Outside lights are checked just once a month but call if you see one burnt out or blinking

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Dear Penny, Could you please post that if owners or renters see landscape lighting that is burned out or damaged (like the flashing disco light) to please write down the address and email bscott@drminternet.com?  According to DRM, they are only walking the complex once a month to check, but if we report them out, they will get it fixed. Like you, we like being seen in good light. Thanks!" Miss Penny Lane says: She realized the need for good lighting at an early age.

How much will HOA fees go up?

Positively Palermo has been asked: "What is going on with the HOA dues increase? How much are they going up? I heard about $30 a month, on top of the $268 we pay. When will we all know? Answers, please." Miss Penny Lane says: The only belt-tighening she likes is when she drops a few pounds.

Outside upstairs at the B models

More about the two-bedroom, 1,320-square-foot B model town home. Unique to the B model is an upstairs sun deck that has railings on two sides, so you can look down to both the back yard and the street on the front of the house. The upstairs sun decks on the two-bedroom A, C and D models either look down on the street, or the back yard. The B model sun deck also is huge. But that comes with a trade-off. The bedrooms and upstairs inside space is smaller than some other units because of the big outside space. (Upstairs sun decks and some ground-floor patios are included in the square footage of living space listed in the developer handouts.) The B models are at: 3552 Melody Lane, 3562 Melody Lane, 3571 Melody Lane, 3581 Melody Lane, 3621 Melody Lane, 3631 Melody Lane, 218 Sandy Point Trail, 228 Sandy Point Trail, 248 Sandy Point Trail, 258 Sandy Point Trail, 222 Breeze Loop, 232 Breeze Loop, 3543 Penny Lane, 3544 Penny Lane, 3553 Penny Lane, 3554 Penny Lane, 3565 Sunburst and 3575 Sunburst. Miss Penny Lane says: The B's are more than big enough for her.

Palermo's B model

Positively Palermo was asked to discuss the B model. You can find the B model floor plan and all seven floor plans elsewhere on our site. There are 18 Model B townhomes units, the second highest of the plans. You can tell the B models from the street because they have a wall — with three square openings — shielding the front door from the street. The B unit is two stories, with two bedrooms upstairs, 2.5 baths, upstairs sundeck, one-car garage and private yard. A handful of B units have backyard spas. The B units offer a great combined kitchen and dining room space in the back of the house, looking out on the private yard. Also unique is that the upstairs sundeck has railings on two sides, so you can look down to both the back yard and the street on the front of the house. Here are two inside pictures. Tomorrow, we will have some outdoor pictures. Miss Penny Lane says: B stands for Beautiful.

The 111 is open again after wildfire closure

Highway 111 between Mountain Gate and the freeway opened back up Sunday afternoon after being closed because of a wildfire in the mountains. Miss Penny Lane says: Be Safe.

New signs at the Dumpsters

Management has put up new signs on the two community Dumpsters, on Melody Lane and Sunburst Blvd., reminding people not to abuse them. Miss Penny Lane says: She hates trash talk.

Will Avalon ever be built?

Is something going on with the proposed Avalon residential and golf course development that would border the north and east perimeter of Palermo Palm Springs? The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported: "SunCal, a giant Irvine-based land developer, said it has completed the purchase of three Southern California community developments, including two in Riverside County, for $71 million. SunCal made the winning bid for the three projects, together representing more than 4,300 acres of land, at an April bankruptcy auction related to the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, the New York investment banker. Lehman was an equity partner and lender in the projects. The projects are McAllister Ranch, a 2,070-acre golf course community in Bakersfield entitled for up to 6,000 homes; McSweeny Farms, a 673-acre master planned community in Hemet approved for 1,600 homes; and SummerWind Ranch, a 1,583-acre tract in Calimesa that is planned for 3,600 homes." Avalon wasn't mentioned. But a sign saying to call SunCal if you see blowing dust has gone back up on San Rafael. Is something up? Here's the background on Avalon: The development had formerly been called Palm Springs Village. If you peak over the Palermo walls, you can see that the Avalon streets have already been constructed and palm trees and other landscaping put in. In all, the subdivision would have 1,239 single-family lots and multi-family lots, a golf course, clubhouse, pool, spa, tennis courts and a park, all on 309 acres. The multi-family units would be more in the interior of the development and were planned for a later phase. All the residences bordering Palermo would be single-family homes, on lots of about 5,000 to 7,000 square feet. Most of the lots would be 50 wide and 100-135 feet long. You can see the layout of the homes near Palermo on the maps below. The single-family lots are in yellow in the first map. About two dozen homes would directly border Palermo's Phase 1 and Phase 2. It appears they would be single-level homes but the height is unknown. Notably, for at least 100 feet, there would be no homes built on the other side of the southern Avalon wall that is near Palermo's intersection of Melody Lane and Sandy Point Trail. You can see our earlier postings for pictures and maps of Avalon. Miss Penny Lane says: She's ready to tee-off.

