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1984 03 13 PC Minutes - ' ..... APPROVED "'""- A Regular Meeting Held at the La Quinta City Hall, 78-105 Calle Estado, La Quinta, California March 13, 1984 7:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER - A. Chainaan Klimkiewicz called the Planning C~ssion meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. He then called upon Cce~issioner Salas to lead the flag salute. 2. ROLL C.~T,T, A. Chairman Klimkiewicz requested the roll call. The Secretary called the roll: Present: Commissioners Goetcheus, Imkamp, Thornburgh, Salas and Chainsan Klimkiewicz Absent: None Also present were City Manager Frank Usher, City Attorney Jim Longtin, City Councilman Fred Wolff, Principal Planner Sandra Bonner and Secretary Donna Velotta. SPIEIAL REPORT At this point in the meeting, Chairman Klimk ewicz introduced City Attorney Jim Longtin, who presented a report regarding Develotx~_nt Processing. 3. HEARINGS Chainman Klimkiewicz advised that the four hearings before the Planning Cc~mission this date were regarding the Oak Tree West project, I~L Develotx~ent Corporation of -- California, Applicant. The hearings will be held concurrently and the topics are as follows: A. General Plan Amendment No. 84-002, a request to amand the Open Space and Conservation Element frcm Agriculture to Urban and to amend the Circulation Element deleting Jefferson Street between Avenues 54 and 58 and deleting Airport Boulevard (Avenue 56) between Jefferson and Madison Street. B. Specific Plan No. 83-002, a request by LML Develotm~nt Corporation of California to construct a private ~ty on 1,665_+ acres with 5,000 residential dwellings, four 18-hole golf courses, 35 acres of office and retail general ~cial and a 65-acre resort village. The resort village will contain 400 hotel units, 250 apartment/condcminium units and a major fitness and recreation center. Total buildout is projected to occur in ten phases over a fifteen-year to twenty-year period. C. Change of Zone Case No. 84-007, a request by ~ Develotm~_nt Corporation to change the existing zoning frcm A-l-10, A-l-20 and W-2-20 to R-2, R-3, R-3 (75' height limit), R-5 and CPS. D. Request for Certification of the Environmental Impact Report prepared by ~ Develo~x~ent Corporation of California for Specific Plan No. 83-002. MINUTES - PLANNING COMMISSION March 13, 1984 Page Two. Chairman Klimkiewicz then called for the reports frc~ staff. 1. Sandra Bonner, Principal Planner, presented the first report regarding General Plan Aman~t No. 84-002. Her report consisted of discussion of the following topics: _ o BaCkground of the request. o Proposed Amendments to the General Plan. o Proposed Amendments to the La Quinta and Riverside County Circulation Elemant. o Impacts on the Areawide Circulation Plan, the Riverside County Gravel Pit and Lake Cahuilla County Park. o Proposed deletion of Airport Boulevard west of Madison Street. Principal Planner Bonner next presented staff's report regarding Specific Plan No. 83-002. This report consisted of the following topics: o Background and Purpose of the request. o Circulation - Proposed upgrading of 54th and 58th Avenues, Airport Boulevard and Madison Street should Jefferson Street be closed; proposed on-site bicycle/pedestrian path being established having a direct route frcm the intersection of Jefferson Street and Avenue 54 to Lake Cahuilla; and proposed mitigation measure of a park site and a cc~r~Lnity pool in the City. o Park Mitigation. o Land Use - Establishment of a buffer area between Lake Cahuilla and structures on the project; height limitations be shown on the Specific Plan; area designated for 6-story height south of Airport Boulevard be deleted and cc~nercial area being reduced to 15 acres. o Public Facilities - Proposal that the developer provide a fire station, including donation of land, construction of the station and provision - of two (2) pieces of fire equipment. The next staff report regarded Change of Zone Case No. 84-007. Principal Planner Bonner stated that the Applicant is requesting R-2 Zoning be placed on single-family residential area; R-3 Zoning, which allows hotels and apart- ments, be placed on the 65-acre resort center; R-3 Zoning with 75-foot height limit be placed on that portion where they wish to build 6-story units; R-5 Zoning, which is Open Space Recreational, on the other side of the Cahuilla Canal where the mountain comes doen. Ms. Bonner stated that staff supports this Change of Zone request with one am~nt. That being the conxnercial area be reduced frc~ 35 to 15 acres. Regarding the Environmental Impact Report, Ms. Bonner noted that the majority of impacts were regarding circulation. All the mitigations mentioned in the EIR and also the responses and cc~ments on the ELK have been incorporated into the Conditions of Approval. She noted that