From:Colleen Hamilton
To:City Clerk
Subject:Written Testimony for June 20/2024 Public Hearing Date:Sunday, June 16, 2024 9:05:23 AM
Attachments:Written submission to Council Mtg June 20.docx CAUTION: This email originated from outside The City of Rancho Mirage. DO NOT CLICK links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Please find attached our submission of written testimony to be included for Council's consideration at the Public Hearing into the proposed development of a Skilled Nursing Facility on the NE corner of Bob Hope Drive and Gerald Ford Drive.
Would you please reply to this email to confirm your receipt of the attached document for Council's consideration at Thursday's Public Hearing?
Thank you.
Respectfully Submitted,
Colleen Hamilton
[email protected]
(780) 850-6300
11 Cassis Circle, Rancho Mirage, CA
June 16, 2024
To Whom it May Concern:
Please accept the following as written testimony to be considered at the Public Hearing on Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 1:00 PM in the Council Chamber at Rancho Mirage City Hall. The following are our written comments on the Planning Commission’s May 30, 2024 recommendation for approval of the proposed development on the NE corner of Bob Hope Drive and Gerald Ford Drive.
We have serious concerns about the project, as it will directly impact our enjoyment of the property located at 11 Cassis Circle and the loss of mountain views will undoubtedly lower our property value substantially. When we purchased our property in early 2022, part of our due diligence involved checking with the City of Rancho Mirage and we were given their assurance that the empty lot behind us was zoned for Office Commercial, specifically "single-story medical offices". We checked the guidelines and noted that the maximum height for a single storey building was to be 20 feet, which indicated that our view could never be significantly impacted. Given that the property was zoned Office Commercial, we understood that the hours of operation would closely resemble business hours. Yet the proposal for the AHC Skilled Nursing Facility calls for a 24-hour care center with roof heights of up to 32'10". If this plan is allowed to proceed, we will be impacted significantly in terms of round-the-clock noise, traffic and most of all, reduced mountain views.
Specifically, we wish to provide feedback with respect to the following items on the Environmental Checklist and Discussion provided to us by the City of Rancho Pirage Planning Division in April of 2024:
"Less Than Significant Impact" on a scenic vista. The high roof lines shown in the architect's drawings would have a MAJOR impact on our vista, as all but the very tops of the mountains to the west will be obscured from our view if the City of Rancho Mirage allows the developer to exceed the normal height limitation of 20 ft. for a single-story building. The setbacks described on page 20 of the document are not sufficient to mitigate the loss of views we currently enjoy and for which we paid top dollar. It is not necessary to have roof lines as high as 24 ft for much of the facility and 32'10" for large portions as well. We understand that the developer wishes for patients and staff at the facility to enjoy high ceilings in their hallways, but these high ceilings and clerestory take the elevation of a single story, as zoned, to over a two-story elevation. That change would most certainly occur at the expense of the long-term neighbors who would lose their mountain views. That is undoubtedly significant to our enjoyment of our properties and there will be a significant drop in values for the three adjoining properties most directly impacted by these unnecessarily high roof lines. Most of the medical buildings to the north of this site, whether single story or not, have flat rooves that help to preserve sight lines for the existing neighbours.
Additionally, the covered parking proposed along the east wall as shown on page 10 will most certainly impede our view and negates the mitigating effect of the 50 ft setback claimed by the developer. There is no setback for the covered parking along that wall and it is bound to be higher than the top of the existing wall. It would be far better to have uncovered parking along the east wall.
The problem of reducing the neighbors' views could be mitigated by removing more material from the lot and working from a lower elevation. Page 26 of the document provided calls for 32,970 cubic
yards of cut and 33,140 cubic yards of fill, which suggests that no effort is being made to lower the elevation and reduce the drastic impact on neighbors' sight lines.
If the City of Rancho Mirage is going to allow the developer to disregard the City's own guidelines for single storey buildings by designing high roof lines, it would seem fair to require the developer to mitigate the impact on neighbors by lowering the grade of the lot.
We have concerns about the smell, noise and propensity for rodent infestation associated with garbage receptacles located on the east side of the facility and would prefer that the City require the developer to move the garbage receptacles to the other side of the building, away from our homes. This was suggested and discussed at the meeting held on January 24, 2024 but page 10 of the document provided shows the dumpsters have only been moved partially away from the east fence. They are still on the "neighbors' side" of the facility. As proposed at the January 24, 2024 meeting, these receptacles could be shielded from view along Bob Hope Drive by trees or another barrier such as that which is used to enclose the generator. Doing so would reduce the noise of slamming metal bins heard as staff access the dumpsters all day and night and would keep the very loud garbage trucks from disturbing us as early as 7:00 AM or as late as the dinner hour, when residents are using their back yards to cook and serve dinner.
Similarly, air conditioning units currently shown on rooftops near the east ends of the proposed facility should be positioned closer to the center of the building and be contained in noise attenuation shielding. This will reduce the noise and visual impact the A/C units have on those of us living on the adjacent properties.
While the 24 hour care facility is bound to meet a need in the community and bring in tax revenue to the City, we believe it to be incumbent upon the City to protect the interests of the neighbors who purchased property with the understanding that there would be only 20 ft, single storey office commercial buildings constructed on the lot located on the NE corner of Bob Hope and Gerald Ford Drives.
In conclusion, the City could allow the new construction and still respect all inhabitants by ensuring that the developers:
1. Lower the roof lines of the proposed facility
2. Construct the base of the development at a lower elevation,
3. Eliminate the cover atop parking stalls along the east wall,
4. Relocate the trash receptacles to the west side of the proposed facility, and
5. Relocate A/C units from the east ends of wings to a more central location on the building.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns and the suggestions for accommodations noted above.
Respectfully submitted,
C. M. Hamilton
A. Duffley
Colleen Hamilton and Art Duffley
11 Cassis Circle,
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270