Clicker problems?

Positively Palermo has received an e-mail saying a resident has encountered problems with the "clicker" to open the front gate  Anyone else have such complaints? Miss Penny Lane says: She doesn't mind waiting at the front gate because she get to linger and look at Palermo.

Murano lots have been sold?

The sister property of Palermo Palm Springs, also built by the Enterprise Cos.of Chicago, was Murano Palm Springs, down San Rafael Road from Palermo. We have heard that the vacant lots have sold. Murano is not an HOA but instead is made up for individual lots. Miss Penny Lane says: She likes to look at Murano when she drives down San Rafael and remember when she nearly buy one, and now how happy she is to be at Palermo.

Happy Days are here in 2012

You may remember several weeks ago a Palermo owner asked for your help in an online competition. Her play won. Her e-mail says: "Dear Penny, It's Kai again! I am ecstatic to report that John Charron & I WON for BEST CHOREOGRAPHY for our production of HAPPY DAYS on Broadwayworld.com!! I wanted to specifically thank you and all the Palermites who went out and voted for us! We are so honored to be recognized by the industry and our peers and absolutely thrilled that all our blood, sweat & tears did not go unnoticed :) I was going to write something on your blog to thank everyone, but the original post was so far down, I'm afraid no one would see it. Would you please be a dear and post an award announcement for me when you get a chance ... Thanks again for all your help!! 2012 is looking up!" Miss Penny Lane says: Congratulations!

Palermo's Oscar party is on

Positively Palermo received this e-mail: "Hello all, We wanted to get the word out that as a kick-off to our monthly movie showing in the Palermo Clubhouse (beginning in March), we are announcing our first Oscars Party celebrating the Academy Awards on February 26th in the clubhouse! We will show the awards and encourage any/all Palermo residents and their friends to join us for the event. We ask that you bring an appetizer to share, or to make a small dontation to help cover other costs as we will provide soft drinks and popcorn for you to enjoy. Please feel free to bring adult beverages if you like.We are hoping that this type of gathering will build upon the increasing sense of community that we are feeling in our great neighborhood! The party times and more details will be forthcoming. The clubhouse has been reserved and we have asked the HOA to agree to waive the $100 rental feeas this is a community event for residents. If you would like to contact us or to be put on our email lists, please contact us at : palmspringsguys@gmail.com. We will put you on our list and provide you with more information about this and other upcoming parties. And the Oscar goes to ............. Palermo!!!! Chris and John, Melody Lane & Sandy Point." Miss Penny Lane says: And the winner is ... everyone at Palermo.

Fast action on the pools praised

Positively Palermo received an email regarding how fast the main swimming pool was cleaned up after it was filled trash and dirt because of the wind. Miss Penny Lane says: She'll be buying a new smart swim suit to celebrate. Look for her.

Tree on Penny Lane

This tree on Penny Lane has been fixed. Miss Penny Lane says: Great!.

Pools and trees

Positively Palermo is receiving information regarding the last HOA meeting. Two tidbits we have received: The big community upfront is still being worked on after the wind hit, and will be closed for some days still. The spa is open. Secondly, management is going to find out why some trees on Penny Lane were not trimmed. Thank you for the information. Miss Penny Lane says: She cold use a good trim as well.

Green fence to be fixed on Tuesday?

Positively Palermo received an e-mail about fixing the green fence in Phase 2 that has fallen down in places, that someone is coming to work on it on Tuesday. If anyone has more updates from the HOA board meeting, please send them along. Miss Penny Lane says: Sometimes she needs to be propped up again as well.

Winds put main pool our of commission. Strong gusts expected today.

Positively Palermo has received word that the main swimming pool by the clubhouse is filled with trash and sand due to the wind storm. The pool company comes on Mondays. But strong gusts are in the forecast for today, too. Miss Penny Lane says: She's going to take advantage of the wind by washing her hair and taking a natural blow dry.

Indian Canyon reopened

Indian Canyon Drive between Palermo and the 10 is back open. Miss Penny Lane says: Now she has an unobstructed route to the DQ once again.

