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2008 07 08 PC MinutesMINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA July 8, 2008 CALL TO ORDER 7:03 P.M. A. This meeting of the Planning Commission was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by Chairman Ed Alderson who led the flag salute. B. Present: Commissioners Katie Barrows, Paul Quill, Mark Weber, Robert Wilkinson, and Chairman Ed Alderson. Staff present: Planning Director Les Johnson, Planning Manager David Sawyer, Assistant City Manager Douglas Evans, Assistant City Attorney Michael Houston, Associate Planner Jay Wuu, Assistant Planner Eric Ceja, and Executive Secretary Carolyn Walker. C. Chairman Alderson introduced and welcomed Mark Weber, as the new Planning Commissioner to fill the vacancy left by Commissioner Engle. D. Election of Chair: It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Quill/Wilkinson to nominate Ed Alderson as Chair. There being no further nominations, the nominations were closed. Ed Alderson was unanimously elected as Chair. E. Election of Vice Chair: It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Quill/Wilkinson to nominate Katie Barrows as Vice Chair. There being no further nominations, the nominations were closed. Katie Barrows was unanimously elected as Vice Chair. PUBLIC COMMENT: None II. PRESENTATION: None. III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA: Staff requested the Commission review Business Item B prior to Business Item A. P:\Reports - PC\200817-22-08\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: A. Chairman Ed Alderson asked if there were any changes to the Minutes of June 10, 2008. There being none, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Barrows/Quill to approve the minutes as submitted. Unanimously approved. V. PUBLIC HEARINGS: A. Sign Application 2003-720, Amendment 2; a request of Old Town La Quinta, LLC for consideration of a request for an amendment to the Old Town La Quinta sign program allowing the installation of bracket signs for second floor tenants, located on Main Street, Old Town La Quinta; west of Desert Club Drive; east of Avenida Bermudas; south of Calle Tampico. Chairman Alderson opened the public hearing and asked for the staff report. Associate Planner Jay Wuu presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning Department. Chairman Alderson asked if there were any questions of staff. Commissioner Quill asked if there was a way to avoid these types of applications in the future. Staff said the proposed language before the Commission would eliminate future need for Planning Commission review. Staff explained the code to the Commissioners. Commissioner Barrows said there was a word missing in the Code about the Director deciding to bring these items before the Commission. Staff gave her an interpretation of the code. Chairman Alderson asked why the applicant was only allowed signs on the north/south face and not the east/west face of the building as noted in the staff report. He commented that was a very heavy wind load for blade signs and wanted to be assured the structural design could handle the load. Associate Planner Wuu said it was a six foot sign that Chairman Alderson was referring to and explained the reasoning for the placement of the signs. The only elevation staff refused was along Calle Tampico. Chairman Alderson asked if there were any other northern exposures. Staff said there wasn't really. P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-08\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc 2 Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 There being no further questions of staff, Chairman Alderson asked if there were any applicant representatives or comments. There being no applicant comments Chairman Alderson asked if there was any public comment. Leslie Locken, Manager for Old Town La Quinta, LLC, 78-100 Main Street, #206, La Quinta CA, introduced herself and thanked staff for a thorough report. There being no questions, or further public comment, Chairman Alderson closed the public participation portion of the meeting and opened the matter for Commission discussion. There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Barrows/Wilkinson to approve Minute Motion 2008-012 recommending approval of Sign Applicant 2003-720, Amendment 2, as recommended. Unanimously approved. B.. Sign Program 2008-1254; a request of Regency Marinita, LLC for consideration of a request for a sign program to serve Jefferson Square Shopping Center, located at the southwest corner of Jefferson Street and Fred Waring Drive. Chairman Alderson opened the public hearing and asked for the staff report. Assistant Planner Eric Ceja presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning Department. Chairman Alderson asked if there were any questions of staff. Commissioner Wilkinson noted the various colors of signs for each individual business. He said he was under the impression the Code had been modified so these types of signs would be of more consistent colors. He asked if it could be designed with a more compatible color palette. Chairman Alderson asked if the signs were shown as they were to be prepared. Staff replied they were not. Staff recommended a clause be included stating that the graphics are representative in nature and the signs will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Commissioner Weber noted the Commission had recently reviewed the sign on Dune Palms Road and Highway 111 and said some allowances P:\Reports - PC\2006\7-22-08\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc 3 Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 were made for additional signage in that area. He asked if this monument sign was going to have that same type of flexibility with regards to individual signage. Staff replied the proposed sign program doesn't allow for that type of flexibility. Chairman Alderson said the sign portion naming the tenants should be big and bold, not the location of the square. He concurred with Commissioner Wilkinson that the colors should be bold on the tenant signs. He commented on the fact there was only one monument sign on either frontage, not two as outlined in their sign program. There