one unavoidable, significant impact is the loss of agricultural land. Therefore, staff is requesting that the Planning Cc~nission make that overriding finding when you recon~end approval or make a decision on these cases. M/ARYI~S - PLANNING COM~IISSION March 13, 1984 Page Three. In conclusion, staff respectfully requested the Planning Cc~ssion to re~d to the City Council approval of the General Plan Amendment No. 84-002; Specific Plan No. 83-002 and its related EIR, subject to the attached conditions. There was a brief question and answer period between Planning C~ssion ar~ staff regarding the Principal Planner's reports. -- Chairman Klimk ewicz then called upon the Applicant for their report. Kay Chandler, Vice President of Landmark Land Company, spoke as the Applicant's representative. He presented an abbreviated overview of the Specific Plan for the Oak Tree West project, as he had already presented a detailed report to the Planning Cc~mission at a prior meeting. There was a brief question and answer period between Planning Cc~nission and the Applicant's representative regarding the presentation given. Chairman Klimkiewicz then opened the hearing for public ~t. The following persons had questions about the Oak Tree West project: o Bob Birch, 81-100 Avenue 53, La Quinta - Asked if all the information presented on this project was public and could it be reproduced. oTom Kennedy - 54th Avenue and Jefferson Street, La Quinta - Requested the location of support and maintenance areas for the project. o Dietrich Warner - Objected to the circulation and wondered about the placemmnt of power lines. o Dan Swenson - Objects to re-routing of traffic. o Bob Cull, 81-200 Avenue 54, La Quinta - Asked where the fire station would be located and why the cc~nercial center area has been reduced. -- o Fred Wolff, 77-227 Calle Ensenada, La Quinta - Read aloud the memo he presented to the Planning Cc~nission this date. He also urged delibera- tion of a democratic process. o Ed Robertson, 81-300 Avenue 53, La Quinta - Objected to the closure of Jefferson Street. Asked where source of water is ccnting frcm being provided by Coachella Valley Water District and wondered what the extent of well water production Landmark Land Company intends to use on this project. o Jim Wheatley, 151 W. Yale Loop - Urged the closing of Jefferson Street and Airport Boulevard. o Stan Sniff, P. O. Box 1414, La Quinta- Supported Fred Wolff's ~ts and asked several questions regarding the water use for this project. At this time, Chairman Klimkiewicz asked the Secretary to restate each question which was then, in turn, directed to the proper person for an a/1swer. Chairman Klimk ewicz closed the public hearing at 9:20 p.m. MINUTES - PLANNING OOMMISSION March 13, 1984 Page Four. At this point, Principal Planner Bonner advised %hat City Manager Frank Usher, the Applicant and herself had met the previous day in order to go through the Conditions of Approval attached to the Specific Plan. This was to get correct wording, find out just what the Applicant wanted and find out what the City has in mind regarding this develotm~_nt. She then went directly to the conditions of disagreement and those where more information is rec~3~red, etc. There was discussion between the Planning - Cc~mission and staff with regard to each condition in question. The conditions of concern are numbers 24, 25, 29, 36, 37 and 42. The Applicant's representative, Kay Chandler, went over the same conditions explaining their concern with each. There was further discussion between the Planning Ozmxnission, staff and the Applicant. FOR THE RMCORD: The City Attorney stated that should the Planning Cc~mission not rule on this request tonight, but continue it to another tim~, the hearing does not close. The public part of the hearing is closed, but the Ccminission's hearing remains open until the matter is closed. At the end of the discussion period, the Planning Ommzission determined that they would like further information frcm staff regarding these four hearings before them. Chairman Klimkiewicz called for a motion of con- tinuance. 2. Chaizman Thornburgh made a motion to continue the following hearings to an adjourned m~eting on March 27, 1984, at 7: 00 p.m.; A) General Plan Amendment No. 84-002; B) Specific Plan 83-002; C) Change of Zone Case No. 84-007; and, D) Request for Certification of the Environmental Impact Report, all regarding the Oak Tree West project. Cc~nissioner Salas seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. E. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced this it6~n as a request for approval of a - Develot~nent Agreement proposed by LML Develop~_nt Corporation of California for Specific Plan No. 83-002. He called for staff's report. 