Spider finds a home a Sunburst

Positively Palermo received this picture for Halloween. Miss Penny Lane says: The black widows in her yard are a bit bigger.

Happy Halloween, Palermo!

Positively Palermo wishes everyone a happy Halloween. Miss Penny Lane says: She'll be out in costume tonight so say hello.

Trimming the trees

Signs are up in the community that trees will be cut back on Monday and certain places are off-limits for parking. Miss Penny Lane says: She's been paring back too.

Palermo D unit sells for $254,00 in one week

Positively Palermo received today an email with a copy of a postcard touting the fact that a Palermo two-bedroom condo has sold for $254,000 in one week's time. The post card says: "Prices are going up! Highest Palermo Sales Price in over 18 months." By our count, this actually is the highest price in at least two or three years. The reasons include the general market and supply for modern designed homes. But also our real estate sources tell us that the buzz around Palermo is great because of the sale of the bank-owned "developer" units to a private company, a handsome financial and property settlement the HOA got from the bank to make way for that sale, a switch in management company and other service providers, a solid and unprecedented turnout of support for the board leadership in the ill-fated recall this summer, and the spirit of neighborliness and concern that is being shown here and on the Palermo 92262 page on Facebook. Palermo is the place to be. Miss Penny Lane says: Cheers to all who helped in this road to raising our property values and building our community along the path as well.

Model units are getting a clean-up

Positively Palermo received a picture showing activity at the vacant model units, with a big trash container onsite as the models are being cleaned out and the trees and plants trimmed. Miss Penny Lane says: She loves progress, now if she could tackle her own closet.

Development at Indian Canyon and the 10

The newspaper had an article about why there, so far, has not been more development up Indian Canyon Drive at the 10 freeway. It says: "After years of waiting, developer Jack Vander Woude was looking forward to breaking ground on a 65-room hotel and two restaurants once the $17 million Interstate 10 interchange project at Indian Avenue was completed this spring. The problem is, he can’t break ground after all. He and other landowners near the I-10/Indian Avenue interchange in North Palm Springs and I-10/Gene Autry Trail interchange in Desert Hot Springs face what they call a “de facto building moratorium” for any significant commercial and industrial development. It’s a classic Catch-22 dilemma, Vander Woude insists. Until a wastewater treatment plant can be built to service the area, state environmental officials aren’t allowing any large development projects to move forward because they’re concerned about potential groundwater pollutants from septic tanks. Mission Springs Water District, meanwhile, is depending on landowners and developers to help pay for a multimillion-dollar sewer project, along with the cities of Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs and Riverside County. “We’re stuck, unable to develop all that land along the freeway,” said Vander Woude, who received the county’s approval eight years ago for his 3-acre Indian Canyon Oasis commercial project. Until a sufficient wastewater treatment facility can be built, the California Water Resources Control Board has advised Riverside County environmental officials to cease issuing approvals for all but the smallest commercial real estate projects in the Whitewater Basin Area. Only developments with septic tanks that have wastewater volume of less than 5,000 gallons per day will be considered and referred to a regional board for consideration. The halt to commercial development comes as some developers, leasing agents and landowners are seeing more eager prospective tenants amid the improving economy. Developers are also in a position to take advantage of relatively low construction costs, attractive interest rates and a much-improved freeway interchange for an estimated 86,500 vehicles that traverse the area every day." Miss Penny Lane says: She's happy, as long as the DQ remains there.

'Palm Springs Gardens' vacant land listed for $1.2 million by Palermo

Positively Palermo received this e-mail about a 3-acre vacant retail property on Indian Canyon Drive near Palermo Palm Springs called Palm Springs Gardens: "New land is up for sale near Palermo for a retail development. It's on all the real estate websites with the address of 3801 N Indian Canyon Drive ...  It mentions Palermo in the listing. Maybe we can get a Trader Joe's in our neighborhood. Asking price is $1,195,000 and it has a proposed artist's rendering."  The link is here. The listing says: "Walking distance to the proposed College of the Desert. This is an approved Parcel Map for commercial retail center which includes two drive-thru restaurants. Entitlements also include offices on second floor and ample parking. The breakout of square footage is 2500 SF each fo the two drive-thru's; Retail at 25,000 SF; Office is 4,000 SF each for two second story spaces. There are 176 parking spaces and the frontage road has been vacated by the city on this site. This property is the first retail with drive-thru's upon entering Palm Springs central if coming in to the city from the I-10. Ingress and egress to the site on Indian Canyon Drive … Rosa Parks (formerly Las Vegas Drive) and Corazon Avenue. Palm Springs Village Country Club is across the street and is an approved golf course community with over 1200 single family lots. A block away is Palermo, a new townhouse community which is partially built out. This retail center can provide much anticipated activity when it is completed." There is another listing on the Internet here. It says: "Approved Parcel Map for commercial retail center which include two drive-thru restaurants. Entitlements also include offies on second floor and ample parking. This property is the first retail with drive-thru's upon entering Palm Springs central if coming in to the city from the Interstate 10. Across the street from the Palm Springs Village Country Club development project entitled for over 1200 homes and near the new Palermo Townhomes and Villas project.Palm Springs is located in the center of the fastest growing county in California. The property is located close to the Palm Springs International Airport, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, City Hall and the Desert Regional Hospital." Miss Penny Lane says: Starbucks?

