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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/4/2000 - STAFF REPORTS (23) 10-04-00 Item 21a TPM29683 Lundin Development No Staff Report provided Item Withdrawn OCT-02-00 03 :00 PM 0000000000000 0000000006 P. 01 L 2WO REC ON,E_❑ 0- CC 1 To Members of the City council: I am a Palm Springs Resident and am in favor of the demolition of the Ralphs building and am apalled with the outcome of the vote last meeung. The building is an eyesore to say the least. We need this project to go forward and recind the last vote. The Carls JR. generally cant keep up with the demand, and the store should be demolished and designed in such a way as to accentuate the surrounding businesses. i commend the Mayor and Mr, oden, however- the remainder of the council should reconsider this issue. I Margie Banning it i I I i �J (jr, 10/03/00 ITUE 11:11 FAX 760 323 9888 Smoke Tree Jewelers 17J 001 fV1 Smoke iree eweler s 1776 9East palm canyon give (0.1, 4 2006 6) halm "Springs, ca. 92264 'vrr � ?60-320-3828 760-323-9888 Tax October 2, 2000 Paler Springs Mayor, Will Kleindienst: Jahn Springs, Ca. 92262 o our honorable Mayor Will: [News travels .fast...After turning down Smoke Tree Shopping Center II, on ,the comer of Barona and Palm Canyon Drive, now we are threatened again by another artifice. Ralph's Market will be moving out of Smoke Tree in 5 years if you let their supermarket materialize! Do we need another �UPERMARTXT? I thought that we wanted.Palm Springs to stay like Pahrr Springs. And, do we want another PLAZA Del SOL? That is exactly what Smoke Tree will tam into. Ralph's will close this store in 5 years when they exercise their option and pay the minimum rent so that NO OTHER market can go into their space. Again, this must have something to do with Smoke Tree Ranch. They hold a great number of shares of Kroger stock, which is Ralph's Market! Since you squashed Smoke Tree Shopping Center 11, Smoke Tree Ranch is trying to get back at Mr. Olson for not selling them back Smoke Tree Village Shopping Center. And, remember Doug Evans still sits on the board at Smoke Tree Ranch, which is VERY strange. Please don't let us become another Plaza Del Sol--don't make us have to move down desert, away from the city we love!!! Sincerely, your constituents, Uaro and Jacci '1111tunjian Oct-03-2000 05:34pm From- T-366 P.001/004 F-850 BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP ?ACkllk% Post Office Bo: 13650,Palm Desert,CA 92255 74-760 Highway 111, Suite 200 �� fi' 2 yjo C co Indian Wells, California 92210 " CCrVIEr, ,rr Telephone: (760) 568-2611 Telecopier: (760) 340-6698 TELECOPIER TRANSMISSION DATE; October 3, 2000 To: NAME FAx No. PHONE NO. Honorable Mayor and Members of the 760/322-9320 City Council, City of Palm Springs FRAM- Karen Ceccarelli, Secretary to Robert W Hargreaves RE: Proposed Lundin Development [FILE NO USER NO.. INo OF PAGES,INCLUDING COVER. 4 J MESSACE: ORIGINAL TO FOLLOW: No I CAUTION-CONFIDENTIAL; TJ TE DOCUWNT BEING TELECOPIED fO YOU MAY CONTAIN MOP MATION PROTECTED BY TI1L A TORNE Y-CL11-NF/WORK PRODUCT PRIVILEGE It is intended only for the person io whom it is addressed If you arc not the intendedrecipientor isnoncetoyouiha dissemmaaon,distributionorcopyingofthisdocumentisprchzbncd- If tltts was received in error,plea c ca11 us at once and dcs:roy the docurnmi. (FY0UEIPERIENC'F.ANYDIFTYCU1 TYWITHYEE0UA1/Ty ORCOMPLF.TF_.NESSOF THIS TRaNSMISSION,PLEA SECALL Karen C'iccareUr, 760 568-2611, A 4 cO Al a Oct-03-2000 05:35pm From- T-353 P 002/004 F453 BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP .•CrLIrORnrn un1TED FlhplylT pKiTry CA9nP mewolne PAOFEeSlgrlw,.egRPORnTIOns LAWYERS TnuR11TR ...I- eRnDLEY E Pyi KwP 0-".+ n COsn LPanRIE s nrTrrcl.D Tn 700 nrunw., r r auITG C.0 R DLWOLFe. 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L ELun,nnon LEE 1.YEs P 641.gXq a OI a..a>nl OnTngl.1009,Oe00=04 n GLngnE JR cnCnRv wEL lE nnES C 1LRn CT E.MES n BR.nnn LCWIC• nrcn.gDT E4O ER MICnnELO OoilO. EuGErvc aC[TII OG3-1 uerr ..qe DreOo gel Rl 326 lIqP +n rtROFE5510rvnL COHICRnTION File No October 3, 2000 By Facsimile Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council CITY OF PALM SPRINGS 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way P.O. Sox 2743 Palm Springs, CA 92263 Re: Proposed Lundin Development at Ramon and Sunrise, Palm Springs Dear Honorable Mayor and Members of the Council- As you know, I have addressed you at the last two City Council meetings on behalf of the Cheeky