2022 03 01 Council & PC Sp Joint MtgSPECIAL JOINT MEETING 1 MARCH 1, 2022
LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL & PLANNING COMMISSION
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, LA QUINTA
PLANNING COMMISSION 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 Tuesday, March 1, 2022, commencing at 6:00 p.m. (or soon
thereafter) at La Quinta City Hall located at 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta,
CA 92253 for the following purpose:
STUDY SESSION
1. VILLAGE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Dated: February 25, 2022 /s/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
the Special Joint Meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission of the
City of La Quinta on March 1, 2022, 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 February 25, 2022.
MONIKA RADEVA, City Clerk
City of La Quinta
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION Page 1 of 4 MARCH 1, 2022
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA
AGENDA
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
OF THE LA QUINTA CITY COUNCIL
AND PLANNING COMMISSION
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022 AT 6:00 P.M. (or shortly thereafter)
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SPECIAL NOTICE
Teleconferencing and Telephonic Accessibility In Effect
Pursuant to Executive Orders N-60-20 and N-08-21 executed by the Governor of
California, and subsequently Assembly Bill 361 (AB 361, 2021), enacted in response
to the state of emergency relating to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
and enabling teleconferencing accommodations by suspending or waiving specified
provisions in the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code § 54950 et seq.), members
of the public, the City Council, Planning Commission, the City Manager, City
Attorney, City Staff, and City Consultants may participate in this regular meeting
by teleconference.
Members of the public wanting to listen to the open session of the meeting may
do so by tuning-in live via http://laquinta.12milesout.com/video/live.
Members of the public wanting to address the City Council and Planning
Commission, either for a specific agenda item or matters not on the agenda are
requested to follow the instructions listed below:
Written public comments – can be provided in-person during the meeting or
emailed to the City Clerk’s Office at CityClerkMail@LaQuintaCA.gov preferably by
2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting, and will be distributed to the City Council
and Planning Commission, incorporated into the agenda packet and public record
City Council agendas and staff reports
are available on the City’s
web page: www.LaQuintaCA.gov
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION Page 2 of 4 MARCH 1, 2022
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA
of the meeting, and will not be read during the meeting unless, upon the request
of the Mayor, a brief summary of any public comment is asked to be read, to the
extent the City Clerk’s Office can accommodate such request.
The email “subject line” must clearly state “Written Comments” and list the
following:
1) Full Name 4) Public Comment or Agenda Item Number
2) City of Residence 5) Subject
3) Phone Number 6) Written Comments
*** TELECONFERENCE PROCEDURES ***
Verbal public comments via Teleconference – members of the public may
attend and participate in this meeting by teleconference via Zoom and use
the “raise your hand” feature when public comments are prompted by the Mayor or
Chairperson; the City will facilitate the ability for a member of the public to be
audible to the City Council, Planning Commission and general public and allow
him/her/they to speak on the item(s) requested. Please note – members of the
public must unmute themselves when prompted upon being recognized by
the Mayor or Chairperson, in order to become audible to the City Council
and Planning Commission, and the public.
Only one person at a time may speak by teleconference and only after being
recognized by the Mayor or Chairperson.
ZOOM LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82540879912
Meeting ID: 825 4087 9912
Or join by phone: (253) 215 – 8782
It would be appreciated that any email communications for public comments related
to the items on the agenda, or for general public comment, are provided to the City
Clerk’s Office at the email address listed above prior to the commencement of the
meeting. If that is not possible, and to accommodate public comments on items
that may be added to the agenda after its initial posting or items that are on the
agenda, every effort will be made to attempt to review emails received by the City
Clerk’s Office during the course of the meeting. The Mayor or Chairperson will
endeavor to take a brief pause before action is taken on any agenda item to allow
the City Clerk to review emails and share any public comments received during the
meeting. All emails received by the City Clerk, at the email address above, until the
adjournment of the meeting, will be included within the public record relating to the
meeting.
