2019 10 28 Council & PC Joint Special Meeting - Hwy 111 Corridor PlanCITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION OCTOBER 28, 2019
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING Page 1 of 1
NOTICE AND CALL OF SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
OF THE LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL AND
LA QUINTA PLANNING COMMISSION
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LA QUINTA AND TO THE CITY CLERK:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Joint Meeting of the La
Quinta City Council and La Quinta Planning Commission is hereby called to be
held on Monday, October 28, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at La Quinta City Hall Lobby
located at 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA 92253 for the following
purpose:
STUDY SESSION
1.DISCUSS THE HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT PLAN PRESENTED BY
CITY CONSULTANT RANGWALA ASSOCIATES
Dated: October 23, 2019 Linda Evans
LINDA EVANS, Mayor
Attest:
MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
DECLARATION OF POSTING
I, Monika Radeva, City Clerk, do hereby declare that the foregoing notice for
Special Joint Meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission of the City
of La Quinta, on October 28, 2019 was posted on the outside entry to the
Council Chamber at 78495 Calle Tampico and on the bulletin boards at 51321
Avenida Bermudas and 78630 Highway 111 on October 23, 2019.
DATED: October 23, 2019
MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION OCTOBER 28, 2019
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA Page 1 of 2
AGENDA
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
OF THE LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL AND
LA QUINTA PLANNING COMMISSION
LA QUINTA CITY HALL - LOBBY
78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta
MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019, AT 6:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER – City Council and Planning Commission
ROLL CALL: Councilmembers: Fitzpatrick, Peña, Radi, Sanchez, Mayor Evans
ROLL CALL: Commissioners: Bettencourt, Currie, Libolt Varner, McCune, Nieto,
Proctor, and Chairperson Caldwell
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA
At this time, members of the public may address the City Council on any matter not
listed on the agenda. Please complete a "Request to Speak" form and limit your
comments to three minutes. The City Council values your comments; however in
accordance with State law, no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the
agenda unless it is an emergency item authorized by GC 54954.2(b).
CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA
STUDY SESSION
PAGE
1. DISCUSS THE HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT PLAN PRESENTED BY
CITY CONSULTANT RANGWALA ASSOCIATES
3
City Council agendas and staff reports
are available on the City’s
web page: www.LaQuintaCA.gov
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION OCTOBER 28, 2019
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA Page 2 of 2
COUNCIL AND COMISSION MEMBERS’ ITEMS
ADJOURNMENT
*********************************
The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held on November 5, 2019
at 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta,
CA 92253.
DECLARATION OF POSTING
I, Monika Radeva, City Clerk, of the City of La Quinta, do hereby declare that
the foregoing Agenda for the La Quinta City Council meeting was posted on the
City’s website, near the entrance to the Council Chambers at 78495 Calle
Tampico, and the bulletin boards at the Stater Brothers Supermarket at 78630
Highway 111, and the La Quinta Cove Post Office at 51321 Avenida Bermudas,
on October 23, 2019.
DATED: October 23, 2019
MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
City of La Quinta, California
Public Notices
The La Quinta City Council Chamber is handicapped accessible. If special equipment
is needed for the hearing impaired, please call the City Clerk’s office at (760) 777-
7092, twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting and accommodations will
be made.
If special electronic equipment is needed to make presentations to the City Council,
arrangements should be made in advance by contacting the City Clerk’s office at
(760) 777-7092. A one (1) week notice is required.
If background material is to be presented to the Councilmembers during a City
Council meeting, please be advised that eight (8) copies of all documents, exhibits,
etc., must be supplied to the City Clerk for distribution. It is requested that this take
place prior to the beginning of the meeting.
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any
item(s) on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at the Community
Development counter at City Hall located at 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta,
California, 92253, during normal business hours.
City of La Quinta
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING: October 28, 2019
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA TITLE: DISCUSS THE HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT
PLAN PRESENTED BY CITY CONSULTANT RANGWALA ASSOCIATES
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss the Highway 111 Corridor Draft Plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
•Highway 111 Corridor Plan (Plan) was initiated January 2019 to define the
vision for the Highway 111 Corridor (Attachment 1).
•Several community outreach meetings have been held, including two Special
Joint City Council and Planning Commission meetings, a Community
Workshop, a 3-day design charrette, and an online survey to collect citywide
feedback to formulate the Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
The 2018/19 operating budget recommended $205,000 for consulting services to
prepare the Plan, and funds within this amount have carried over in the 19/20
budget. The consultant services’ work to-date are within the budget. The adopted
five-year Capital Improvement Program (from 19/20 through 23/24) budgeted
$1,000,000 in 19/20 for the Highway 111 Corridor and forecasted the same
amount for the remaining four years.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
In January 2019 the City contracted with Rangwala Associates (Rangwala), a team
of multi-disciplinary experts, to prepare the Plan. Since January, the Plan has
progressed through several project phases with a Special Joint Study Session
Meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission in February, and a
Community Workshop in March. An online survey and three-day design charrette
were conducted in April, which were instrumental in collecting feedback from
residents and businesses on Highway 111 to define the Plan’s vision. A second
Special Joint Study Session Meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission
STUDY SESSION ITEM NO. 1
3
was held on June 11, 2019, to present the design concepts discussed during the
charette.
Staff has been working with Rangwala to develop the Plan, which is an assemblage
of the design concepts introduced and discussed over the span of this vision study,
the outreach and feedback collected from the design charrette workshops and other
community input. The Plan recommends the following:
• Reduction of lane widths to lessen the expansive width of Highway 111
• Improve pedestrian crossings between the north and south sides of the
Highway 111 Corridor (Corridor)
• Introduce curbside parking along Highway 111 when new building
development occurs with reduced setbacks from the street
• Apply a phased town center design concept for future planning
• Enhance landscaping for La Quinta identity and place-making
• Create a multi-use path, La Quinta Cultural Trail, along the north side of
Highway 111
• Connectivity to the CV Link and encourage more active frontage along the
CV link.
The Plan includes an assessment of current codes and recommendations to
understand how to re-vision the Corridor and provide clear and precise
comprehensive standards for the future to govern the Corridor area. The Plan
accomplishes this by including goals and policies as guidance in achieving this
community vision and an implementation plan to outline the actions to be taken to
develop projects and partnerships.
Prepared by: Cheri Flores, Planning Manager
Approved by: Danny Castro, Design and Development Director
Attachment: 1. Highway 111 Corridor Draft Plan
4
HIGHWAY
CORRIDOR PLAN
ATTACHMENT 1
ATTACHMENT 15
40
POLICES
Context & rationale of desired outcomes.
06
INTRODUCTION
History, community profile, and planning process.18
VISION
A shared future for preservation and growth.
03
02
01
6
56
IMPLEMENTATION
Partners, timeframes, funding sources.
04
7
4 South Pasadena General Plan
City Council
Mayor Linda Evans
Mayor Pro Tem Steve Sanchez
Kathleen Fitzpatrick
John Pena
Robert Radi
City Manager Jon McMillen
Planning Commission
Chairperson Mary Caldwell
Vice-chair Michael Proctor
Kevin McCune
Loretta Currie
Phillip Bettencourt
Stephen T. Nieto
Taylor Libolt Varner
Design & Development Staff
Director Danny Castro
City Engineer Bryan McKinney
Planning Manager Cheri L. Flores
Consultants
Rangwala Associates
in association with
Moule & Polyzoides
Nelson Nygaard
AHBE/MIG
Fong Hart Schneider Partners
Ian Espinoza Associates
... and thanks to numerous members of City Staff and La Quinta
residents
8
Introduction 59
6 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 10
Part 2: Vision 7
01 Introduction
Context
The Highway 111 Corridor is a two-mile long, 400-acre region-
al commercial hub at the center of the City, extending from the
western city boundary, just east of Washington Street, to the
eastern city boundary at Jefferson Street. The Corridor is a crit-
ical, centrally located component of intraregional travel through
the Coachella Valley that accommodates about 40,000 vehicles
per day. The intersection of Highway 111 and Washington
Street in La Quinta is one of the highest volume intersections in
the Coachella Valley, carrying over 70,000 vehicles per day.
The retail, services and restaurants along the Corridor
generate over 3/4th of the City’s sales tax revenues. Ensuring the
Corridor’s economic resilience is essential to the City’s future.
The La Quinta 2035 General Plan anticipates the Corridor
may evolve with mixed use development opportunities as the
highest and best use. The Plan’s goals and policies call for
innovative land uses and mixed use development for the Corri-
dor. CV Link, a 49-mile long regional, multimodal pathway is
planned that will link Palm Springs to Thermal. The CV Link is
is projected to attract 13,500-16,000 pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other users annually.
Purpose
The Corridor Plan will guide Highway 111 in a direction that
improves the quality of life for residents, employees, and visitors.
The Plan includes a clear and compelling vision that reimagines
Highway 111 as an iconic place offering a range of memorable
experiences. To implement the vision, the Plan features policies
and actions to preserve stable assets, encourage contextual infill
development of vacant and underutilized parcels, create jobs,
maintain and support existing compatible businesses, and ac-
commodate housing for a variety of income levels. The Corridor
Plan will provide a vision for the future as well as predictability
for new retail, office, and development.
The Corridor Plan offers:
• A community supported vision and guiding principles that
encourages a vibrant and walkable area;
• Goals and policies to guide decision-makers in achieving
the community’s vision for the Highway 111 area;
• Actions to be taken by the City to develop projects and
partnerships that implement the goals and policies;
• Phased catalytic projects to spur economic investment and
residential and commercial development along Highway
111;
• Assessment of current codes and recommendations for clear
and precise standards that produce predictable outcomes;
and
• Streetscape improvements to activate the public realm,
providing an inviting and engaging place.
The Corridor Plan also fulfills the goals, policies and actions
of the 2035 La Quinta General Plan by promoting orderly
growth, and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure and
services.
11
8 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
The Bradshaw Trail
The Cahuilla, native people of the
valley were the only residents in
the area for hundreds of years. The
first encounter with Europeans was
in 1774. Living inland within the
desert the contact with Spanish and
Mexican explorers, soldiers, and
missionaries was limited. The land
was valuable to the Cahuilla people
as they could walk down the slope
of the wash and fill their jugs with
water from the wells below.
By 1862, the Civil War was
raging, and gold was needed to
finance guns and ammo for both the
north and south. In Arizona, along
the Colorado River, a frontiersman
on a trapping expedition stumbled
upon a gold deposit. Once the word
got out about the strike, a safe and
direct route from the California
Coast to the Colorado River was in
great demand.
William Bradshaw, an experi-
enced guide, soldier, and miner left
San Bernardino looking for a route
to the Colorado River. When he
reached the Cahuilla Settlement
of Toro Village, located southeast
of present-day La Quinta, the
tribal elder Chief Cabazon showed
Bradshaw the trail they used to get
to the Colorado River. He called it
the Bradshaw trail and the Bradshaw
Stage Line was formed. The Stage
Line traveled from one water hole to
the next and the well at Point Happy
became a major stop along the route.
As gold ran out and railroad lines
were laid in 1876, the Bradshaw
Stage Line ceased to exist. How-
ever, the railroad needed water for
steam engines. The Artesian Spring
water just beneath the surface in
an otherwise inhospitable desert
proved immensely valuable to
railroads and cultivated a three crop
per year growing season with the
railroad to take the crops to market.
Railroad and agriculture began to
draw non-Native Americans to the
Coachella Valley to stay.
History
Cahuilla Village settled around the wells in the desert.
The water wells in the area became a major stop for the Bradshaw
Stage Line.
12
Part 1: Introduction 9
Point Happy
in 1906, Norman (Happy)
Lundbeck was an early home-
steader to build near the well on
the east side of the rocky hill-
side to shield the strong desert
winds. His home, a store, and
farm were located on this site
that became know as Point
Happy. In 1922, the homestead
was sold to wealthy oil man
and philanthropist Chauncey
Clarke and he turned the tract
into the Point Happy Date
Garden and Ranch. This tract
would later become Highway
111.
The Point Happy Date
Gardens ranch eventually grew
to 135 acres ideally suited to
Mr. Clark’s two passions, pure
bred Arabian horses and date
cultivation. The Clarks were
world travelers and believed
that the Point Happy most
closely resembled the Arabian
climate where the horses and
dates thrived. In addition to
dates, the Clarks grew citrus
and row crops.
After Mr. Clark’s death in
1926, Mrs. Clarke stayed on at
Point Happy. When she passed
away in 1948, she left Point
Happy to Claremont College.
The property was
subsequently sold to William
DuPont Jr., an heir to the
DuPont Chemical fortune. He
lived there until his death in
1965.
The ranch was sold off to
developers and the Highland
Palms neighborhood was built
in 1965. In the early 1980’s
a shopping center with La
Quinta’s first supermarket was
built on the southwest corner of
Washington and Highway 111.
Top Left Image: Sketch of
entrance gate to Point Happy
Ranch.
Top Middle Image: Actor
Rudolph Valentino riding a
white Arabian horse at Point
Happy Ranch.
Top Image: Mrs Clarke and
guest gather poolside on the
lawn. Navajo rugs are spread
around the pool.
Left Image: A young lady picks
dates at Point Happy Ranch.
13
10 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Development Pattern
Over the past two decades, Highway 111 has been
transformed from a rural road into a commercial corridor
to support nearby residential development. The streets,
blocks, lots, buildings, and landscapes were designed
primarily around automobile access. As a result of
this auto-centric pattern of development the corridor
lacks walkable, compact, neighborhood structure. This
pattern also precludes the efficient use of transit which
works best when stops are proposed in walkable envi-
ronments. The corridor is highly succesful in generating
sales tax revenue for the City. However, the wide travel
lanes when combined with deep setbacks, and large
parking lots fail to create a sense of enclosure that makes
walking, biking, sitting, or spending time on the corri-
dor a desirable activity. The escalating destabilization of
large-format retail comes at a time of not only shifts in
online shopping, demographics and associated consumer
preferences, but also growing concerns about inefficient
use of natural resources and the costs and environmental
impacts of sprawling development patterns.
1997 2007 2019
14
Part 1: Introduction 11
Ave 47 Dune Palms RdJefferson StAdams StWashington StPoint Happy Shopping Center
(SP-2000-043)
One Eleven La Quinta
(SP-1989-014)
Washington Park
(SP-1987-011)
La Quinta Court
(SP-2000-047)
La Quinta Corporate Center
(SP-1999-036)
Center @ La Quinta
(SP-1997-029)Dune Palms Center
(SP-1996-028)
Hwy 111 & Dune Palms Road
(SP-2000-005)
Komar Desert
Center
(SP-2005-075)
Pavillion @ La Quinta
(SP-2003-066)OS
OS
CC
CR
CR
CP
CP
CR
CC
Regional Commercial (CR)
Community Commercial (CC)
Commercial Park (CP)
Open Space (OS)
Specific Plans
Zoning Districts
Jefferson Plaza
(SP-1996-027)
Code Audit Observations
1. The standards have enhanced the tax base by facilitating commercial development
that draws from customers within the City and the larger regional trade area.
2. The standards and guidelines are not tied to a specific physical vision.
3. The Specific Plans have been used to get around existing zoning standards.
Rather than amending the existing zoning standards based on an overall vision
for the Corridor, the Specific Plans have allowed individual sets of regulations
for each parcel that collectively have failed to produce a cohesive built or natural
environment for the Corridor area.
4. Some Specific Plan have no development standards. For these sites staff typically
has required compliance with the zoning standards that existed prior to the
Specific Plan. The Specific Plan have vague emphasis on public realm.
