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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-03-14 CC MINUTES ' PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL MINUTES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2007 CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Oden called the meeting to order at 6:03 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: City Manager Ready led the Pledge. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Councilmember Foat, Councilmember McCulloch, Councilmember Mills, Mayor Pro Tern Pougnet, and Mayor Oden. ABSENT; None. ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Ready, City Attorney Holland, City Clerk Thompson. PRESENTATIONS: Mayor Oden announced the recent United Way dinner. REPORT OF CLOSED SESSION: City Attorney Holland stated that at 5:00 P.M. the meeting was called to order and the City Council recessed into Closed Session to discuss items on the posted Closed Session agenda. No reportable actions were taken. ' ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA: ACTION: Accept the Agenda as presented. Motion Mayor Pro Tern Pougnet, seconded by Councilmember Foat and unanimously carried on a roll call vote. PUBLIC COMMENT: BRIAN LINNEKENS, updated the City Council on the status of his development project, South Palm Canyon LLC, on Palm Canyon. LESLIE MUNGER, Palm Springs, stated her support for an overlay ordinance in the Deepwell Neighborhood, and commented on building up to eighteen feet tall in the neighborhood. MICHAEL SURINA, Palm Springs, stated his support for an overlay ordinance in the Deepwell Neighborhood. JONO HILDNER, Palm Springs, thanked the City Council and the Planning Commission for the study session to address the Planned Development District process, commented on the impact to the community, and requested that no further PDD applications be accepted by the City. City Council Minutes March 14, 2007 Page 2 COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS AND REQUESTS: ' Mayor Oden requested the City Manager address the City's graffiti abatement program, and requested the Police Department monitor the Riverside County Community School for graffiti problems. Councilmember Foat commented that the graffiti removal is in different colors and requested staff address the different color cover-up of graffiti, and announced the Hidden Harvest collection of home grown fruit in the City of Palm Springs. Councilmember Mills thanked staff for the enforcement of the newspaper rack ordinance on Palm Canyon Drive, but stated enforcement has been lacking in the remainder of the City, especially at the gateway to the City. Councilmember McCulloch requested staff address the eighteen foot tall building in the Deepwell Neighborhood mentioned in public comment. Mayor Oden announced that last week he was in Washington for the Community Service Partnership National Conference, commented on the Riverside County Community Action Partnership and CDBG programs. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: None. ' JOINT STUDY SESSION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE: Neighborhood Involvement Committee Members present: Chair Bob Mahlowitz (Sunmore), Nick Chicola (Deepwell), April Hildner (Tahquitz River Estates), Jim hundin (Deepwell), Roxann Ploss (Bel Desierto), and Ron Siegel (Bel Desierto). SSI. UPDATE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT: City Manager Ready provided background information on the Neighborhood Involvement Committee. Bob Mahlowitz, Chair, introduced the Committee Members, provided an overview of the Neighborhood Ordinance, the activities of the Committee and the neighborhood groups during the last 12 months, and provided information on the working subcommittees of the Neighborhood Involvement Committee. April Hildner provided an overview and goals of the Education and Outreach Committee and presented the ONI website. Nick Chicola provided an overview and goals of the Crime and Safety ' Committee, and commented on the focus of the Deepwell Neighborhood crime and safety survey. City Council Minutes March 14, 2007 Page 3 Ron Siegel provided an overview of the Code Enforcement Committee, commented on problem short-term rental houses in the neighborhood, and requested the City Council assistance with the creation of a database and tracking of problem short-term rental properties. Roxann Ploss provided an overview on the Neighborhood Character Committee, commented on overlay zones and recommendations on how to form overlay zones. Bob Mahlowitz closed the presentation with information on the process of forming a Neighborhood organization. The City Council recessed at 7:27 P.M. The City Council reconvened at 7:36 P.M. Mayor Pro Tern Pougnet stated the appropriate place to discuss overlay zones would be at the study session with the Planning Commission, requested the City Manager address the status of short-term vacation rentals and measuring the success of the short-term vacation rental program, stated it is an appropriate time to review the ordinance pertaining to short-term rentals, commented on the early ' notification process for development projects and interaction with the City Council. Councilmember Foat commented on the review of the short-term rental ordinance, requested the crime prevention presentation be placed on PSCTV Channel 17, and commented on the history of the development of the ONI program. Councilmember McCulloch commented on short-term vacation rental properties and recommended staff review the previous discussion by the City Council, and requested the City Attorney and Police Chief speak with the ONI with respect to intimidation of those who do not belong in the neighborhood. Councilmember Mills commented on short-term rentals and requested staff research the previous discussion and efforts by the City Council subcommittee on short-term rentals which was not adopted, and commented on the unintended creation of boundaries when overlay zones are implemented. Mayor Oden commented on the wonderful programs developed by the