Dented garage doors

Hope you are having a lovely Memorial Day weekend at Palermo. And for those of you not here this weekend, we miss you as we soak up the sun at the beautiful pools. Today Positively Palermo is highlighting some resident comments posted elsewhere on this site about management's recent letters regarding dented garage doors. People are up in arms, and say they consider the letters rude and misinformed. Many of the dented doors aren't black and white cases according to the comments and other e-mails sent in. Damage often wasn't caused by "illegal parking" by the actual owners or renters of the units, people say, but by others. Certainly us neighbors at Palermo and managers can find a way to solve this problem together, because as one resident said didn't the managers help "create the situation" by lax enforcement of driveway parking rules? Here's an idea: Have the managers come in with a single contractor with a lower rate with residents paying part of the bill, and then make certain there's enforcement of the driveway parking rules after that. Miss Penny Lane says: Wouldn't this be a win-win for the Palermo community?

Anonymous said...
How many residents have recieved notices to repair their garage doors? Owners or just tennets?
May 28, 2010 8:11 PM

Anonymous said...
I got a notice (owner) but the "damage" was done by someone else who parked in my driveway. The HOA should be responsible for the damage because they are LETTING people park in all these spots and not towing.
May 29, 2010 10:19 AM

Anonymous said...
I agree (above) big problem with this on Sandy Point. The place looks like a used car lot. I think the plan was supposed to be a car in the garage and an extra in the parking lots.It just seems lazy that people park in neighbors units...and of course THE FIRE LANES! Why should people have to pay for damage when neighbors use their driveways with out permission.
May 30, 2010 12:07 PM

Not Responsible said...
YES, the hoa let this happen. People own and might only be here on weekends or seasonally. Colt and management don't cite cars in these drive ways. Then the owner get a threatening letter about parking illegally when they didn't even do it. Management has helped to create this situation by not even citing, let alone towing. This is the result off more poor oversight by the board/DRM.
May 30, 2010 1:43 PM

The two big sales center signs are down

Great news, the sales office signs are gone. Palermo owners and renters have been concerned for the past year about the two sales signs up outside our community. The signs — saying models and the sales center are open — were left up even though the last 30 or so units owned by the developer are being rented out and the sales center was shut down. The signs produced unwanted traffic in our community by people driving around looking for the models and sales office. Miss Penny Lane says: So terrific the signs are gone, and friendly hugs to those residents who asked that this problem be taken care of. Together, we are making things happen here.

Cheers for the city for the road repair

In these days of budget shortfalls, it's nice to see the City of Palm Springs is looking out for our roads. Those of you who are part-time residents or visitors may not know that the city has put down new black top on many of the streets near Palermo, including much of Indian Canyon Drive. Miss Penny Lane says: Thank you, Palm Springs.

Housing proposal at Indian Canyon and San Rafeal

Miss Penny Lane awoke to find news of our neighborhood in the morning paper:

"Following several hours of fierce community debate Wednesday, a proposal to build 51 affordable housing units next to an enclave of historic mid-century modern steel homes is still on the table. With a 3-2 vote, the Palm Springs City Council opted to form a subcommittee to address design issues with the for-sale town home project by Santa Monica-based Community Dynamics. Mayor Steve Pougnet and Councilwoman Ginny Foat dissented. The development, slated for a 3.6-acre redevelopment agency-owned lot at Indian Canyon and San Rafael drives, has stirred controversy for nearly two years. Owners of the Donald Wexler-designed steel development homes and other opponents say the project is too dense, would affect mountain views and infringe on privacy. Mayor Pro Tem Rick Hutcheson and Councilman Chris Mills will form the subcommittee and report back later to the full council. At that point, the project could get sent back to the Planning Commission, which denied the project last month. “We're not there yet,” Hutcheson said, adding there's no huge rush to approve or deny the project. The developer and the Wexler home owners should work further to hash out a compromise, he said."

Wobbly earthquake felt at Palermo

Neighbors are talking about the quake felt at Palermo. The paper is reporting: "An earthquake estimated at magnitude 5.1 struck the California-Mexico border Tuesday afternoon, apparently another sharp aftershock from the 7.2 Mexicali temblor last month. The new quake was reported at 5:38 p.m. 19 miles southwest of Calexico in Imperial County. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt across the border region." It was a kind of wobbly quake at Palermo. No damage it seems. Check out the Web links page for a connection to quick California earthquake reports. Miss Penny Lane says: So relieved that we all are safe and sound in our wonderful commmunity, and this one reminds us that our community must have a disaster and communication plan.

UPDATE: Another quake was felt at Palermo Wednesday morning. They also have reduced the other quake to magnitude 4.5 .

