PCMIN 02 10 1998 MINUTES
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall
78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, California
February 10, 1998 2:30 P.M.
I. CALL TO ORDER
A. This meeting of the Planning Commission was called to order at 2:30 P.M. by
Chairman Butler who asked Commissioner Abels to lead the flag salute
B. Chairman Butler requested the roll call: Present: Commissioners Abels, Gardner,
Kirk, Tyler, Woodard, and Chairman Abels. It was moved and seconded by
Commissioners Kirk/Woodard to excuse Commissioner Seaton. Unanimously
approved.
C. StaffPresent: Community Development Director Jerry Herman, City Attorney Dawn
_ Honeywell, Planning Manager Christine di Iorio, Senior Engineer Steve Speer,
Associate Planner Leslie Mouriquand, and Executive Secretary Betty Sawyer.
II. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA-
A. Staff noted that the evening portion of the Planning Commission meeting had been
canceled as the Business Items that had been agendized had been canceled. It was
moved and seconded by Commissioners Abels/Tyler to confn'rn the agenda as noted.
Unanimously approved.
III. PUBLIC COMMENT: None
IV. CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Chairman Butler asked if there were any changes to the Minutes of January 27, 1998.
Commissioner Tyler asked the minutes be corrected as follows: Page 4, Item A.2.
"...any changes to the allowable sign sizes..."; Pages 6 and 8, change the street
vacation case numbers to reflect the year as "98-". There being no other changes, it
was moved and seconded by Commissioners Tyler/Abels. Unanimously approved.
B. Department Report: None
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 10, 1998
V. TOUR OF THE HILLSIDE:
A. Chairman Butler recessed the Commission at 2:37 p.m. to attend a tour of the
Hillside prepared by staff.
B. Tour Notes:
1. St. Francis of Assisi Church. Subject: Add or remove blowsand adjacent to
the hillside?
a Senior Engineer Steve Speer explained the issue at this site was to
determine where the toe of slope began. Two potential scenarios
existed to determine the toe of slope: push the sand up or pull the
sand away.
b. Commissioner Woodard briefed the Commission on the project being
planned by the La Quinta Arts Foundation and St. Francis of Assisi
Church for this site.
c. Discussion followed as where the toe of slope began. If the blowsand
were removed, what would be found? Staff noted the question was
to determine where the natural grade and hillside come together.
Need to determine where the wind blown material begins versus
where the actual toe of the slope starts.
d. Questions were raised as to whether the purpose of retaining the
hillsides was for the aesthetics, environmental, or functional
purposes.
2. Avenida Montezuma. Subject: Should a alluvial fan/boulder field, having a
slope gradient less than 20%, be allowed to be developed?
a. Senior Engineer Steve Speer explained that this was an example of a
slope consisting of a boulder field/alluvial fan having a 10% grade.
Should the boulders be removed to allow building to occur?
b. Discussion followed regarding where the actual toe of slope occurred.
c. Questions were raised regarding removal of the boulders and what
would be found; what would be the natural toe of slope? Whether the
issues were aesthetics or environmental. Would the allowable
building height of 17-feet block the view of the hillside from the
adjacent residents? How, and whether access could be obtained
across the wash to allow construction to occur.
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Planning Commission Meeting
February 1 O, 1998
3. Mr. Meyer's Property-south of The Quarry. Subject: Should the property
owner be allowed to build a road to gain access to construct homes on a
boulder field? Should locations above the toe of slope, with a slope gradient
less than the 15% or 20%, be allowed to be developed? If yes, then access
to the area would most likely require passage through the hillside areas.
a. Senior Engineer Steve Speer noted the issue at this site was whether
to allow the property owner to construct a road across the ridge to
build homesites on a boulder field which has a slope of less than
20%?
b. Questions were raised by the Commissioners as to where, and
whether or not, a road for access could be built. If the road didn't
exceed the 20% grade, why shouldn't it be allowed to be built? Why
not use the road that already exists within The Quarry development?
c. Staff defined where Mr. Meyer's property began and where Mr.
Green's property extended to.
4. Mr. Green's Property: Subject: Should the property owner be allowed to cut
away from the toe of the ridge at the first site; should the property owner be
allowed to cut away from the toe of the ridge at the second site; how far into
the canyon can development occur; if a plateau exists and the access does not
exceed a slope of 20%, is it buildable; how wide does a canyon need to be for
development to occur? How far from the toe of slope can development
occur?
a. Senior Engineer Steve Speer explained there were three areas of
concern. At one site the toe of slope again was hard to determine due
to boulder fields and blowsand materials; the width at the mouth of
the canyon; and determining whether or not development could occur
on the plateau, and if so, should a road be allowed. Distinctions were
noted regarding the obvious color changes in the rock material and
vegetation.
b. Discussion followed regarding where the 10%-20% grade occurred.
What areas appeared to be hillside and which were created by
blowsand material and how they were distinguishable.
__~
c. Questions raised were whether magnitude could be used to determine
if a site was hillside or blowsand material. If the top of the hillside
was flat, does that make it buildable, or is it still hillside? Whether
the economics of constructing a road would prevent building on the
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Planning Commission Meeting ._
February 10, 1998
hillside even if it did not exceed the 20% grade. How stormwater
issues could be resolved in the canyon areas.
5. All sites brought up the question as to where the 20% grade occurred,
whether the property owner could move sand to create the toe of slope or
remove it to establish where the toe of slope started. The question was asked
if a geological defmition could be made to assist with the definition of where
the toe of slope started.
6. Commissioners and staff returned to City Hall at 4:54 p.m.
VI. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None.
VII. BUSINESS ITEMS:
A. Presentation on the Draft Cultural Plan; a presentation by the Chairman of the
Cultural Commission on the Draft Plan.
1. Community Development Director Jerry Herman informed the Commission
this item would be continued to the Planning Commission meeting of
February 24, 1998. No action was taken by the Commission.
B. Continued - Sign Application 97-410; a request of Wells Fargo (Quality Project
Coordinating) for approval of a modification to the approved sign program to replace
a bank mini-branch sign located on the south elevation of the Albertson's
Supermarket.
1. Community Development Director Jerry Herman informed the Commission
a letter had been received from the applicant requesting this item be tabled
until further notice.
2. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Abels/Tyler to table Sign
Application 97-410 till further notice. Unanimously approved.
VIII. COMMISSIONERS ITEMS. None
IX. ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Abels/Tyler to
adjourn this regular meeting of the Planning Commission to a meeting of February 24, 1998. This
meeting of the Planning Commission was adjourned at 5:12 P.M. on February 10, 1998.
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