Flashing light on Penny Lane

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Penny, on the street of Penny Lane by Breeze an outside light has been flashing like a disco. Does management regular inspect these lights?" Miss Penny Lane says: Did someone say disco? She's up for a dance party on the lane.

A new buyer for the unsold 'Enterprise' condos and land?

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Has anyone heard that another buyer has stepped up (for the former Enterprise properties and undeveloped land) and the HOA is meeting with them?" Miss Penny Lane says: If so, cheers to them all.

Why the lights went out

The electric company is blaming the heat for yesterday's power outage, even though it wasn't that hot compared to the previous week. The paper reports: "Late-summer heat and underground equipment were blamed for a Thursday night power outage in northern Palm Springs that continued into Friday afternoon for some. An underground cable at San Rafael Road and Los Felices Circle failed, cutting power to 1,848 Southern California Edison customers. The utility’s website listed 'extreme heat' as the cause of the outage. It began at 6:18 p.m. Thursday, when temperatures in Palm Springs were still right around the century mark. Customers were brought back online over the course of Thursday night and Friday morning, and everyone had power back by 12:28 p.m. Friday." Miss Penny Lane says: She love Palermo in the dark by moon.

More about doggie doo

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Thanks for the excellent communication you create. I am a homeowner and I have noticed several dog owners are not cleaning up after their pooches; especially back by the parking area near Sandy Point Trail. This its not only very rude its unsanitary. Secondly, I witnessed a guy with two dogs in the small community pool the other day ... Do renters know this is forbidden in the bylaws ford health reasons? The same guy never cleans up after his dogs. I used to take pictures of such violators and send them to the board, but shouldn't we all be adult enough to respect our neighbors? Can we have some discussions about pet owner courtesies please? Thank you." Miss Penny Lane says: She once had her date pick up curbside and her high heels stepped right in a "present" left behind by a Palermo pooch. It was downhill from there.

Electricity update

UPDATE: The power has gone off for the fourth time tonight at Palermo Palm Springs. SoCal Edison said there is a widespread power outage due to an equipment problem and they "are testing the lines." No word on when it will be solved. Miss Penny Lane says: It may be time for her to turn in.

Power off and on, and off and on

The power has gone out twice tonight at Palermo. If it goes out again, the SoCal Edision number to call is 800-611-1911. Miss Penny Lane says: She was gearing up for a candle light supper when the lights popped back on. Thank goodness, because her X Factor is on tonight.

Attention travelers: Virgin adds SF/NYC flights from Palm Springs

Good news for air travelers. The paper reports: "Virgin America has added a seasonal direct flight from Palm Springs to New York, with a stop in San Francisco. The San Francisco-based airline, which began flying in August 2007, added three palm trees to its website with a banner reading: 'Get some playtime in Palm Springs.' The direct flight on a 149-seat Airbus A320 aircraft begins Dec.15 and flies through April 30. Virgin America will fly out of Palm Springs International Airport as part of the city's Airline Marketing Incentive Program, which will provide $60,000.Palm Springs International, which serves 1.5 million annual passengers, now has 11 carriers and 20 direct destinations during the peak season. For New Yorkers and other East Coast travelers, it removes a deterrent from visiting the Palm Springs market — the time it takes and money it costs to get here. Palm Springs provides Virgin America with its 16th destination. The airline's hub is at San Francisco International Airport, so Palm Springs passengers also can catch flights to Boston and Washington, D.C. The company plans to grow its fleet to 52 aircraft by mid-2012. This year, Virgin America launched service to Orlando, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Cabos, Cancun and Chicago." Miss Penny Lane says: Palermo Palm Springs is her hub.