5. Over the years, the circulation improvements have primarily been made to facil-
itate automobile access to the detriment of pedestrians, bike or transit mode. For
example: dedicated turn lanes widen the intersections making street crossing more
difficult. The token gesture of providing sidewalks, paths, sitting areas, or public
art has failed to extend an invitation for people to gather and linger. Nothing in
these shopping centers is designed to inspire people to spend more time.
6. The Specific Plans and their numerous amendments are difficult to enforce at the
front counter or in the field.
Historically, Highway 111 has had
three major Zoning Districts: Regional
Commercial, Commercial Park and
Community Commercial. Over the past
two decades, Highway 111 properties
have developed with 12 Specific Plan
that have replaced majority of the three
zoning districts.
Besides Zoning Standards, the
1997 Highway 111 Design Guidelines
provide explanatory and interpretive
recommendations. Good judgment is
needed in deciding where and how to
apply design guidelines in a consistent
manner. Design Guidelines require
oversight by discretionary review bodies,
leading to a protracted and politicized
planning process. The application of the
design guidelines is skin deep and fails
to breathe life and soul into a place. In
the past two decades, the guidelines have
not conceptualized a public realm by
pulling together individual elements such
as diverse street types, variety of public
and private open spaces, and contextual
building types into a complete, cohesive,
and memorable place.
When reviewing a project that does
not meet the existing development
regulations the City can either choose to
revise the underlying zoning district or to
replace the regulations with specific set
of regulations tailored for the intended
development project. Revising the
underlying zoning district allows its reuse
and promotes consistency and equity
in its application. A Specific Plan, on
the other hand, allows more flexibility
and expediency to develop one-off set of
standards.
Since the adoption of the first Specific
Plan in 1987 for Washington Park,
majority of the parcels along Highway
111 corridor have been developed under
individual Specific Plans. Over the years,
many of these specific plans have been
amended multiple times.
Design guidelines within many of the
Specific Plans seek to create the ambience
of a contemporary “Mediterranean,
California Mission, Colonial Spanish,
and Spanish Mediterranean Tuscan
Village.” The built outcomes show few
random elements from these styles on
the building facades. Collectively, the
individual projects have not coalesced
to create the context of a walkable and
human-scale public realm found in
Mediterranean villages.
In 2016, to encourage multi-family
residential development in a mixed-use
format along Highway 111, the City
created a Mixed Use Overlay district.
Collectively all of the existing devel-
opment standards and design guidelines
are vague in that they are not tied to a
place-based vision for the corridor and the
individual buildings fail to create a unique
place. The standards are based primarily
on the control of uses, with minimal
direction over the forms or sequence
of urbanization. The design guidelines
have been less effective in promoting
human scale, massing, and detailing.
The resulting overall architecture fails to
create cohesive and unique desert identity
or a rich public realm.
Development Codes and Guidelines
15
Market
CV Lin
k Dune Palms RdJeerson StAdams StWashington St111
111
35,000 - 45,000
vehicles per day along Hwy
111 Corridor
3.5 million
square feet located in the 111
Corridor10 m i l e t r ade area
10 mile Trade Area
Characteristics
Population 298,600
people
Average
household
size
2.6
Median
home value $377,450
Median
household
income
$58,500
Housing
tenure
49%
Owner
22%
Renter
29%
Vacant
Average
commute
time
23mins
Seasonal homes make up
20.5% of the dwelling
units, with other housing
constituting 8.9%. Average
apartment occupancy
across Coachella Valley is
97.9%, with average rents
of $1.16 per square foot per
month.
Highway 111 businesses generate 78
% of City’s total Sales Tax
The three auto dealerships
on Hwy 111 are in the
top 25 sales tax producing
businesses every quarter.
2 miles
78%
400 acres
75 retail, service, and restaurant facilities in 21 developments
12 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 16
Part 1: Introduction 13
Retail
Housing Hospitality
Among 12 apartment developments in La Quinta,
the 1,696 units showed an average occupancy of
98%, with average rents of $0.73 per square foot per
month for affordable units and $1.41 for market rate.
Over 60% of retail space on Highway 111
is in power centers. A power center is a
large shopping area that typically includes
three or more “big box” stores. Power
centers on Highway 111 contain 1.6
million square feet of rentable area, equal
to 40% of the total La Quinta retail space
inventory.
Of the 465 businesses and 5,651
employees along Highway 111 Corridor
area, retail trade accounts for 19% of busi-
nesses and 44% of employees, while food
services are 14% of businesses and 25% of
employees.
$730,000
Average price for new home in
La Quinta ($251 per square
foot).
$4.9 billion
Residents within the Trade Area will spend an es-
timated $4.9 billion in retail sales, equal to about
two thirds of all Coachella Valley retail sales.
• 1,095 hotel rooms in La Quinta.
• Weekend occupancy rates average 76% annually,
while weekday rates average 51%.
• Average Daily Rate within La Quinta facilities is
$218 ($209 weekday, $233 weekend).
• Number of active short term vacation rentals –
1,200.
40%60%
1.6 m
square feet
of all retail
in La Quinta of all retail on
Highway 111
in La QuintaPower Ce
n
t
ers17
14 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Getting Around Highway 111
As in other Coachella Valley cities, most travel on
Highway 111 is by private vehicle.
Roads and Traffic
Highway 111 is designed and operated as a high-speed
pass-through and regional travel route for motorists
travelling to and from locations further afield of La
Quinta. As such, most of the traffic on the La Quinta
segment of the corridor consists of motorists from other
cities passing through La Quinta without stopping.
Some local commuters avoid Highway 111 during peak
hours, if possible, due to congestion.
The corridor is a critical, centrally located component
of intraregional travel through the Coachella Valley
that accommodates 35,000-40,000 vehicles per day. The
intersection of Highway 111 and Washington Street in
La Quinta is one of the highest volume intersections in
the Coachella Valley, carrying over 70,000 vehicles per
day.
The La Quinta segment of the corridor generally
features three travel lanes in each direction, various in-
termittent turning lanes, and a median down the center.
The posted speeds along the segment are 45-50mph, and
vehicles regularly travel much faster than this, especially
during off-peak periods. Traffic signals for the corridor
in La Quinta are also synchronized with the nearby
cities of Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, and Palm Desert
to facilitate continuous traffic flow through each of these
areas.
The design and operation of Highway 111’s traffic
system detract from the corridor’s function as the City’s
primary revenue generator. To generate revenue, the City
needs motorists to stop, but the design and operation of
the corridor essentially prevents them from doing so, or
even slowing down. This is exacerbated by the design of
the development along the corridor, which is set far back
from the road, making destinations difficult to identify
for motorists who cannot safely see what is available
around them while maintaining prevailing traffic speeds.
Safety
Between 2012 and 2017 there were 11 traffic incidents (3
of which involved pedestrians) that resulted in fatalities
in La Quinta. In 2017, one of the three fatal traffic
incidents in the city occurred on Highway 111 near the
Dune Palms Road intersection, and in 2016, the only
fatal traffic incident in the city occurred at the same
intersection.
Transit
The Highway 111 corridor is served by two SunLine
Transit bus routes (Line 111 and Line 70). Additionally,
while La Quinta has no passenger rail services, an Am-
trak connector bus makes stops on Highway 111 near the
La Quinta Center Drive intersection. While there are
no express services running along the corridor presently,
the current roadway design characteristics of the corridor
make it a candidate for potential exclusive bus lanes, bus
rapid transit (BRT) light services, or full BRT services.
Washington Street intersection is one of the busiest intersection in
Coachella Valley.
SunLine Transit Line 111 travels east-west almost
exclusively along Highway 111 between Palm Springs
and Coachella, makes six stops in each direction along
the La Quinta segment of the route, mainly near major
intersections. Line 70 travels north-south between
residential areas in La Quinta and Bermuda Dunes,
mostly along Washington Street, and makes one stop
in each direction at the Washington Street/Highway
111 intersection. Aside from Line 70, Line 111 connects
to several additional SunLine routes, while Line 70
connects to only one additional route.
The quality of bus stop facilities varies along the
segment. Some stop locations are attractively designed
and well maintained, while others are bench only, leav-
ing their users exposed to the sun and weather. All stops,
however, are located far from most actual destinations,
due to the suburban big-box design of the development.
Ave 47
Dune Palms RdJefferson StAdams StWashington StLine 111
Line 70
SunLine Routes Serving Highway 111 Corridor in La Quinta
18
Part 1: Introduction 15
Meandering sidewalks along Highway 111
Active Transportation
Walking Conditions
The segment of Highway 111 that passes through La
Quinta was designed, and is operated, exclusively as a
high-speed pass-through. Further, development and eco-
nomic activity along the segment is distinctly suburban,
characterized by big box retail and corporate fast-food
and casual dining with deep setbacks from the sidewalk
and/or buildings set back behind large surface parking
lots. These conditions are not conducive to a walkable
environment.
The walking facilities along Highway 111, and
throughout the city as a whole, are abundant, appropri-
ately sized, and well maintained. However, the sidewalks
also meander and cross between private properties and
the public parkways. While this indirectness may not
be inherently problematic, it is not ideal in this context
where the walkability is already generally poor.
Pedestrian crossing conditions could also be improved.
At intersections, pedestrian crossings consist mostly of
basic painted crosswalks. Some intersections have no
crossing facilities at all. Signalized intersections feature
pedestrian signals, but these must be activated by push
button. Crossings are also very long (about 160 feet
typically, but some are much longer), and there are no
pedestrian islands or refuges to break up the crossing.
Bicycling Conditions
Overall, Highway 111 is likely only usable for the most
confident and experienced bicycle riders. There are no
dedicated bicycling facilities on the corridor, nor any
that access the corridor, in La Quinta. However, many
of the sidewalks along the corridor are wide and smooth
enough to accommodate casual bicycle riders. Many in-
tersections also feature bicycle signal detection, allowing
riders to trigger a green light when cars are not around.
Several major shopping locations along the corridor
have some form of bicycle parking such as bike racks or
dedicated bike parking areas available. Further, every bus
in the SunLine Transit system features bike racks.
SunLine Bicycle Parking
SunLine plans to add bicycle racks and lockers at certain
locations along the corridor (see table below).
Line Street Cross
Street
Stop
ID
Direction Position Facility
Type
70 Adams St Hwy 111 84 Southbound Farside Locker
70 Adams St Hwy 111 891 Northbound Nearside Rack
111 Hwy 111 Washing-
ton
547 Eastbound Farside Rack
111 Hwy 111 Adams St 561 Westbound Farside Locker
111 Hwy 111 Adams St 571 Eastbound Farside Locker
Planned Active Mobility Projects
CV Link
CV Link is a planned 49-mile regional, multimodal,
mixed-use trail that would link Palm Springs to Ther-
mal. While the La Quinta segment of CV Link is not
planned to travel on or along Highway 111, it does travel
across (and connect to) the northern extent of the study
area behind the commercial development along the
northern side of the corridor in the Whitewater River
Channel. Further, the entire Highway 111 corridor itself
is undergoing a $3m signal optimization throughout the
CV Link area.
The construction of the La Quinta segment of CV
Link is anticipated to begin in 2019-20, and is expected
to be a catalytic multimodal project for the region,
attracting 13,500-16,000 pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other users annually.
Walmart
Entrance
Wendy’s
Bus Stop
Hwy 111
Example of Walking Conditions: A transit user who gets off at Bus
Stop #548 (Hwy 111/Dune Palms) must walk about one-third
of a mile, nearly all of which is through unshaded surface parking
lots, to get to the front door of the Walmart Supercenter. Similarly,
a worker in that same Walmart Supercenter would have to walk
about one-quarter of a mile each way through parking lots to eat
lunch at the nearby Wendy’s.
19
16 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Planning Process
Project
Coordination Draft & Refine Corridor Plan AdoptionDiscoveryVisioning
J/19 O/19FMAMJJAS
Ave 47
CV Lin
k Dune Palms RdJefferson StAdams StWashington StCommunity Workshop
Activity One Composite Map
Good Places along Hwy 111
Places with a big opportunity
Places that need improvement
The planning process for the Highway 111 Corridor
Plan began in January 2019, and was designed around
extensive and thoughtful public input. The five-step
process started with a joint meeting with the City
Council and Planning Commission to review the scope
and schedule, finalize the civic engagement strategies,
and identify ongoing or current issues and opportunities
on the corridor.
The quantitative and qualitative feedback gathered
at the discovery stage allowed the community to es-
tablish a common understanding of the existing place,
market, people, and mobility options. The City hosted
a Community Workshop to discuss growth patterns,
land uses, and transportation options for Highway 111
corridor. The participants engaged in planning activities
that provided qualitative feedback on community issues,
preferences, and opportunities for the Highway 111
corridor.
The heart of the Planning Process was the three-day
Charrette in April 2019. A charrette is a collaborative
and rigorous planning process that harnessed the talents
and energies of individuals to create and support an
overall vision for the Highway 111 Corridor Plan area.
The compressed time facilitated creative problem-solving
by accelerating decision-making and reducing non-con-
structive negotiation tactics, and encouraged people to
abandon their usual working patterns and “think outside
of the box.”
Two additional interim joint meetings allowed the
City Council and Planning Commission to review
progress and offer feedback and direction on key items.
Community Workshop participants engaged in two activities:
Activity 1 (two images above): Participants were asked to identify
on an map with a green dot good places; with a blue dot places with
a big opportunity; and with a red dot places that needed improve-
ment.
Activity Two (three images to the right): Participants took a visual
preference survey. They reviewed and rated a range of street images
from -5 (bad) to +5 (excellent). For each street image they discussed
and presented the elements of street design that were desirable and
those elemensts that were less than desirable.20
Part 1: Introduction 17
Community Engagement
Online
Engagement
Info-graphics Interviews Visioning
Charrette
Pop-up
Workshop
Project
Tour
Public
Survey
Community
Workshop
Speaker
Series
Joint Council &
Planning Commission
Meetings
Civic Engagement Strategies
Noontime educational presentations included three speakers who
are experts on the topics of corridor planning, mobility, and retail
trends. The presentations are intended to provide context, to inspire
and spark ideas for the future development of Highway 111.
The community engagement approach was designed
around five goals:
1. Inform — to provide the public with balanced and
objective information to assist them in understand-
ing the challenges, alternatives, opportunities, and/
or solutions;
2. Consult — to obtain public feedback on analysis,
alternatives and/or decisions;
3. Involve — to work directly with the public through-
out the process to ensure that public concerns and
aspirations are consistently understood and consid-
ered;
4. Collaborate — to partner with the public in each
aspect of the decision including the development of
alternatives and the identification of the preferred
solution; and
5. Empower — to place final decision- making in the
hands of the public.
The extensive public engagement process combined
new and trusted techniques to encourage a diverse group
of citizens to contribute to the Corridor Plan, including
three-day visioning charrette, community workshop, an
on-line public survey, pop-up workshop, and a robust
online presence to help guide the process. The noontime
presentations at the charrette brought three national
experts to provide perspective, present alternatives, and
stimulate community dialogue.
Opportunities to participate included large public
meetings to small stakeholder roundtables, surveys, proj-
ect web page updates, email notifications, and Facebook
posts. Each method encouraged the public to learn and
convey their opinions on what was important for the
City to consider over the next 20 years.
The charrette took place onsite at a vacant commercial space on
Highway 111.
