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1983 09 13 PC Minutes MINUTES PLANNING C~SSION- CITY OF LA QUINTA A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall, 78-105 Calle Estado, La Quinta, California September 13, 1983 7- 00 p.m. 1. CAI.T, TO ORDER - A. Chairman John Klimkiewicz called the Planning Connission to order at 7:00 p.m. He then called upon Kevin Manning, 'Representative of IRL Development Corporation, to lead the flag salute. 2. ROLL C.~T,T, A.Chairman Klimkiewicz requested the roll call. The Secretary called the roll: Present: Con~issioners Salas, Goetcheus, Imkamp, Thornburgh and Chairman Klimkiewicz Absent: None Also present were City Manager Frank Usher, Principal Planner Sandra L. Bonner and Secretary Donna Velotta 3. HEARINGS 4. CONSENT CAT,RNDAR Motion made by Conmzissioner Juan Salas, seconded by Cc~xnissioner Judy Imkan~ to adopt the consent calendar approving the minutes of August 9, 1983. A.The minutes of the regular meeting of August 9, 1983 were approved as suhnitted. Unanimously adopted. 5. BUSINESS A. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the first item under business as being a review of Plot Plan No. 83-029, a request to construct a single-family house on a lot located along the west side of Avenida Carranza, 100 feet south of Calle Temecula; Terry and Jamie Jeffery, Applicants. The Chairman ~ called for the report frcxn staff. 1. Principal Planner Sandra Bonner stated that the siting of the house on the lot is cc~pat~le with the existing develo~t in the area and consistent with the zoning requir~ts. The floor plan is consistent with the City's adopted standards for single-family houses. The home will have 1,355 square feet of livable area, with three bedrooms, two full baths and an attached double-car garage. The proposed design is compatible with the surrounding homes. She noted that if the house is constructed in accordance with the condi- tions of approval, the design will be in coqpliance with the City's adopted standards. LA QUtNTA PLANNING COMMISSION September 13, 1983 Page Two. Therefore, based upon these findings, staff recc~rends that the Planning Cc~mission approve this request. Chairman Klimkiewicz called for any ~ts. There being none, he called for a motion. 2. Cc~missioner Imkamp made the motion to approve Plot Plan No. 83-029, in accordance with the Exihbits A, B and C and subject to - the attached conditions. Commissioner Thornburgh seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. B. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the next item of agenda to be a review of Plot Plan No. 83-028, a request to construct a single-family house on a lot located along the east side of Avenida Obregon, 250 feet south of Calle Colima; Desert Afford_~_ble Housing, Applicant. He then called for staff' s report. 1. Principal Planner Bonner explained that this Applicant received approval frcm the Planning Cc~mission at the August 9, 1983 meeting to construct three (3) other hcmes in the City, all of which are presold. The Applicant has info~ us that this house is also presold. The siting of the house on the lot is consistent with both existing development in the area and the zoning requirements. The floor plan is consistent with the City's adopted standards for single-family houses. The hcme has 1,202 square feet of livable area, with three bedrocks, two full baths and an attached, double- car garage. The width of the roof eaves varies frcm 16 to 36 inches and staff is re~ding that all roof eaves be a minimum 18 inches in accord~_nce with the City's adopted standards. If the house is constructed in accord_s_nce with the c~nditions of approval, the design will be in ccmpliance with the City's adopted standards. As a result of the above findings, staff is recc~mer~ing that the -- Planning ~ssion approve this requeSt. Chairman Klimkiewicz requested to know if staff had received any evidence that these hcmes were, in fact, presold. Ms. Bonner stated that w~ did not have such information, but would request it of the Applicant. Cc~m~ssi~ner Goetcheus asked if staff knew how many lots this actually owned in the City. Ms. Bonner stated that they are only building on these four lots at present. Whenever the Applicant receives a request to build, the prospective owner picks out the lot. The Applicant does not own the lots - he is building on the buyers' lots. These are FHA approved homes and are supposed to be used for the owner's living quarters. As there were no further cc~nents, Chairman Klinkiewicz called for a motion. 2. Cc~nissioner Thornburgh made a motion to approve Plot Plan No. 83-028, in accordance with the Exhibits A, B and C and subject to the attached c~nditic~s. Cc~missi~ner Imkamp seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. I,,A QUINTA PI.~NNIN~ COMIII~IOIII BY September 13, 1983 Page Three. C. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the third item of business as being a review of Plot Plan No. 83-031, a request to construct a single-family house on a lot located along Calle Paloma, north of Calle Tampico; Donel Korte, Applicant. He then requested the report frc~ staff. 1. Principal Planner Bonner stated that this house is unique in that it is a one-bedrocm, two bath in which they share a sunken tub and - shower and it will also have an indoor ~g pool. The hcme has approximately 1,545 square feet of livable area. There will be a t~D-car garage which shows no connecting pedestrian door frcm the garage into the house. Regarding this, staff reccm~ends that the Planning ~ssion make the finding that the attached garage conform substantially with the City's adopted standards. The City Fire Marshall has determined that the water fire flow is less than the 500 gallons per minute required by the La Quinta Municipal Code for all new residential develo~_nts with less than five dwellings. Therefore, he has conditioned construction of the dwelling to require the developer to install an autcmatic fire sprinkler syst~. Ms. Bonner stated that the house is consistent with the zoning and if the house is constructed in accord_~nce with the conditions of approval, the design will be in cc~pliance with the City's adopted standards. The proposed house is cc~patible with the surrounding development. Based on these findings, staff r~ds that the Planning Cc~nission approve this request. After a short discussion regarding the swimming pool being entirely indoors, no heating system shown in the plans, where the pool equip- m~nt would be located, etc., Chairman Klimkiewicz called for a motion. 