Be kind to the HOA and Mother Nature, turn off the clubhouse lights

Positively Palermo received this thoughtful e-mail: "Miss Penny, Quick Question: (Recently) there were 3-4 young couples out enjoying the clubhouse and pool/hot tub, and I noticed on my way to work this morning that all of the clubhouse lights, gym lights and big screen TV were on. I'm assuming that they were left on all night. So, could we ask Maxwell Security to possibly turn them off when they are making their late night pass? They are supposed to check the doors when they do their sweep, right? Just a thought. Finally, do you think that a tasteful sign above the light switches encouraging the user to turn the lights off after use would help? I realize this is a remedial request of the user … but some just don’t seem to 'get it' nowadays. Thanks!" Miss Penny Lane says: She turns off her lights because she hates to change the bulbs, after once falling off a ladder when climbing it in her high heels to replace one.

Birthday wishes

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Penny, please send birthday wishes to the little tot who had a birthday bash yesterday in the clubhouse." Miss Penny Lanes says: Is there any left over cake because her sweet tooth is acting up this morning.

Palermo Phase 2

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Dear Penny, I love your site. I am curious if people want the second phase of Palermo to be built or like it the way it is now?" Miss Penny Lane says: Good question.

Power problem in the gym?

Positively Palermo received this question: "Does anyone know what is going with the power plug ins in the gym? The ones in the floor along the windows for the machines have no juice. People have moved the machines a bit to use other plug ins causing a tripping hazard." Miss Penny Lane says: She will make going to the gym her New Year's resolution but until then she won't be tripping over anything.

Boom!

Residents of Palermo Palm Springs woke this morning to lightning and thunder. About .15 inches of rain fell just in the 5 o'clock hour alone. Elsewhere, lightning has struck a bunch of palm trees and set them on fire across the city, with the nearest ones to Palermo at Ramon Road and Sunrise Way. Two trees there were burning. So far, Indian Canyon Drive is still open. Miss Penny Lane says: The thunder woke her up and she fell out of bed, but her fall was cushioned by an empty box of chocolates on the floor. She's been stocking up for Halloween.

UPDATE: If the power goes out, the SoCal Edision number to call is 800-611-1911.

Full freeway closure at Indian Canyon and the 10

Plan ahead. The news is reporting:" All eastbound and westbound lanes on the I-10 freeway at Indian Canyon Drive will be periodically closed beginning tonight at 9 p.m. The full freeway closure will allow Granite Construction crews to erect girders across the freeway for the new Indian Canyon Drive overcrossing. During the closures, traffic will be directed off the freeway using the off-ramp and back onto the freeway using the on-ramp.
Road closure schedule:
- From 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday: Westbound I-10 at Indian Canyon Drive
- From 9 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m Wednesday: Westbound I-10 at Indian Canyon Drive
- From 9 p.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday: Eastbound I-10 at Indian Canyon Drive
- From 9 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday: Eastbound I-10 at Indian Canyon Drive."
Miss Penny Lane says: She's not worried because she's planning to stay in.

Palm Desert tackles vacation rentals with new law

Vacation rentals are in the news. This is from the newspaper: The Palm Desert City Council will hear an appeal "from a couple whose application to use their property as a vacation rental was rejected by the Planning Commission in July. Alan and Susan Parker of Santa Monica were seeking a conditional use permit for a home, but did not go to the commission hearing, where a neighbor brought up noise and trash complaints about the Parkers' past short-term renters. Earlier this year, the council passed a law requiring anyone renting a home for periods of 28 days or less to get a permit from the city. The Parkers were the first owners to go through the process." Miss Penny Lane says: She feels like everyday is a vacation at Palermo Palm Springs.