21
18 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 22
Part 2: Vision 19
02 Vision
The Corridor Area Plan offers a vision for
a vibrant and walkable mixed use corridor
along Highway 111. The broad strategy
is to concentrate development in parcels
on the north side of Highway 111 and at
the edge of the CV link for a number of
reasons:
• There are two significant vacant
parcels of land (privately owned)
along the north side. These parcels
face both the Highway 111 and
the CV Link creating potent sites
for demonstrating how responsible
development could create positive
frontages along both Highway 111
and the CV link. They could become
the seeds of incremental development
to follow;
• Many of the uses to the south of
Highway 111, such as the Century
Theaters to the west, the car deal-
erships between Adams Street and
Dune Palms Road, and the Costco
to the east, are important current
economic engines for the City, and
are anticipated to remain this way in
the foreseeable future; and
• The large parcel at the southwest
corner of Avenue 47 and Adams
Street has been approved for residen-
tial development of 200 units.
The vision is consistent with recent revi-
sions to the design and zoning standards
that reduce the current 50 feet building
setback and allow building frontages to be
closer to the street, creating a greater rela-
tionship between the street, its activities,
and the buildings.
Key Concepts
1. Redesigning Highway 111 as an
Iconic Arterial: This is the princi-
pal catalytic project of this vision.
Highway 111 will be re-designed
as a pedestrian-friendly corridor.
Specifically, it will retain three travel
lanes in each direction. When the
parcels are developed with urban
frontages, the width of the lanes will
be reduced, and parallel parking can
be added on both sides. The existing
median, which is approximately 28
feet wide, will also be reduced to 18
Ave 47
CV Li
n
k Dune Palms RdJefferson StAdams StWashington St111
111
23
20 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
feet. In summary, the total existing distance from
curb to curb which is 125 feet will change to 115
feet. There will be intermittent bulb outs between
the parallel parking, with ample trees and rich
landscaping. The visual and experiential quality of
Highway 111 will be significantly different than
what it is today.
2. A Cultural Trail along the northern edge of High-
way 111: The sidewalk along the northern edge of
Highway 111 will be redesigned as a Cultural Trail.
The intent is to create a linear space that integrates
biking, pedestrian activity, landscape and public art
into a unique place that can become a signature for
the City.
3. Integrating the Highway and the CV Link as an
Open Space Loop: The CV Link is a project that
has been approved for construction by the City. The
vision is to connect the CV Link to the Highway
through new streets thereby creating a continuous
pedestrian and bicycle loop.
Natural Rock
Formation Gateway
P
P
P
P
P
CV Lin
k
Hwy 111
5 min. walk4. Creating a rich frontage of Buildings, Parks and
Greens along the CV Link: The CV Link along
the Whitewater River is a unique place in its own
right. It is however, currently faced by buildings
that turn their backs to this open space. Our vision
calls for the incremental reversing of this, by having
buildings front this wash. Additionally, the length
of this wash is enriched by a number of parks and
greens that offer various recreational opportunities
along the CV Link.
5. Use of Existing Parking Lots for Community
Events: The study area has many expansive parking
lots that while providing space for cars do little else.
This vision calls for the tactical use of some of the
spaces in these lots for community fairs and other
gatherings.
Guiding Principles:
• Preserve and enhance the successful reve-
nue generating assets;
• Create memorable experiences by orches-
trating great streets and public spaces;
• Leverage walkable and mixed-use develop-
ment on vacant infill parcels;
• Combine tactical small-scale interventions
with larger scale catalytic projects;
• Eliminate legal barriers to developing great
places.
6. Regulating Incremental Urban Infill in the
“Island” between Highway 111 and the CV Link:
This vision calls for seeding a pedestrian-friendly
block-street pattern within the vacant parcels to the
north of Highway 111, as precedents for incremental
development to follow. An urbanism of blocks and
streets is the antithesis of the large suburban tracts
that currently occupy this place. The details of this
idea are shown in the pages that follow.
7. Creating Mixed-Use Districts along Highway
111: The long-term urban form of this place will be
sequential mixed-use districts, each clearly demar-
cated by Highway 111 and the side streets. Through
their specific form, use, and character, the districts
can create a series of unique places and destinations
along the highway.
Highway 111 Corridor Concept Plan
24
Part 2: Vision 21
Landscape Program Vision
The City of La Quinta will create a 21st century
landscape resort style that embraces its community
and celebrates the desert ecology. Through the middle
of the 20th century, destination resort and recreation
landscape design, characterized by turf, palm and
tropical plantings, has defined Coachella Valley.
Palm Springs popularized this post-war aesthetic by
showing the public their favorite celebrity frolicking
in a pool or playing golf in the middle of a desert.
The idealized image of the oasis perfectly fitted our
mid-century optimism. Today, this landscape motif
still exists especially in cities with golf resorts like
Indian Wells. However, with dwindling resources
and a growing population, many communities of the
Coachella Valley are doing what they can to conserve
water and be more sustainable. The City of La Quinta
can differentiate itself from its neighboring cities by
embracing the desert landscape and ecology.
Landscaping Guidelines
• Bring trees and plantings closer to the street to
visually narrow the corridor and help to calm
traffic.
• Reduce turf grasses to active and passive recre-
ation areas only.
• Use adaptive and native desert plantings to create
an active, living ecosystem.
• Improve human comfort by providing shade,
filter the dust and sand, create beauty and a sense
of place.
• Embrace the CV Link connections with open
spaces that are inviting and welcoming.
• Provide a gateway into the City that announces
the community to the visitor.
• Create policy that maintains the living desert.
ecosystem and provides landscape resilience.
Catalytic Projects
The following is a menu of individual projects that form the components of this plan. The strategic investment in
these projects and their specific order of implementation will depend on numerous market and economic forces.
However, they could broadly be divided into three categories:
1. Public Improvement Projects
– Projects that are either within
the public right-of-way or on
land owned by the City:
a. Highway 111 Streetscape;
b. CV-Link;
c. Washington & Jefferson
Street Enhancement;
d. Dune Palms & Adams
Street Enhancement; and
e. A new network of pedes-
trian-friendly streets.
2. Private Development Projects
a. A new Town Center
between Highway 111 &
The CV Link in the vacant
parcel between Dune Palms
& Adams;
b. A new mixed-use project on
the vacant parcel at Dune
Palms & Highway 111; and
c. Other potential infill
projects.
3. Public-Private Partnerships
a. Development within the
City-owned vacant parcel
b. New Access Streets con-
necting Highway 111 & the
CV Link
The Highway 111 Corridor Plan area is composed of two major transportation corridors - the highway itself and
the CV Link. The highway is a 20th Century transportation archetype that represents the automobile as the most
important method of mobility. The CV Link represents a 21st Century idea to return to human powered and small
electric powered vehicles as a mode of transportation. Both corridors will need to be addressed and be optimized to
bring growth and prosperity to the City of La Quinta.
25
22 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
An Incremental Master Plan
The phasing diagrams show a possible scenario of how the area could develop over
time:
Phase 1:
a. Town Center along Highway 111:
The vacant parcel north of Highway
111 between Adams Street and Dune
Palms Road is a great site to seed
new urbanism. This is the largest of
the privately owned vacant parcels,
and also faces both the highway and
the CV Link. The vision calls for a
north-south connecting street to link
the Highway and the CV Link. This
street terminates into a park facing
the CV Link. A series of blocks and
streets break the parcel into a finely
grained urban network.
b. New mixed-use development: New
infill development on the vacant
corner parcel at Highway 111 and
Dune Palms Road. This also has
a network of intimate blocks and
streets with parks facing the CV
Link. Parking is within mid-block
parking lots and along the streets.
c. New mixed-use development on
City owned parcel: New infill
development on the vacant western
portion of the City owned parcel
south of Highway 111.
In summary, the first phase leverages
the presence of the City and privately
owned vacant parcels without intruding
into the other existing sites and
businesses.
Existing Coachella Valley Wash
26
Part 2: Vision 2327
24 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
SEATING
(TYP.)
SEATING
DESERT PLANTING
- Agave shawii subsp. shawii
- Calliandra californica
-Caesalpinia mexicana
- Buddleia marrubifolia
- desert milkweed
- Red Bird of Paradise
SMALL TREES
- Acacia aneura
- Acacia stenophylla
- Cercidium floridum
- Cercidium praecox
COACHELLA VALLEY WASH
OPEN SPACE
PLANTING
SHADE TREES
- Acacia salicina
- Prosopis chilensis
- Dalbergia sissoo
- Cercidium floridum
LAWN AREA
ACCENT TREES
- Chilopsis linearis
- Sophora secundiflora
- Chitalpa tashkentensis
COFFEE BAR AND
SHADED SEATING
BIKE PARKING
BOLLARDS AT ENTRANCE
PEDESTRIAN LANE
PERMEABLE PAVERS
BIKE AND GOLF LANE
CONCRETE PAVING
BIKE PARKING
GOLF CART PARKING
GOLF CART PARKING
PLANTING
ABABBUILDING
ARCADE
Accent Trees
Small Trees
Shade Trees
Chitalpa Tashkentensis (Pink Dawn
and Morning Cloud
Sophora Secundiflora
(Texas Mountain Laurel)
Chilopsis Linearis
(Texas Mountain Laurel)
Prosopis Chilensis (Chilean Mesquite)Dalbergia sissoo (Indian Rosewood)Acacia Salicina (Weeping Acacia)
Acacia Aneura (Mulga) Acacia Stenophylla (Shoestring Acacia) Cercidium Floridum (Palo Verde)
CV Link
28
Part 2: Vision 25
DESERT PLANTING
- Agave shawii subsp. shawii
- Calliandra californica
-Caesalpinia mexicana
- Buddleia marrubifolia
- desert milkweed
- Red Bird of Paradise
LAWN
1% SLOPE
BIKE PARKING
BIKE AND
GOLF CART PATH
PEDESTRIAN PATH
PERMEABLE PAVERS
COACHELLA VALLEY WASH
COFFEE BAR AND
SHADED SEATING
SHADE TREES
- Acacia salicina
- Prosopis chilensis
- Dalbergia sissoo
- Cercidium floridum
ACCENT TREES
- Chilopsis linearis
- Sophora secundiflora
- Chitalpa tashkentensis
SECTION A 15’10’15’35’10’20’20’20’15’15’
SECTION B
COACHELLA VALLEY WASH
PEDESTRIAN TRAIL
BIKE AND
GOLF CART PARKING
BIKE AND
GOLF CART TRAIL
SEATINGDESERT PLANTING
- Agave shawii subsp. shawii
- Calliandra californica
-Caesalpinia mexicana
- Buddleia marrubifolia
- desert milkweed
- Red Bird of Paradise
SMALL TREES
- Acacia aneura
- Acacia stenophylla
- Cercidium floridum
- Cercidium praecox
1% SLOPE
15’ 10’ 15’25’
Desert PlantingShaded areas for rest along CV Link
Community events on central greenCafe along CV Link
The CV Link is designed to be bright and festive. Pe-
destrians, bike and electric vehicles are meant to be able
to travel from desert city to city with comfort and ease.
The CV Link’s landscape and open space design within
this corridor in La Quinta will be open and welcoming
to travelers. Stops along the CV Link will have a cool
grassy open space for users to rest and lie down. Shade
from structures and trees will be ample and inviting. The
City will encourage vendors and developers to open their
businesses to this corridor and provide goods and services
to support travelers who choose this alternate mode of
transportation.
Understory plantings for the streetscapes will be adaptive
and native desert plantings that will conserve water,
naturalize and reduce maintenance as it matures. Areas
near the CV Link will create a filter that will keep sand
and dust from inundating the bluffs above the wash.
Along Highway 111, areas between the Palo Verde street
trees can be used for bio-filtration or infiltration. The
plantings for these areas will aid in filtering the water
and slow the water down to allow for ground water
recharge of the aquifer.
29
26 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Typical plan of Highway 111: The active urban frontage, wide sidewalk and cultural trail, streetscape, context based lighting, public art, landscaping that spatially divides the large expanse of Highway 111 while providing shade
and visual delight contribute to create a signature corridor for the Coachella Valley region.
Highway 111
Art History
Opportunity
Rammed earth wall
or mosaic tile art/seat walls
4 ft. walk adjacent
to parking
Highway light Cholla light
@ 26 ft. on center
Bioswale with existing curb/gutter
behind bioswale zone
Bench for seating
Canopy shade tree
Chinese Pistache or Jacaranda
Phoenix Dactylifera Palm
(group of two)
Tall trees on mountain side,
lower trees on valleyside to
reinforce ground plane geometry
Palo Verde Corner
Plaza
Lower level tree
Palo Verde brought
close to corner
for shade
Zero curb corner
with bollards
30
Part 2: Vision 27
Highway 111 Typical Section SOUTH R.O.W.33’11’46’7’NORTH R.O.W.Example of rammed earth wall.
The wall along the Cultural
Trail would only be 18" high
and no more than 36" for dining
area demarcation.
Example of benches.Cholla light standard eleva-
tions, between interface of ped
walk and Cultural Trail.
Selux highway light with dual
heads. One for highway 25 ft
tall, One for pedestrians 15ft
tall, with banner street side.
Pistacia chinensis (Chinese Pistache)Parkinsonia Florida (Palo Verde)Phoenix Dactylifera (Date Palm)Understory desert plants
Typical section of Highway 111: The proposed landscape will create a distinctive aesthetic, spatial, and experiential impression of place.
Art History
Opportunity
Rammed earth wall
or mosaic tile art/seat walls
4 ft. walk adjacent
to parking
Highway lightCholla light
@ 26 ft. on center
Bioswale with existing curb/gutter
behind bioswale zone
Bench for seating
Canopy shade tree
Chinese Pistache or Jacaranda
Phoenix Dactylifera Palm
(group of two)
Tall trees on mountain side,
lower trees on valleyside to
reinforce ground plane geometry
Palo Verde Corner
Plaza
Lower level tree
Palo Verde brought
close to corner
for shade
Zero curb corner
with bollards
31
28 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 32
Part 2: Vision 29
The spatial organization of landscaping is carefully integrated into
the design of the streets, open spaces, and architecture to create an
iconic street for the Coachella Valley.
Highway 111 will be redesigned as a pedestri-
an-friendly corridor. The near term development
opportunities are the greatest on vacant tracts
located north of Highway 111. These tracts also
allow connections with the CV Link. Therefore,
the vision calls for a different design for the north
and south frontages. The southern frontages along
Highway 111 will continue to serve the stable
revenue generating uses with enhanced landscaping
to provide shade, human scale to the corridor, and
color. The northern frontage along Highway 111
will be transformed incrementally, starting with
the vacant lots and gradually spreading to other
adjacent frontages as they redevelop.
Embrace the sidewalk with building fronts —
Pedestrian comfort is principally a function of
spatial definition — how places are shaped. Streets
need good edges to succeed. Active building front-
ages closer to the sidewalk edge with storefront
windows make walking more interesting, safe, and
comfortable.
Use lighting to support urbanism —The design,
height, and frequency of the light poles are adjusted
for the different context. Along the curb’s edge, a
dual head light pole will consist of Selux light head
at 25 feet height for the highway lanes and another
head at 15 feet height tall, with banner street side
for the sidewalk. A unique Cholla Cactus skeletal
inspired light pole will light up the cultural trail
and sidewalk.
A Cultural Trail along the northern edge – The
sidewalk along the northern edge of Highway 111
will be redesigned as a Cultural Trail. The Cultural
Trail will be a buffered, beautifully paved, richly
landscaped and artfully lighted pedestrian and
bicycle path through Highway 111. The trail will
integrate biking and pedestrian activity that feature
local ecology through landscaping and public art
and help create a “one-of-a-kind” memorable place
for the City. The Cultural Trail will connect the
various uses along the northern side of Highway
111.
Integrating the Highway and the CV Link as
an Open Space Loop – The CV Link is a project
that has been approved for construction by the
City. The community vision is to connect it to the
Highway through new streets thereby creating a
continuous pedestrian and bicycle loop.
