Palm Springs Community Workshop #3 - A Report
Palm Springs, California. The third and final Palm Springs "Visioning for the Future of the Desert Plaza" Community Workshop was held Wednesday evening, February 9th, 2011. It included overviews of the workshop's purpose, a summary of community input from previous sessions and a new "Preferred Concept Plan" presentation by MIG Consultant Chris Beynon. Afterwards more than an hour was devoted to feedback from the audience in response to the new "Preferred Concept Plan" diagram. The final few minutes were devoted to a hand-shake between Mayor Steve Pougnet and developer John Wessman along with comments from each. The announcements of a new public-private partnership between the city and Wessman to develop the Plaza property, movement of the proposed new tax ballot measure from June to November, together with a relatively brief dose of economic reality comments from Wessman, finished the evening off.
Among the noteworthy items in the new "Preferred Concept Plan" presentation was removal of the nearby Town and Country Center (TCC) property from the development diagram. It had been a somewhat contentious part of discussions during previous workshops. The subject was and remains a political "hot potato" and that fact finally hit home with those responsible for the workshops. TCC as a discussion topic was discouraged.
When public space planning occurs it's entirely appropriate to seek community input and learn what may be desirable in term of project components. Applying that concept to private property - asking the public for their input of what a developer should include in his project plans - is something I continue to have difficulty viewing as realistic. Private property development has to be driven by economics where costs and potential revenue are determining factors. It's for that reason I found the workshops lacking in reality for no guidelines or economic considerations were put forth in conjunction with asking for community input. One result was that an inordinate amount of time was devoted to hearing suggestions that were clearly economically unfeasible. It sometimes felt like listening to kids in a candy store with cash to spend for whatever their hearts desired. At no time did I hear a suggestion that was entirely new to the subject, innovative or that would entice me to visit the downtown area on a more frequent basis.
The consultants running the workshops will now prepare a report for the Palm Springs city council. That body is expected to hold a Wednesday evening study session that will include developer John Wessman as a participant. It will be open to the public and may be held in the Palm Springs Convention Center, rather than City Hall.
The photo below, of the new "Preferred Concept Plan", is not one resulting from an actual selection by workshop participants. Instead it's the MIG facilitating group's proposal reportedly based on their perceptions of views expressed during the first two Community Workshops. It's doubtful they really needed a series of workshops to reach their "Preferred Concept Plan" conclusions.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
The "Preferred Concept" Diagram
Copies of this blog are available to all on the www.MyDesert.com website
or to those on the Desert Politics & Elections email distribution list available by request from
politics@DesertObserver.com
Among the noteworthy items in the new "Preferred Concept Plan" presentation was removal of the nearby Town and Country Center (TCC) property from the development diagram. It had been a somewhat contentious part of discussions during previous workshops. The subject was and remains a political "hot potato" and that fact finally hit home with those responsible for the workshops. TCC as a discussion topic was discouraged.
When public space planning occurs it's entirely appropriate to seek community input and learn what may be desirable in term of project components. Applying that concept to private property - asking the public for their input of what a developer should include in his project plans - is something I continue to have difficulty viewing as realistic. Private property development has to be driven by economics where costs and potential revenue are determining factors. It's for that reason I found the workshops lacking in reality for no guidelines or economic considerations were put forth in conjunction with asking for community input. One result was that an inordinate amount of time was devoted to hearing suggestions that were clearly economically unfeasible. It sometimes felt like listening to kids in a candy store with cash to spend for whatever their hearts desired. At no time did I hear a suggestion that was entirely new to the subject, innovative or that would entice me to visit the downtown area on a more frequent basis.
The consultants running the workshops will now prepare a report for the Palm Springs city council. That body is expected to hold a Wednesday evening study session that will include developer John Wessman as a participant. It will be open to the public and may be held in the Palm Springs Convention Center, rather than City Hall.
The photo below, of the new "Preferred Concept Plan", is not one resulting from an actual selection by workshop participants. Instead it's the MIG facilitating group's proposal reportedly based on their perceptions of views expressed during the first two Community Workshops. It's doubtful they really needed a series of workshops to reach their "Preferred Concept Plan" conclusions.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
The "Preferred Concept" Diagram
Copies of this blog are available to all on the www.MyDesert.com website
or to those on the Desert Politics & Elections email distribution list available by request from
politics@DesertObserver.com
Posted by Desert Observer at 2/11/2011 1:05 PM 
Categories: Opinion, City Council, Desert Fashion Plaza
Tags: Desert Fashion Plaza
Categories: Opinion, City Council, Desert Fashion Plaza
Tags: Desert Fashion Plaza
Great Idea!!!! Many people told me they never know where museum in Palm Springs because it is hard to find, but new building and new walk to museum in the future to make people happy and excited. They will find way to museum
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