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2009 10 07 ALRC MinutesMINUTES ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPING REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING A regular meeting held at the La Quinta City Hall 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA October 7, 2.009 10:04 a.m. CALL TO ORDER A. This regular meeting of the Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee was called to order at 10:04 a.m. by Planning Manager David Sawyer who led the Committee in the flag salute. B. Committee Members Present: Jason Arnold, Ray Rooker and David Thoms. Committee Member Absent: None C. Staff present: Planning Manager David Sawyer, Associate Planner Jay Wuu, and Secretary Monika Radeva. II. PUBLIC COMMENT: None III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA:.Confirmed IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: Staff asked if there were any changes to the Minutes of August 5, 2009. There being no comments or corrections it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Rooker/Thoms to approve the minutes as submitted. Unanimously approved. Committee Member David Thoms said the minutes were very well done and very complete. Committee Member Rooker said the minutes were very accurate and due to the difference in opinions between the Committee Members they were a bit contusing. He suggested the use of a different format such as outlining each Committee Member's points instead to make for an easier reading for the Planning Commission. V. BUSINESS ITEMS: A. Final Landscaping Plans 2009-049 a request submitted by East of Madison, LLC. for consideration of Final Landscaping Plans for the Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee Minutes October 7, 2009 Madison Club Clubhouse located within the Madison Club; south of Avenue 52, east of Madison Street, west of Monroe Street. Associate Planner Jay Wuu presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning Department. Jeffrey Prevost, Vice President for Discovery Land Company, 80955 Avenue 52, La Quinta, CA, introduced himself and thanked the Committee for their time. Committee Member Rooker said, in general, he found the plans to be very well done, even a bit excessive on the maturity and amount of plants proposed, but he relied on the landscape architect's expertise to determine the correct amount of landscaping for the project. He said he was intrigued by the choice of Pinus Pinea pine trees selected for the parking lot as they were sap droppers and released a messy yellow powder during certain times of the year. This could be a possible nuisance for the members' cars. He questioned the choice of the Pinus Halapensis. He stated he found it an interesting dichotomy to have such a pristine Spanish- Mediterranean building, as the Clubhouse, and such low trees at the main entrance. He suggested the use of bolder landscaping to emphasize the entrance. Mr. Prevost explained the proposed landscaping was a continuation of the already existing landscaping theme and palette. of the Madison Club. He said if you were to drive down Madison Street, there were pine trees everywhere, thus that was continued into the Clubhouse as well. Mr. Prevost addressed Committee Member Rooker's concerns regarding the proposed pine trees in the parking lot and explained that every member was entitled to a free weekly car wash. He noted this free service did not eliminate the problem of potential sapping, but it was a way of taking care of the members if their cars were subject to it. He said the falling of pine needles was regularly addressed by the club's expert maintenance staff. Mr. Prevost said the Pinus Halapensis was selected because it was currently the predominant pine tree in the Madison Club, and the applicant's intent was to carry out the same theme. Committee Member Rooker asked if there was any remedy to the sap issue. Mr. Prevost replied he was not aware of any. He explained that the sapping was usually caused because a branch P:\Reports - ALRC\2009\12-02-09WLRC_MIN_10-7-09_Approved.doc 2 Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee Minutes October 7. 2009 had been cut off due to maintenance trimming, otherwise, no sapping would occur. Committee Member Rooker questioned the selection of the two small oleander trees identified on the plans for the entrance of the courtyard instead of something a bit larger and fancier to emphasize the entrance. Mr. Prevost explained the courtyard was designed on the basis of the European modern architectural style and the idea was to have no trees planted in the center or around the courtyard. Committee Member Rooker pointed out that the area around the courtyard was very nicely landscaped and it didn't make sense to have two simple yellow oleanders at such a major entryway. He said the oleander was known as a freeway plant and he did not find it to be the appropriate tree type to use for the courtyard entrance. He recommended