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CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION Page 3 of 4 MARCH 1, 2022
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL:
Councilmembers: Fitzpatrick, Peña, Radi, Sanchez, Mayor Evans
Commissioners: Caldwell, Currie, Hassett, McCune, Proctor, Tyerman, Chairperson
Nieto
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA
At this time, members of the public may address the City Council and Planning
Commission on any matter not listed on the agenda by providing written public
comments either in-person or via email as indicated above; or provide verbal
public comments either in-person or via teleconference by joining the meeting
virtually at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82540879912 and use the “raise
your hand” feature when prompted by the Mayor or Chairperson. Members of the
public attending the meeting in-person are requested to complete a “Request to
Speak” form and submit it to the City Clerk. Please limit your comments to three
(3) minutes (or approximately 350 words). The City Council and Planning
Commission value 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 the Brown Act [Government Code § 54954.2(b)].
CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA
STUDY SESSION
PAGE
1. VILLAGE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE 5
COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS’ ITEMS
ADJOURNMENT
*********************************
The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held on March 15, 2022 at 4:00
p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA
92253. The next regular meeting of the Planning Commission will be held on March
8, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers, 78495 Calle Tampico, La
Quinta, CA 92253.
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION Page 4 of 4 MARCH 1, 2022
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING AGENDA
DECLARATION OF POSTING
I, Monika Radeva, City Clerk, of the City of La Quinta, do hereby declare that the
foregoing Agenda for the Special Joint Meeting of the La Quinta City Council and
Planning Commission 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 February 25, 2022.
DATED: February 25, 2022
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) 777-7123,
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)
777-7123. 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
SPECIAL JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING:
March 1, 2022
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA TITLE: VILLAGE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss Village Commercial District Development Update.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides an update on development in the Village Commercial
(VC) District, current planning efforts underway, and identifies some
constraints as well as opportunities for development.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
La Quinta’s Municipal Code Section 9.70.100 states the purpose of the VC
District as follows:
“The purpose of the Village Commercial District is to develop the village
area as a year-round commercial, residential and recreational location,
serving residents and guests of the greater La Quinta community; to
promote development standards to accommodate projects and activities
which will provide goods, services and housing; promoting pedestrian
accessibility and scale, maintaining connections to La Quinta's artistic and
architectural heritage; and guiding design to acknowledge and embrace
the desert environment.
Permitted uses in the VC zoning district will combine urban living,
essential day-to-day neighborhood goods and services, tourism and
visitor-based retail and entertainment opportunities, and facilities
necessary for the operational demands of such uses.”
The VC District allows a wide range of nonresidential uses including general
retail, office, and service uses, general services, dining and entertainment
(restaurants, bars, theaters, lounges), recreational uses, assembly uses
(churches and social clubs), hotels. Residential uses allowed are multi-family
STUDY SESSION ITEM NO. 1
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residential (minimum three units) and mixed-use developments, such as
ground floor commercial or office with residential floors above. Uses that
are not allowed include new single-family homes, clinics, hospitals, drive-
through restaurants, car washes and vehicle repair or sales shops, and
warehousing or industrial uses.
Village Build-Out Plan Area
The Village Build-Out Plan Area was established to “promote development
and redevelopment of the village by providing development standards that
encourage the implementation of mixed-use projects, pedestrian scale
development and connectivity, and economic growth” (Code Section
9.70.110 – Village). Build-out assumptions were established and accounted
for in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Village to allow for future
development intensity and streamline the development review process. The
build-out assumes several scenarios in different areas of the Village:
1) new dwelling units will be developed over commercial uses in multi-
story buildings,
2) existing dwelling units will remain in place, and
3) some existing nonresidential buildings will be replaced with new
buildings. For “Miscellaneous lots one-half acre or less - two-story
buildings commercial only, no residential”.
The maximum density allowed in the Village Build-Out Plan Area is 25 units
per acre south of Calle Tampico, and 30 units per acre north of Calle Tampico.
Maximum building height is 45 feet, and up to 60 feet with a Conditional Use
Permit.
