1998 08 20 HPC Minutes
MINUTES
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING
A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall Session Room
78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA
AUGUST 20, 1998
This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to order by Vice-Chairman
DeMersman at 3:00 p.m. who led the flag salute and asked for the roll call.
I. CALL TO ORDER
A.
Present:
Commissioners Irwin, Puente, Wright and Vice-Chairman
DeMersman.
B. Staff Present: Planning Manager Christine di lorio, Associate Planner Leslie
Mouriquand and Secretary Carolyn Walker.
II. PUBLIC COMMENT: None
III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA:
IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: None
V. BUSINESS ITEMS
A. Tour of the La Ouinta Hotel and Casitas' Planning Manager Christine di Iorio said
the intent of the meeting was to have an opportunity to see what retrofitting and
updating was being done before the projects were completed. One prototype had
been done and KSL wanted to show us what their considerations were. This meeting
was to be a walking tour to see what's going on at the Hotel and the Casitas. The
Commission would also h~ve the opportunity to look at compatibility with the historic
structures. There would be some visible sections in the lobby of the building where
it had been seismically retrofitted. And the Commission would be able to see the
sensitivity KSL had undergone to make it as inconspicuous as possible. There were
some visible elements to give the Commission an idea of how the adobe was tied
together to strengthen the walls and the roof. This was part of Phase I. KSL is
working on presentation of a photographic history which will be completed and
shown to the Commission at a later date.
B. Commissioner Wright asked Planning Manager Christine di Iorio if she had any
concerns about what was going on. She replied there were none because of previous
problems that had been corrected concerning retrofitting the air conditioning units.
In comparison, the new air conditioning units would be smaller and placed in the attic;
with more sensitivity about where the exterior apparatus was located. Each Casita's
retrofit would be done on an individual basis considering whether the air conditioning
unit would be placed inside or outside of the unit.
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I
Historic Preservation Commission
August 20, 1998
C. Planning Manager Christine di Iorio stated irrigation work was also being done and
it would be a good opportunity to find out exactly what was being done on the
system. Staff had requested the City be involved in this aspect of the remodeling.
Currently the Casitas are all hand watered.
D. Commissioner Barbara Irwin asked how many units were being air conditioned.
Planning Manager Christine di Iorio replied all of the historic ones have air
conditioning, but are outdated and need to be replaced by central air.
E. The Commission was then transported to the La Quinta Hotel and was met, in the
Lobby, by Rick Middleton, Manager of the Engineering Department at the La Quinta
Hotel, who then took them on a tour of the facilities. He began with an explanation
of how the lobby had been seismically retrofitted. He pointed out how they had
handled some of the plastered areas so they would look as authentic while showing
as little of the alteration procedures as possible. Mr. Middleton discussed how the
lobby looked previously and gave a comparison of what was there before/after the
seismic upgrade.
F. Planning Manager di Iorio asked if the same sort of alterations were being done at
Montanas? Mr. Middleton replied they were doing something similar.
G. Planning Manager di Iorio gave a brief architectural history of some of the buildings
surrounding the lobby area to better explain why the retrofitting was done differently
in each area.
H. The Commission agreed that the Hotel had done a nice job on the lobby and related
areas; especially in consideration of the cost of the retrofitting and the historic
sensitivity of the structures.
1. The Commission was then given a tour of several of the Casitas with special emphasis
on placement of the air conditioning units and, where possible, the retention of some
of the original interior/exterior design features to retain the historic ambiance.
J. No action was taken, nor recommendations made, by the Commission. This was an
informational-only tour.
VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MA TERrAL: None.
VII COMMlSSIONER ITEMS: None
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, it was approved to adjourn this meeting of the Historic Preservation
Commission to the next scheduled meeting of the Historical Preservation Commission. This meeting
of the Historical Preservation Commission was adjourned. Unanimously approved.
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