Palermo Palm Springs 'Phase 2' map

Positively Palermo has been asked to post a map of the undeveloped area of Palermo and what the plans look like. Here is one map. We will post others later. Miss Penny Lane says: She's eying one off Jewel Court.

Foreclosed 'Enterprise' condos and land are sold, ushering in a new chapter for Palermo Palm Springs

Foreclosure notices posted on Palermo condos owned by Enterprise in 2010

This just in: Positively Palermo has learned that a company has closed its purchase of the unsold Enterprise condos (34 units now being rented out in our community, and six vacant units in the undeveloped area) and the other property once associated with Enterprise Cos. of Chicago. The saga began on May 5, 2010 when the developer missed a payment on its Palermo loan. On July 14, 2010, a "Notice of Default" was served on PS Venture Indian Canyon/San Rafael LLC. This was the Palermo LLC of the Enterprise. It owed $13,450,378.36 on a $30 million loan. On Nov. 9, 2010 the front doors of the 34 units owned by Enterprise were posted with a "Notice of Unified Trustee's Sale." The documents stated an auction would be held on Nov. 30, 2010 in Corona. That never happened. Numerous bidders fell by the wayside, but now a deal has been completed. Miss Penny Lane says: A warm welcome to the neighborhood. Cosmo, anyone?

Main pool reopens after cleaning; smaller pool emptied and closed

The "closed" sign is down and main pool and spa at Palermo Palm Springs have been re-opened after the annual cleaning. The "back" or smaller pool and adjacent spa now have been emptied for cleaning too. Miss Penny Lane says: She's ready for a dip.

Garage door paint colors at Palermo

Positively Palermo received this email regarding confusion over paint colors of the garage doors: "Hi, Ms Penny Lane, I have been enjoying your blog since before I purchased a unit in Palermo last spring. It has helped me feel more involved than I otherwise would, since I live in Los Angeles. I, along with many others I am sure, received notice that my garage door needs some attention. I have been given the name of a garage door company that can do repairs, but our management company was unable to tell me what paint color I should use (I have a B model unit). She suggested I turn to Positively Palermo, so here I am. Thanks!" We have received other emails in the past on this and also have received drawings from owners. We first posted this information on Oct. 18, 2010. The paint color names are: A) Petal Pink 495, B) Museum Rose 214, C) Bellingrath Castle 695, D) Deep Russet 264, E) Copper 320 and F) Good Earth 265, according to these renderings.These letters correspond to the colors below. Only Petal Pink, Museum Rose and Good Earth are garage door colors at Palermo.These paint colors were made by ICI Paints, which is now Glidden. They can be mixed at places such as The Home Depot. We do not have the paint code mix numbers, but if anyone has them please send them along and we will post. Miss Penny Lane says: She's painting the town red on this holiday weekend.

Pool was emptied and cleaned

Positively Palermo has received an email concerned about the "closed" sign on the big swimming pool near the main gate. The pool was closed to be emptied and cleaned, something we can never remember happening before. Miss Penny Lane says: She's ready for a dip.

Tree limb falls on Melody Lane

Positively Palermo has received concern about a large limb of a tree on Melody Lane that crashed down. It was removed rather quickly. Miss Penny Lane says: She likes to leave these things up to an arborist.

Palermo HOA dues will not go up

This just in: Positively Palermo has learned that the HOA dues for 2013 will remain unchanged, at $294 per month. HOA dues have been going up ever since Palermo opened in 2007, with the present dues more than four times what some owners paid in the beginning. The past two years alone have seen increases totaling about $300 a year per unit. Miss Penny Lane says: Cheers to this news.

D unit listed at $258,5000 - Has offers?

A two-bedroom D model listed for $258,500 on Melody Lane is taking back-up offers. Here is the description: "Now a rare find at Palermo. This beautifully designer upgraded & decorated 2 story D-Plan home is offered fully furnished and ready for move-in. Your own private pool and spa with majestic west mountain views await. Large covered patio off the pool and another large patio upstairs accessed from both bedrooms. 2 bedrooms, en-suite, upstairs with a small home office area. Great Room layout downstairs with dining area plus eat-in kitchen area. Enjoy the large community pool/spa area with BBQ as well as the beautifully designed club house with full fitness center. Low HOA at $294/month. Do not miss out on this. One of the best homes built at Palermo." The link is here. Miss Penny Lane says: D is for Delicious.