2. Cc~missi~ner Paul Goetcheus made a motion to approve Plot Plan No. 83-031, in accordance with Exhibits A, B and C and subject to the -- attached conditions. Cc~nissioner Thornburgh seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. D. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the next item as a review of City Council amendment to Section 5 (d) of a proposed amenda~nt to Mnnicipal Land Use Ordinance No. 348, amending sections 18.5 and 18.11 regarding miniaum size of dwellings in planned residential developments; City initiated. He then called for the report frcm staff. 1. Principal Planner Bonner explained that at its August 16, 1983 hearing, the City Council approved the amen~t to Municipal Land Use Ordinance No. 348 with an amen~t to Section 5 (d) as r~ded by staff. The City Council has now referred this item back to the Planning ~sion for its consideration. As amended by the City Council, Section 5 (d) now reads as follows: 5. (d) The number of units having living area less than 1,000 square feet may be increased for a specific project if the City Council makes the findings, including but not limited to: MINUTES - PLANNING ~SSION September 13, 1983 Page Four. 1. The location and appearance of the units are compatible with the area in which the develop- ment is located. 2. The amount of usable open area substantially exceeds the 40 percent of net area as required by Section 18.5 (2). -- 3. The dwellings having less than 1,000 square feet of livable area are evenly distributed throughout the entire project. In Ms. Bonner's staff report she noted that staff recc~mended a change to Section 5 (d) in response to a concern raised by a member of the Planning Cc~ssion that while this section provided needed flexibility to the ordinance, the section as originally proposed did not est~_blish definsble standards for when exceptions could be granted by the City Council for specific projects. The proposed an~ndment requires that the City Council make all three findings prior to granting an exception to the standards limiting the number of units which have less than 1,000 square feet of livable area. Subsections (2) and (3) impose standards which exceed those required for a planned residential development which is constructed in accordance with the standards. For instance, as a trade-off for constructing more smaller units, the developer would be required to provide additional usable open space for the residents (usable open space is that area not covered by buildings, streets, drives or autcmobile storage). The requirement for the units b~ing evenly distributed throughout the entire project area prohibits the clustering of all the smaller units at one location within the project. - It is therefore recc~nended that the Planning Cc~sion report to the City Council its support of the change in Section 5 (d) regarding when exceptions may be granted for specific projects. After a short discussion, the members of the Planning Cc~ssion felt they had no problems with the changes made to Section 5 (d), therefore Chairman Klimkiewicz called for a vote. 2. Cc~ssicner Imkamp made a motion to report Planning C~ssion support to the City Council of the change in Section 5 (d) regarding when excep- tions may be granted for specific projects. Cc~nissioner Goetcheus seconded the motion. The motion passed with four (4) ayes, with Cc~nissicner Thornburgh abstaining. E. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the next item of business as a report from the Principal Planner regarding development of a specific plan for Washington Street. 1. Principal Planner Bonner referred the Cc~ssion to the sunm~ry report she prepared for them in their packets. She explained that she made this a brief sun~ of the major items discussed by the Cc~ssioners at their special study session held at 3:00 p.m., August 29, 1983, to discuss general ideas for the Washington Street Specific Plan. MINUTES - PLANNING CC~MISSION September 13, 1983 Page Five. Ms. Bonner also reported to the Planning Cc~mission that she had been in touch with Mr. Sam Aslan, the District Conservationist for the Soil Conservation Service, who has offered to conduct a tour of their test site where approximately 70 species of drought resistant plants are being grown. The test site is located adjacent to the Desert Water Agency's offices at 1200 S. Bogie Road, Palm Springs. In conjuncticn with the Washington Street Specific Plan, Ms. Bonner thought the Cc~missioners may want to attend a tour of the test site. After a short discussion, it was decided that a tour would be set up for September 29, 1983 at 3:00 p.m. Ms. Bonner stated she would make the arrangements with Mr. Aslan. F. At this time, City Manager Frank Usher advised the Cc~ssion that staff would like to request the Planning Cc~mission hold a second session in the month of September. The reason is that Laguna De La Paz, Ltd. (M. B. Johnson) and Anden Corporation are requesting revisions of their tract maps to allow condcnfuniums. It seems that when the projects get to the Building Code stage (Anden Corp. is presently constructing) it is found that the Uniform Building Code requires a 30" minimum parapet wall going above the roof line or a t~D-hour fire resistant roof be constructed when there is a property line dividing the structure. This was not taken into consideration in the plans presented by the tw~ cc~panies. Therefore, if the same structures ~ere built as condcminiums where no property line is present, this would not be necessary. There was a short discussion with regard to the Washington Street Specific Plan and Mr. Usher brought the Cc~missic~ers up to date re the Annexation and Redevelo~x~ent Projects. 6. ADJOURNMENT There being no further items of agenda to ccme before the Planning Cc~ssion, Chairman Klimkiewicz called for a motion to adjourn. Cc~issioner Juan Salas made a motion to adjourn to an adjourned meeting on September 27, 1983, at 7:00 p.m., in La Quinta City Hall, 78-105 Calle Estado, La Quinta, California. Seconded by Conm~issioner Imkamp. Unan/mously adopted. The regular meeting of the Planning Cc~mission of the City of La Quinta, California was adjourned at 8:35 p.m., September 13, 1983, at La Quinta City Hall, 78-105 Calle Estado, La Quinta, California.