Newsletter info about the pool heaters

Here's another passage from the HOA newsletter from an email forwarded to Positively Palermo. This one is about the pool and spa heaters. It reads: "The Board understands that everyone likes to swim during the nice weather however, order to save on expenses the Board has decided not to heat the small pool this winter. However, the spa will continue to be heated. Heating the pool during the cold months has cost the Association up to $1,400 per month in utilities. In addition, it has been noted that some residents have been increasing the pool temperature at the large pool. Adjusting the pool heat increases the expense of heating the pools and has caused problems with the pool equipment. If you should see anyone adjusting the pool heat please report it to Management as we all want to keep the Association dues low." Since then, it's said the HOA put locks on the front pool and spa heaters. Miss Penny Lane says: She'd love to take a hot spa on this chilly night. Anyone care to join her?

Palermo plants: Flowering agaves on their last days

Today Positively Palermo begins our review of the approved plants in our community. We begin on a sad note as the beautiful agaves that are blooming at Palermo Palm Springs will soon die. They are "agave desmettiana" and sometimes are called dwarf century plants or smooth century plants. Here's the information from a plant expert: “Exceptionally graceful form and minimal leaf tip spines make this agave a choice specimen. Known only in gardens, it may have originated in cultivation in eastern Mexico. Each symmetrical rosette bears narrow arching leaves with up-curved margins. Leaf color varies from yellow green to blue green with exposure and climate, growing darker in full sun. At an early age the mother rosette develops densely packed offsets. Some gardeners routinely remove the offsets to preserve its striking architectural character. Rosettes bloom at about 10 years of age, then die, leaving the offsets. The very tall, branched flower stalk produces clusters of pale yellow blooms as well as prodigious numbers of bulbils. These are the primary propagation material for the species, maturing into large rosettes within a few years. Home gardeners can populate an entire garden by gathering and planting bulbils. Seed is not produced. This frost-tender plant is among the most desert-hardy of the soft-leaf agaves. It is routinely grown as a specimen to allow it to achieve its fluted vase shape without crowding from other plants. Though highly drought resistant, it grows faster with regular watering. The bold symmetrical form is exceptional under night lighting, and works beautifully in geometric planting schemes.” Miss Penny Lane says: The idea of losing these plants brings tears to her eyes, but she's eager to see what they will be replaced with by the HOA.

Landscaping matters: Palermo plants needed city approval for the building permit to be issued

You may have seen the resident comments here about landscaping. Here is one comment: "There was a city approved landscape plan for the Palermo common areas -- that includes the front yards of all the homes that are part of the common area and owned by the HOA. People can plant what they like in their back yards. Front yards are controlled by the approved landscape plan and the approved plant pallette which consists of desert plant species requiring low amounts of water. The city is requiring new developments such as ours to put in drought tolerant plants. I personally love flowers and a variety of plants and will exercise my creative gardening in my backyard and leave the front to maintain a consistent community appearance." All this is correct. It might be time to lay out the situation. The front yard areas are under the jurisdiction of the HOA and changes require HOA approval. But there are more restrictions than just this because of the city of Palm Springs regulates the landscaping design of new planned communities such as Palermo. Palermo's desert landscaping was designed by TKD Associates of Rancho Mirage. The city's Planning Commission made these rules as a condition of Palermo receiving its building permit. One: "The final landscaping plan shall be submitted for approval by the Department of Planning Services, Department of Public Works and Department of Parks and Recreation, prior to issuance of a building permit. Landscape plans shall be approved by the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner's Office prior to submittal." And two: "The project is subject to the City of Palm Springs Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. The applicant shall submit an application for Final Landscape Document Package to the Director of Planning and Zoning for review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit." Any major changes require city approval. The above pictures show the list of plants approved by the city to be planted at Palermo. Detailed landscape plans also exist, showing the exact location of plants that correspond with the symbols used in the above "master plan plant legend." Other plants can't be used without city approval. This site over the next weeks will highlight some of the plants on the Palermo approved list and provide background on them. The first plant we will look at will be the "agave desmettiana" that is now flowering and will soon die. Miss Penny Lane says: She unfortunately lacks a green thumb but loves that others are taking such an interest in their front yards. 