being no questions of staff, Chairman Alderson asked if there were any applicant representatives or comments. Ron Breen Ultrasigns, 9025 Balboa Avenue, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92123, introduced himself and said he was building the monument signs for the applicant. He said he had been working with staff and felt that they had achieved a very dignified and responsible sign program for the center. He added, with respect to the colors of the letters, the exhibit was just a boiler plate representation that a tenant could use. The intent for the design was to allow for creativity within the confines of the sign dimensions while allowing a tenant to have their corporate colors and logos. He added, with respect to the monuments signs, the applicant was requesting a total of four, realizing there was only a code allowance of one per street. He said the applicant felt this would be a hardship for the tenants; particularly in Shops 1 and 2 which are hidden from the street. He said, in this economy, Regency is desperately asking for the two additional monument signs so they could have enough street panels. The sizing of the signs is within code and the style of the signs are very conservative. The panels on the signs would be routed and the background would be opaque. Only the Jefferson Square portion would be illuminated. It would be distinctive, and a warm representation of the center. He said they would need to have this type of sign in order to market the center's corner spaces, and to show a prospective tenant they would have adequate signage. Commissioner Weber asked if there were going to be 16 individual signs. He said they were double-faced sign, and each tenant would get two- sides of one sign on four monuments. P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-08\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc 4 Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 Mr. Breen said there would be 16 tenants represented. Commissioner Weber asked if that accommodated all the tenants. Mr. Breen said it did not accommodate all the tenants. The applicant wanted the sign to be classy and architecturally consistent with the Center. There would be some duplication on some of the signs; such as the anchors. So, you would have some redundancy as the bigger players would be represented more often than not. It is based on a first come, first serve basis. They will need some kind of representation on the street to have tenants justify moving in the back locations. The applicant really feels they need the extra advertising. There being no further applicant comments Chairman Alderson asked if there was any public comment. There being no public comment, Chairman Alderson closed the public participation portion of the meeting and opened the matter for Commission discussion. Chairman Alderson said, in fact, the signs were double-faced and the sign actually had four names on it. Mr. Breen said there would only be four tenants per sign. Chairman Alderson said the western side of the project would have a block wall so the approaching visibility would be negligible and the sign would not be of particular value. He agreed the tenants need all the help they could get, but suggested the Commissioners could allow a third sign in the front of the project, angled diagonally. He directed his comments to the other Commissioners and asked if they would be interested in approving that configuration. Planning Director Les Johnson said they were limited to one sign per frontage and gave a definition of the code on aggregate limitation. He said the staff proposals encompass what the Municipal Code allows. Commissioner Wilkinson asked for a definition of Chairman Alderson's comments on which two signs he was referring to. Chairman Alderson pointed to the appropriate sign on the exhibits. P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-OB\PC Minutes 7-OS-08.doc 5 Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 Chairman Alderson then asked Mr. Breen where he would put the signs if he were limited to only two. Mr. Breen said he would not be able to make that decision. Staff said they did not choose the locations. They could work with the applicant on exact location for the signs. Mr. Breen said typically the sign positions were moved laterally. Chairman Alderson said if the Commission approved the signs, with the conditions as proposed by the staff, would the applicant have the leeway to move the signs. Mr. Breen said they would definitely like four signs. Commissioner Barrows asked if there were examples on Highway 111 where the signs have been allowed. Mr. Breen said that his company also prepared the sign program for Komar Desert Center and that it was approved for two monument signs on a single street frontage. Staff said there have been allowances made in the City's Regional Commercial zoning areas. Businesses in the Neighborhood Commercial Center zoning designation have had no deviations as of this date; only those on Highway 111. Commissioner Weber said he would like to afford the opportunity for the developer to give the tenants sufficient exposure. What concerns him is that we have rules and exceptions to rules. He wondered if there were any other options to the client. He wanted to go through the math. He went over the slides and asked about the dimensions of the signs. Staff explained the dimensions and inclusion of signage. Commissioner Weber brought up the example of the La Quinta Valley Plaza on Dune Palms and Highway 1 1 1 and how their sign was designed. He said identification of Jefferson Square, for direction purposes, was not more important than the tenants' signs, and he wondered if the Square identification could be made smaller and the tenant identifications made larger. He said asking for four signs seemed to be a large exception. He asked if there were two points of egress. Staff said yes. P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-08\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 Commissioner Weber said road improvements still needed to be made, as well as the addition of a retention basin on the corner which would limit signage on Jefferson, even though that seemed to be the main signage