ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION

CITY OF PALM DESERT

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 12:30 P.m. - 3:00 P.m.

Development Services Conference Room, City Hall

73-510 Fred Waring Drive

Palm Desert, CA 92260

Present:

• Commissioner James Blakeley, 
• Commissioner Dean Wallace Colvard, 
• Commissioner Michael McAuliffe, 
• Commissioner James McIntosh, 
• Commissioner Francisco Sanchez, 
• and Chair John Vuksic 

Absent:

• Commissioner Nicholas Latkovic 

Staff Present:

• Principal Planner Carlos Flores, 
• Principal Planner Nick Melloni, 
• Associate Planner Kenny Taylor, 
• and Recording Secretary Melinda Gonzalez 

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

A Regular Meeting of the Architectural Review Commission was called to order by Chair Vuksic on December 10, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. in the Development Services Conference Room, City Hall, located at 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California.

2.

ROLL CALL

3.

NON-­AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT

Chair Vuksic opened and closed the public comment period for Non-Agenda public comment. No public comments were provided.

4.

CONSENT CALENDAR

• Motion by: Commissioner McAuliffe
  Seconded by: Commissioner Blakeley

  The Consent Calendar was approved as presented.

  Motion Carried (6 to 0)

4.a

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

• The Architectural Review Commission (ARC) regular meeting minutes of November 12, 2024, were approved as presented.

5.

CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER

None

6.

ACTION CALENDAR

6.a

CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE A DESIGN REVIEW FOR A NEW ROVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE STATION WITH A 4,500 SQUARE FOOT MARKET WITHIN THE MONTEREY CROSSINGS SPECIFIC PLAN (CONTINUED FROM NOVEMBER 12, 2024)

Principal Planner, Carlos Flores, narrated a PowerPoint presentation on the item and responded to Commission inquiries. Max Levenstein and Terry Casey with Rove Charging, Applicant Representatives; Ramon Galvez- Arango and Pooja Tharur with Ware Malcomb, Architectural Firm, were present via Zoom.

Chair Vuksic opened the public comment period and invited the applicant to speak. Max Levenstein with Rove Charging, Applicant Representative, and Ramon Galvez- Arango with Ware Malcomb, Architect, introduced themselves and answered questions from the Commission.

With no other members of the public wishing to comment, Chair Vuksic closed the public comment period. Discussion on the item ensued with Commissioners providing comments for the project.

• Motion by: Chair Vuksic
  Seconded by: Commissioner McAuliffe

  Motion carried to approve Case No. DR24-0006 as presented, subject to the following conditions:

  1. The Applicant shall provide a final photometric plan with renderings, that prove conformance with Palm Desert Municipal Code Section 24.16.035
  2. All equipment shall be screened from public view.
  3. The Applicant shall comply with all conditions of approval provided by the City’s Land Development Division.
  Motion Carried (6 to 0)

6.b

CONSIDERATION OF DESIGN REVIEW FOR A FAÇADE MODIFICATION TO EXISTING STOREFRONT FOR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS LOCATED AT 72875 HIGHWAY 111.

Associate Planner, Kenny Taylor, narrated a PowerPoint presentation on the item and responded to Commission inquiries. Elysia Joslin and Alexis Roth with O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Applicant Representatives, and  Aga Bachelder, Project Manager, were present via Zoom.

Chair Vuksic opened the public comment period and invited the applicant to speak. Elysia Joslin, Applicant Representative, and Aga Bachelder, Project Manager, introduced themselves and answered questions from the Commission.

With no other members of the public wishing to comment, Chair Vuksic closed the public comment period. Discussion on the item ensued with Commissioners providing comments for the project.