Monkey and Sun Clean Laundromat with respect to the proposed Lundin Development Project. It is not clear under what authority the matter is once again before you, given that at your last meeting you took final action denying the Project In any case, as I have a previous engagement and will be unable to attend your meeting;on October 4th, I will take this opportunity to summarize my clients'position with respect to the Project The corner at Sunrise and Raman has been described in these proceedings as the most important commercial corner in the City. The City will benefit,or suffer,from whatever development is approved at this important site for the next 50 years. Consequently,it makes sense to take the time necessary to fully address issues with respect to the site's development, The proposed Lundin development presents a number of developmental challenges because of the Project's density, on a relatively small site, and the site's unique architectural heritage The Project's benefits do not warrant the massing of businesses at an already impacted intersection RWUBa%UJ72W Oct-03-2000 05:35pm From- T-308 P.003/004 F-058 LAW OFFICES of BEST BEST S KRIEGER LLP Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council October 3, 2000 Page 2 Compounding the problem is the fact the Project is not bringing anything new to the City The Project is in essence cannibalistic To the extent that the Lundin Center thrives, it will be attracting businesses from other existing centers in the vicinity Given these problems, the City Council should prudently gather the information it needs to ensure that the development makes sense for the City at this strategic corner. To date,the following information is lacking: • The Effect of the Lundin Development on the Existing Small Businesses Currentiv at the Site. There has been no discussion to date about the relocation of existing businesses within the Center. As discussed in my previous correspondence, these business are entitled to relocation assistance What arrangements can be made to assist these small businesses in surviving the redevelopment of the Center? • Impacts of the Lundin Development on,Existing Neiehhnrhood Centers To what extent will the Lundin Development cannibalize business from existing neighborhood commercial centers in the vicinity? Will existing commercial centers be blighted by vacancies caused by the new development? • impacts on Neighhors Section 9403 00 13(2)of the Zoning Ordinance requires that a plan development district incorporate measures to protect the health,safety,welfare and privacy of abutting property owners Due to the "tight fit"of the Project, the supermarket is being pushed back almost into the front patios of the neighboring Gallery Apartments. At very least, a sound study should be done to ensure that the residents of Those apartments are protected from traffic and refrigeration equipment noise that the supermarket will generate in close proximately to their living quarters • Impacts on Architectural Resources. The Historic Site Preservation Board should be given the opportunity to formally consider the historical significance of this last remaining Albert Pry commercial center • Alternative development configurations. An Environmental Impact Report would contain a professional analysis of feasible alternatives. An examination of alternative approaches to the development ofthe site wig provide the City Council with guidance to fashion a solution to this site that achieves the City's broad planning objectives once impacts of the development are fully understood. There is no reason to rush approval of this project It is not uncommon for a developer to attempt to coerce city councils into hasty decisions to approve ill-conceived projects by threatening to abandon the project if it is not approved according to the developer's timeline This is nonsense The favorable economics that must support a good project will not significantly change in the relatively short period that will be necessary to fully explore the project's ramifications e 1FLM\N Wrn»zsa3 Oct-03-2000 05:36PM From- 7-368 P 004/004 P-858 t W OFFICF5 OF BFST 6EST & KMEGER LLP Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council October 3, 2000 Page 3 lfit is a good project,it will withstand a modest delay and close scrutiny. Ifit is not, it won't. And the City wont have to live with a mistake£or the next 50 years, ly Youys, obert W. Hargr awes of BEST BES'P YRI GGR LLP RWH.kc cc. David J Aleshire, Esq, RWL;U cWSJ726F3 