Pool lights on

Positively Palermo has received concerned that the community pools lights are on. Timer must be off because of the power outage. Miss PennyLane says: She has returned to our lovely Palermo. What a relief to be home.

Power back on at Palermo - keep your fingers crossed

A Palermo resident e-mails that the lights are back on at Palermo Palm Springs. Miss Penny Lane says: So happy about that, but like a cruise ship captain off an Italian island, she had abandoned Palermo for the safety of a friend's sofa lit by the glow of the television.

Indian Canyon closed. Palermo still without power.

The city has closed Indian Canyon Drive between Palermo and the 10 freeway. The traffic light at Indian Canyon and San Rafael is off. The last e-mail we received from a Palermo resident said the power is still out throughout the complex. The entrance's "automatic open" during power failures is working and you can gain access to the complex. A palm tree across Indian Canyon from Palermo has fallen down. The paper is reporting that "At an apartment complex in Palm Springs at Highway 111 and Escoba, strong winds knocked over a carport crushing several cars, although there were no reports of people being injured." Miss Penny Lane says: Be safe.

Wind too fierce for bank's green fence

Thanks to the Palermo resident who sent in these photos of the wind damage to the bank's green "temporary" fencing. We have received other reports of the complex being inundated with trash, including large pieces. The trees and plants are taking a beating. Another report says the pools and spas are brown with dirt. Winds of 90 mph have closed the Tramway. The newspaper is reporting: "Severe, hurricane-strength winds swept across the Coachella Valley this afternoon, prompting police to urge drivers to stay home and causing significant damage across the valley. Palm Springs International Airport saw 66 mph wind gusts at 1:48 p.m., the highest wind speed recorded of the day by the National Weather Service. Strong winds kicked up large dust clouds about 1 p.m. at the Jammin' for Jesus event in the west valley, and uprooted trees and forced at least two road closures in Palm Springs. It also abruptly ended play at the the Humana Challenge in La Quinta. Officials suspended play shortly after 1 p.m. and eventually called it off for the day at both courses. During the worst of the wind, tents blew over and buildings were evacuated. The score board on the 18th hole also blew into the water. There is also a report that Palm Springs International Airport may be temporarily shut down. Check back to mydesert.com as more information on this becomes available." Miss Penny Lane says: She's holding on to her hat.

Huge wind storm hits Valley. Power out at Palermo

Extreme winds hit south Palm Springs this morning. Now they have spread across the valley. The power is out at Palermo. Trash is blowing all over the place. Miss Penny Lane says: She's inside thinking about swapping her Cosmo for a Hurricane.

Palm Springs, Canada

With Palermo Palm Springs being Little Canada, this article from the Palm Springs newspaper is of interest. It says: "The strong Canadian economy is good news for the Coachella Valley. With the Canadian loonie strong against the U.S. dollar, Canadians have been the bright spot in our real estate market. Solid numbers are not available but, anecdotally, valley Realtors estimate that snowbirds account for up to half of their sales. One major deal was the $3.5 million purchase of Desert Dunes Golf Club near Desert Hot Springs in 2009. The course, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1989, had gone into foreclosure.The buyer, Canadian businessman Glen Brayshaw, and his partners have pumped $2 million into the course to return it to its championship form. He is in escrow on 475 acres around the course, where he plans to build 900 condos and 1,500 houses. Last week, the Canadian California Business Council announced it is moving its Celebrity Golf Classic from Los Angeles to Desert Dunes. The Feb. 10-11 tournament will host a field of 144 golfers, including celebrities, business owners and dignitaries. The 2009 tournament was broadcast on the ET Canada channel to more than 800,000 viewers. That level of exposure should attract more Canadian visitors to our valley. The council estimates more than 3,000 Canadians pass through the Palm Springs International Airport each week starting in January. The Riverside County foreign trade office has been working with Lee Frasier, a Warner Bros. executive and president of the council. During the event, Riverside County Supervisors Marion Ashley and John Benoit will sign a bilateral trade agreement with the council to market the county as a “destination of choice.” The weekend also will include a meeting of the C100 group, which includes many of the wealthiest Canadians." Miss Penny Lane says: She always watches for the season's first sighting of a snowbird at the pool and celebrates accordingly.