Put wasted pavement to better use – The redesign
will retain three travel lanes in each direction. As
urban development occurs along Highway 111, the
width of the lanes will be reduced, creating parallel
parking on both sides. The existing median, which
is approximately 28 feet wide will also be reduced
to 18 feet. There will be intermittent bulb outs
between the parallel parking, with ample trees and
rich landscaping. The visual and experiential qual-
ity of Highway 111 will be significantly different
than what it is today.
Enhance human comfort – Rows of shade trees
of consistent size and alignment bring order to
the street, visually subdivide the large corridor
space, define the pedestrian space, calm the traffic,
protect the pedestrian from cars, and provide a
consistent canopy for shade. The accent trees
provide color, human scale, and more shade. The
palm trees accentuate the iconic image of the
corridor. Understory landscaping visually softens
the streetscape.
33
30 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Phase 2:
a. The Town Center first phase could expand east and create a complete Town
Center with more than 200,000 sf of retail, and 200 units of housing. This would
create a new street face towards Dune Palms Road, completing the northwest
corner of the Highway 111 and Dune Palms Road intersection.
b. The new mixed-use development on the vacant corner parcel at Highway 111 and
Dune Palms Road could also expand along a network of blocks and streets east
creating a positive and urban street face for a significant length along Highway 111
along both sides of the Highway 111 and Dune Palms Road intersection.
c. The series of parcels along the west side of Dune Palms Road and south of
Highway 111 could develop into a mixed-use development, with commercial uses
facing the highway.
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 3:
a. On the north side of Highway 111, the Town Center development could expand
west.
b. On the south side, the development on the City owned parcel could expand west
towards the Highway 111 and Dune Palms Road intersection.
In short, by concentrating development around the Highway 111 and Dune Palms
Road intersection, this vision hopes to achieve a fully built four-sided urban junction
that can mark a clear place type in contrast to the rest of the sprawling condition. The
north-south streets within all these developments will ensure access and connectivity
to Highway 111 and further north to the CV Link. These streets along with the
enhanced Highway 111 sidewalks will create a pedestrian network to allow a new and
different lifestyle to its residents.Dune Palms RdDune Palms Rd3a
3b
34
Part 2: Vision 31
Possible development in the north-west and south-west precinct: The diagram shows how incremental development could occur in other areas beyond the Highway 111-Dune Palms intersection, along
similar lines. This diagram is drawn to suggest that while this vision advocates concentrating development with and around the vacant parcels to enable the creation of a 100% intersection, it also acknowledges
that this may not necessarily be the case depending on market conditions. Wherever new development begins, it should be regulated to ensure the creation of a block street network, with guidelines informing the
massing and character of the streets, open spaces and buildings.Dune Palms Rd35
32 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
The existing pattern of development has paved two-thirds of the project area for automobile parking
and circulation.
Any of the large existing parking lots can be tactically transformed to host temporary festivals and events.
36
Part 2: Vision 3337
34 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 38
Part 2: Vision 35
The Signature of Place
The following is a broad list of design elements that will root this vision to the climate
and geography of La Quinta. Taken together, they will help create and expand a
distinct signature of place that is specific to the La Quinta region, and its culture:
1. Arcades – One story arcades will form the street frontage of several buildings in
this plan. These arcades will be deep enough to allow people to both walk and
sit within. They will offer much needed shade from the harsh desert sun. Their
specific character and design variety will bring both continuity and diversity to the
architecture of the place.
2. Awnings – The transition between the commercial building face and the sidewalk
will be accented by deep awnings. They will offer shade as well as a softer visual
element along the sidewalk.
3. Covered Streets – Certain streets within the plan could be covered with canvas
recalling the beautiful shaded desert streets found across the world. Such streets
could be unique destinations in that they may be open only to select vehicles, with
a heavy priority on pedestrian activity, compared to other multi-modal streets.
4. Parking Groves – Parking lots behind the buildings and within the blocks will be
designed as tree groves. This will help mitigate heat island effect and also create a
more comfortable and visually pleasing place within the center of each block.
5. Shaded Courtyards – Within and between buildings, vertically proportioned
courtyards will create shaded places for gathering and interaction. The vertical
proportions of these spaces is a conscious gesture to create shaded environments
within the hot sun.
6. Trellises and Arbors – Building terraces and open spaces will be shaded using
trellises and planted arbors. This will add additional texture to the buildings and
streetscapes.
7. Building faces with minimal openings – As an architectural response to the desert
climate, buildings will be designed with minimal openings rather than large glass
walls.
8. Local Trees – The variety of trees selected for the streets, parking lots and
landscaped areas will all be part of the local and regional geography, rendering a
familiar sense of place. The specific location and arrangement of these trees will in
turn add specificity and uniqueness to the Highway and its surrounds.
39
36 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Mobility
La Quinta has articulated a desire for
a safer, more complete, multi-modal
transportation system that maximizes the
economic potential of the Highway 111
corridor as a great place to live, work and
visit. The Highway 111 Corridor Plan
features streets that are more pedestri-
an-scaled, increases the availability of
on-street parking, and creates a com-
prehensive town center bicycle network.
The proposed changes will lower driving
speeds, shorten average crossing distanc-
es, provide a comfortable bicycle facility
approximately every five blocks, and
create a walkable downtown that supports
commercial activity. The changes will
only result in a modest increase in travel
times to commuters who are traversing
the entire Highway 111 corridor.
Street Types
Connectivity increases the ability of
pedestrians to connect to intended
destinations. One indicator of pedestrian
connectivity is intersection density, which
is one of the most important aspects on
peoples’ choice to walk. Intersection
density is the number of intersections in
an area. Where intersection density is
high, there are multiple options and paths
for pedestrians. Where there is low inter-
section density, there are fewer opportu-
nities for pedestrians to connect to other
streets. Low intersection density requires
pedestrians to walk farther to reach a
cross street or major connection where
there may be transit connections or access
more of the network destinations. The
vision for the mixed-use areas along the
corridor illustrates the densely connected
network that is common to most every
place people value highly. That network
should be made up of several types of
streets that perform different mobility
and accessibility objectives.
Major Thoroughfares – These larger
streets have a primary function of moving
cars and buses, but within the study area
they should be designed to do so at no
more than 30 miles per hour.
Access Streets – These streets are focused
on getting travelers to their destinations.
They will likely have left turn lanes to
help get cars to parking areas and many
have bike lanes to allow cyclists from the
east-west paths get to their parking spots.
Main Streets – These streets in the center
of commercial nodes should be slow and
narrow. Their function is access for all
modes of travel with pedestrians taking
priority.
Local Streets – The streets that will
connect the rest of the districts, these
streets should also be small and safe for
all users.
Driving Lanes
The traffic volumes along Highway 111
between Washington Street and Jefferson
Street range from 32,000 to 36,000 ve-
hicles per day. Currently, there are three
travel lanes in each direction plus a center
Highway 111 (Major Thorughfare, Urban)
Highway 111 (Major Thorughfare, Standard)
40
Part 2: Vision 37
North-South Streets
Access Streets
Local Streets
Shared Streets
Hwy 111 Urban
Hwy 111 Standard
left turn lane and additional left and right
turn lanes at a number of intersections.
This is more lanes than would be physi-
cally required to carry the traffic volumes.
A narrow street section, however, comes
with more traffic congestion – particularly
in the peak hours.
Each community must make its own
decisions about how much congestion
makes sense for them. Chasing zero
congestion comes with a price tag as wide
roads with fast driving present a barrier to
pedestrians. La Quinta residents during
the charrette provided feedback about
where they fall on this spectrum. There
was no real support for the higher levels
of congestion, but support for trading off
a bit of congestion if the rewards could
help meet their overall community goals.
As such, the “middleground” approach
discussed for La Quinta was to maintain
the general six-lane cross-section along
the Highway 111 corridor, but to recon-
sider some of the right turn and dual left
turn lanes.
Street Types Map
North-South Streets (Dune Palms Road as Main Street)Access Streets Local Streets Shared Streets
41
38 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Pedestrian Crossing Improvements
The plan sets the most ambitious stan-
dards for Highway 111 between Adams
Street and Dune Palms Road. Within
this section, a consistent cross-section
with three travel lanes in each direction,
single left turn lanes and no right turn
lanes in the westbound direction (the
north side of the street that fronts the
planned mixed-use areas) is recommend-
ed. Lane widths within this section
would be narrowed from the current wide
conditions, to a more standard 11-12 feet
per lane. This narrowing will create space
along the curb for other uses (parking,
greenspace, vehicle pickups) that may
change and evolve as the land redevelops
and transportation technology evolves.
This cross-section will create a small
amount of additional congestion in the
peak commuting hours. However, this
core area has the most potential for
transformation and is the place where
the tradeoff sweet spot can best be
met. For example, narrowing the lanes
and adding bulbouts at the intesections
could potentially reduce the pedestrian
crossing distance from 140 feet to 88
feet – a reduction of 40%. That degree of
improvement to the pedestrian environ-
ment is precisely the type of intervention
needed to convince potential investors
that this corridor is a place that is serious
about a walkable environment.
At the other end of the spectrum,
the intersections of Highway 111 with
Washington Street on the west and
Jefferson Street on the east are proposed
to retain the same basic lane arrangement
as is currently in place. There are small
improvements recommended to the
intersections on each end – for example,
adding crosswalks to the fourth leg at
Washington Street/111 and at Depot
Drive/111. By and large, however, given
that north-south traffic is highest at these
end intersections, it is recommended that
automobile traffic be accommodated and
accompanied by some pedestrian safety
improvements.
This balancing of the tradeoffs that
turns the dial toward urbanism in the
core with the most development poten-
tial, and accommodates reasonable traffic
movement on the ends that are less likely
to see radical change was an approach
that resonated with community members
during the charrette.
Intersection Design
A number of additional intersection
interventions are recommended:
Crosswalks - Crosswalks should be
added on all four legs of each signalized
intersection. Adding the fourth leg
crosswalks to intersections such as
Washington Street and Depot Drive will
send a welcoming signal to those wishing
to or needing to walk.
Corner Radii – The wide intersection
corner radii present at intersections and
driveways along the corridor foster high
speed right turns, endangering pedestri-
ans walking along the corridor. A new,
tighter, standard should be adopted in
the core area and applied whenever a new
construction project is undertaken.
Crossing Spacing – Some new, signal-
ized, pedestrian crossings should be
added, particularly between Adams Street
and Dune Palms Road. The spacing of
crossings in this area should eventually be
no more than 600 feet apart.
Transit Service
While the service along Highway 111 is
good for a community of its size, the bus
stops are far from the end destinations
due to the large parking lots and setbacks.
There is little transit itself can do to
remedy this shortfall. The question is
commonly asked whether the buses can
drop off in the shopping center parking
lots rather than along the street, but that
sort of pattern costs a lot of time and is
not fair to other riders on the route who
are not destined for the shopping centers.
In the end, the solution will be to bring
the land uses closer to the transit service
as the area redevelops over time.
As the mixed-use nodes do begin to de-
velop, it may be worth considering some
type of self-taxing option to supplement
the operating costs to build even better
service. This could take the form of a
small area circulator (like a small shuttle
or trolley), or could be used to boost the
frequency and hours of operation of the
current SunLine service.
Technology is also making transit
faster and easier to use. SunLine has
been an innovator in the past (piloting
alternative fuels technology) and may be
receptive to implementing many of the
technological advances being used around
the country. The SunLine bus fleet uses
Global Positioning System to monitor
bus locations and provide realtime arrival
updates to users, via the SubBus Tracker
app. Signal prioritization is being
considered in some communities to add
to the overall speed of the lines. Improved
payment systems will someday allow
quicker boarding and potentially could
incorporate access to other services such
as bikeshare, scooters or other personal
mobility devices.
Parking
Perhaps the most important aspect of the
park-once environment, however, is how
much cost is saved and land freed up from
supplying parking.
• Use surface parking as a land-bank-
ing tool. In the early phases of the
redevelopment, well-placed surface
parking can keep development costs
low. The placement of that parking,
however, should accommodate more
dense future development that would
utilize structured parking. Parking,
deployed strategically, can allow the
density of the site to develop over
time.
• Phase in paid parking in core mixed-
use areas. Market-priced parking is
the best tool available to incentivize
people to sort themselves to various
parking locations rather than com-
peting for the closest spot. Before
the need for paid parking is present,
however, setting well-conceived time
restrictions on street parking in the
mixed use areas can keep spaces free
for potential customers.
• Revise zoning code to better support
walkable, mixed-use development
on the corridor. Require unbundled
parking for rental and for-sale
residential, commercial space, and
other uses. Unbundled parking is the
42
Part 2: Vision 39
The diagram illustrates how uses whose parking demand peaks at different times of day can utilize the
same spaces if the uses are mixed closely together.
practice of selling or leasing parking
spaces separate from the purchase or
lease of the commercial or residential
use. Require provision of spaces for
car-sharing and bicycle parking,
and require provision of free transit
passes. Establish policies requiring
builders of commercial properties to
include parking costs as a separate
line in leases. Substantially reduce
parking requirements in the mixed-
use zones along the corridor.
• Consider the need for loading zones
on retail streets, typically 60 feet in
length, during the detailed design
phase of the roadway reconfiguration
projects.
• Place on-street parking on as many
of the new streets as possible. Not
only does this lower the parking
burden for each project, but it
provides a natural buffer from traffic
for pedestrians on the sidewalks.
Curb Evolution and New Mobility
As technology in transportation continues
to rapidly evolve, major benefits such as
improved safety, increased mobility and
ease of use are on the horizon. While
self-driving cars may be the norm
someday, several technologies are already
providing, or poised to provide, signifi-
cant transportation improvements.
Initial gradations of vehicle automa-
tion are already appearing in vehicles.
Driver assisted technologies, such as lane
departure warnings and adaptive cruise
control, have continued to improve safety.
As vehicle to vehicle (v2v) and vehicle
to infrastructure (v2i) communication
become common, an 81% reduction in
crashes could be achieved among unim-
paired drivers.
Technologies have the potential to
increase the capacity of existing roadways
and intersections, through more efficient
signal timing and tighter vehicle spacing.
As these technologies begin to emerge,
La Quinta should update infrastructure
technologies to maximize capacity and
safety of the network.
A range of new users have emerged in
recent years, including operators of bike-
share bikes, electric scooters and Trans-
portation Network Company (TNC)
vehicles (Lyft/Uber). Design needs may
include reserved zones for shared mobility
parking and pick-up/drop-off areas for
TNCs. In the coming years, autonomous
vehicles (AVs) are anticipated to have
significant impacts on street design needs.
It is anticipated that automation will have
a significant impact on the efficiency of
parking, as well as the use of curb space
for passenger loading/drop-offs.
Tactical Implementation
The idea of tactical introduction of
food trucks and pop up space has been
discussed for many areas of the site. The
spaces behind the current shopping cen-
ters could be quickly repurposed to invite
in users of the CV Link. Likewise, space
along Highway 111 that will someday be
on-street parking, could be used for food
trucks or even parklets to help change
the use and character along the corridor
quickly.
Even the fundamental changes to the
Highway 111 corridor itself need not wait
for streetscape reconstruction funds to
emerge. Many communities have used
paint to reposition the corridor to its
eventual width and operations, both to
test out the consequences at a lower cost
(with the ability to reverse if needed).
This can be a way to start reaping the
benefits of things like safer driving speeds
and shorter crosswalks earlier in the
change process.
Pilot to Permanent Approach
Elements such as curb extensions or
pedestrian safety islands can be piloted
with lower-cost materials including
pavement markings and delineator
posts. The pilot to permanent approach
allows for quick implementation and the
opportunity to observe project impacts
prior to permanent installation. However,
project elements should take into account
existing streetscape plans for different
roadway users to ensure long-term com-
patibility. For example, the design of curb
extensions at intersections should not
extend into the space needed for planned
bikeways.
