HomeMy WebLinkAbout20995 - RESOLUTIONS - 7/7/2004 RESOLUTION NO. 20995
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, '
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE PALM HILLS SPECIFIC PLAN
ALTERNATIVE PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 1,200
UNITS WITHIN PALM HILLS PLANNING AREA I CONSISTING
OF SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, HOTEL, VACATION
OWNERSHIP UNITS, 18-HOLE GOLF COURSE, AND PASSIVE
AND ACTIVE OPEN SPACE FOR 1204.1 ACRES LOCATED
SOUTH OF EAST PALM CANYON DRIVE AND WEST OF PALM
HILLS DRIVE/BROADMOOR DRIVE IN THE SANTA ROSA
MOUNTAINS, ZONE U-R, SECTIONS 31 AND 32, T4S, RSE,
SBBM.
WHEREAS, in July 1970, the City of Palm Springs ("City") annexed 34 square miles in the San
Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains known as Palm Hills; and
WHEREAS in 1974, the Palm Hills Study was commissioned with the directive that the main
emphasis be the preservation of the environment while encouraging the development of resort
and residential and accessory, uses; and
WHEREAS, the General Plan Palm Hills Area Plan was divided into four (4) sub-areas (PH-1,
PH-2A, PH-213, and PH-3) as part of the City's 1993 General Plan Update; and
WHEREAS, PH-1 is planned for a resort hotel and attached and detached residential land uses
with a maximum density of 1,200 units; and
WHEREAS, the Palm Hills Area Plan requires that any land development in Palm Hills can only
be accomplished through a Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, a Section 65450 of the California Government Code grants local planning agencies
the authority to prepare a specific plan of development over a given piece of property; and
WHEREAS, Palm Hills Land Corp. ("Applicant") and the City have initiated the Palm Hills
Specific Plan ("Project") for PH-1 located on 1,204.1 acres south of East Palm Canyon Drive
and west of Palm Hills Drive/Broadmoor Drive in the Santa Rosa Mountains, Zone U-R, Section
31 and 32, T4S, RSE, SBBM; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Specific Plan is consistent with the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, notice of a public hearing of the Planning Commission of the City of Palm Springs
to consider the application for the Palm Hills Specific Plan for 1,204.1 acres located south of
East Palm Canyon Drive and west of Palm Hills Drive/Broadmoor Drive in the Santa Rosa
Mountains was issued in accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, on April 28, 2004, a public hearing on the application for the Palm Hills Specific
Plan for 1,204.1 acres located south of East Palm Canyon Drive and west of Palm Hills '
Drive/Broadmoor Drive in the Santa Rosa Mountains was held by the Planning Commission in
accordance with applicable law; and
Resolution 20995
Page 3
WHEREAS, the City Council has carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence presented
in connection with the hearing on the project, including but not limited to the recommendation of '
the Planning Commission, the staff report, all written and oral testimony presented.
THE CITY COUNCIL HEREBY FINDS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City Council
finds that the Final Environmental Impact Report ("FEIR") has been completed
for the Palm Hills Specific Plan (SCH #98061043) and is in compliance with
CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, and the City's CEQA Guidelines. The FEIR
adequately addresses the general environmental setting of the proposed Project,
its significant environmental impacts, and the alternatives and Mitigation
Measures related to each significant environmental effect for the proposed
Project. The City Council has independently reviewed and considered the
Specific Plan and determined that it is in conformance with the information
contained in the FEIR. The City Council further finds that with the incorporation of
proposed Mitigation Measures and the adoption of the Statement of Overriding
Considerations and Statement of Facts and Findings, potentially significant
environmental impacts resulting from this Project will either be reduced to a level
of insignificance or the Project benefits justify overriding the unavoidable
significant adverse impact associated with the Project.
Section 2: The proposed Specific Plan is consistent with the goals, policies, and objectives
of the General Plan. The Specific Plan will produce a cohesive and coordinated
framework to guide future development of PH-1, which targets hotel and attached
and detached residential land uses with a target of 1,200 units. The Specific '
Plan consists of seven (7) planning areas that include single-family residential,
resort hotel, vacation ownership units, an 18-hole golf course, and passive and
active open space uses.
The intent of the Palm Hill Specific Plan is to address the land use issues
associated with development of the Palm Hills property in sufficient detail to
ensure the subject site is adequately served with public infrastructure and that it
can be developed in a manner which is compatible with the City's development
goals for the Palm Hills area. Project-wide land use standards will be applied to
ensure overall design coordination of the various planning areas within the Palm
Hills Specific Plan. The Specific Plan is a legal document and planning tool that
provides the City and the Project proponents (i.e. Palm Hills Land Corp., Indian
Allottees) or their successors in interest with guidelines for future development.
The Specific Plan will be implemented in phases with the golf course as the first
phase in any scenario followed by the hotel or single-family residential. The
phasing plan for the Palm Hills Project assumes a 15-year build out concept.