PALM,S� ocr 4 2000 CID JOHN WILLIAMS �Fc�iv�° 601 GRENFALL ROAD cLEP� PALM SPRINGS, CA 92264 October 2, 2000 IMdulge aoim so as Ms. Dana Hodges John Williams \\ �� Owner Palm Springs City Hall Dear Ms. Hodges, 601 Grentall Road • Palm Springs,CA 92264 ' 760.327.1406• Reservations 800.833.5675 • Fax 760.327.7273 web.www.inodulge.com • email:lnndulge@ix.netcom.com It seems that we are again discussing the proposed Ralph's development and the future of the Albert Frey designed building at this week's Council Meeting. I have some grave concerns for this project. First, I am concerned for the other stores and businesses in the area. A half block up the street is the Jensen's grocery and the Jensen's Center. There are currently FOUR empty stores in this center. As soon as the election is over there will be FIVE, as the Republican parry has a short term lease on another space. If this new Ralph's is built, I fully expect that Jensen's will be forced to close. They just will not be able to compete with this mega grocery store. Adjacent to Jensen's are Rizzo's Pizzeria and Regal Cleaners. Will these owner operated businesses survive? I expect not if Jensen's closes. Will we have a totally empty shopping center at the comer of Tahquitz and Sunrise? Just across the street from the Albert Frey Ralph's is the Sunrise Center,with quite a bit of empty space. I counted FOUR empty store fronts on my visit today. Sunrise center has several owner operated small restaurants, including Aspen Mills, Chop Sticks, Guaccamoles, and Nature's Express. How will these small business owners compete with this mega development including multiple fast food outlets, especially since these new outlets will be allowed to have drive through windows? With EIGHT(soon to be NINE) empty storefronts within one block, do we need this added development? Do we care about the owners of the current businesses in the area? If you want to see the kind of massive development proposed here,just drive out to the corner of Ramon and Date Pahn, and look around. Or drive down Date Palm to Dinah Shore, and look around again. As a neighborhood resident, I feel we cannot support this kind of development in our area. We are not Cathedral City; we don't need this massive development! I also have concerns about the recent actions of our city attorney, Mr. David Aleshire. My understanding is that the city attorney is to give un-prejudiced advice to City Council. Mr. Aleshire was asked to prepare for the last council meeting a resolution denying this project. Instead he came back with a two part resolution that would have severely limited any further density or environmental review of this project. Fortunately Council decided to delete Section I of that resolution. Now Mr. Aleshire has worked behind the scenes to get Council to overturn its decision to adopt Section 2 of that resolution as approved at the last Council meeting. Why is Mr. Aleshire working so hard to aid these developers on this project? Supposedly Ralph's has agreed to post a one million dollar bond that guarantees that the Ralph's at Smoke Tree will stay open for five years. In a quick chat with my attorney friend, he said this bond very well may never have to be paid, even if the Ralph's is closed, as Ralph's could argue they were forced to agree to this under duress. I don't claim to be an expert in these matters, but it does concern me. I think we all agree that if Smoke Tree Ralph's closes,the entire center will go down the drain. And then there is the historical significance of this building. If you look at the hand drawn map I have attached,which was put together by Mr. Frey himself, (note his company stamp in the upper left corner)you will see the significance he gives to this building listed as the"Alpha Beta Market" at 425 Sunrise. It is one of around a dozen structures he has added to this map,which incidentally includes City Hall. You can do better for our city. This Council has an opportunity to get these developers to come back with a plan that limits this development to a reasonable size, and saves this historically significant building for future generations to understand and enjoy. We need time for the Historical Site Preservation Board to review this building and give us their findings. They are the experts. We need these developers to get serious about a design that will fit into this neighborhood. They're hungry for this project. They will get creative if you force their hand. The current design is so far off that it should