Opportunities will arise over time to
implement some projects in a shorter
timeframe, including as streets come
up for regularly scheduled resurfacing.
Where possible, these projects should
also be included in previously planned
city improvements, including those in the
Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
Several long-term projects that could
complete the corridor’s transportation
network could be implemented at any
time.
43
40 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 44
Part 3: Policy 41
03 Policy
1. SUSTAINED PROSPERITY
The City has historically had three dominant economic
sectors: tourism, golf, and retail commercial. While
the resort hotels and golf courses are located off of the
Highway 111 Corridor, the retail commercial is mostly
along Highway 111 Corridor.
A. Tourism: Hotels, Resorts, and Second Homes
Besides resort hotels, tourism in La Quinta also includes
a growing demand for second homes and vacation
homes. Over a quarter of the City’s housing stock is
seasonal residences which increases the City’s population
by almost 50% in the winter. Fractional ownership and
timeshare projects attract tourists for shorter periods
from a week to a month.
Hotel residences have a strong appeal for high-end
buyers desiring a second home in the desert. Sited
on an 18-hole Arnold Palmer Classic golf course and
set against the Santa Rosa Mountains, the Montage
and Pendry hotels will reinforce the City’s growing
reputation as a premier destination resort community in
Coachella Valley. In addition to the hotels, the Montage
will offer 30 luxury "Golf Villas” and The Pendry will
offer 66 fully furnished, multistory residential condos.
This development is projected to secure the City’s finan-
cial future, through hotel property and sales taxes.
B. Health and Wellness
La Quinta is a Healthy Eating and Active Living
(HEAL) certified city. The City is a natural destination
for peace, tranquility, and spiritual renewal, that offers a
variety of physical activities such as biking, hiking, and
walking combined with social, intellectual, nutritional,
as well as artistic and cultural wellness.
Art is an integral part of the brand and lifestyle in La
Quinta. The popular Art on Main Street event features
over 100 artists each season showing and selling their
paintings, jewelry, mixed media, photography, ceramics,
glass, woodwork, textiles, sculptures and more. Over
120 works of public art throughout the community can
be enjoyed year-round. The proposed Cultural Trail on
Highway 111 combines active living and art with mobil-
ity. The long-awaited CV Link could bring an influx of
visitors from the region to stop along Highway 111 in La
Quinta to eat, shop, and be entertained.
C. Mixed-Use Residential
The workforce supporting the growth in tourism and
health and wellness industry will fuel an interest to live,
work, and shop in walkable mixed use centers along
Highway 111. Increasingly, mixed use developers are
focusing on more “experiential” ways to attract people
and hold on to them long enough that they’ll browse and
buy instead of stay home and click.
45
42 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
“Customer experience is...the future of how physical retailers will
generate revenue. Experiences won’t just sell products. Experiences
will be the products.”
Doug Stephens, Retail Industry Futurist
D. Experience-based Retailing
The regional retail development along
the Highway 111 Corridor generates the
lion’s share of the sales tax in the City.
Development along Highway 111 has
been dominated by big-box shopping cen-
ters. The old retail store model of stacking
standard goods in large format buildings
is no longer sustainable — these goods
can be conveniently delivered to the
doorstep for cheaper prices online. The
long term challenge is to make existing
and future retail resilient to the shifts in
shopper behaviors, generational prefer-
ences, and rise in e-commerce. Retail
needs to offer something local and fresh
with engaging customer experiences. To
compete with the internet, both the store
and the place around the store needs to be
memorable.
The auto dealerships, stable retail and
entertainment uses on the south side of
Highway 111 contribute significantly
to the City’s revenue. Their continued
success and expansion will continue to
contribute to the City’s long-term fiscal
health. Large vacant parcels are mostly
located north of Highway 111. Mixed
use developments on these parcels will
need to focus on “experience” to create
foot traffic and active public spaces. The
changes in customer preference and
infrastructure improvements along High-
way 111 and CV Link may encourage
existing retail parcels to be redeveloped as
walkable mixed use development.
P1.1 Maintain and enhance the Highway 111 current tax base.
Great public amenities, transformative public investments, walkable mixed
use neighborhoods, and ability to support high quality development are key
objectives to maintain and enhance the revenue contribution from Highway
111 properties.
A1.1a Continue to strengthen the Highway 111’s retail base.
A1.1b Attract and retain high-value and high-wage jobs in leisure and hospital-
ity industry (food services; arts; entertainment and recreation; hotels and
other accommodations) and diversify the local economy.
A1.1c Ensure that new development is not a fiscal burden to the City.
The City should adopt a clear set of policies to ensure that new development does
not impose any fiscal burdens to the City and does not take away resources from
providing the current level of services. This is typically achieved by requiring
proponents of new developments to provide a fiscal impact analysis of proposed
projects, and have it peer reviewed by an independent consultant (compensated
by the project proponents), prior to approving final entitlements. While it is
not suggested that all projects be fiscally positive as a requirement for approval,
as there may be projects considered by the City for their strategic importance
or catalytic potential, it is important that the fiscal impacts of new projects are
publicly circulated and reviewed as part of the City’s decision-making process.
P1.2 Coordinate investment in public infrastructure with new growth to
harness the power of placemaking.
A1.2 Support infrastructure improvements such as the Cultural Trail and CV
Link linear park.
La Quinta should capitalize on developer interest in Highway 111, with
targeted improvements that will encourage further improvements.
Policies and Actions
46
Part 3: Policy 43
P1.3 Preserve, enhance, and build on existing Highway 111 Corridor assets.
A1.3a Protect and enhance stable areas along the Highway 111 Corridor.
A1.3b Support catalytic infill development of vacant and underutilized parcels.
Leverage the vacant parcels, to create a pulse of development intensity and
commercial activity at Dune Palms Road intersection. Vacant and small
underutilized sites contribute little to the City’s tax base, and also diminish
the character of the Highway 111 Corridor. These are prime opportunities for
redevelopment and new growth that conforms with the City’s Highway 111
vision and context, and bolsters the City’s tax base. The City can encourage
development on these sites by engaging with property owners and developers
to facilitate transactions and development activity. Such sites offer an excellent
opportunity to begin transforming Highway 111 into a veritable mixed-use
corridor. Early “proof of concept” projects will demonstrate feasibility and will
likely convince others to follow suit.
P1.4 Attract a greater variety of experience-based retail and office tenants by
building upon existing strengths and market opportunities.
A1.4 Implement district-wide retail branding and tenanting strategy that
builds upon the cluster of tourism, health, and wellness, while adding
other retail desired by the community, such as experience-based retail
and retail for a wider demographic.
The City should implement a Highway 111 district-wide branding strategy
that emphasizes building upon the City’s existing market opportunities and
strengths, including tourism, health and wellness clusters as well as other
retail and office uses that the community has expressed interest in, like ex-
perience-based retail and tech/creative offices. Such a strategy would best be
organized by a Business Improvement District, or similar entity, with the
capacity to engage property owners, the broker community, and other relevant
stakeholders. A cohesive branding and tenanting strategy will provide a
platform for local businesses to reach a wider audience as well as attracting new
retail and office tenants to the area. It will also enhance the image of the area
as a cohesive regional destination offering unique retail, dining, and enter-
tainment experiences. This will help to attract more visitors from surrounding
communities, bolstering retail sales and strengthening Highway 111 Corridor
Area’s retail tax base.
P1.5 Create a diversity of housing options..
Younger demographics are increasingly drawn toward urban-style,
walkable living, as are baby boomers who value their independence, but
anticipating limited mobility, are moving to multifamily homes in close
proximity to transit, retail, food and dining and entertainment choices.
A1.5a Support high-quality multi-family housing for a diverse range of income
levels.
A1.5b Remove regulatory and procedural barriers to good design.
Encourage multifamily projects that are urban in design and facilitate a
pedestrian oriented environment by utilizing ground-floor retail, and active
and vibrant streetscapes.
P1.6 Support local businesses.
As the Highway 111 Corridor works to increase its appeal and attract
new businesses and development, it will be important to similarly ensure
that existing businesses are able to thrive and grow as well.
A1.6a Provide incentives to encourage businesses and land owners to renovate
and strengthen their businesses.
Provide grants and low-cost loans for façade and landscaping improvements,
business development training and support to local businesses through periods of
transition.
A1.6b Brand and market the Highway 111 Corridor.
Local character is increasingly important to both younger and older demo-
graphics. Enhancing Highway 111’s image will ultimately need to be rooted in
a sense of authenticity, and promoting existing “local gems” will help attract
new businesses, visitors and residents, while supporting existing businesses by
increasing awareness and drawing new visitors. The “Shop LQ” campaign sup-
ports local businesses by creating more ads, social media pushes and encouraging
not just local residents, but the entire Coachella Valley to shop La Quinta.
47
44 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
P1.7 Promote higher levels of foot traffic with activities and events.
A1.7 Encourage property owners to collaborate on new “pop-up” events to
make use of vacant or underutilized storefronts or parcels or parking lots.
Pop-up events will bring more activity in the area while demonstrating the
viability of the area for additional retail and businesses. The strategy should
include food trucks and seasonal festivals or other temporary uses in vacant
spaces such as temporary art exhibitions or eating and drinking experiences.
P1.8 Enhance economic development delivery capacity.
A1.8 Engage with property owners to gauge appetite for a Business Improve-
ment District (BID).
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), which have been implemented
throughout Los Angeles County and other US cities, collect a special levy from
property owners within a geographically defined area to support agreed-upon
special services and programs that enhance the desirability and performance
of the district. BID activities include district-wide marketing support, public
realm maintenance, organizing special events, and providing private security
patrols. BIDs have been shown to have a large, positive impact on the value
of commercial property while improving the quality of life for community
members. In the Highway 111 context, a BID could provide much needed
organizational capacity and a more steady, long-term commitment of financial
resources. In addition, it could be instrumental in managing many of the ini-
tiatives proposed in this plan, including the district branding and marketing,
retail tenanting strategy, and shared parking agreements. Formation of a BID
will require an individual or group of individuals to form a proponent group to
gather community support.
2. PLACEMAKING
H w y 111
Place Architecture
Urban Design
Landscape Design
Health &
Wellness Art &CultureStreets & MobilityResilienceInnovationPlacemaking is a people-centered approach to the planning, design and management
of public spaces so that it presents engaging and rewarding experiences. At the vision-
ing charrette, the community came together to collectively reimagine the intertwined
physical, social, cultural, and ecological qualities of the Highway 111 Corridor to
create a great place. Highway 111 placemaking efforts examined streets, trails, parks
and open spaces, landscaping, public art, branding place, and way-finding.
48
Part 3: Policy 45
P2.1 Redesign Highway 111 as a signature place.
A2.1 Coordinate infrastructure improvements to be in sync with private
development.
P2.2 Street design will contribute to the social, economic, and environmental
aspects of the Highway 111 area.
A2.2a Design the street network, its dimensions, speeds (where possible), and
building placement that yield a balance with including pedestrian scale
mobility, appropriate to the context of the area.
A2.2b Update the development codes (zoning and/or Specific Plans) to include
design standards for a range of street types for different contexts, consis-
tent with the Highway 111 Corridor vision.
P2.3 Encourage the dynamic and flexible use of existing open spaces and
promote a variety of new open spaces.
A2.3a Support the CV-Link regional trail system.
A2.3b Subdivide large vacant and underutilized tracts into walkable block,
streets, and public open spaces.
A2.3c Redesign the sidewalk along the northern edge as a Cultural Trail that
integrates biking, pedestrian activity with local and regional arts and
culture features.
A2.3d Develop an integrated open space loop connecting the Cultural trail on
Highway 111 to the CV Link.
P2.4 Encourage development and events that activate the parks and open
spaces.
A2.4a Phase the parks and open space improvements to be in sync with private
development.
A2.4b Encourage small parks and other tactical use of parking lots for short-
term events/festivals.
Policies and Actions Policies and Actions
A. Streets As Places
Most La Quinta streets have been
designed with the needs of drivers and
automobile traffic put first. This traf-
fic-centered conception of streets has led
to the creation of dysfunctional places.
The needs of people who want to use
streets in other ways – such as for walk-
ing, shopping, cycling, using wheelchairs,
or sitting and watching the world go by
– have been given relatively little consid-
eration. The social and economic value
of streets as places of community inter-
action, as well as conduits for traffic – is
being rediscovered. New ways of design-
ing complete streets that ensure that all
users benefit, and that better places result
are being implemented in the La Quinta
Village with intersection roundabouts,
pedestrian and bikeway, mid-block
crossings, and landscape improvements.
Along similar lines, the vision for
Highway 111 calls for a balanced allo-
cation of area for protected bikes and a
safe, comfortable, and engaging place
for people to walk, sit, and shop, while
maintaining the same number of vehic-
ular through lanes carrying traffic on
Highway 111.
B. Parks, Open Spaces, and Trails
Parks, open spaces, and trails provide an
opportunity to exercise, access sunshine,
nature and fresh air, and encourage
people to walk or bike. They can have a
significant impact on people’s stress levels
and overall mental health, particularly
in busy areas like Highway 111. Public
open spaces, whether playgrounds, picnic
fields, trails or even just engaging streets,
can help build community by giving
neighbors a realm in which to get to
know each other.
The greatest opportunity for public
space exists in reimagining the streets and
trails as linear public space corridors that
connect a range of new smaller parks and
open spaces that provide safe, comfort-
able, and inviting walking and biking
experiences.
The vision for the Highway 111 Corri-
dor Area identifies a range of public and
private open spaces connected through
trails and walkable streets.
49
46 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
C. Landscaping
The Corridor Plan Area features two
major east-west transportation corridors -
Highway 111 and CV Link.
Highway 111 serves an important func-
tion of accommodating the movement
of regional and local automobile traffic.
Besides the mobility function, Highway
111 is also a place — arguably the most
visible place in the City. The quality of
this public place can improve quality
of life and increase our desire to spend
time in this place. Rows of street trees
along sidewalks and medians, quality
furniture, and coordinated lighting add
human scale, comfort, interest, safety and
delight. Street trees also improve property
values, retail viability, and public health;
absorb UV rays, pollutants, stormwater;
and reduce urban heat island effect by
providing valuable shade for area users.
The present width of Highway 111 in
addition to the adjacent large parking lots
creates a less than desirable environment
for people outside of their cars. Street
trees visually subdivide the large street-
space into more pedestrian scaled areas.
Large trees will provide shade and the
tree canopy add human scale to Highway
111. Accent trees add color and enhance
corridor identity. The Highway 111
medians and major north/south streets
crossing the Highway will be defined
with Mexican Fan Palms. These trees
already exist in corridors and will serve as
a way-finding device to guide visitors to
the area.
On the north side of Highway 111,
pedestrians and bicyclists will have the
opportunity to traverse the corridor using
the Cultural Trail. This multi-modal trail
will feature a double row of shade and
accent trees. Pedestrian level pole lamps
will light the way and provide safe night
time passage while still keeping levels
below the dark sky thresholds.
The CV Link is designed to be bright
and festive. Pedestrians, bikes and
electric vehicles are meant to be able
to travel from desert city to desert city
with comfort and ease. The CV Link’s
landscape and open space design within
this corridor in La Quinta will be open
and welcoming to travelers. Stops along
the CV Link will have a cool grassy
open space for users to rest. Shade from
structures and trees will be ample and
inviting. The City can encourage vendors
and developers to open their businesses
to this corridor and provide goods and
services to support travelers who choose
this alternate mode of transportation.
