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1993 12 01 DRB Minutes MINUTES DESIGN REVIEW BOARD CITY OF LA QUINTA A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, California December I, 1993 5:30 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER A. Chairman Curtis brought the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. and Planning Commissioner Marrs led the flag salute. II. ROLL CALL A. Present: Boardmembers Fred Rice, David Harbison, Randall Wright, D. James Campbell, Planning Commissioner Marrs, and Chairman Curtis. B. Chairman Curtis moved to excuse Boardmember Anderson and Boardmember Campbell seconded the motion. It carried unanimously. C. Staff present: Planning and Development Director Jerry Herman, Principal Planner Stan Sawa, and Department Secretary Betty Sawyer. III. BUSINESS SESSION A. Staff informed the Board that a request had been received from Century Homes for a special meeting of the Design Review Board on December 15, 1993, to consider their request for unit approval. I. Boardmember Wright asked if the moratorium would be off by them. Staff explained the Interim Ordinance process and the length of time it would be in effect. 2. Chairman Curtis asked if this request was mute due to the Interim Ordinance. Staff stated the request complied with the ordinance. 3. Boardmember Wright asked if this was for Phase VII. Staff stated it was. Discussion followed regarding how the project was in compliance with the request. DRB12-1 1 Design Review Board Minutes December 1, 1993 4. Chairman Curtis asked why the need for a special meeting. Staff stated the applicant felt it would harm his project to wait the additional month for approval. 5. There being no further questions, Boardmembers Rice/Harbison moved c and seconded a motion to hold a special meeting on December 15, 1993. t),V C The motion passed 4-1-1, with Boardmember Wright voting NO, and " Planning Commissioner Marrs abstaining. B. Staff informed the Board that the owner of the restaurant within the Palm Royale Country Club was in attendance to request to be put on the agenda to have a review of his sign. I. Chairman Curtis asked for staffs recommendation. Staff stated they did not feel the sign request was complete at this time. Chairman Curtis directed staff to place the item on the December 15th special meeting agenda and inform the applicant to get his application complete before that time. 2. Boardmember Wright asked if the applicant could have a temporary sign until this was approved. Staff stated that he was before the City Council on December 7th for approval of a tethered balloon advertising the restaurant. 3. Mr. Dan Millington, owner of the restaurant, asked if he could be allowed to explain his request at this time. Chairman Curtis reiterated that the Board would take no action at this time but he could speak to the Board. Mr. Millington went on to explain the purpose of the sign and his willingness to work with the Board and he would be willing to comply with all requirements. His concern was to have some type of sign up as soon as possible as this was the season and he felt he was missing out on customers because there was no sign advertising his business. Chairman Curtis stated it was not the Board purview to approve the sign, their purpose was to review the design of the sign and recommend approval to the Planning Commission. Mr. Millington thanked the Board for their time. C. Si~n Application 93-225; a request of Norwest, Inc. for approval of a corporate sign for Norwest Financial located within the 111 La Quinta Center. I. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning and Development Department. DRB12-1 2 Design Review Board Minutes December 1, 1993 2. Mr. Jim Engle, representing Imperial Sign Company for the applicant, explained his request. 3. Boardmember Campbell asked what the depth of the letters would be. Mr. Engle stated they would be the same as they are now, 5-inches. 4. There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Boardmembers Campbell/Rice to recommend approval of Sign Application 93-225, subject to conditions. Unanimously approved. ,; D. Plot Plan 93-516; a request of TD Desert Development (Chuck Strother) for approval of preliminary plans for the main entry road and approval of landscaping and architectural plans for a racquet club within the Rancho La Quinta project. DRB12-1 I. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning and Development Department. Staff went on to explain the problem with the Date Palm trees at the La Quinta Hotel parking lot. He noted a beetle had attacked the trees, toppling the head of the tree. Staff also noted the plans included the landscape design for the Phase I Casitas area. 2. Commissioner Marrs asked when the Palm trees were installed at the La Quinta Hotel. Staff stated they were installed in 1988. 3. Boardmember Harbison explained how and why the beetle that destroyed the trees attacks the trees. He further stated that the trees for this project appear to be planted in an area that should support the Palms with no problems. 4. Mr. Chuck Strother, applicant, explained the project to the Board. 5. Commissioner Marrs asked the applicant to explain the variety of Eucalyptus to be used. Mr. Strother stated it was the White Bark variety and as long as they were not over watered they would remain healthy and hearty. 6. Boardmember Harbison went on to explain further about the tree. 7. Chairman Curtis asked the applicant if he had any problems with the conditions as recommended by staff. Mr. Strother stated he had none. Chairman Curtis asked how the landscaping on both sides of the golf tunnel would be treated so no erosion occurs and there would be no safety problems at the top ofthe tunnel. Mr. Strother stated that the Engineering 3 Design Review Board Minutes December 1, 1993 Department had placed conditions requiring fencing at the entry across the top of the tunnel to prevent this problem. He further stated that they had not determined a planting design but will be sure that the proper plants are planted. 8. Boardmember Campbell asked about the height of the racquet club and the seat walls. Mr. Strothers explained their location and the stucco material to be used. Boardmember Campbell further asked if the roof materials were to be the same as used on other public use buildings. Mr. Strothers stated it would be. 9. There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Boardmember Harbison/Rice to recommend approval of the entry road design for Plot Plan 93-516 as submitted and conditioned with the applicant to pay particular attention to the type of Eucalyptus tree and ground cover to be used and as conditioned by staff. Unanimously approved. 10. It was moved and seconded by Boardmembers Campbell/Harbison to recommend approval of the landscaping and architectural plans for the racquet club and Casitas area to the Planning Commission as submitted and conditioned. Unanimously approved. E. Discussion of develooment standards DRB12-1 I. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning and Development Department. 2. Boardmember Harbison submitted additional information for the landscaping standards. 3. Staff asked that the Board supply additional information as to the direction they wanted staff to take regarding the design guidelines. 4. Boardmember Wright asked that this item be continued to the meeting of December 15th, to give the Board additional time to review the information supplied by staff. 5. Chairman Curtis stated his concern to keep the Board focused mentioned areas for the Board to discuss. 4 Design Review Board Minutes December 1, 1993 6. Boardmember Campbell asked what had been accomplished so far. Staff stated that a list of comprehensive plans submittal requirements to enable the Board to know what the project consisted of had been completed. Also the developer handbook (application procedures) had been modified to include the Design Review Board process. 7. Boardmember Campbell stated there needed to be more specific criteria to guide the developer and he did not feel this existed as of yet. He went on to volunteer to assist staff to put together a draft list of architectural guidelines for the Board's review. Staff stated their appreciation. 8. Chairman Curtis asked that Boardmember Campbell and staff work together to put this together. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR Chairman Curtis asked if there were any corrections to the Minutes of November 3, 1993. There being no additions or corrections, Boardmembers Curtis/Campbell moved and seconded a motion to approve the minutes as submitted. Unanimously approved. VI. ADJOURNMENT It was moved and seconded by Boardmembers Rice/Curtis to adjourn to a special meeting of the Design Review Board on December IS, 1993, at 5:30 P.M. This meeting of the La Quinta Design Review Board was adjourned at 6:20 P.M., December I, 1993. DRB12-1 5