Service station become Mobil

The service station across Indian Canyon Drive from Palermo Palm Springs has changed brands. Now's a Mobil, and looks to have been spruce up a bit. Miss Penny Lane says: She's run of gas for tonight and calling it quits.

2012 is the year of Palermo

2012 - or five years after the first souls moved into Palermo - appears ready to go down as the year of the great Palermo turn-around. The economy helped pull the rug from under many developments in Palm Springs. The adjacent Avalon residential and golf course development sits abandoned. At Palermo, home prices are going up for the first time ever, after years of falling, with real estate agents say the prices are still under-valued compared to similar modern-stytle developments such as 48@Racquet Club. They expect prices to continue to rise here, we are told. The HOA board is in settlement talks with the bank that owns the 30-something former condos that the Enterprise Cos. never sold. If a deal is reached, it will mean a large infusion of money into Palermo's HOA accounts over certain unpaid back expenses and other issues. A buyer could also take over those units later this year. Full-time owners became a majority of the HOA board this year and instituted major operational and management changes, winning praises and a recent overwhelming vote of confidence by owners. 2012 is the year of Palermo. Miss Penny Lane says: She loves sunny days.

Trump takes on Palm Springs wind power

The morning newspaper has this story: "Don’t count Donald Trump among fans of wind power. On Monday, the developer and “Apprentice” host went on the record — Twitter — with his thoughts about the wind turbines that line the roads leading to Palm Springs. “Ugly wind turbines have destroyed the entrance to Palm Springs, CA," he tweeted, “These monstrosities are ruining landscapes all over the globe—expensive; bad electric." And he meant it. In a follow-up interview with The Desert Sun, Trump confirmed his anti-wind power stance. “[It’s] like driving into a sad person’s version of Disneyland,” he said. “And of course [the turbines] kill all the birds in the area. A friend of mine said that an area that used to be so beautiful is now strewn with rusting hulks." The reaction to Trump’s tweet was swift — both on Twitter and in the Coachella Valley. “Tell him to look again at night. Also, tell him that only HE can afford the huge power bills we would have without them,” wrote David Ross on Facebook. “There are many uglier things that could be there.” Fred Bell of Noble & Company, a renewable energy firm based in Palm Desert, says he respects Trump’s business acumen, but disagrees with his comments. “We have two resources here in Palm Springs,” said Bell. “Wind and tremendous solar resources. Both are unequalled anywhere else in the United States. To not harvest those in a responsible manner and take advantage of the low cost of power would be irresponsible to the environment.” Miss Penny Lane says: Shes ready for the cool winds to blow in.

Signs come down at old Julian Market building

There's been some activity at the former Julian Market site on Indian Canyon and San Rafael, with crews cleaning up the lot and taking all the signage down for the market and car repair shop. Miss Penny Lane says: She's ready for a coffee shop to open once the College of the Desert arrives.

Wind-blown tree

The winds that swept through the valley tried to blow down this tree on Quiet Side. Miss Penny Lane says: Sometimes she feels a bit like that, too.

NEWS FLASH: All HOA board officers are re-elected in landslide vote rebuking the recall's takeover attempt

This just in from the HOA meeting tonight: In a rebuke of the attempt to oust the Palermo HOA board officers, the association president, vice president, secretary and treasurer all were returned to office in a landslide vote by owners, with not a single officer removed from their position. Homeowners give a vote of confidence to the board leadership and to the HOA's direction, and reject the recall's goals to takeover the HOA board. A clear "mandate" exists it appears. Miss Penny Lane says: Thanks to all who ran and give their time.

NEW INFORMATION: A total of about 450 votes were cast for 10 candidates. The top three vote-getters (the HOA president, secretary and treasurer) received nearly 300 of them (actually 288 votes). With not many votes left and the remaining seven candidates vying for the rest of the votes, some of the recall people received in the single digits. The candidate of the rental company received 15 votes. Thanks for the info.

UPDATE: We have learned more. It was reported that a festive, friendly atmosphere existed in the clubhouse as owners and renters gathered to support the board, demonstrating that the Palermo spirit is alive and well. Some of the so-called "recall candidates" did not show up for the meeting.

Palermo forward

Positively Palermo received this submission: "Hi Penny Lane. I took an image off the Internet and made this with it, all for you. Thought it might have some double meaning, with all the stuff going on with your board and how people want to move forward with them. Thanks for your work. You are a reason we rented at Palermo." Miss Penny Lane says: Her middle name is Hope, but how did you know?

Recall meeting is Monday evening

Tomorrow evening is when recall will come to an end. Meeting will be in the Palermo clubhouse. Miss Penny Lane says: Good luck to the candidates, and to Palermo.