Understory plantings for the streets-
capes will be adaptive and native desert
plantings that will conserve water,
naturalize and reduce maintenance as it
matures. Areas near the CV Link will
create a filter that will keep sand and
dust from inundating the bluffs above the
wash.
Plant Palettes: Overall, planting in
the Highway 111 Corridor should be
governed by a combination of water
conservation, desert ecology and plant
material that is maintained. For all on-
and off-street landscaping, the State of
California’s Water Use Classification of
Landscape Species (WUCOLS) is the
recommended regulatory standard (see
https://ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS/). The
recommended palette specifically for La
Quinta lists 733 trees, shrubs, ground
cover and vines that are rated “very low”
to “moderate/medium” in water use in
this area. Locally, the Living Desert Zoo
and Gardens in Palm Desert publishes a
recommended plant palette (Attachment
2) that expands the WUCOLS list to
include local varieties that have been
proven resilient in the low desert.
P2.5 Monitor and require compliance with approved landscape plans.
Ensuring enforcement. Landscape plans should be built as designed and
approved, and maintained in perpetuity – not a diluted version or variation
from the plan as approved. There should be a greater probability of enforcement
and stricter sanctions.
A2.5 Identify parcels that are not in compliance with approved landscape plans
and require plant material to be installed per approved plans.
P2.6 Landscape parking lots for human use no less than for cars.
A2.6 Identify parking lots with deficient landscaping and collaborate with
property owners to install landscaping to break the monotony of the
parking surface and provide shade.
P2.7 Modify development codes (zoning and/or Specific Plans) to require
landscaping consistent with the vision of the Highway 111 Corridor
Plan.
A2.7 Adopt place-based codes that provide clear and precise direction on the
landscape design of the public and private realm.
Policies and Actions
50
Part 3: Policy 47
Benets of Place Branding
L a Q uinta
Tourism , H e a l th/Wellness, R
e
t
a
i
l
Visit o r s
Increase civic pride
Address out of date & inaccurate perceptions
Place La Quinta on map
One look, one voice, & one message
Focused marketing &investment on competitive advantage
Provide higher returnon investment (ROI)
Present a distinctive,compelling & aractive place to visit
Make it easier to visit La Quinta
P2.8 Reimagine Highway 111 as an iconic place.
A2.8a Support improvements to infrastructure and landscape.
A2.8b Activate the place with cultural and entertainment events.
A2.8c Support permanent and temporary public art installments along the
Cultural Trail and CV Link.
P2.9 Develop capacity for creating, communicating, and monitoring the
Highway 111 brand.
An organizational structure is necessary to orchestrate, manage, promote, and
monitor Highway 111 as an attractive travel destination and to enhance its
public image as a dynamic place to shop, entertain, live and work. The exact
structure is flexible and may involve collaboration between existing and/or
new entities.
A2.9 Explore creating a Business Improvement District (BID) and/or part-
nering with existing City Staff, La Quinta Chamber of Commerce,
Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau, Coachella Valley
Economic Partnership.
Policies and Actions
D. Place Branding
E. Way-Finding
Place-branding benefits quality of life of residents, enhance the businesses climate, and attracts more
tourists and visitors.
Place-branding is integrated strategic ac-
tions for shaping distinctive, compelling,
and rewarding place and experiences; and
managing and communicating Highway
111 Corridor’s competitive identity
message. The integrated brand is based
on the community’s vision for Highway
111 and assists decision makers in setting
priorities for capital investments, budget-
ing, and guiding development of the place
for long-term success.
Reimagining Highway 111 as a place
will involve efforts and investments in
infrastructure, landscape, and buildings
(hardware); events, arts, culture, and
entertainment (software), and organiza-
tional structure like a Business Improve-
ment District.
“Way-finding refers to information systems that guide people
through a physical environment and enhance their understanding
and experience of the space.”
The Society of Experiential Graphic Design
District Gateway
Way-finding locations
Paths
Edges
Nodes
There is a symbiotic relationship between
Highway 111 Corridor’s brand and
way-finding system. The goal of Highway
111 way-finding design system is to aid
the user in orienting themselves in the
place and then in navigating to a specific
destination.
The entrances to the Highway 111
District, significant edges around public
spaces, paths (Cultural Trail and CV
Link); and nodes (Dune Palms Road
intersection) are potential locations
for way-finding signs. These elements
control and facilitate all movement
throughout the Corridor for both people
and vehicles.
Architecture, landscaping, lighting, art,
and technology all play a significant role
in the vision for the Highway 111 wayfin-
ding system. The framework for visibility
and access begins when a developer eval-
uates and selects the project site based on
proximity to the CV Link, Cultural Trail,
adjacent retail, parks and transit services.
The architecture then responds to the
context. For example, exposing the retail
while striving for privacy for residential
uses. Landscape and lighting elements
define paths, identify nodes, and collec-
tively these elements give character to
the Highway 111 District. The landscape
design will show the way by channeling
traffic and the presence and type of light
will reinforce the message after the sun
goes down.
51
48 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Shop CV Link
Cultural
Trail
Blackhawk Way
Ave 48
Ave 47
CV Link
Dune Palms RdDune Palms RdJefferson StAdams StAdams StWashington St111
111
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod
tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam
erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam,
enim ad minim veniam.
P
HIGHWAY
HIGHWAY
P2.10 Signs will guide pedestrians, bicyclists, motorist, and transit users to
major destinations, parking areas, nodes, and points of interest.
Wayfinding signs should be synced with development of destinations with
flexibility to add more destinations on signs when necessary. Architecture,
landscaping, lighting, art, and technology should facilitate orientation and
guide people to the various destinations of interest.
A2.10a Identify simple ways to improve existing signage in the near term, such
as by identifying the location of confusing or missing signage. Make such
improvements and continue to evaluate signage needs.
A2.10b Identify destinations and places of interest.
A2.10c Provide Corridor maps at transit stops, paths, and nodes where pedestri-
ans need to make decisions on routes to destinations.
P2.11 Wayfinding signs will be aesthetically consistent, easy to see, positioned
to promote safety, and be made of durable materials that are easy to
maintain.
A2.11a Develop a consistent, legible, and logical palette of directional signs and
icons to provide ways to find major destinations more easily.
A2.11b Signs should be well-lighted, but not illuminated so that they are overly
visual intensive or distracting.
A2.11c Material and paint selections should be durable and graffiti resistant.
Regulatory and other traffic signs shall be high intensity reflective
sheeting.
A2.11d Provide adequate resources for the on-going management and mainte-
nance of signs.
Policies and Actions
Signage will provide direction, infor-
mation, identification. In addition,
regulatory signs such as “no parking” and
“no exit” will establish rules and order.
Smartphone and the Global Positioning
System (GPS) have put powerful wayfin-
ding tools into the hands of almost every
person. In the future, digital solutions for
wayfinding could become more ubiqui-
tous and offer another platform to guide
people and enhance their experience
along the Corridor.
52
Part 3: Policy 49
P2.12 Provide creative expressions in the Highway 111 Corridor Area.
A2.12 Encourage permanent and temporary art installations in parks, open
spaces, and streets.
P2.13 Strive for financial resiliency to provide and maintain public art in the
Corridor Area.
A2.13a Evaluate requiring 2% of eligible capital project costs to be directed for
public art.
A2.13b Evaluate requiring 2% of all private development construction cost to be
directed for public art.
A2.13c Collaborate with other community groups and non-profit organizations
to maximize resources.
A2.13d Explore naming rights, sponsorships and asset management opportuni-
ties to create ongoing revenue for maintenance and operations of existing
public art.
P2.14 Integrate public art into the development review and capital improve-
ment program.
A2.14a Embed a provision for public art as a requirement for large development
projects, and develop City initiatives for the provision of public art as
part of the Design and Development and Community Services Depart-
ments goals and objectives.
A2.14b Work cooperatively with City Boards, Commissions and committees,
and other public and private organizations promoting art and cultural
activities throughout the City.
Policies and Actions
F. Public Art
Public art instills a greater sense of identi-
ty and understanding of the Highway 111
place, the ideas and values of its people,
and creates a memorable experience for
all. Public art comes in many forms, sizes,
and media. Art can be participatory and
interactive or passive and contemplative.
Public art can be permanent, or tem-
porary installations that enliven public
spaces for a limited period of time, often
during events and festivals.
La Quinta’s Art in Public Places
program has been hugely successful in
acquiring a large inventory of permanent
public artwork placed throughout the
City.
The Cultural Trail and CV Link pro-
vide a unique opportunity for temporary
and interactive public art installations.
Temporary art installations can be more
experimental because they are gone after
a short time. Rotating public art instal-
lations can become visitor and tourist
attractions for the Highway 111 Corridor.
Entry Monument at Jefferson Street and Highway 111.
53
50 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
G. Community Events
Community events and festivals are
fun activities for locals and visitors
that reinforces the identity of Highway
111 Corridor, stimulates the growth of
tourism and businesses, and provides free
marketing and advertising.
La Quinta hosts a variety of year-round
events and festivals throughout the City.
In November 2019, a Brew in LQ Craft
Beer Festival will be hosted in the One
Eleven La Quinta Shopping Center
parking lot to demonstrate the activation
of parking lots on Highway 111. Brew
in LQ will feature craft breweries, food
vendors, live music, games, and art
installations from local artists. Other
Highway 111 property owners have
expressed interest to host pop-up events
in their parking lots.
The proposed Cultural Trail and CV
Link to be designed with connecting
parks and open spaces provides an ideal
venue to promote attractions and events
along the Highway 111 Corridor area.
Throughout the year, the region hosts
many international events such as Coach-
ella Valley Music and Arts Festival, BNP
Paribas Open, Fashion Week, Inter-
national Film Festival, and Stagecoach
Music Festival. Highway 111 should
coordinate their events and festivals in
conjunction with these international
festivals to attract the many visitors from
the region.
P2.15 Expand places and spaces where community events and festivals can
occur.
A2.15a Develop the Cultural Trail and CV Link with various parks and open
spaces in the Corridor area.
A2.15b Examine current zoning and permitting requirements with the objective
of supporting and facilitating community events and festivals.
P2.16 Facilitate use of vacant or underutilized space by arts and cultural
groups.
A2.16a Work with owners and the developers of empty tenant spaces and park-
ing lots to encourage a variety of pop-up events, exhibits, performances,
and temporary retail activities.
A2.16b Work with owners to allow artists’ temporary and opportunistic use
of spaces and venues such as vacant walls, storefronts, empty buildings,
underutilized parking lots, and open spaces to visually activate and
enliven the area.
P2.17 Attract visitors from popular international events within the region.
A2.17a Identify and partner with regional agencies hosting international events.
A2.17b Host Highway 111 in conjunction with the international events.
Policies and Actions
3. Mobility
Issues
• High-Speed Driving Along Highway
111 – The wide expanses of asphalt
along Highway 111 encourage high
speed driving. Not only are there
many lanes, but the lanes are 12 and
14 feet wide – too wide according to
recent studies on traffic safety.
• Long Pedestrian Crossings on
Highway 111 – All of the width on
Highway 111 makes the crossing
distances for pedestrians very long
and uninviting.
• Long Spacing Between Crosswalks
– The safe pedestrian crossings at all
signalized intersections along the
corridor are inconveniently far apart.
• Distance of Transit Stops from Land
Uses – While transit frequency is
good for a community of La Quinta’s
size, the bus stops on Highway 111
are far from the actual destinations
due to the parking lots and setbacks.
• Lack of Bicycling Facilities – There is
limited opportunity for bicyclists.
• Lack of Shade for Walking Com-
fort – In hot weather environments
such as La Quinta, the exposure to
sunlight and the lack of shade add to
pedestrian discomfort.
Opportunities
• High Visibility Properties – The large
volumes of traffic passing along the
corridor continue to make the land
viable for development. As long as
the speed of these cars is appropriate
to the context, the people going
though can be convinced to stop for
uses along the study corridor.
• Planned Bike Trail Along the
Wash – The CV Link will provide
a new mobility option for current
corridor users and bring new people
by the corridor, presenting a growth
opportunity.
• Good Transit Frequency for a Lower
Density Community – Uses and an
urban form more oriented to the
transit service could better capitalize
on this asset.
Aspirations
Some of the current obstacles could be
tackled to address the issues raised above.
Below are some of the physical character-
istics that exemplify the challenges and
approaches to addressing those gaps:
Analysis
Driving Lanes: The team undertook an
analysis of the traffic volumes relative
to the available street capacity along
Highway 111 between Washington Street
and Jefferson Street. The traffic volumes
along this section range from 32,000 to
36,000 vehicles per day. Currently, there
are three travel lanes in each direction
plus a center left turn lane and additional
left and right turn lanes at a number of
intersections. This is more lanes that
would be physically required to carry
the traffic volumes. A more constrained
54
Part 3: Policy 51
section, however, comes with more traffic
congestion – particularly in the peak
hours.
Each community must make its own
decisions about how much congestion
makes sense for them. A desire to
achieve zero congestion comes with a
high price tag and wide roads with fast
driving that present a barrier to pedes-
trians. Few communities, however, are
satisfied with severe traffic congestion.
The team undertook a discussion with La
Quinta residents during the community
workshop about where they fall on this
spectrum. There was no real support for
the levels of congestion present in West
Hollywood, but support for trading off
a bit of congestion if the rewards could
help meet their overall community goals.
As such, the “middle-ground” approach
discussed for La Quinta was to maintain
the general seven-lane cross-section, but
to reconsider some of the right turn and
dual left turn lanes that contribute to the
current overall width of Highway 111.
Recommendations
The community has articulated a clear de-
sire for a safer, more complete, multimod-
al transportation system that maximizes
the economic potential of the Highway
111 corridor as a great place to live, work
and visit.
The Vision in whole represent streets
that are more pedestrian-scaled, with the
potential for on-street parking provided
when urban development occurs, and
a comprehensive urban center bicycle
network. The proposed changes will
lower driving speeds, shorten average
crossing distances, provide a comfortable
bicycle facility approximately every five
blocks, and create a walkable corridor that
supports commercial activity and makes
the corridor a great place to live, work and
visit. Despite the significant changes to
the circulation and number of turn lanes,
we expect only a modest increase in travel
times to commuters who are traversing
the entire Highway 111 corridor.
A. Pedestrian Crossing Improvements
The plan sets the most ambitious stan-
dards for Highway 111 between Adams
Street and Dune Palms Road. Within
this section, a consistent cross-section
with three travel lanes in each direction,
single left turn lanes and no right turn
Measure Current Status Better Standard Options
Ped Crossing Spacing 1200 feet <600 feet New Crossings
Ped Crossing Width 150 feet 75-100 feet Tighter Intersections
Volume/Capacity•0.75 <0.8 in suburban
environment
Keep Thru Lanes
Driving Speeds 45 mph limit <35 mph Introduce Design
Elements
Transit Service 20/45 minute frequency >30 minute frequency Re-orient Buildings
Bike Connectivity None Serve walkable district Connect to CV Link
• Volume/Capacity Ratio is a measurement of the operating capacity of a roadway or intersection where
the number of vehicles passing through is divided by the number of vehicles that could theoretically pass
through when at capacity. If vehicles (v) divided by capacity (c) is less than one the facility has additional
capacity. If (v)/(c) is greater than one it is likely that the peak hour will elongate into a peak period.
lanes in the westbound direction (the
north side of the street that fronts the
planned mixed-use areas) is recommend-
ed. Lane widths within this section
would be reduced from the current 12 and
14 feet (outer lanes next to sidewalk on
both sides) feet to a more standard 11-12
feet per lane. This narrowing will create
space along the curb for other uses (park-
ing, bike lanes, trails, greenspace, vehicle
pickups) that may change and evolve as
the land redevelops and transportation
technology evolves (see Curb Evolution
and New Mobility in a later section).
