Loading...
2000 05 03 ALRC Minutes MINUTES ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPING REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING A regular meeting held at the La Ouinta City Hall 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Ouinta, CA May 3, 2000 10:00 a.m. I. CALL TO ORDER A. This meeting of the Architectural and Landscaping Committee was called to order at 10:06 a.m. by Principal Planner Stan Saw a who led the flag salute. B. Committee Members present: Bill Bobbitt, Dennis Cunningham and Frank Reynolds C. Staff present: Community Development Director Jerry Herman, Principal Planner Stan Sawa, Associate Planner Greg Trousdell, and Executive Secretary Betty Sawyer. II. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA: Confirmed. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: A. Principal Planner Stan Saw a asked if there were any changes to the Minutes of April 5, 2000. There being no changes, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Cunningham/Bobbitt to approve the Minutes as submitted. Unanimously approved. V. BUSINESS ITEMS: A. Site Develooment Permit 99-648. Amendment #1; a request of Century- Crowell Communities for approval of architectural and landscaping plans for a new prototype residential unit located approximately 100 feet south of Desert Stream Drive on the west side of Dune Palms Road in Tract 27519. 1. Associate Planner Greg Trousdell presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. C:\My Documents\WPDOCSIALRC5-3-20.wpd 1 Architectural & Landscape Review Committee Minutes May 3, 2000 2. Committee Member Cunningham stated that since it is internal to the project and does not affect any other project, he has no objections. 3. Associate Planner Greg Trousdell stated the proposed two story unit will give a break to the single story roof lines. It had been used in the City before and this developer is bringing it back. 4. Committee Member Bobbitt asked why the two story unit was proposed. Committee Member Cunningham stated it was because there is a market for it. 5. Ms. Marty Butler, representing Century-Crowell Communities stated they needed to increase the square footage of the houses to meet market demand. 6. Committee Member Bobbitt stated he had no issues. 7. Committee Member Cunningham stated it was attractive and brings diversity and asked how many two story units there would be. Ms. Butler stated that in Phase 2 there would be six and in Phase 3 seven, for a total of 13. Staff stated some of the two story units backs up to the proposed City park. Discussion followed regarding plotting of two story units. 8. There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Cunningham/Reynolds to adopt Minute Motion 2000-010 recommending approval of Site Development Permit 99-648, Amendment #1, subject to conditions as submitted. Unanimously approved. B. Specific Plan 2000-042. Conditional Use Permit 2000-048. and Environmental Assessment 2000-394; a request of the La Quinta Arts Foundation for approval of Washington Street perimeter landscaping plans for an art and education facility. 1. Community Development Director Jerry Herman presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Community Development Department. Staff noted the landscaping plan does not identify the location of the plantings by species. C:IMy DocumentsIWPDOCSIALRC5-3-20.wpd 2 Architectural & Landscape Review Committee Minutes May 3, 2000 2. Ron Gregory, landscape architect for the project, stated he would submit an updated plan. This plan was a preliminary plan to identify the number and type of plant material. He was unaware that he was to identify each plant on the plan. Most of the plant material is native to Sonora desert and he has indicated the size range of the plant materials. 3. Committee Member Reynolds stated his concern is the problem with drainage and how it could affect the landscaping. How can you approve the landscaping plan when it is not known whether or not the grading plan will conform to landscape plan. On the plan there are two little retention basins located on the north side that will not accommodate the water. Staff noted the parking lot will all be used for retention. Committee Member Reynolds asked where the water would go once the parking lot fills up. Staff stated the basin is designed to hold the water. Committee Member Reynolds noted that a problem exists now as the church did not install any drainage when it was constructed. Mr. Ron Gregory asked where the water would be coming from. Committee Member Reynolds stated it would come from the church, street, mountain, and this project. 4. Committee Member Cunningham asked if a hydrology report was prepared. Staff stated it had been and will be reviewed by the Planning Commission. 5. Mr. Bob Wright, representing the La Quinta Arts Foundation, stated parking lots will be composed of gravel and will be three feet below the level of Washington Street. It was designed to handle a 100 year flood. In addition, there are retention basins on the southwest and northwest ends of the site and will handle the churches runoff as well. 6. Mr. Gregory stated this was a preliminary landscaping plan and if the grading study shows something different, they will modify their plan accordingly. 7. Ms. Christi Salamone, representing the La Quinta Arts Foundation, stated they have agreed to retain whatever drainage comes down Washington Street. Mr. Gregory stated they will have three to four feet of mounding to screen the lower grade parking. C:\My Documents\ WPDOCSIALRC5-3-20. wpd 3 Architectural & Landscape Review Committee Minutes May 3, 2000 8. Committee Member Cunningham asked what the area in the center left of the site were for. Staff stated it would be used for the festival and will be turf. 9. Committee Member Bobbitt stated he liked the layout and asked who will maintain this. Mr. Gregory stated the Foundation will put it out to bid. Committee Member Bobbitt asked if the Foundation would see that whoever is hired is trained on the correct method of pruning this type of native landscaping to see that they are maintained properly. He does not want to see balls and circles. Native plants shouuld not to be pruned in this manner. Mr. Wright stated the festival grounds will be developed first so the maintenance will be a major concern. The landscaping will not look like a poodle clipping. Mr. Gregory sated they too, have been disappointed with some of their projects where native materials have been used and the landscape gardeners prune the plant material like any other plant. On this project the spacing between shrubs is far apart to hopefully avoid this from happening. From a design aspect they can address this problem. Shrubs will grow to a full size before pruning to keep them from being pruned in funny shapes. Committee Member Bobbitt stated the tendency is to over plant for immediate impact. The City allows the building to cover a maximum area and that does not leave a lot of room for plants, but the developer is required to plant two trees. 10. Committee Member Bobbitt stated that from a tree standpoint, the use of decomposed granite as paving for the parking lot will be good for the planting of trees. Tree wells in parking lots do not provide space, irrigation, and aeration to allow tree growth. 11 . There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Cunningham/Reynolds to adopt Minute Motion 2000-011 recommending approval the Washington Street perimeter landscaping plans, as submitted. Unanimously approved. VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL: None V. COMMITTEE MEMBER ITEMS: None C:\My Documents\ WPDOCS\ALRC5-3-20. wpd 4 Architectural & Landscape Review Committee Minutes May 3, 2000 VI. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Cunningham/Reynolds to adjourn this regular meeting of the Architectural and Landscaping Review Committee to the next regular meeting to be held on June 7, 2000. This meeting was adjourned at 10:39 a.m. on May 3, 2000. Respectfully submitted, /~,~ ~ / TY/,,/ AWYER, ~tive Secretary City oHa Quinta, California C:\My Documents\ WPDOCS\ALRC5-3-20.wpd 5