Pools that sparkle for the sparkling community that is Palermo Palm Springs

We must take time to praise the new pool guy. He is here often, checking up on the pools and spas. Such a departure from the last pool service. The biggest complaint seems to be the pools are too warm! Miss Penny Lane must say: Thank you for bringing the resort quality back to our pools.

5/20 UPDATE: Shopping cart saga

MAY 20 UPDATE: Good news-bad news. As of last night, all the carts were gone from the median on Indian Canyon. Bad news: That one red cart with the big initials "VG" scrawled on it was at the corner, right by the Palermo sign! Miss Penny Lane continues to lament: Why must the beautiful Palermo complex put up with such ugliness? Who will be our savior? Who?

MAY 17 UPDATE: Well, we had one day without the shopping carts on Indian Canyon. Then they came back. There are three there right now, two from Ralphs.

ORIGINAL POST: More good news about removal the stolen shopping carts left on Indian Canyon median outside Palermo. Some carts are gone because of your calls. Two members of the Palm Springs City Council have responded (see their e-mails in earlier posts). Now City Manager David Ready has promised action. See his e-mail below. The recycling center on Oasis Road is attracting all these carts ( Palm Springs Recycling‎ is at 280 W. Oasis Rd. Phone: 760-325-3377‎). There also carts on Oasis, some that look like they've been there for months such as the red one above from Trader Joe's. Miss Penny Lane says: It may be long haul, but together we can end this chronic problem.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: David Ready
To: welovepalermo@yahoo.com
Cc: Lee Weigel
Sent: Fri, May 14, 2010 3:16:32 PM
Subject: shopping carts

Dear Ms. Lane,
Councilman Weigel asked me to contact you regarding the shopping cart issue – we have noticed that they have not been removed as per our rules; On Monday, I will have our Street Maintenance crew pick them up – and we will investigate why the stores have not had them removed.

Please feel free to contact me directly if I can be of further assistance.

Regards,
David

Email- David.Ready@palmsprings-ca.gov

One last wave of foreclosures at Palermo?

Miss Penny Lane has been noticing more "for sale" and "foreclosure" signs popping up in our little enclave. Several units have had auction notices taped on their doors. It's said that some have to do with the kind of loan offered by a lender many homeowners had used. Some are being sold at auction. One May 28 auction notice for 240 Enterprise was taped to the front gate. One at 210 Enterprise has a notice on its door. So does one at 3671 Melody Lane (the owner of this unit, a lovely man named David, passed away). There also are or were recently for-sale signs on 235, 248 and 258 Sandy Point (some of these are bank-owned). On the Quiet Side, the 3617 and 3627 units have been foreclosed on. They same family owned both properties. Also the end two-bedroom units, 3587 and 3697 units of the Quiet Side, have been or are on the market due to foreclosure. 3525 and 3686 Sunburst are for sale. It's a great time to buy into Palermo. Miss Penny Lane says: She's eager to meet the new residents who will move into these empty units and join our wonderful community of good spirits. Welcome.

UPDATED: Shopping cart saga — Palm Spring City Councilmen Rick Hutcheson and Lee Weigel respond

Miss Penny Lane drove home this evening and noticed that some of the discarded carts — at last! — have been removed from the median of Indian Canyon. But not all. The recycling center must begin to be a responsible neighbor because it is attracting all these carts. The city also must step in. On that front here are notes from Palm Springs City Council members Rick Hutcheson and Lee Weigel. Miss Penny Lane says: Palermo residents must continue to demand action because this isn't a one-time problem. Call the city, call the stores, call the recycling center (760-325-3377) and call the shopping removal service (800-252-4613).

From: Rick Hutcheson
To: WELOVEPALERMO@YAHOO.COM
Sent: Tue, May 11, 2010 11:16:22 AM
Subject: shopping carts

Thank you for letting me know, Penny, I will ask the city Manager to take a look and see what we can do.
Best wishes,
Rick



From: Lee Weigel
To: Penny Lane
Sent: Fri, May 14, 2010 8:43:38 AM
Subject: RE: shopping carts

Thanks Penny
I will pass this on too. Lee

Board meeting set for May 12

An agenda has gone up for a HOA board meeting in the clubhouse at 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday, May 12. Miss Penny Lane says: Despite the short notice, everyone ought to attend and show their care for the Palermo community.

UPDATE: Shopping carts on Indian Canyon

Palermo is such a lovely place that people from across the U.S. and even Canada have invested in homes here. But now let's get to work. As a community we must do something about the stolen shopping carts left in the median on North Indian Canyon across from Palermo. A Palermo owner sent us this e-mail: "I called PS police department and they gave me this number: 800-252-4613. They are supposed to pick them up w/in 24 hours. I am sure you agree that it looks terrible and you wouldn't want your guests to see it." There were carts from Wal-Mart, TJMaxx, Dollar Tree and others there yesterday evening. But it turns out the service is spotty at best and doesn't pick up all carts from all stories.