View from Palermo Palm Springs: More pictures of the snow-capped mountains

Miss Penny Lane says: Thank you for e-mailing these beauties.

Venting about blemishes on Palermo's modernist design

Positively Palermo received this email: "Hi Penny, it's ironic that in the middle of Modernist Week that the design of Palermo is being marred. The unit at 280 Enterprise Way now has an unsightly silver chimney-type spout jutting upward. Imagine those all over the roofs of Palermo." The email adds that city's resolution approving the Palermo development says this isn't permitted. It says: "The city declared under 'general conditions/code requirements' that 'all roof mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened for all possible vantage points both existing and future per Section 9303.00 of the Zoning Ordinance. The screening shall be considered as an element of the overall design and must blend with the architectural design of the building(s). The exterior elevations and roof plans of the building shall indicate any fixtures or equipment to be located on the roof of the building, the equipment heights, and type of screening. Parapets shall be at least 6" above the equipment for the purpose of screening.' Please HOA follow these rules or the city must be notified." Miss Penny Lane says: She's a modern kind of gal who bought here because of the design, so thank you for the information and picture.

Paint dumping put to an end

Thanks to the residents who took action regarding the dumping of paint in the undeveloped area of Phase 2 of Palermo Palm Springs. A resident e-mailed that crews were working on the contaminated soil, and no more dumping has taken place. Miss Penny Lane: Thanks for being green and seeing red over this.

View of the snow-covered mountains from Palermo Palm Springs

Thanks to the resident who sent in this photo, seen from the north side of Palermo Palm Springs. Miss Penny Lane says: This puts her in the mood for skiing, although her favorite part is sitting in the chalet with cup of hot chocolate and snowboarding hottie.

HOA says fines, hearings on the way for owners who allow illegal parking

The management company has sent out a newsletter that an owner was kind enough to email to Positively Palermo. We will highlight some on the topics in it over the next days. The first involves cars parking in the fire lanes. All Palermo's streets are categorized as fire lanes. The newsletter states that there will be towing and that the HOA has been put in notice that the city may fine it if this dangerous parking in the fire lanes doesn't stop. Here's the article from the newsletter: "The Palm Springs Fire Department has determined that all streets within Palermo are fire lanes. The streets in the community are very narrow and if a vehicle is improperly parked, there is a risk that an emergency vehicle will not be able to pass your vehicle. The Palm Springs Fire Department has completed random inspections of the property and have found that residents are still parking in the streets. The association has been put on notice that fines will be assessed to the association if this does not stop. Therefore, the Board has requested Coachella Valley Security to immediately tow all vehicles that are illegally parked in the streets. Further, the Board will be holding hearings and fining owners who are in violation of the parking rules. Please note the first fine could be up to $250.00." Miss Penny Lane says: Her car was towed once when she parked illegally on an emergency visit to get her nails done. She learned her lesson as the fine crimped her wardrobe budget for months.


UPDATE: Thanks to the residents who so quickly sent in the top photo from Melody Lane and the bottom photo from the corner of Sandy Point and Sunburst.

Front entrance gate is working again

The front entrance gate for Palermo Palm Springs is operating again. There was a problem with the clickers not working but the codes apparently did. It was reported elsewhere on this site that there was a car broken into because the gate was left open. All residents should get their entry code, so if there's a next time, the gate can be kept closed. Miss Penny Lane says: She's sorry some intruders interrupted the peace of our wonderful community. Please watch out for everyone.