area. He asked if the actual total signage could be reduced to the correct amount of area, would it be possible to make three signs and still have the correct amount of square footage. Chairman Alderson said what Commissioner Weber was suggesting would require the applicant file a variance. Staff said the applicant's representative, through the sign program process, had been afforded additional monument signs. Staff's perspective was it had to do with size and the fact this is zoned Neighborhood Commercial. Staff said, at this time, there is the option to have more than two signs. Commissioner Quill asked if the point of this application coming to the Planning Commission was so they can make modifications. Staff said the Code does allow for some deviations to be considered in accordance with the appropriate provisions. Commissioner Quill said he thought one sign on Jefferson Street and one sign on Fred Waring was adequate. He added the architectural portion of the sign should not be considered part of the sign as shrubbery would grow over it. It will not be obtrusive if it is left as is. One sign on each street is adequate and the applicant has the option of deciding where the signs would be placed. Chairman Alderson suggested if the sign could be amended so the Jefferson Square portion was made smaller and the tenants names were made larger. Sign locations 2 and 3 are logical places to put the signs but the client does have the latitude as to where to place them. The Conditions of Approval allowed for signs to be submitted as signs 2 and 3 along Jefferson Street. Staff asked if that included all other recommendations as submitted. There being no further discussion, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Quill/Wilkinson to approve Minute Motion 2008-013 recommending approval of Sign Program 2008-1254, as recommended. Unanimously approved. P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-08\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc '] Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 VI. BUSINESS ITEMS: A. Discussion regarding the consideration of the SilverRock Resort Project Programming and Design Recommendations, Plans, Graphics and Various Exhibits Prepared by HAS Design Group for the Various SilverRock Design Components. A summary of the comments included the following: • Questions about the Planning Commission's input into the Hotel design plan. • Question about whether the hotel and the golf course would be identified. • Appreciation that there is no turf, no water feature, and that it encouraged lower water usage. • Nice color and paver schemes which blend well. • One item not addressed was fighting. Suggested low level and energy efficient equipment as well as accommodating the Dark Sky Ordinance. • Desire for the landscape palette, close to the mountain, include more plantings native to the Coachella Valley rather than the Sonoran-Desert type plantings. • Liked the entry way colors. • Question about the distance from Jefferson Street to the walk-in portals. • Question about the curved masonry walls and the topography behind them, as well as the setback and stacking at the entry gates. • Suggested view windows into the golf course. • Concern for pavement on the crosswalk. • Question about a mixed use pedestrian trail. P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-OB1PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc g Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 • Entry signalization. • Hotel walkway including public access. • Inclusion of fossils in nodes. • Overall trail system well done. Subject nodes and mapping still needed to be worked out • Concrete sidewalks and horse traffic. • Opportunities for interpretative interaction are great. Suggestion that the developer work with the native Cahuilla tribe. • Consider use of native elements (honey mesquite), on Hotel Drive. Consider recreating the mesquite hummocks. • Use native plants in the Bear Creek Area. • Look at green and sustainable opportunities; such as using sustainable products in place of the concrete pathways. • Walkability of the project was very important. • Commissioner Weber asked if roundabouts were being considered. • Would the road be undulated. • Was there traffic calming design included in the plan. • Were the updated CVWD golf requirements incorporated into the new phase. B. Commissioner Comments regarding RDA Project Area #2. A summary of the comments included the following: • Question about meeting the City's overall goal of providing affordable dwellings. • Timing of the rehabilitation of the Washington Street units. II. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL: None P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-OS\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc 9 Planning Commission Minutes July 8, 2008 VIII. COMMISSIONER ITEMS: A. Chairman Ed Alderson and Planning Director Les Johnson gave brief overviews of the City Council meetings of June 17, 19, and July 1, 2008. Planning Director Les Johnson invited the Commissioners to a Housing Community Forum to be held on July 24, 2008, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the La Quinta Library. B. List of Commissioners' attendance. Chairman Alderson noted the absence shown was while he was traveling to aCity-sponsored function and he was not absent without leave. C. Chairman Alderson asked if the Commissioners could obtain an updated list of who is supposed to attend meetings. Staff said the list would be available at the next meeting. D. Commissioner Quill asked about the Leeds tour. Staff replied they are still trying to coordinate a tour to Vista Dunes, which would include two Commissioners at a time E. Commissioner Weber asked when the Commission would go dark and was told it would be August 12t". IX. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Quill/Weber to adjourn this regular meeting of the Planning Commission to the next regular meeting to be held on July 22, 2008. This regular meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m. on July 8, 2008. Respectfully submitted, ~ ~~.,~~ Carolyn VYSalker, Executive Secretary City of La Quinta, California P:\Reports - PC\2008\7-22-OS\PC Minutes 7-08-08.doc 10