be totally rejected. I urge you to do the right thing. Support your previous decision to reject this project, and send these developers back to the drawing tables to come up with a better, smaller design that protects Mr. Frey's architectural treasure. Sincerely, J hn Williams 01 Grenfall Road Pahn Springs, CA 92264 Phone: 327-1408 ALBERT FREY, ARCHITECT It0�5 � 2 AGtZIAL -TRA 600 PALISADES DRIVE FAIA j-rArtI PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA 02262 TELEPHONE (610) 525-2051 13U 1N G5 FAf-I 5AO C s 9 �Du f2 MAP DP-( Ve 0 � o _ Lo ewy G•ob it 4 1-to us c o >_ G VAI-LA-vQ-1 s �tus�urt olz( ve _ z I+vvs� 3 1 CLARK rI2.6 J �x cLo1 o _.. I 3 1 o I�i 5-r' �W > > �c � > I �1t50 lu pl/k(u Gf�{� C O tJ - 4 N0 pI YA'L S-ro RY !� � Vl/� 2ALe5T f _ _ lu�(J ste-J)'oTY D (pl d . gOQ5c Q /u PHA 0 }_ N_ gETA a MAR(CE7 . UN1215L:. WAY l W I �ry Y 3200 L htOU5 E f+ Bove Vic_ Gl L v No SCALE ll�law�Y l- ll TIER I-tv sc 77i , South �C��Cams goad �)Dafnz cs�z¢ln9s, call foznla 92264 9d. 76o-323-o873 gax: 760-327-4493 September 27, 2000 Honorable Will Kleindienst, Mayor and Members of the City Council Of the City of Palm Springs RE: Potential Historical Designation of Property at Ramon and Sunrise Honorable Mayor Kleindienst and Members of the City Council: By the time you receive this letter, I will have called each of you and may have had the opportunity to meet personally with some of you. If not, I hope to meet with each of you this week. I am the owner of the shopping center at Ramon and Sunrise, and want to discuss the status of the proposal to classify my property as an historical site. I have been a resident of Palm Springs for 37 years, and have owned the shopping center at the intersection of Sunrise and Ramon since 1978. I have recently been told that there is a substantial effort being mounted to have my shopping center designated a Class 1 Historical resource. Most of this effort is in reaction to a development concept which you disapproved last week. In reaction to the now disapproved design, there is a substantial risk that my property will be designated an historical landmark before the developer has the opportunity to present you with a new plan. Unfortunately, the opponents of the project are not focused on the development plans. Instead, they are focused on a permanent devaluation of my property. You will soon be asked to harm me in order to prevent a development proposed by someone else. This is neither fair nor legally permissible. Class 1 historical designation would severly decrease the value of my property, and is completely unnecessary. I am in a difficult position. I entered into the option with Lundin Development, and fully support their desire to develop the center. However, I have absolutely no control over the plans or development proposals that they make. I also have no control over the agency's agenda. Your agreement with Lundin is dated June 16, 1999. I was not told about it until September. I agreed to cooperate with the agency's desire to redevelop the property, but I have never been the "driver" of this proposal. � I a • - 2 - Despite the history leading to the agreement, I fully support redevelopment of the existing center because I personally believe that it has reached the end of its economic utility. The structures are old and no longer functional for a modern super market. Eventually, redevelopment of the entire center is the only economically viable land use. If you disapprove of one or another development scheme, then please assist the developer in preparing something more suitable. Working together, it should be possible to fashion a design and a plan, which satisfies everyone. Please do not accept the invitation to punish me by permanently devaluing my property. Again, I thank you for your attention to this matter and hope that you have the time to meet with me to discuss this matter. Sincerely, Kurl6ochner KB:sj Mayor Will Kleindienst Mayor Pro-tem Jeanne Reller-Spurgin Councilman Ron Oden Councilman Jim Jones Councilwoman Deyna Hodges "�k c- C-0 lrn I,� 1 s P OCTOBER 4, 2000 oc' u � TO THE PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL: WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, ARE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THE CLOSING OF RALPHS MARKET AT SMOKE TREE VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER IN 5 YEARS AND AT LEAST UNTIL THE EXPIRATION OF THE RALPHS LEASE, INCLUDING OPTIONS, IN JUNE OF 2016. 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