Palermo's wild flowers

Here's a resident picture of nature's beauty taking its course in the wilds of the undeveloped Phase 2 of Palermo Palm Springs. A rain storm is forecasted for this weekend and perhaps more flowers will pop up. Miss Penny Lane says: She's off to buy a purple polka-dotted bonnet to match the pretty flowers and to protect her new perm from rain drops.

Indian Canyon is back open

The city has  reopened Indian Canyon Drive. Miss Penny Lane says: Now she has a faster route to the DQ at the 10.

Front gate isn't working

There's a problem with the front entrance gate, and it may take two days to solve. Management sent out this e-mail: "Dear Palermo Owners, The front gate is currently under repair as the remotes are not working. The repair should take about two days to complete. During this time the gates will remain open to allow access for the residents.” We're repeating the message here because renters and season visitors also need to know the situation. Miss Penny Lane says: She usually enters her code to open the gate because her remote clicker often is buried under boxes of chocolates in the front seat.

Indian Canyon Drive closed because of high winds

Much of Indian Canyon Drive between Palermo and the 10 is closed because of high winds blowing sand. Crews put up roadblocks this afternoon. Miss Penny Lane says: She has no worries because she's safe at home watching Idol.

Seeing red

Positively Palermo has been contacted about a reddish puddle that has sprouted up near the models in Phase 2 of Palermo Palm Springs. Nearby, a hose is connected to the water spigot on one of the models. The puddle is near where the crews appear to have been storing their used buckets for the repainting of the Deep Russet and Copper colors of Palermo. The concern is about any possible soil contamination, any possible disposal of waste, and doing what is environmentally correct. It is unclear which entity is in charge of this property. It is known that MB Financial in the past was said to be taking title to certain property. Miss Penny Lane says: She understands people are seeing red and hopes a clean-up is on the way on Wednesday.

2/16 UPDATE: We received a report that another red-paint puddle appeared today.

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Miss Penny, Please let our wonderful community know that the front pool and spa now has a lock box on it so people can't turn the heat up anymore. The pool has been in great use in the front by vacation people and the heat was being set really really high, costing owners who never even use the pool. They told us that the HOA bill went up partly because of gas and electricity so this should help. If it does, maybe a rate reduction could be considered? LOL. I'm glad the heater is locked. Should have happened long ago." Miss Penny Lane says: She nearly fried her alabaster skin once when the pool was mighty hot, so now she first dips her big toe in the water before jumping in.

Why can't we dump this problem once and for all?

The problem with the community trash bins overflowing hasn't been resolved. Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Penny, I'm tired of the talk talk talk about the garbage bins. It was said that the HOA and DRM resolved to fix this at its last meeting. But what has been done? Nothing it seems in my opinion. The bin on Sunburst on Sunday morning has bags of trash on the ground and to top it off, some egg shells on the ground. By tonight the trash area is going to be an even bigger mess. Could the HOA tack on a surcharge to the owners renting out their places on a seasonal basis because I think these people aren't using the household trash and recycling containers. What about the move-in, move-out fee also discussed here. Signed, Disgusted." Disgusted is right in concern over any inaction and for Palermo residents having to put up with this situation for so long. Thanks for the pictures. Miss Penny Lane says: She loves to do Dumptser diving to find discarded gems, but even she has no use for broken eggshells.

Another quake shakes Palermo. Safety info is in the clubhouse

Another earthquake was felt at Palermo Palm Springs at about 9:30 this morning. The USGS reports it was a magnitude 3.7 quake about 19 miles west/southwest of Palm Springs. There's a link to the USGS site on the left-hand column of this Web page. Are you prepared? A thoughtful resident has placed earthquake safety material in the Palermo clubhouse. Miss Penny Lane says: She's glad she was wearing flats this morning or she might have been tipped off her heels.

Pesticide spraying at Palermo Palm Springs

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "This week a man on a golf cart sprayed chemicals on my front yard and all around Palermo but there was no notice at all. A neighbor told us that this has happened before. Why no notification? I'm a dog owner and advise all other pet owners to be careful because these toxic chemicals can damage you and your pets. Spray down your yard." Miss Penny Lane says: She's a natural gal herself and prefers granny's solution of lemon and vinegar to get rid of most of the little bugs.