UPDATE: A Palermo resident has helped solve part of the mystery about the shopping carts. See his post in the comments section. A nearby recycling center attracts people bringing carts full of cans. Palm Springs Recycling‎ is at 280 W. Oasis Rd. Phone: 760-325-3377‎. Miss Penny Lane says: This business should help solve this ugly problem that mars a gateway to beautiful Palm Springs.

Let's also email the mayor and City Council:
Mayor Steve Pougnet — E-mail: Steve.Pougnet@palmsprings-ca.gov
Councilman Chris Mills — E-mail: Chris.Mills@palmsprings-ca.gov
Councilwoman Ginny Foat — E-mail: Ginny.Foat@palmsprings-ca.gov
Councilman Rick Hutcheson: E-mail: Rick.Hutcheson@palmsprings-ca.gov
Councilman Lee Weigel: E-mail: Lee.Weigel@palmsprings-ca.gov

PS — Miss Penny Lane also reminds: Palermo also must be mindful of the image it projects to the guests and possible homebuyers. Look at the sorry state of the green fencing right by the Palermo sign and elsewhere.

The cameras are in the clubhouse and gym

Miss Penny Lane has just learned that the long-awaited cameras are now in the clubhouse and gym. Those who have been here for the last years know the long haul it was to get the management finally to put them in. We've lost gym equipment, a flat screen, tables and chairs. The pool table and sticks have been damaged. At last, security cameras have arrived. Miss Penny Lane says: A big thank you to all who made this happen and demanded it happen.

Positively Palermo, gussied-up for you

Positively Palermo has gussied itself up because one can always benefit from a little nip and tuck and a few more adornments. Miss Penny Lane has added more pages. One has the unofficial lowdown on the basics of the development, another has unofficial answers to frequent questions asked by residents, another lists useful phone numbers, and another has services offered by or for Palermo residents. Please post or e-mail ideas/corrections/etc. you have for these pages. You can access the pages on the left hand column on this home page. There's also a new slideshow. Miss Penny Lane says: Her heart is full of joy at the words of encouragement and outpouring of support and concern for this lovely community.

Beauty at Palermo

Hello dear neighbors: Sometimes with the management headaches (which are so solvable) we can forget how beautiful our wonderful Palermo is. It's beyond compare. Miss Penny Lane reminds: Don't forget to take in the natural and human-made beauty found in the best development in Palm Springs.

Light on the Quiet Side & New green fencing on Foothill

For those of you following the postings about the burnt-out lights on the Quiet Side - there now is light. A resident had to resort to putting signs on the lights because management ignored the problem for so so long. It still took at least week to get the bulbs replaced, and that is on top of the time (about a month) they were burnt out before the signs went up. (In other events, on Foothill, workers moved the green fencing closer to the road.) Miss Penny Lane's take: So happy those dearies on the Quiet Side now have light, but it shouldn't require such measures to new bulbs.

Update on proposed development across from Palermo and historic Wexler Steel homes

Recent news on the housing development proposed for across from Palermo at Indian Canyon and San Rafael. Concerns seem to be about the density of the for-sale units, and also the odd process the city has used. City money will go to the project so it looks as if the city planning staff is bending planning rules and public noticing to get the project approved. (A Palermo resident has told Miss Penny this in an e-mail.). Some Palermo residents are for some kind of project as another way to jump-start redevelopment in our neighborhood. Recap from the Desert Sun:

"In a 4-2 vote, the planning commission denied recommending a 51-unit, moderate-income housing development by
Community Dynamics for the corner of North Indian Canyon Drive and San Rafael. “This is a very difficult project and it does a potential disservice to future homeowners because it's too dense,” commissioner Tracy Conrad said.
The condo complex has drawn opposition from owners of the historically designated Donald Wexler-designed mid-century modern steel homes who would live next to the development.
The vote follows Monday's 4-3 rejection by the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee. During that meeting, Wexler himself voted to reject the project as a committee alternate.
While Community Dynamics has made some design changes in the past 18 months, it kept its 51-unit density.
Community Dynamics vice president Stephen Roberts said the developer needs to keep the number of units intact for it to work financially. “We need the 51 units to proceed. We really do,” he said.
The developer has 10 days to file an appeal with the city clerk's office to go before the council."