Peace be with Palermo on this Sept. 11

Miss Penny Lane says: With wonderful neighbors, she's thankful to be in the safe and inviting community of Palermo Palm Springs.

Huge Southland blackout

The lights are on at Palermo Palm Springs. But more than 1.4 million customers are without power in the Southland. The paper reports that a massive power outage spread across Southern California, parts of Arizona and into Mexico today, leaving millions in the dark. It has disrupted phone lines, some 911 calls and traffic signals across the eastern Coachella Valley. Some schools in the valley will be closed on Friday. Miss Penny Lane says: She wouldn't mind a candle light dinner tonight.

Trash day

Trash and recycling pick-up didn't happen today. It will be Friday because of the Labor Day holiday. Miss Penny Lane says: Her recycling bin is overflowing because she's a green gal.

Interested or possible buyers for Enterprise properties tour Palermo Palm Springs

Positively Palermo received a report from a resident that a group of six people toured and inspected Palermo Palm Springs today and had a long meeting in our clubhouse. They either were bidders or possible bidders on the 34 unsold former Enterprise developer condos and the Phase 2 land. Miss Penny Lane says: If she had been home, she would have offered them a Cosmo to loosen them up so they would spill the beans.

HOA meeting: Clubhouse and pool keys

Today we continue to update you on the last HOA board meeting, from your e-mails. Besides the 2011 budget, the board discussed new electronic cards for the clubhouse and new keys for the pools because there have been reports of non-residents using the clubhouse and pools. The discussion included ways to do this at a low or no cost by using the existing card numbers and deleting ones not reported to DRM. Miss Penny Lane says: Palermo's pools are inviting and she's the charitable sort, but even she draws the line at letting outsiders use our pools and spas.

Palm Springs-Canada pet connection

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Hello Penny! ... Was wondering if you might post this - I know there are many pet lovers who live at Palermo and Animal Samaritans is making great strides in finding homes for abandoned animals. They have partnered with a shelter in Sacramento, CA and Canada! The pets are flown to these shelters where there is a very HIGH adoption rate! But, many times there is a lag in room for the dogs, so there is a need for short-term fostering ... Maybe one of our Palermo-ites would like to 'doggy sit' for a few weeks!" The number to call is 760-396-7313. Miss Penny Lane says: It's a paws-itively wonderful idea.

Happy Labor Day, Palermo Palm Springs

Have a restful and peaceful Labor Day. Miss Penny Lane says: This triple digit weather isn't as scorching as the hotties at Palermo's pool.

How much does the clubhouse cost?

There's been a lively discussion on Tuesday's post on the 2011 HOA budget, dues and the clubhouse. In a nutshell, one concern is that the HOA is overspending compared to what the 2011 budget calls for. The same happened in 2010. The DRM management company at the last meeting seemed to indicate there was little fat to cut from the budget. If true, HOA dues it would seem need to go up just to cover basic operating expenses, let alone to begin funding reserves. Some homeowners believe that the HOA's recent history of not putting money into reserve accounts may hurt property values. One part of the budget discussion has to do with the clubhouse, gate and certain commons that the HOA is paying to keep up rather than the now-gone developer paying for this. For example, it was stated at an HOA meeting that the clubhouse and main pool were not due "to come on line" until one more of tract of condos was built. That's about 20 or 25 condos. But the developer apparently built the clubhouse sooner as a selling feature. Figures between $60,000 and $100,000 a year have been tossed out at HOA meetings about the additional costs that the existing homeowners are paying "extra" because control of certain common areas and these amenities supposedly came on line too early. If you do the math of $268 a month in dues per unit, times 12 months, times another 20 units, the figure is in the $60,000-plus range. What do you think? Do you believe there's no fat in the budget to cut, or think the cost of the clubhouse isn't really as high as has been stated? Do you think the clubhouse and main pool should stay open all year, or maybe just close the clubhouse for part of the year? Should HOA dues go up to cover operating expenses and to begin to make contributions to the reserves? (Thanks for the homeowners who sent in some of the above information and questions.) Miss Penny Lane says: She hates math but doesn't mind counting and adding up the ways she loves Palermo.