• Motion by: Commissioner McAuliffe
  Seconded by: Commissioner McIntosh

  Motion carried to continue Case No. MISC24-0017 to a date uncertain, subject to the following comments:

  1. Remove red paint from the entry element, instead using a rectangular metal, powder coated field that the O'Reilly's signage would be mounted to. Details including proportions should be provided on revised exhibits. 
  2. Existing notch on entry parapet should remain.
  3. The size of the signage should be studied by the applicant to see what best fits with the notch remaining. 
  4. The colors proposed for the field of the building should be color matched to the existing buildings or restudied based on Commissioners comments provided during discussion.
  5. The signage proposed at the rear of the building should also be mounted on a rectangular metal, powder coated field. The rectangular metal field should be reduced in size from the full height and depth of the parapet to allow a border around it. 
  Motion Carried (6 to 0)

6.c

CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE A DESIGN REVIEW TO DEVELOP A 146-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DETACHED DEVELOPMENT WITHIN UNIVERSITY PARK

Commissioner Sanchez advised the need to recuse himself from the item as his firm is the Landscape Architect on record for the project and left the conference room. 

Principal Planner, Carlos Flores, narrated a PowerPoint presentation on the item and responded to Commission inquiries. Efrem Joelson, Applicant Representative, and Jose Estrada, Landscape Architect, were present in person. Kevin Crook, Architect, joined the meeting via Zoom.

Chair Vuksic opened the public comment period and invited the applicant to speak. Efrem Joelson, Applicant Representative, Jose Estrada, Landscape Architect, and Kevin Crook, Architect, introduced themselves and answered questions from the Commission.

With no other members of the public wishing to comment, Chair Vuksic closed the public comment period. Discussion on the item ensued with Commissioners providing comments for the project.

• Motion by: Chair Vuksic
  Seconded by: Commissioner McIntosh

  Motion carried to continue Case No. MISC24-0049 to a date uncertain, subject to the following comments:

  1. The proposed Palo Verde trees be revisited, including placement of trees, taller trees should be planted closer to the street and away from the house and shorter plant species be closer to the house.
  2. Applicant should provide solar layouts as examples on front elevations, including information on how vents will be grouped on the roof.  
  3. Walls should be furred a minimum of 18 inches at garage door openings and 12 inches at windows on front elevations, unless a good design reason is provided as to why it is different.  
  4. Exposed sides should be enhanced to an acceptable level, especially two-story homes. 
  5. Wraparound elements should be restudied to ensure they are terminated in a manner that continues a sense of quality. 
  6. The geometry that has been incorporated to give a modern feel be restudied to ensure they have a natural look and flow (Plan 4521 "C" given as a reference). 
  7. Restudy brick elements over garages. 

  Commissioner Sanchez returned to the meeting at the conclusion of the item. 

  Motion Carried (5 to 0)

7.

REPORTS & REMARKS

7.a

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSIONERS

Commissioner Colvard provided the following updates for the Cultural Arts Committee meeting held on November 13, 2024.

• The art piece entitled Grand Piano, located on the corner of San Pablo and Fred Waring in the courtyard of the City Hall complex will be decommissioned due to excessive cost to maintain the piece. 
• There are six new crosswalks on El Paseo. A request for proposals (RFP) has been put out for a design to paint them. It is uncertain if they will be painted in one design or in a different design for each crosswalk.

7.b

CITY STAFF

Principal Planner Flores provided the following updates and reports to Commissioners:

• A community meeting will be held today which will provide an update to the City's Historic Survey in the Council Chamber at 5 p.m. and also via Zoom. 
• There will be an in person AB1234 Ethics training Commissioners can attend in January 2025. An email has been sent to Commissioners with the details for the training. 
• There are four commissioners who are up for reappointment in 2025. Principal Planner Flores, encourage commissioners to turn in their application by April 2025 to be considered for reappointment. Upon inquiry, he confirmed commissioners will be reinterviewed for reappointment. 
• A request for volunteers for an ARC subcommittee to review construction drawings for the Pulte Homes project was requested. Commissioners McAuliffe and Sanchez volunteered to be on the subcommittee.  

7.c

ATTENDANCE REPORT

The attendance report was provided with the agenda materials. The Commission took no action on this item.

8.

ADJOURNMENT

The Architectural Review Commission adjourned at 2:55 p.m.
 
Respectfully submitted,

____________________________________________
Melinda Gonzalez, Executive Administrative Assistant
Recording Secretary

 
ATTEST:

____________________________________________
Carlos Flores, Principal Planner
Secretary
 
APPROVED BY ARC: __/__/2024

 

 

9.

PUBLIC NOTICES