Some notable development that has occurred over the last three to five years
in the Village that is consistent with the purpose of the VC District and Village
Build-Out Plan Area:
Village Make: A 2017 event which showcased City Active
Transportation Grant (ATP) improvements (roundabouts and midblock
crossings), and other street improvements that make walking and
bicycling in the Village safer and more enjoyable. The event included
interactive art installations, and demonstrations activating alleyways,
installing temporary art and providing for safe pedestrian crossings.
Following the 2017 event, the Complete Streets project has been
constructed, four murals have been commissioned; Volta by John
Cuevas at the library, Hydra by John Cuevas at the Frontier building,
Chromaplex by Chris Sanchez (Kasinfinite) next to the Creation Station
(makerspace), and most recently Bird Song by Nate Frizzell on the east
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side of the lumberyard building. True Blue hummingbird and Colibri blue
heron art sculptures by Don Kennell were purchased and placed within
the Village. Colorful crosswalk artwork by John Cuevas has been added
at mid-block pedestrian crossings at Calle Tampico and Eisenhower.
The La Quinta Village Complete Streets – A Road Diet Project:
focused on making roadways safer and more accessible to pedestrians
and bicycles in the La Quinta Village and was completed in January
2021. The installation of five modern roundabouts allowed the four lane
facilities to be reduced to two lanes, reclaiming as much as 35 feet for
active transportation and water quality uses (through the installation of
bioswales), while maintaining traffic flow. Safety was improved by
significantly reducing speeds along three busy corridors, providing
separation between pedestrian, bikes and vehicles and reducing conflict
points at the intersections. For pedestrians and cyclists, signal-
controlled intersections contain as many as 24 conflict points (locations
in or approaching an intersection where paths merge, diverge, or cross
with vehicles), with roundabouts having only 8 conflict points.
Additionally, this project closed gaps in bicycle facilities by providing
separated bicycle lanes and shared use paths (SUPs). The
implementation of the road diet converted the La Quinta Village into an
atmosphere that encourages alternative modes of transportation. The
project also incorporated landscape enhancements, opportunities for
future art installations, drainage, and water quality improvements.
Multi-family residential and mixed-use projects in the Village –
have been entitled and have begun the building permit process. Desert
Club Apartments is a 16-unit apartment building on 1.3 acres (56,628
sq. feet) at 12.3 units per acre, and The Peak is a three-story mixed-
use project on 0.38 acres (16,553 sq. feet) with office uses on the
ground floor and eight (8) residential units on the 2nd and 3rd floors (21
units per acre as a mixed-use project). Both projects face Desert Club
Drive, and are consistent with the Village Build-Out Plan for urban,
multi-family residential living and mixed uses that are walkable to
nearby restaurants, entertainment, and services.
Al Fresco Dining – La Quinta’s Al Fresco Dining Program has allowed
restaurants to expand their dining operations outdoors due to the impact
of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Old Town and throughout, while some
restaurants previously had outdoor dining, the Program has allowed
restaurants to expand outdoor dining and has activated the Village area.
Many of the restaurants continue to provide outdoor dining day and
night. Staff is developing a permanent Program to establish design
standards and a permitting process to assure compliance with City
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building codes, proper clearances and access, public safety, and ABC
licensing requirements.
La Quinta Village Shopping Center (northwest corner of Calle
Tampico and Washington Street) – after a 2020 zone change from
Neighborhood Commercial to Community Commercial, 2021 saw
significant activity with new development and businesses within this
center, including:
o New drive-through Starbucks with outdoor patio opened in early
2021,
o Grocery Outlet opened in Fall 2021 taking up half of the old Ralph’s
building,
o Los Arcos restaurant opened in the former Pizza Hut suite,
o A new “Village Peddler” bike rental business, and
o Three new restaurants are anticipated to open in 2022.
Parking Studies
In 2016, City staff completed an updated Village Parking Study, which included
taking inventory of all parking spaces available to the public throughout the
Village. There is a total of 4,126 spaces in the Village Build-Out Plan area
(3,239 off-street, 887 on-street). From 2016-2020, Staff conducted biannual
parking occupancy surveys in peak season (January) and off-peak season
(August), where staff counted the number of parking spaces occupied
throughout the day on a weekday and weekend (daytime and evenings), to
study the parking demand in the Village. Staff found that approximately 17-
30% of parking spaces were occupied in peak season and 13-22% of parking
spaces were occupied in the off-peak season. In the “Village Core” zone (in
and surrounding Old Town), anywhere from 55-80% of parking spaces were
occupied in peak season, and 25-42% were occupied in the off-peak season.