More reader photos: The dumpsters

Here is another photo from a Palermo Palm Springs resident. This one is of the overflowing trash bin on Melody Lane. Miss Penny Lane says: Thank you for caring enough to send us the photos.

The 'Melody Lane Parking Lot'

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Hi Penny, thought you would like to see these recent photos of the neighborhood. As you know, so many residents are ignoring the rules regarding parking on the street, and overfilling dumpsters, and leaving dog poo behind etc. Even I was surprised to see the neglect outside our gates. It seems the landscaping guy is not getting out there anymore. I know theres been some recent changes to HOA personel, and I sincerely hope this tightens things up in the neighborhood, so we'll see. I am concerned about the lack of visible security. I never see them patrol, and street parking is not being enforced, so dont know how residents dont mind paying for this every month. anyway, thanks for all you do with the blog. its a great service to the community." Here is a picture from the resident of what he calls the "Melody Lane Parking Lot." Miss Penny Lane says: Thank you for the photographic report.

More images of Avalon

Here are some more images of the Avalon residential and golf course development that was proposed and approved to border Palermo Palm Springs. One is an illustration of the clubhouse. The other picture shows that the streets have already been laid out and a small building constructed where the golf course was to be. See early postings for more pictures. Miss Penny Lane says: She can't think about golfing today because it's Super Bowl Sunday and she must go to the market to snatch up any remaining avocados to make her famous dip.

Did you feel the earthquake?

There was a magnitude 3.0 earthquake about 20 miles west/southwest of Palm Springs. It hit at 5:25 p.m. You can learn about quakes at this link to the Web site of the USGS. There has been earthquake safety material in the clubhouse. Miss Penny Lane says: She felt the little shaker, but at first she thought she was just a little tipsy from her Friday evening adult beverage. She had a long week.

Bordering Palermo, the Avalon development was to have more than 1,200 homes and a golf course

The proposed Avalon residential and golf course development would border the north and west perimeter of Palermo Palm Springs. The Suncal company 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. The developer had asked the city for time extensions and then ran in more financial problems. There's no word on its current status. Miss Penny Lane says: She could see herself starting off the weekend teeing off at a golf course next door. How very Palm Springs.

It's 34 degrees in Palm Springs right now. By Monday, it should be 81

Palermo street

Chicago street

Palm Springs is in the midst of a cold wave. Right now, it's 34 degree (yes, 34) with a high today of 60. It could be in the high 70s by the weekend. Miss Penny Lane says: She's taking advantage of the cold weather to use as excuse to break out her matching faux fur scarf and hat— the ones with the leopard prints. Watch for her driving around Palermo with the top down because she won't miss an opportunity to show off her sharp ensemble.

And the winner is ...

Here's an update on last weekend's pool tourney from one of the organizers: "Hello Penny, Here are some pics of the tournament for you.  You can post some if you want but   do not know much about computers so cant tell you how to post the pics.  The funniest thing was that you said on the sight that you might be there look for tan shoes (or something like that) and a lot of the people that showed up had some tan in their shoes, I thought it was a hoot :)  Any way thank you for all your help. Perry T. Stamas." Miss Penny Lane says: How fun.

Planned power outage today

A reminder that So Cal Edison is planning a power outage today to improve old infrastructure. The e-mail to owners from management said: “To the Residents of Palermo, Please see the attached notification from Southern California notifying the Association that a 'Power Outage' is scheduled for areas within Palermo on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Should you require additional information on this notification, please contact Edison directly at (888) 759-6056 or www.sce.com/outage." Miss Penny Lane says: She hopes the outage is only for a short time so that the ice in her freezer doesn't melt, otherwise her evening cocktail will be awful warm when she goes home after work.