ONI, commented on short-term vacation rentals in the City and recommended a punitive assessment for repeat offenders, and expressed concerns with overlay zones. No action taken. The City Council recessed at &01 P.M. City Council Minutes March 14, 2007 Page 4 The City Council reconvened at 8:10 P.M. ' JOINT STUDY SESSION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION: Planning Commissioners present: Chair Marantz, Vice Chair Hochanadel, Commissioner Caffrey, Commissioner Cohen, Commissioner Hutcheson, Commissioner Ringlein, and Commissioner Scott. SS2. PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS AND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCEDURES: City Manger Ready provided background information and how the discussion with the Planning Commission interacts with the previous discussion with the ONI. Craig Ewing, Director of Planning Services, provided background information on Planned Development Districts and the number of PDD's submitted to the City Council, outlined "public benefit" as in the Zoning Ordinance, commented on street width, the size of a project to qualify as a PDD, and extensions of time to develop the PDD. Commission Chair Marantz stated the Commission has dedicated their study session each month tackling a major topic, as presented, and requested City ' Council provide the Commission with direction on the issues as presented. Discussion was held regarding street width, illegal parking and problems posed to the Fire Department, and minimum street widths. Councilmember Foat commented on the status of a project after it goes through the process and the condition of the project when it is brought before the City Council, and inquired if the Planning Commission has the tools it needs to make a determination on such things as height, density, road width, guest parking, public benefit, and general standards of the City. Discussion was held regarding right-of-zone projects, the recommendations and the tools the Planning Commission needs to address the problem areas in these developments, height, and a range of development standards. Councilmember Mills commented on the history of approving condominiums in the City, requested Fire Department staff address the public safety issues, commented on street width when designing a neighborhood, stated the Commission and Council may need to review the use of driveway space as guest parking, addressed the preliminary PD process and requested we implement a preliminary process, and commented on benefit of a PD as being a better project, as opposed to some other tangible "public benefit." Mayor Pro Tern Pougnet commented on street width and stated as we approach build-out, the City should tighten development requirements with respect to City Council Minutes March 14, 2007 Page 5 ' density, setbacks, height and parking; commented on right-of-zone projects and stated perhaps the General Plan is too generous in some respects, stated safety should be a priority when approaching street width, and stated his support for the use of PD's when necessary such as mixed-use downtown, however he indicated he is not necessarily in favor of them in developed residential areas. Councilmember McCulloch stated that perhaps a field trip should be worked into an orientation with the City Council and the Planning Commission, stated he would be in support of a pre-application process, commented on the benefits of a PDD as opposed to some projects that are approved because they are right-of- zone, and recommended that density be reviewed in the General Plan. Mayor Oden stated the City did not always have the level of development, stated when the Planning Commission did not like a project, the Commission did not approve it, stated he would have preferred to hear recommendations from the Commission on lot size and some of the other issues, and commented on the benefit to a project with the PDD process, but suggested that the City should consider minimum standards. Commissioner Hutcheson stated the Commission did bring a recommendation for the requirement for public benefit of a PDD. Discussion was held to place the recommendations on a future agenda. Director Ewing stated the Zoning Code has not changed and that the process has evolved into a front loaded process with the current level of detail submitted with the project, this is now why the Developers are currently spending an increased amount of money to bring the PDD forward with all the technical requirements. Director Ewing stated that staff can "strip off' some of the technical requirements and see if the Commission and the Council would grant entitlement approval based on a conceptual site plan, and would need that direction from the Commission and the City Council. Councilmember Foat stated staff should create a step before the current process with all the technical requirements, recommended the Commission provide the City Council with a document on what they want in the development process, stated she is not in favor of development extensions based on the market, and recommended the Commission address demolition before entitlement. Mayor Pro Tern Pougnet commented on overlay zones and stated the document prepared by the Commission is a very good document explaining the difficulties with overlay zones, but we need further checks and balances in the system. Councilmember Mills commented on the evaluation process of the project, and ' stated the evaluation should not be on right-of-zone, but the amount of open space. No action taken. City Council Minutes March 14, 2007 Page 6 COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS AND REPORTS: None. ' ADJOURNMENT: The City Council adjourned at 9:40 P.M. to a Regular Meeting, Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 6:00 P.M. in the Council Chamber, City Hall, preceded by a Closed Session at 4:30 P.M., Small Conference Room, City Hall, 3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs. APPROVED BY A MOTION OF THE PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL THIS 4th DAY OF APRIL, 2007. MAYOR ATTEST: ' y Clerk ' 1