The parking count surveys demonstrate that there are always available
parking spaces in the Village area, and about 20% of available parking in and
surrounding Old Town during peak demand weekday/weekend evenings.
Staff also prepared a study on increasing the number of parking spaces in and
surrounding Old Town, where parking demand is the highest. The current
parking lot west of Stuft Pizza (off of Avenida Bermudas) could be redesigned
to add more parking spaces, and the current parking lot just east of Old Town
(across from RD RNNR) could be expanded into a portion of the vacant lot
next to it. The study included updating lighting, parking curb and landscaping
improvements, ADA parking spaces, adding golf cart and motorcycle parking,
and electric vehicle parking and charging stations. The study demonstrated
that 24 spaces could be added to the west lot (across from Stuft Pizza) and
70 spaces added to the east lot (across from RD RNNR), a total of 94 additional
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parking spaces. The additional spaces are achieved with reconfiguration and
more efficient layout of the parking spaces on the lots, including additional
area to the east lot from an adjacent gravel lot. The costs for the design and
construction improvements range from $207,400 to $900,000. This project is
not currently included in the CIP.
Cultural Campus/Museum Master Planning
A Cultural Campus Project/Museum Master Plan and design services will be
completed this year. The Master Plan will create a cohesive cultural site that
features enhancements to the La Quinta Museum and casita, redesign of the
lumberyard, and development of an art promenade and cultural garden. The
site would provide the community and visitors a space to enjoy cultural and
artistic experiences, performances, and educational workshops, and the Plan
will consider enhanced pedestrian connectivity to other Village amenities and
attractions.
Development Constraints and Challenges
Over the past several years, the City’s economic development team has
actively pursued and marketed development of vacant parcels in the Village,
especially City-owned parcels (Attachment 1 – Map of City-owned parcels and
private-owned parcels within the Village Commercial District). Through
meetings with property owners and developers, the City’s economic
development team has learned of some of the constraints and challenges of
development within this area from developers:
Project engineering is cost-prohibitive; multi-level development is
costly.
La Quinta’s Municipal Code (Chapter 8.03 Electrical Code) restricts the
installation of above-ground electrical and other utility components in
new construction. The developer’s obligation is to underground all
existing power and communication transmission lines that exist on the
site and adjacent right-of-way. The Village has a complicated network
of utility poles serving the area. Undergrounding utility poles for new
construction on one development site likely affects many other
properties, is costly, and the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) has a long
process.
Village Build-Out Plan encourages lot consolidation to achieve mixed-
use residential/commercial developments at higher densities, but lot
consolidation in some of the areas in the Village is difficult when there
are multiple owners for each parcel in one area, or there are already
adjacent developed properties making lot consolidation unachievable.
For some of the vacant lots, these become infill sites surrounding an
already built environment
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Single lots remain vacant. Lots of approximately 5,000 square feet or
less in size are difficult to develop because of constraints due to size.
Some options/opportunities
Staff has met with a developer who is interested in building a tourist
house/home on a single lot in the Village. Tourist houses/homes, to be
used exclusively for transient occupancy for 30 days or less, are not
listed as a permitted use in the Village. Hotels and short-term rentals
are allowed in Village Commercial District. However, construction of
new single-family homes, which then can be permitted as a short-term
rental use, are not a permitted use in the VC District. Tourist
houses/homes could be added as a permitted use with a zoning code
amendment. Tourist houses/homes would be consistent with the
Village’s purpose of allowing uses for guests and tourists, promoting
tourism in an appropriately zoned area, contributing to the local
economy and producing additional transient occupancy tax (TOT)
revenue.