Questions about the recent trimming of street trees

Positively Palermo received a note of concern about the recent trimming of the street trees. Namely, were they trimmed too much and too aggressively, and why weren't many trees on the Penny Lane median area not trimmed? Miss Penny Lane says: She thinks she will never see, something as lovely as a well-groomed Palermo tree.

Gates problems corrected ASAP

Positively Palermo has received a nice note this night: "Penney, Please, thank, the board for getting the entry gate  that malfunctioned, fixed and corrected sooo fast tonight (Tuesday). Last time, it was left open for a day or two." Miss Penny Lane says: She came home early and has been eating ice cream watching CIS, so any gate problems is news to her.

Property management

Positively Palermo has learned that the the community's property manager will be on medical leave until sometime in May. The interim replacement's name is Ana. Miss Penny Lane says: Welcome aboard.

Blogspot problems with comments feature

Positively Palermo has received reports that readers using Internet Explorer are having problems reading comments and other parts of the blog. Some people are getting blank screens. It is a system-wide problem that started when blogspot changed the comments section to allow "threaded"comments. We have followed the corrections in the settings suggested by fellow bloggers. Please e-mail if this still does not work. Thanks. Miss Penny Lane says: Her mind also goes blank, more than it should.

Palermo for sale inventory

There's little inventory for sale at Palermo Palm Springs. Two condos that were long held by uncooperative banks, on Sunburst and Melody, have sold. Two other units are said to be near closing. But there is a new condo at 3584 Penny Lane for sale. The renters once in it have move out. The condo has been stripped of its appliances. The condo is a C model. There are 17 Model C town homes units. The C model's 1,275 square feet makes it the fourth largest of the plans, after the A, B and D models. The C unit is two stories, with two bedrooms upstairs, 2.5 baths, upstairs sundeck, one-car garage and private backyard. The walls in the living room are about 19 feet tall, with large glass windows. The C models are at: 262 Breeze Loop, 3551 Melody Lane, 3561 Melody Lane, 3572 Melody Lane, 3582 Melody Lane, 3661 Melody Lane, 3563 Penny Lane, 3564 Penny Lane, 3574 Penny Lane, 3584 Penny Lane, 3545 Sunburst, 3555 Sunburst, 3565 Sunburst, 235 Sandy Point Trail, 245 Sandy Point Trail, 265 Sandy Point Trail, and 278 Sandy Point Trail. See our Nov. 22, 2010 posting for more pictures of the C model. The floor plans are above. (A thank you to the owner who supplied us the floor plans in the past) Miss Penny Lane says: The C must stand for Cosmos because she sees having a nightcap in the lovely backyard of this model.

Julian Market still closed

Just a quick update for the owners from afar: Julian Market remains closed. Miss Penny Lane says: She's found the new 7-Eleven down Indian Canyon across for the Riviera Hotel convenient for her Cherry Slurpee cravings.

More on Phase 2

Positively Palermo has been asked for a more detailed picture of what Phase 2 is supposed to look like. A representative of a new bidder for the property has said there could be changes, such as more duplex units. The big difference in between the built Phase 1 of Palermo and unbuilt Phase 2 is that Phase 2 is supposed to have a bunch of buildings with six attached units. In fact, about one-third, or 30 units in Phase 2's planned 94 units would in six-unit buildings. Another 30 units would be in a 10-unit building and a 20-unit building. In other words, Phase 2 is supposed with have more common walls and, relatively speaking, a bit more crowded and dense feeling because so many units are attached to each other. Here is the breakdown of the 28 residential buildings and the attached units in Phase 1, compared to the 19 residential buildings originally planned for Phase 2:
- 12 buildings with 2 units in Phase 1 (vs. 7 buildings with 2 units in Phase 2)
- 5 buildings with 4 units (none in Phase 2)
- 4 buildings with 3 units (vs. 5 buildings with 4 units in Phase 2)
- 3 buildings with 5 units (none in Phase 2)
- 2 buildings with 6 units (vs. 5 buildings with 6 units in Phase 2. One of these building has been constructed and is empty)
- 1 building with 24 units (none, but 1 building with 20 units).
- 1 building with 10 units (same in Phase 2)

Miss Penny Lane says: She's happy to see the wildflowers grow in Phase 2 for now.

