Recently, the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission unanimously recommended that an environmental impact report be prepared for The Ridge at Twentynine Palms, a 200-unit affordable housing project to be sited on the south edge of the Marine Base, across the fence from Condor Elementary School, before the project be allowed to proceed. The developers of the project appealed the ruling to the City Council last night. Reporter Dan Stork describes how the vote went down…
Tom Jacobson, a lawyer for the developers of The Ridge at Twentynine Palms, and Jeff Sporkin, one of the developers, argued to the Twentynine Palms City Council that the Marine Base was aggressively trying to block the project, and that the issues that prompted the EIR recommendation—access, traffic, and land use compatibility—could be adequately (and less expensively) handled with a mitigated negative declaration and conditions of approval. City attorney Patrick Munoz advised upholding the EIR requirement as a hedge against possible future legal entanglements. Council member Jay Corbin argued forcefully against the EIR, and was dittoed (literally) by Jim Harris and Cora Heiser. Joel Klink and Dan Mintz were the minority favoring the EIR.
In closed session before the meeting, the Council chose Larry Bowden to be acting city manager, when Interim City Manager Andy Takata leaves his post next week. In other actions, Cora Heiser removed from the consent agenda an item permitting the temporary use of city-owned residences. It passed 3-2, with Jay Corbin joining Heiser in opposition. Council unanimously voted to update the City Code’s treatment of mobile home parks, and to limit contributions to medical benefits for some city employees and future retired City Council members.
TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY COUNCIL GREENLIGHTS HOUSING PROJECT, BOWDEN ACTING CITY MANAGER