Phasing plans will generally follow Planning Area boundaries and will depend
primarily on market absorption rates.
Section 3: The Specific Plan will serve to refine and implement the General Plan for the
Palm Hills property by applying unique development standards designed
specifically for the Project site. In this regard, the plan establishes a pattern and '
density of land use as articulated in Section III of the Specific Plan and
development regulations contained in Section VI of the Specific Plan. The
Specific Plan establishes a circulation plan whereby streets and roads are
Resolution 20995
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' WHEREAS, on May 26, 2004, a continued public hearing on the application for the Palm Hills
Specific Plan for 1,204.1 acres located south of East Palm Canyon Drive and west of Palm Hills
Drive/Broadmoor Drive in the Santa Rosa Mountains was held by the Planning Commission in
accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, at its May 26, 2004, meeting recommended approval of
the Palm Hills Specific Plan I; and
WHEREAS, notice of a public hearing of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs to consider
the application for the Palm Hills Specific Plan for 1,204.1 acres located south of East Palm
Canyon Drive and west of Palm Hills Drive/Broadmoor Drive in the Santa Rosa Mountains was
issued in accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2004, a public hearing on the application for the Palm Hills Specific
Plan for 1,204.1 acres located south of East Palm Canyon Drive and west of Palm Hills
Drive/Broadmoor Drive in the Santa Rosa Mountains was held by the City Council in
accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the Palm Hills
Specific Plan was distributed to the State Clearinghouse and interested and responsible
agencies, organizations, and individuals with a review period from May 10, 1998 to July 10,
1998; and
' WHEREAS, 18 comment letters were received regarding the Notice of Preparation from various
entities; and
WHEREAS, a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Palm Hills Specific Plan was
released for public comment from July 3, 2003 to August 18, 2003; and
WHEREAS, 13 comment letters were received regarding the DEIR from various entities; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Final
Environmental Impact Report was prepared for the Palm Hills Specific Plan and it was found
that even with the incorporation of proposed Mitigation Measures, the proposed Project could
have a significant effect on the environment with respect to land use, cumulative
traffic/circulation, air quality, visual resources, biological resources, cumulative impacts on the
school system, and cumulative impacts on the regional groundwater aquifer; and
WHEREAS, the "Project" will have public benefits including but not limited to up to $2,475,773 in
revenue, expand economic development opportunities, expand tourism, provide a golf course,
preserve approximately 797.70 acres of open space on-site, dedicate off-site land within critical
habitat of Peninsular Bighorn Sheep, create up to 450 new jobs, maintain public access to
existing equestrian and hiking trails, and implement the City's General Plan objectives to create a
world class destination resort; and
WHEREAS, a Statement of Facts and Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations has
' been adopted for the proposed Project; and
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' located and sized based on existing topographic considerations and proposed
traffic patterns and peak hour traffic demands. Public facilities plans in the
Specific Plan define what facilities are needed to serve the Palm Hills community
and identify the most appropriate area within the Plan area to locate these
facilities. A landscaping plan for the proposed community is another element of
the Specific Plan, prepared in conjunction with an open space plan, that
designates certain areas as natural/passive open space and active/usable open
space. The Specific Plan also contains development guidelines that detail site
planning, landscaping, and architectural requirements to ensure the future
development is compatible with the site's natural landform.
Section 4: The Specific Plan is necessary and proper at this time, is not likely to be
detrimental to adjacent property or residents and will be consistent with the
General Plan designations for the Project area.
Section 5: The FEIR analyzed the two Specific Plan land use alternatives and after careful
evaluation, the City Council approves the Alternative Plan, as modified, and as
described in the Specific Plan and FEIR. The Alternative Plan was prepared to
reduce environmental impacts to Eagle Canyon by relocating the proposed golf
course and to reduce environmental impacts to visual resources by relocating the
hotel complex.
In addition, after considering the FEIR, public comments, and in response to
comments by California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and
' Wildlife Service, the City Council approves the Alternative Plan (revised Specific
Plan exhibits) which reduces the number of dwelling units near Eagle Canyon,
relocates the portion of the golf course near Eagle Canyon, relocates the main
access way near Eagle Canyon, and reduces the number of residential units in
Planning Area I, V, and VI to reduce visual impacts. The revised Alternative Plan
and its related effects are consistent with the FEIR and will not cause any new
environmental impacts or cause any development in any areas not analyzed in
the FEIR.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, based upon the foregoing, the City Council of the
City of Palm Springs approves Palm Hills Specific Plan I, as on file in the Office of the City
Clerk, based upon the adopted Statement of Facts and Findings, Statement of Overriding
Considerations, and adopted Mitigation Monitoring Program in the certified Final Environmental
Impact Report for the Palm Hills Specific Plan.
ADOPTED this 7`h day of July, 2004.
AYES: Members Foat, McCulloch, Mills, Pougnet and Mayor Oden
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTENTIONS: None
ALTE T: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
Ci y Clerk City Manager ���