Impose a surcharge or in-lieu fee on new development in the Village to
help fund future undergrounding of utilities; Prepare a fee study to
impose a surcharge on new development to pay their fair share of the
costs to underground the utilities.
Feasibility Study for Undergrounding Utility Poles
Staff is proposing to include a Village Undergrounding Feasibility Study as part
of the FY2022-2022 Capital Improvement Plan currently under staff
development. The Feasibility Study will assess the costs and process for
undergrounding all IID utility poles within the outlined Village area.
Prepared by: Danny Castro, Design and Development Director
Approved by: Jon McMillen, City Manager
Attachment: 1. Map of City-owned parcels and private-owned parcels
within the Village Commercial District
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TRADITION TRLCALLE ILOILOCOYOTE CANYON CTCALLE KALIMACALLE ESTADO
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Community Development Department
Village Development
October 14, 2014
®
Planning Division
Vacant Properties
City-owned Properties
Village Zoning District
ATTACHMENT 1
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POWER POINTS
SPECIAL JOINT CITY
COUNCIL & PLANNING
COMMISSION MEETING
MARCH 1, 2022
03/01/2022
32
Special Joint City Council and
Planning Commission Meeting
March 1, 2022
S1 – Village Commercial District Development
Update
Background
•Village Commercial “VC” zone established to
develop the village as a “year-round
commercial, residential and recreational
location”
•Permitted uses are wide ranging: combine
urban living to include multi- family/mixed
use residential, goods and services, tourism,
and retail and entertainment uses
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03/01/2022
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Zoning
Village Build Out Plan
•2016 City approves Village Build out Plan EIR and Zoning Amendment
–Analyzed build out estimate on increased density, widespread mixed use, and development standards changing (1.0 FAR, 45-60 max heights, zero lot lines, 50% parking reduction)
–Staff receives hundreds of public comments with outreach projects
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03/01/2022
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Village Build-Out Plan Area
Village Build-Out Plan Area
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03/01/2022
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Village Development
•2017 Village Make event showed City
ATP improvements along with future
ideas.
•Complete Streets “Road Diet” project
completed
Mural Art
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03/01/2022
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Sculptures and Colorful
Pedestrian Crossings
Complete
Streets
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03/01/2022
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Complete
Streets
Village Development
Projects entitled and in building permit
process
Desert Club Apartments (16 units)The Peak –Mixed Use Office/Residential above
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03/01/2022
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Village Development
Al Fresco Dining allowed restaurants to expand during COVID
indoor dining regulations, including in and around Old Town
Parking Studies
•2016 Village Parking Study took
inventory of spaces (4,126) and
began biannual parking counts
•17-30% occupied in peak season,
13-22% in off-peak season
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03/01/2022
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Parking Studies
•2021 Study looked at increasing parking spaces in existing parking lots West of Stuft Pizza, and east of Old Town
•Study included updated lighting, infrastructure, landscaping, alternative parking, and concluded:
–Total 94 additional parking spaces (24 West, 70 East)
–$207,000 - $900,000
West
Lot
East Lot
Old Town
Avenida BermudasDesert ClubCalle Tampico
Cultural Campus Master Plan
•Cultural Campus Plan soon underway, next to existing Museum
•Will create cohesive cultural site with enhancements to museum
•Lumberyard redesign, and development of art promenade and garden
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Constraints/Challenges
•Project engineering is difficult
•LQMC requires undergrounding of utilities poles, which proves costly/lengthy especially on smaller scale.
•Developer’s obligation to underground all existing power and communication transmission lines on site and adjacent right-of-way.
•Lot consolidation becomes difficult with multiple owners and single lots remain vacant; developers say smaller lots difficult to develop
•Infill sites surrounding an already built environment.
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03/01/2022
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Utility Poles
Options/Opportunities
•Tourist Homes:
–Hotels/STVRs allowed in VC; STVR allowed with multifamily development
–SFD are not allowed
–Tourist Homes would be exclusively for transit occupancy and only on smaller lots
•In-lieu Fee to help develop future undergrounding of utilities & prepare a fee study
•Feasibility study will be part of FY2022 CIP for undergrounding
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