Green fencing gets some new panels

With all the going-ons, we neglected to report good news: Some of the more battered-up sections of the green fencing in the undeveloped Phase 2 of Palermo Palm Springs have been replaced. It's our understanding that the bank must pay about $300 a month for this fencing. Miss Penny Lane says: Thanks!

What will Phase 2 look like?

Lots of news has come out of the HOA annual meeting. A new bidder for the 34 unsold "Enterprise" condos and undeveloped land attended. The bidder said they have worked out a price and are following up on other aspects of the sale. It all could be completed within two months. The good news for renters is that the company plans to continue the status quo with rentals and no new building is planned for quite a while. Another thing the bidder discussed was the idea not building the same exact buildings in Phase 2, such as maybe having two-car garages or a different mix of units. The design could be a bit different as well. (The above drawing shows a slice of what was planned for Phase 2 with another pool and tennis courts.) Miss Penny Lane says: She's ready for the tennis courts has a smart white outfit just aching to see some action.

Palermo Film Festival

Positively Palermo received this fun e-mail: "Ms. Penney, Last year we started a Palermo Pool Tourney and it was met with limited interest. So this year we were kicking around the idea of creating a 'Movie Night' in our clubhouse for the residents of Palermo to enjoy. We're thinking maybe once a month (a weekend night) and alternating movie types. For instance: comedy; drama; classic, action; musical, etc. We would provide soft drinks, popcorn snacks, and ask the movie goers to bring an appetizer, drinks of their choice, or possibly a small donation to help cover the snacks. This, in our opinion, would add to the sense of 'community' and encourage the Palermo residents to meet their neighbors. Your thoughts? Would you mind posting this so we can get an idea of the level of interest. Thanks for everything you do! Chris and John." Miss Penny Lane says: Sign her up!

Big meetings coming up

The annual Palermo Homeowners Association will be meeting at 6 tomorrow evening in the clubhouse to elect three new board members. Before that, the old board will meet for one last time at 5 p.m. No telephone number to phone in has been given out. Miss Penny Lane says: Has a year gone by already, and she still is working on the same new year's resolutions as last year?

The tubs are too hot?

Positively Palermo has received a complaint that the community spas are too hot, set at 104 degrees. Miss Penny lane says: The temp might be just right to soak her feet after a long day at work so she may have to try these hot hot hot tubs.

Little to report on military jet noise

No much news to report on the issue of military jet noise. The newspaper says: "Palm Springs City Council subcommittee members Paul Lewin and Chris Mills told residents that they are still working with airport and federal officials to reduce the thunderous sounds of military jets flying over Palm Springs. Lewin and Mills said they met last month with airport officials and Marc Troast, political director for U.S. Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, who wrote a letter to the Pentagon in November asking for the reason behind the increase in military flights. Both the city and Bono Mack are awaiting a response from the federal government. In the meantime, Lewin and Mills are requesting that the airport update its noise exposure map to include a study of the military jets as the airport works on its master plan." Miss Penny Lane says: the security pat-down at the Palm Springs airport was some of the most fun she's had lately.

Military jets to be discussed

The Palm Springs City Council tonight will talk about the increased number of military jets over the city and using the airport. Miss Penny Lane says: her hair dryer also is known to rattle the house.

When are the additional community trash bins coming?

Positively Palermo received this e-mail concerning the community trash service: "Penny, Happy New Year to You. I thought we were supposed to go to all community dumpsters and get rid of the front door individual trash service on Jan. 1. More dumpster locations were to be created. Is not the HOA budget based on this, or the dues would have needed to go up even more? Please advise." Miss Penny Lane says: More trash talk!

Regular trash service this week

A reminder that Palm Springs Disposal says it will have regular trash pick-up service despite the holiday. Miss Penny Lane says: She hates to start off the new year with trash talk.

Happy 1/1/12 Palermo

Wishing all in our community a peaceful and productive New Year. Miss Penny Lane says: Cheers to the jolly crew of good spirits that is Palermo.