1. Principal Planner Bonner advised that this item is not ready for presentation at this point. She advised that it would be heard at a later date. 4. CONSENT C.3NT,~ 5. BUSINESS A. Chaizman Klimkiewicz introduced the first item of business as a request for an ~ion of timm in which to file the final map for Tentative Tract Map No. 14496; Anden Corporation, Applicant. He then called for staff's report. 1. Principal Planner Bonner presented the staff report and respectfully requested the Planning Conmission to reccmxnend to the City Council approval of this request. 2. Com~ssioner Thornburgh made a motion to reccm~end to the City Council approval of the last extension of time in which to file a final map for Tentative Tract Map NO. 14496 to November 20, 1984. Conxmissioner Salas seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. MINUTES - PLANNING CCbg~ISSION March 13, 1984 Page Five. B. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the next item of business as a request for an extension of time in which to file a final map for Tentative Tract Map No. 13640, ~ded #2; M. B. Johnson Properties, Applicant. He then called for staff's report. 1. Principal Planner Bonner presented the staff report and respectfully requested the Planning Cc~mission to r~d to the City Council - approval of this request. Jim Longtin, City Attorney, stated that in his opinion the tentative map's last extension has expired and there is a legal impediment in granting a further extension. He noted that he has discussed this fact with the Planning Department as well as the developer's attorney. However, the Applicant is still requesting the extension. Chairman Klimkiewicz asked if there would be any liability to the City for granting the extension. The City Attorney stated that there is none; however, if the approval was attacked, there may be embarras~t to the City and it would cost the Applicant considerable funds to defend the attack. Time would also be lost in the process. He stated that he has discussed this with the Planning De~t and the Principal Planner has stated that, frcm the department's standpoint, they feel ccm%fortable with the project going forward, so there is no need to stop_ them frcm constructing. Mr. Longtin then requested that the Applicant's representative acknowledge that the Applicant takes the risk of going forward with this request. Gary Fatland, Engineer, who was present representing the Applicant, agreed to this understanding that there is a legal impediment and that the Tentative Tract Map has expired. - 2. After a short discussion, ~ssioner Thornburgh made a motion to recommend to the City Council approval of the extension of time for Tentative Tract Map No. 13640, Amended No. 2, to August 14, 1984. C. Chairman Klimkiewicz stated the next item of business to be Plot Plan No. 84-042, a request to construct a single-family house along the west side of Avenida Diaz, south of Calle Madrid; Michael Head, Applicant. He called for the staff report. 1. Principal Planner Bonner advised the Planning ~ssion that staff is requesting postponement of this request to the April m~eting to give staff and the ~ssi~n more time to discuss criteria for single-family dwellings in the cove. 2. Con~issioner Thornburgh made a motion to postpone review of Plot Plan No. 84-042 to the meeting of April 10, 1984. Cc~x~issioner Salas seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. MINUTES - PLANNING CC~M~SSION March 13, 1984 Page Six. D. Chairman Klimkiewicz introduced the next item of business as Plot Plan No. 84-054, a request to construct a single-family house along the west side of Avenida Madero, south .of Calle Chillon; Rick Johnson, Applicant. He called for the staff report. 1. Principal Planner Bonner presented the staff report and requested that the Planning Cc~mission approve this plot plan. -- 2. Chairman Thornburgh made a motion based on findings in the staff report to approve Plot Plan No. 84-054 in accord_snce with Exhibits A, B and C and subject to attached conditions. Cc~missioner Goetcheus seconded the motion. Unanimously adopted. E. Chain~an Klimkiewicz presented the last item of business as a ~ication frc~ the City Council regarding the appointment of a representative to the Downtown Advisory Planning Conm~ttee. He further advised that at the Planning Conm~ssion study session held March 12, 1984, he had volunteered to serve on this cc~nittee. Therefore, this information would be forwarded to the City Council. 6 o ADJOURNMENT There being no further items of agenda to ccme before the Planning ~ssion, Chairman Klimkiewicz called for a motion to adjourn. Cc~missioner Thornburgh made a motic~ to adjourn to an adjourned meeting on March 27, 1984, at 7:00 p.m., in La Quinta City Hall, 78-105 Calle Estado, The regular meeting of the Planning Cc~missicn of the City of La Quinta, California was adjourned at 11:45 p.m., March 13, 1984, at the La Quinta City Hall, 78-105 Calle Estado, La Quinta, CA. _