- Application by David Christian for LAS CASUELA5 TCRRAZA for -rrw to approved expansion plans for property located at 222 South Palm "Canyon Drive, CEO Zone, Section 15. Director stated that this is a revision to a previously approved proposed plan; City Council is looking at an agreement relative to the disposition of the adjoining driveway and parking area, whereby that area would be sold to the Las Casuelas Company. At that point the restaurant expansion could proceed; there is a condition in the agreement regarding in-lieu parking fees, and staff will continue to work with the applicant as their drawings are refined to determine tyre exact parking requirements, New parking standards (for new and old buildings) reduce the parking dramatically, and staff will try to exercise these to the greatest extent possible; and feels this is an exciting project for the Downtown. ��0�0 l;c BAN. -26' 99ME 16:02 CITY OF PAU SPRINGS TEL•760 322 8360 P. 002 Planning Commission Minutes of March 12, 1997 Page 11 Case 3.0845 - Las Casuelas Terraza - Cont'd Planner Balderas gave an overview of the new plan, as compared to the previous one, and stated that the improvements will go north adjacent to the R, Lewin building; walkway (not public) will be open only during applicant's business hours; there will be provisions for jight outdoor entertainment; total expansion is approximately 1543 square feet; and City is currently working on improving the parking lot, Director stated that at their discretion, the Commission can make a finding that under the Downtown parking overlay applicant has the ability to count on-street parking as part of the project parking requirements; staff is suggesting that the Commission consider on-street parking spaces adjacent to Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive, that would give the applicant credit of B parking spaces; finding would be based an I.he fact that the project will provide additional open space, landscape, decorative materials and other pedestrian related amenities required above the ordinance; staff feels the proposal does everything the City wants it to do in the downtown; is working with applicant reg_arMDg a sound system to -iddress the noises noes; and may be looking at a noise ordinance amendment because cf what the City is trying to achieve downtown. Ric Service, President and co-owner of Las Casuelas Terraza, stated that they are very concerned about the sound issue and are gwsuing a revolutionary,as well some standard sound contrel systems; would like to break ground July 8th and be open in mid-Octaber; clarified that they are purchasing 5500 square feet from the City (part of which is to buy property on which they had an encroachment permit). Their proposal includes: a 1500 square foot building expansion; patio square fool.age does not Include walkway(which consumes 20% of their site) which will be left open during business hours; take-out food foyer area, storage area, 2 new public bathroom facilities and outdoor improvements (part of which are roofed);vast majority of expansion is non-air conditioned space, and large landscape buffer looking into the driveway area . Cum I i";ul im Raye atetetl that he fool; tharo is benefit to h2vinU mnsir, hparri from the street creating a vitality an aliveness downtown WS/C (Marantz/Raya; 7 -0) to approve expansion plans, subject to the conditions In the staff report, and detennined that street parking on Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive would be credited as parking spaces.