This consistent cross-section will create
a small amount of additional congestion
in the peak hours. However, this core
area has the most potential for transfor-
mation and is the place where the tradeoff
sweet spot can best be met. For example,
narrowing the lanes and adding bulbouts
at the intersections could potentially
reduce the pedestrian crossing distance
from 140 feet to 110 feet – a reduction of
21%. That degree of improvement to the
pedestrian environment is precisely the
type of intervention needed to convince
potential investors that this corridor is
a place that is serious about a walkable
environment.
At the other end of the spectrum,
the intersections of Highway 111 with
Washington Street on the west and
Jefferson Street on the east are proposed
to retain the same basic lane arrangement
as is currently in place. There are small
improvements recommended to the
intersections on each end – for example,
adding crosswalks to the fourth leg at
Washington Street/111 and at Depot
Drive/111. By and large, however, given
that north-south traffic is highest at these
end intersections, it is recommended that
automobile traffic be accommodated and
accompanied by some pedestrian safety
improvements.
This balancing of the tradeoffs that
turns the dial toward urbanism in the
core with the most development poten-
tial, and accommodates reasonable traffic
movement on the ends that are less likely
to see radical change was an approach
that resonated with community members
during the workshop.
B. Intersection Design
In addition to the cross-section changes
outlined above, which will shorten
pedestrian crossing distances, a number
of additional intersection interventions
are recommended:
• Crosswalks - Crosswalks should
be added on all four legs of each
signalized intersection. It is common
in suburban environments to give
a few extra seconds of traffic signal
time to cars by significantly inconve-
niencing pedestrians. The Highway
111 corridor does not want to be that
type of place. Adding the fourth leg
crosswalks to intersections such as
Washington Street and Depot Drive
will send a welcoming signal to those
wishing to or needing to walk.
• Corner Radii – The wide intersection
corner radii present at intersections
and driveways along the corridor
foster high speed right turns,
endangering pedestrians walking
along the corridor. A new, tighter,
standard should be adopted in the
core area and applied whenever a new
construction project is undertaken.
55
52 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
• Crossing Spacing – Some new, sig-
nalized, pedestrian crossings should
be added, particularly between
Adams Street and Dune Palms Road.
The spacing of crossings in this area
should eventually be no more than
600 feet apart.
C. Street Types
Connectivity increases the ability of
pedestrians to connect to intended
destinations. One indicator of pedestrian
connectivity is intersection density, which
is one of the most important aspects on
peoples’ choice to walk. Intersection
density is the number of intersections
within an area. Where intersection
density is high, there are multiple options
and paths for pedestrians. Where there is
low intersection density, there are fewer
opportunities for pedestrians to connect
to other streets. Low intersection density
requires pedestrians to walk farther to
reach a cross street or major connection
where there may be transit connections or
access more of the network destinations.
The plan for the mixed-use areas along
the corridor illustrates the densely con-
nected network that is common to most
every place people value highly. That net-
work should be made up of several types
of streets that are performing different
mobility and accessibility jobs.
• Major Thoroughfares – These larger
streets have a primary function of
moving cars and buses, but within
the study area they should be
designed to do so at no more than 30
miles per hour.
• Access Streets – These streets are
focused on getting travelers to their
destinations. The streets will likely
have left turn lanes to help get cars
to parking and many have bike lanes
to allow cyclists from the east-west
paths get to their parking spots.
• Main Streets – These streets in the
center of commercial nodes should
be slow and narrow. Their function
is access for all modes of travel with
pedestrians taking priority.
• Local Streets – The busy streets that
will connect the rest of the districts.
These streets should also be small
and safe for all users.
P3.1 Crossing a street should be easy, safe, convenient, and comfortable.
A3.1a Where feasible, at urban intersections reduce lane widths from 12 and 14
feet to 11 to 12 feet per lane and add bulb-outs at intersection to reduce
pedestrian crossing distance.
A3.1b Design tighter corner radii for urban intersections to facilitate safer and
shorter crossing distance, yet still allow for larger vehicles to access.
A3.1c Add signalized pedestrian crossing between Adams Street and Dune
Palms Road.
P3.2 The street network will provide a pattern of multimodal streets that
serves all land uses and facilitates easy access to local, city, and regional
destinations.
Street network offers many route choices that connect origins with their
destinations.
A3.2a The street network will provides a variety of street types.
A3.2b The street types differ in terms of their network continuity, cross-section
design, and adjoining land use. The individual streets themselves will
change in character depending on their immediate land use context.
Policies and Actions
56
Part 3: Policy 53
P3.4 Proactively manage public and private parking supply within a common
area as a shared resource, and focus on measures to ensure availability
and access rather than simply increasing supply.
A3.4a Use surface parking as a land-banking tool.
In the early phases of the redevelopment, well-placed surface parking can keep
development costs low. The placement of that parking, however, should accom-
modate more dense future development that would utilize structured parking.
Parking, deployed strategically, can allow the density of the site to develop over
time.
A3.4b Phase in paid parking in core mixed-use areas.
Market-priced parking is the best tool available to incentivize people to sort
themselves to various parking locations rather than competing for the closest
spot. Before the need for paid parking is present, however, setting well-con-
ceived time restrictions on street parking in the mixed use areas can keep spaces
free for potential customers.
A3.4c Revise zoning code to better support walkable, mixed use development
on the corridor.
A3.4d Require unbundled parking for rental and for-sale residential, commer-
cial space, and other uses.
Unbundled parking is the practice of selling or leasing parking spaces separate
from the purchase or lease of the commercial or residential use.
A3.4e Require provision of spaces for car-sharing and bicycle parking, and
require provision that commercial and/or residential development provide
free transit passes to their employees or residents.
A3.4f Place on-street parking on as many of the newly created streets as
possible.
Not only does this lower the parking burden for each project, but it provides a
natural buffer from traffic for pedestrians on the sidewalks.
P3.3 Transit use will be convenient, reliable, safe, and comfortable.
A3.3a Support urban pattern of development that makes transit use feasible.
A3.3b Explore feasibility for a circulator shuttle providing connections every 30
minutes or more often to major destinations.
Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
D. Transit Service
While the service along Highway 111 is
good for a community of its size, the bus
stops are far from the end destinations
due to the large parking lots and setbacks.
There is little transit itself can do to
remedy this shortfall. The question is
commonly asked whether the buses can
drop off in the shopping center parking
lots rather than along the street, but that
sort of pattern costs a lot of time and is
not fair to other riders on the route who
are not destined for the shopping centers.
In the end, the solution will be to bring
the land uses closer to the transit service
as the area redevelops over time.
As the mixed-use nodes do begin to de-
velop, it may be worth considering some
type of self-taxing option to supplement
the operating costs to build even better
service. This could take the form of a
small area circulator, such as a shuttle or
trolley service, or to be used to boost the
frequency and hours of operation of the
current Sunline service.
Tech is also making transit faster and
easier to use. SunLine has been an
innovator in the past (piloting alternative
fuels technology) and may be receptive to
implementing many of the technological
advances bubbling up around the coun-
try. The bus fleet uses GPS to monitor
bus locations and provide real time arrival
updates to users, via the SubBus Tracker
app. Signal prioritization is being
considered in some communities add to
the overall speed of the lines. Improved
payment systems will someday allow
quicker boarding and potentially could
incorporate access to other services such
as bikeshare, scooters or other personal
mobility devices. Other considerations
to improve the waiting areas for tran-
sit should be a priority, for example,
landscaping, misters, kiosks, shade, and
possibly water fountains.
E. Parking
Perhaps the most important aspect of the park-once environment is how much cost is
saved and land freed up from supplying parking.
57
54 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
P3.5 Create an inviting public and private realm that attracts people from the
CV Link to the Highway Corridor area.
A3.5a Provide multiple points of access to CV Link trail.
The Highway 111 Corridor vision calls for access to the trail at the termination
of each of the north-south streets.
A3.5b Require new private developments and encourage existing developments
that front the wash to provide access directly on to the CV Link.
A3.5c Create development standards to encourage bike-friendly retail and cafes
and eating establishments along the CV Link.
Tactical Catalysts: Active uses along the CV Link frontage need not require
full redevelopment or rebuild — a pop-up food truck out in the back area of the
store could be a quick way to reset expectations for the property as a whole.
P3.6 Support a safe, comfortable, and continuous bike and pedestrian
pathway on the north side of Highway 111.
A3.6a Build the Cultural Trail as a continuous safe and spacious pathway for
bicyclists and pedestrians to utilize for access, recreation, and as a way to
enjoy the Corridor.
A3.6b Make the trail environmentally and aesthetically pleasing with land-
scaping governed by water conservation, desert ecology and maintainable
plant material.
A3.6c Program activities and feature permanent and rotating public art along
the Cultural Trail.
Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
F. CV Link Accessibility
The coming introduction of the CV link regional multi-use path represents a tremen-
dous opportunity for the Highway 111 Corridor. Lots of potential new users will be
moving past the corridor, and serve as a valuable new customer base.
G. La Quinta Cultural Trail
While the CV Link represents a unique trail spine opportunity, spreading this energy
throughout the study area will multiply the benefits. A key idea that emerged from the
visioning charrette was to repurpose some of the setback space along the north side of
Highway 111 as a local cultural trail – the La Quinta Cultural Trail. This trail would
bring bikes into the center of the community in a form that is comfortable to all users.
The Cultural Trail can introduce public art and display signs that include local historic/
cultural information and highlight places of interest. This type of buffered trail is
much more palatable to most people than a 5 foot bike lane next to moving traffic. The
La Quinta Cultural Trail has the potential to be a signature element around which the
identity and energy of the corridor and its future development can build.
58
Part 3: Policy 55
H. Curb Evolution and New Mobility
As technology in transportation continues
to rapidly evolve, major benefits such as
improved safety, increased mobility and
ease of use are on the horizon. While
self-driving cars may be the norm
someday, several technologies are already
providing, or poised to provide, signifi-
cant transportation improvements.
Initial gradations of vehicle automa-
tion are already appearing in vehicles.
Driver assisted technologies, such as lane
departure warnings and adaptive cruise
control, have continued to improve safety.
As vehicle to vehicle (v2v) and vehicle
to infrastructure (v2i) communication
become common, an 81% reduction in
crashes could be achieved among unim-
paired drivers.
Technologies have the potential to
increase the capacity of existing roadways
and intersections, through more efficient
signal timing and tighter vehicle spacing.
As these technologies begin to emerge
La Quinta should update infrastructure
technologies to maximize capacity and
safety of the network.
A range of new users have emerged
in recent years, including operators of
bikeshare bikes, electric scooters and
Transportation Network Companies
(TNC) vehicles such as Lyft/Uber.
Design needs may include reserved zones
for shared mobility parking and pick-up/
drop-off areas for TNCs. In the coming
years, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are
anticipated to have significant impacts on
street design needs. It is anticipated that
automation will have a significant impact
on the efficiency of parking, as well as the
use of curb space for passenger loading/
drop-offs.
I. Tactical Implementation
The idea of tactical introduction of
food trucks and pop up space has been
discussed for many areas of the site. The
spaces behind the current shopping cen-
ters could be quickly repurposed to invite
in users of the CV Link. Likewise, space
along Highway 111 that will someday be
on-street parking, could be used for food
trucks or even parklets to help change
the use and character along the corridor
quickly.
Even the fundamental changes to the
Highway 111 corridor itself need not wait
for streetscape reconstruction funds to
emerge. Many communities have used
paint to reposition the corridor to its
eventual width and operations to test out
the consequences at a lower cost (with the
ability to reverse if needed). This can be a
way to start reaping the benefits of things
like safer driving speeds and shorter
crosswalks earlier in the change process.
J. Pilot to Permanent Approach
Elements such as curb extensions or
pedestrian safety islands can be piloted
with lower-cost materials including
pavement markings and delineator
posts. The pilot to permanent approach
allows for quick implementation and the
opportunity to observe project impacts
prior to permanent installation. However,
project elements should take into account
existing streetscape plans for different
roadway users to ensure long-term com-
patibility. For example, the design of curb
extensions at intersections should not
extend into the space needed for planned
bikeways.
K. Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Opportunities will arise over time to
implement some projects in a shorter
timeframe, including as streets come
up for regularly scheduled re-surfacing
(funds to cover other project costs such as
signal modifications could be required).
Where possible, these projects should
also be included in previously planned
city improvements, including those in the
Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
Several long-term projects that could
complete the corridor’s transportation
network could be implemented at any
time.
59
56 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan 60
Part 4: Implementation 57
04 Implementation
This Section describes the steps and actions to imple-
ment the Highway 111 Corridor Plan based on collabo-
ration with community members, City decision makers,
and City Staff.
The Highway 111 Corridor Plan is designed to be
implemented over the next 20 years (2020 —2040) by
residents, business and property owners, non-profit orga-
nizations, community groups, city and county agencies,
and elected and appointed officials. Some actions are
straightforward and relatively easy to achieve, others will
demand significant investment of time and resources and
will require steadfast commitment on numerous levels.
The City will need to develop robust partnerships with
local businesses, residents and other public agencies to
fully implement the vision outlined for the Highway 111
Corridor. These partnerships will be crucial to ensuring
the most important strategies are being implemented,
and the most pressing community needs are being
addressed.
Time frames: Each action includes a time frame, within
which the action is recommended to be carried out.
These are intended to provide a general sense of how
long it will take to implement the action.
• Ongoing: Some actions require continuous monitor-
ing or effort. These are identified as ongoing actions.
• Immediate: Begin work immediately.
• Near term: Begin work within 1 to 3 years.
• Mid term: Begin work within 4 to 7 years.
• Long term: Begin work within 7 to 10 years.
Implementers: Agencies and partners most likely to
carry out the action. Most actions include one or more
City Departments. In some cases, however, the action is
entirely within the private or non-profit sector.
Funding Sources: Potential funding sources are identi-
fied for each action item.
61
58 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Regulatory Framework
This Plan represents the community’s vision for the
Highway 111 Corridor area. This vision includes a physi-
cal masterplan and broad land use policies to implement
the vision. One of the most important implementation
tools is the development code that is intended to regulate
and direct land development to create the place imagined
by the community’s vision. For this to happen, the devel-
opment code must be based on the community vision.
In the absence of a coordinated vision, for a long
time, individual sets of regulations contained within 11
Specific Plans, Zoning Codes, and Design Guidelines
have attempted to shape the pattern and character of
development that we see on Highway 111 today.
The standards in the various Specific Plans and
remnant zoning districts are not based on a community
supported physical vision for the Highway 111 corridor.
The Specific Plans fail to address design of complete
streets and range of interconnected public and private
open spaces. Therefore, the existing standards will not
be effective in implementing the Highway 111 Corridor
Plan vision.
The Highway 111 Corridor Plan recommends a Place-
Based Code (aka form-based codes) be adopted. These
Place-based standards would be closely calibrated to the
community supported physical vision for the Highway
111 corridor.
Place-based Codes (PBC) emphasize standards that
shape the collective public realm and offer a great deal
of flexibility in the individual private realm. Standards
for the public realm are based on a vision. Conversely,
existing development codes control the use of the private
realm with vague standards that have been unable to
conceptualize a cohesive public realm.
PBCs are clear and precise standards that offer predict-
ability. Like the vision, the PBCs are also developed with
citizen input. The citizens have a higher comfort level
with the end result that the standards are likely to pro-
duce. City staff gets a streamlined and easy to administer
review process. PBCs also create more choices, more
opportunities and more options for the property owner.