Best is yet to come for Palermo

Hello, dear Palermo-ites, what a wonderful day in the community, blue skies, people using floaties in the pool, boys walking their dogs, neighbors talking in the street. Much to be thankful for here in our community, with the coolest design in Palm Springs. Sad that we have to put up with bad management and an absentee board. But the emails I've been receiving show that neighbors are coming together - and the board canceling the Wednesday meeting without notice actually had a silver lining. Some of the guys tell me they met on their own last Wednesday evening to share thoughts, and want to have a community meeting regardless of whether the board is there. We must rely on ourselves when we can't even get "the little things" fixed in a timely manner. One resident has resorted to putting signs on burnt-out lights, and still management hasn't replaced the bulbs. How many more days will it take? Miss Penny Lane says: Palermo's problems are easy to solve if we had leadership and communication.

Board meeting canceled

Brimming with good ideas and thoughts, Miss Penny Lane arrived early to yesterday's scheduled HOA meeting, only to find a notice canceling the meeting and no new meeting date posted. Now she wonders if she ever will make it to a HOA meeting. It's likely the next meeting will be held with little or no notice. Most residents only knew about Wednesday's meeting because of postcards from this blog and mailbox signs put up by another resident. Miss Penny Lane needs to rush off to work. But before going, must ask: Why didn't someone have the courtesy to show up to meet with the residents?

A switch-a-roo with the HOA meeting date.

Why is it so hard to find out about a Palermo homeowners board meeting? The board, unexpectedly, has moved up the meeting by two weeks and has only posted notices at the clubhouse (and not on the mailboxes). Nothing mailed so far. No other notices anywhere on the grounds. Everyone was told that the meeting was going to be on the 28th. Now it is at 6 p.m. this Wednesday (April 14) at the clubhouse. Miss Penny Lane suggests: Owners and renters should show up to give your thoughts, but bring your own chairs to the clubhouse because thieves have cleaned out part of the place. (P.S.: People also are using this posting to discuss the yellow ribbons on the trees that have recently appeared.)

Easter earthquake - Is everyone OK at Palermo?

Miss Penny Lane hopes you all are well after the earthquake. We all must rely on one another. It's up to us to draw up our safety and security plans because of the missing leadership here. If there's trouble at Palermo from more quakes, we should all plan to meet near the club house to work together. Report any damage/problems to management, and post them here too. Prayers and kisses to you all this Easter.

"Broken (sticks) windows" syndrome

After a second break-in to the clubhouse/gym, there's been much discussion here about the "broken windows" syndrome in which things, such as a clubhouse door that doesn't shut properly or slowness to fix a falling down outside glass display case, send a message that we don't care about this place. Then the thieves come in. Look at this picture sent in by a resident. About six or nine months ago it's said that some kids broke these pool sticks. Also notice the cigarette burn. The broken sticks have been sitting in a clubhouse cupboard forever. Nothing was done by management to replace them, or even remove them. The pool table also is being wrecked. Miss Penny Lane asks: Who will save our dear clubhouse and gym, why the delay in any action, and why has management still said nothing to us?

Breaking news - Another theft at the clubhouse/gym

Dear neighbors, a quick and sad post before work. There's been another robbery of our beautiful clubhouse/fitness center. Months ago someone took the big flat screen TV. Now Miss Penny Lane understands that tables and chairs have been stolen. It's a sad but perhaps not unexpected day.

Palermo's new neighbor: College of the Desert

Hello neighbors, a quick post before work. Did you see the article in the newspaper about the green campus that College of the Desert will build by us? The development will be the catalyst for the rebirth of this area. Projected opening is 2014. Think of the potential! Palermo is the place to be.

Highlights of the article, titled, "COD sees chance to make green going green. Energy self-sufficiency, retail opportunities
could ease sting of school cuts"

- COD recently unveiled plans for its west valley campus in Palm Springs, envisioned as a cutting-edge enclave of energy self-sufficient buildings, a green business incubator offering training and jobs for students and a small solar farm generating extra income as well as electricity.

- Valley leaders are clearly focused on the Palm Springs campus and the role it could play in drawing green tech firms to the region.

- The Palm Springs mayor sees the campus as a boon for retail in his city, with students coming from Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City, as well as Beaumont and Banning further down Interstate 10.

- COD first committed to developing the satellite campuses as part of a $346.5 million bond measure voters passed in 2004. The COD chose Palm Springs over Desert Hot Springs as the site in 2007, after a fierce competition between the two cities.

- Features of the 119-acre campus include:

- Officials want to make the campus a zero-waste, net-zero energy use and carbon-neutral facility.

- The campus programs would focus on hospitality and tourism, media and the arts, health and green tech, and may include four-year degrees.

- “We are at advanced stages of negotiations with a private university that would see them on the campus providing the upper-division courses of a program which we don't provide."