the applicant bring this to the landscape architect's attention for reconsideration. Committee Member Thoms said he was not a member of the Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee when the preliminary landscaping plans were originally submitted. He said he found the proposed landscaping plans to be overplanted and to have too much variety. Committee Member Thoms suggested the applicant reconsider the proposed "planting strip" in the parking lot due to the high maintenance it required. He was concerned that cars would park too close to the curb, drive over the plants, and people would walk through them. He said his experience was that in a couple of years most people get tired of the plants' high maintenance in such high- traffic areas and replace them with decomposed granite. He encouraged the applicant to recognize this could become an issue in the future and to address it at this stage instead. Mr. Prevost replied the club offered valet parking for all members, thus members would not be accessing the parking lot. He explained the applicant would like the clubhouse to be fully landscaped with mature plants and trees giving the impression that it had been there for fifty years. In order to achieve that effect, the proposed landscaping was necessary; even if some of it might have t:o be trimmed or removed at a later time. P:\Reports - ALRC\2009\I2-02-09WLRC_MIN_10-7-09_Approved.doc 3 Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee Minutes October 7, 2009 Committee Member Thoms pointed out that the landscape architect's stamp on the submitted landscape plans did not contain the license's expiration date. Committee Member Arnold said he thought the project was very well done. He stated he had only one comment regarding future maintenance issues with the Bowsmith multi-outlet emitter irrigation system. He suggested the use of a newer irrigation alternative called Netafin dripper line which was supposed to perform much better. He explained the operational differences between the two systems. General discussion followed regarding different irrigation techniques and more efficient alternatives. There being no further questions, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Rooker/Arnold to adopt Minute Motion 2009- 007, recommending approval of Final Landscaping Plan 2009-049 , with the recommendation that the number of proposed plants and trees be reconsidered and the landscape architect's license expiration date be verified. Unanimously approved. VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL: None VII. COMMITTEE MEMBER ITEMS: Committee Member Rooker asked staff for an update on the landscaping for Fresh & Easy located in Jefferson Square on the southeast corner of Fred Waring Drive and Jefferson Street. VIII. PLANNING STAFF ITEMS: A. Planning Commission Update Planning Manager Sawyer said the Planning Commission recommended approval to the City Council for the Clubhouse and the Golf Villas at PGA West. He briefly discussed the residential feedback received during the meeting, as well as comments regarding the architectural style and color palette. He said the project was scheduled to be presented to the City Council on Tuesday, October 6, 2009, but due to a request to allow more time for public comments and attendance. With the applicant's permission the item was continued October 20, 2009. P:\Reports - ALRC\2009U2-02-09WLRC_MIN_10-7-09_Approved.doc 4 Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee Minutes October 7, 2009 B. Discussion of Joint Council meeting topics Planning Manager Sawyer explained that every year the City Council took time to meet with the City's Commissions and Committees. As the ALRC is a supporting Committee to the Planning Commission, the time would be shared between the Commission and the Committee. He noted the meeting would last 30 minutes and it has been scheduled for October 27, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. Discussion followed regarding what topics of discussion should be selected for the joint meeting. Committee Member Thoms commented on the nice median landsaping design on Fred Waring Drive, done by the City of Indio, to identify its City limits. General discussion followed regarding the trees selection and their maintenance. Staff said the City of La Quinta was in the process of putting together median landscaping plans for Highway 111 that would make a similar statement and identify La Quinta City limits. Discussion followed regarding possible overwatering solutions to avoid wasting money to make projects look nice. IX. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Committee Members Rooker/Thoms to adjourn this meeting of the Architecture and Landscaping Review Committee to a Regular Meeting to be held on November 5, 2009. This meeting was adjourned at 10:54 a.m. on October 7, 2009. Respectfully submitted, r MONIKA R EVA Secretary P:\Reports -ALRC'\200902-02-09\ALRC_MIN_]0-7-09_Approved.doc 5