In place-based coding, it is much easier to align the
form, uses, building types, and infrastructure with
market potential. This is because PBCs are an end-to-
end integrated product that brings together the various
disciplines of planning, design, economic development,
Blackhawk Way
Ave 48
Ave 47
CV Li
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k
Dune Palms RdDune Palms RdJefferson StAdams StAdams StWashington St111
111
engineering, and public safety early on to perform in
unison. It becomes possible to analyze the communi-
ty-supported vision from every point of view, to figure
out the cost, and understand how various public and
private partners can implement that vision. The results
are therefore more predictable. At the same time, a
lighter focus on use allows buildings to be nimble to the
market.
Example of Highway 111 Corridor Regulating Plan: The regulating plan, unlike typical use-based zoning codes, is based on development
intensity and character, on a block-to-block, lot-to-lot basis. The different zone colors represent a great deal of physical determination and
legal implication, and provide a very high level of context sensitivity and detail.
62
Part 4: Implementation 59
Components of the Highway 111 Corridor PBC should
include:
Section 1 Purpose and Applicability
Purpose, use, and applicability of the code.
Section 2 Zones and Regulting Plan
Map with zones that assign the code’s various stan-
dards to physical locations.
Section 3 Land Use Standards
Allowed, prohibited, and restricted land uses.
Section 4 Development Standards by Zone
Setbacks, height, and parking standards aimed at
generating the individual buildings on a block that
collectively with other buildings will shape the form of
the public realm.
Section 5 Building Standards
Design standards for individual buildings.
Section 6 Frontage Standards
Standards for private frontages that provide a transi-
tion and interface between the street and the building.
Section 7 Street and Block Standards
Design standards for streets and blocks.
Section 8 Civic Space Standards
Standards for parks and open spaces.
Section 9 Landscape Standards
Landscape standards for streets and open spaces.
Section 10 Signs and Other Design Standards
Design standards for signs and streetscape elements.
Section 11 Administration
Responsibility and authority to review and make final
decision.
Section 12 Definitions
General and land use terms defined.
There are a couple of options on how the PBC
can be deployed:
Option 1: The Place-Based Code can be adopted
for the entire Corridor all at once; or
Option 2: Proceed incrementally in a phased ap-
proach. Begin with re-coding those areas where
(re)development pressures are the greatest. Such
sites could include City-owned parcels, vacant
sites, or sites with underutilized assets. Over
time, as other parcels are ready for redevelop-
ment, the Place-Based Code could be expanded
to other areas of the Corridor.
Lot
Private Frontage
R.O.W
Public Frontage
Lot
Private Frontage
R.O.W
Public Frontage
Frontages generate street level facades that support active and
continuous pedestrian friendly environment. Frontages range in
design and character depending on the context.63
60 La Quinta Highway 111 Corridor Plan
Funding Sources
To carry out the actions recommended
in this Plan, a variety of Federal, State,
regional, local, and private funding
sources have been identified:
Federal
Community Development Block Grant
This fund accounts for activities of the
Community Development Block Grant
received from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, in-
cluding monies received from this agency
as part of the federal stimulus program.
National Endowment for the Arts
Grants for Arts Projects
The NEA Grants fund institutions
whose projects are vehicles for any of the
following: the portfolio of American Art
is expanded, Americans throughout the
nation experience art, and Americans of
all ages acquire knowledge or skills in
the arts, and American communities are
strengthened through the arts.
State
Enhanced Infrastructure Financing
District (EIFD)
An EIFD is a governmental entity
established by a city that carries out a
plan within a defined area (boundaries of
which do not need to be contiguous) to
construct, improve and rehabilitate in-
frastructure; construct housing, libraries,
and parks; remediate brownfields, etc.
Active Transportation Program (ATP)
ATP taps both state and federal funds
for bike and pedestrian projects across
California. The program allows cities
to compete for grants to build bicycle/
pedestrian paths, install bike racks, and
other projects or programs that make
walking or biking easier, safer and more
convenient.
Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant
The Caltrans Sustainable Transportation
Planning Grants seeks to fund projects
that ensure consideration of sustainability,
preservation, mobility, safety, innovation,
economy, health, and equity in transpor-
tation planning.
California Strategic Growth Council
(CSGC)
The CSGC provides grants to cities to
promote sustainable community planning
and natural resource conservation. The
grant program supports development,
adoption, and implementation of various
planning elements in three focus areas:
Local Sustainable Planning, Regional SB
375 Plus, and Regional Planning Activi-
ties with Multiple Partners.
California Arts Council (CAC)
CAC offers grants as well as provides a
great resource to search for other grants
by applicant type and field.
Proposition 68
Authorizes $4 billion in general obliga-
tion bonds for: creation and rehabilitation
of state and local parks, natural resources
protection projects, climate adaptation
projects, water quality and supply
projects, and flood protection.
Proposition 41
Authorizes $600 million in general
obligation bonds for affordable multifam-
ily supportive housing to relieve home-
lessness, affordable transitional housing,
affordable rental housing, or related
facilities for veterans and their families.
Regional
AQMD Program
The AB 2766 Motor Vehicle Subvention
Program is a funding source for cities to
encourage the development of measures
or projects that result in the reduction of
motor vehicle emissions. Projects include
alternate fuels/electric vehicles, vehicle
emissions abatement, land use strategies
that encourage people to walk, bike or
use public transit, traffic management,
transportation demand management,
effective bike expenditures, PM reduction
strategies, and public education.
SCAG Sustainable Planning Grant
The Southern California Association
of Government (SCAG) offers direct
funding of innovative planning initiatives
for member cities through the Sustain-
ability Planning Grants program. The
Sustainability Planning Grants Program
provides direct technical assistance to
SCAG member jurisdictions to complete
planning and policy efforts that enable
implementation of the regional SCS.
Grants are available in the following
three categories:
• Integrated Land Use – Sustainable
Land Use Planning, Transit Oriented
Development (TOD) and Land Use
& Transportation Integration;
• Active Transportation – Bicycle,
Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School
Plans;
• Green Region – Natural Resource
Plans, Climate Action Plans (CAPs)
and Green House Gas (GHG)
Reduction programs.
Measure A
In 1988, voters approved Measure A,
Riverside County’s half-cent sales tax for
transportation as a proactive response to
growing congestion. In addition to major
highway and transit projects, funding is
also provided to improve local streets and
roads.
Local
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
The CIP identifies all of the major proj-
ects to be undertaken to improve facilities
and infrastructure within the city. During
the fiscal year, a separate CIP document
that reflects the current year program and
proposes a program of prioritized projects
for the next four to five years is prepared.
City Departments submit all proposed
projects in the foreseeable future, along
with their best cost-estimate. The
request includes the year a project will
commence, any funding sources that may
be available with either future sources or
ones which might have been previously
designated, justification for the project,
and on-going costs expected to occur
64
Part 4: Implementation 61
after the project has been completed.
The CIP budget team then compiles the
information and presents a draft CIP
program to the City Council. Projects are
prioritized, based on City Council and
staff input.
General Fund
The General Fund is the City’s largest
single fund type used to account for basic
City services such as police, fire, design
and development, community resources,
and general administration. The three
major sources of revenue are property,
sales, and transient occupancy taxes. For
the 19-20 budget, the breakdown is as
follows:
Total Revenue 57,847,200
Property Tax 9,344,200 or 16.2% of the
total
TOT 9,860,000 or 17%
Sales Tax (all) 19,782,400 or 34.2%, of
which 9,535,900 (16.5%) is the City’s
Bradley-Burns 1% allocation of sales tax
and 10,246,500 (17.7%) is the Measure
G 1% transaction tax.
Property Business Improvement District
A Property and Business Improvement
District (PBID) is a mechanism of fund-
ing improvements through assessments to
businesses and real property within the
established PBID boundaries. Under the
Property and Business Improvement Dis-
trict Law of 1994, revenues from PBID
assessments may be used to fund capital
improvements and maintenance costs for
projects such as parking facilities, street
furniture, public restrooms, art, parks,
street and streetscape enhancements,
and plazas. A PBID formation petition,
which is initiated by property owners,
requires the signature of more than 50
percent of the property owners, weighted
by assessment liability.
Park Dedication Fees
The City receives fees from developers to
fund recreation facilities. These funds are
used for qualified recreational purposes
throughout the city.
Art in Public Places Fund
To account for development fees paid
in lieu of acquisition and installation of
approved artworks in a development with
expenditures restricted to acquisition,
installation, maintenance and repair of
artworks at approved sites.
Measure G
A One Percent (1%) sales tax measure,
approved by voters in 2016, increased
the sales tax from 8% to 9%. All revenue
generated by this Measure goes to the
City’s general fund and is available for
expenditure for any and all services,
programs and projects funded by the City,
including: police protection; projects such
as parks, streets, landscaping and flood
control; programs attracting businesses;
youth/senior services, sports/recreation
programs; and preserving property values
and quality of life.
Various Grant Funds
Various Federal, State, and regional grant
programs distribute funding for public
improvements. Because grant programs
are typically competitive, grant funds are
an unpredictable funding source.
Developer Contributions
Development Impact Fee
The City charges one-time impact fees on
new private development to offset the cost
of improving or expanding City facilities
to accommodate the project. Impact fees
are used to help fund the construction
or expansion of needed capital improve-
ments.
Development Agreements
Development agreements are contracts
negotiated between project proponents
and public agencies that govern the land
uses that may be allowed in a particular
project. Development agreements provide
a developer with assurances for a specified
length of time that the proposed project
may proceed as originally approved, and
not be affected by future changes in land
use regulations. In exchange for this
assurance, the landowner/developer may
agree to public improvements, land dedi-
cations, or in-lieu fees, as negotiated with
the City, as a condition of the agreement.
65
66
WRITTEN
COMMENTS
CITY COUNCIL
& PLANNING
COMMISSION
SPECIAL JOINT
MEETING
OCTOBER 28, 2019
SPECIAL MEETING OF LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION – OCTOBER 28, 2019
WRITTEN COMMENTS BY STEVE CHERY
STUDY SESSION ITEM NO. 1 – HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT PLAN
1
Steve Cherry
Comments On Highway 111 Corridor Plan, 28 October 2019
Question for Rangwala Presenter: "If someone pushed you into a corner and put a gun
to your head and demanded that you tell what the number one approach that the city
should pursue to meet their requirement. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?"
Would it be construction of the CV Link within the city, or narrowering the auto lanes
and installing curbside parking, or...?
If the recommended approach is for a program off Hwy 111 then an inventory of
available building sites is required. Does such an inventory exist?
Whatever program is chosen by the city, a strong coalition of interested parties must be
established. It is likely that whatever is chosen will impact some of the 465 businesses
located along Hwy 111. Therefore, a working relationship must be established with this
group. It would be preferable if this group was represented by a single spokesperson
so that mutual tasks could be negotiated more quickly. It may be possible to identify
such a single point person by contacting the La Quinta Chamber Of Commerce at 760-
347-0676.
The desire to make Hwy 111 more pedestrian friendly will ultimately involve SunLine
Transit Agency to restructure or add more routes. My most recent conversation with
Ms. Lauren Skiver (CEO/General Manager of SunLine) indicated that they would be
willing to participate provided the city took the first step in initiating the project. (The city
is represented by councilman Dr. Robert Radi on the SunLine board of directors.)
Thus, a combination of the three interested parties (and, possibly others identified along
the way) would do much to make for a smooth project execution.
I attended the first charrette where one of the citizen members remarked on the
inadequacy of the signage along Hwy 111 in that she could not find the retail store she
was seeking. A great topic for discussion but one that was "blown off" by the event
moderator.
I took this situation to heart and, armed with my digital camera, I took photos of all the
"tombstones" along the Hwy 111 side walk. (These photos were later presented to the
La Quinta city council during a regularly scheduled meeting.) My untrained eye quickly
supported the position that the existing signage along Hwy 111 was inadequate - they
did not list all the retail stores in their area, they were not lit so their usage diminished at
night, etc.
SPECIAL MEETING OF LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION – OCTOBER 28, 2019
WRITTEN COMMENTS BY STEVE CHERY
STUDY SESSION ITEM NO. 1 – HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT PLAN
2
An adequate template was identified as that of the I10 Auto Mall which combined a
digital bill board with the names of all nine auto agencies. This sign was double sided
and illuminated, both features missing from the existing Hwy 111 signage. The digital
bill board was used so that each auto agency could post their "special of the day."
This approach could be carried over to Hwy 111 wherein for 45 sec. the digital bill board
would list the names of all the retail outlets in the area. Then, for 15 sec each outlet
could post their "special of the day," with the return to outlet names now being in a new
order so that each outlet would be shown at the top of the list. (I have a 12-year old
grandson who would be delighted to do the digital programming.)
SPECIAL MEETING OF LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION – OCTOBER 28, 2019
WRITTEN COMMENTS BY STEVE CHERY
STUDY SESSION ITEM NO. 1 – HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT PLAN
3
The final report offers the following text after I performed a "signage" search in the PDF
file format.
"Signage will provide direction, information, identification. In addition, regulatory signs
such as 'no parking' and 'no exit' will establish rules and order. Smartphone and the
Global Positioning System (GPS) have put powerful wayfinding tools into the hands of
almost every person. In the future, digital solutions for wayfinding could become more
ubiquitous and offer another platform to guide people and enhance their experience
along the Corridor."
This text seems to assume that the future belongs to smart phones, GPS and Google
Maps and that the need for physical signage will vanish like the need for telephone land
lines. Does the city want to go down that route?
I live about 7 miles from Hwy 111 so that I stack-up 4 or 5 errands to be run. This
means I drive to my first stop, take care of business, get back into my car and drive to
the second stop. Do you get the message - I'm spending more time in my car than
taking carere of business - a most wasteful arrangement.
Now, suppose there was a small SunLine hop-on, hop-off bus (electric powered would
be nice) that would allow me to drive to Hwy 111 and leave my car behind while I took
care of business. In addition, each retail store would offer me the opportunity to have
my purchases delivered to my home for a nominal amount. (Carrying a load of 2x4
pieces of lumber on a 14-passenger bus would not be cool.) Indeed, a really major win-
win situation would be evident if every retail outlet offered this home delivery option.
(Just think of this as the GrubHub of Hwy 111.) I would win since I didn't have to carry
the 2x4 lumber and the retail outlet would win as they had a new income source.
This situation is an instance of the need for close cooperation among the city, retail
outlet owners and SunLine.
Page 32 of the report discusses the use of parking lots to host public events, e.g., street
fair. Please visualize the following phone call between the La Quinta mayor and the
owner of TJ Maxx:
"Good morning Mr. (Mrs.) Maxx. I would like you to give up your parking lot this
Saturday so that the city can host a major event, one that will bring the residents of La
Quinta closer together." Response from Mr. (Mrs.) TJ Maxx "I'll get back to you after
the next city election."
Page 53 very briefly discusses the impact on regularly scheduled bus routes.
"The question is commonly asked whether the buses can drop off in the shopping
center parking lots rather than along the street, but that sort of pattern costs a lot of time
SPECIAL MEETING OF LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION – OCTOBER 28, 2019
WRITTEN COMMENTS BY STEVE CHERY
STUDY SESSION ITEM NO. 1 – HIGHWAY 111 CORRIDOR DRAFT PLAN
4
and is not fair to other riders on the route who are not destined for the shopping
centers."
This question has already been raised with SunLine before in the context of a separate
hop-on, hop-off bus route that would indeed bring passengers to the front door of most
retail spaces. This service would be strictly limited to both sides of Hwy 111 between
Jefferson and Washington and would not interfere with the regularly scheduled service
on Hwy 111. This proposal will need the combined resources of the city of La Quinta,
the 465 retail outlet owners and SunLine.
POWER POINTS
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
OCTOBER 1, 2019