After a shuffling of personnel, the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission focused on parking rules. Reporter Dan Stork outlines some of the issues from last night’s meeting…
At the start of the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission meeting, new member BK Wiederhold and returning members Cary Alderson and Bill Easter were sworn in. New member Rob Fleck was absent on personal business. Departing member Richard Banneck used public comment time to explain he did not resign, but was replaced, and it’s OK with him. Greg Mendoza was chosen to be the new chair of the Commission, with Bill Easter moving to the vice-chair slot. The 18th Development Code study session focused on parking rules. During public comment, Philip Block, representing the Vipassana Meditation Center, noted that rural, public, and institutional concerns are required to pave parking lots for new projects, although commercial and tourist businesses are not. He asked for comparable lenience, allowing alternatives to asphalt for dust control.
The Commissioners concentrated on the number of parking spaces to be required, which varies with the size and type of businesses. Cary Alderson suggested many changes, all in the direction of requiring fewer spots, and based upon his research as to what comparable cities do. The other commissioners agreed with that trend, but admitted they had no expertise in deciding upon specific formulas. They asked staff to consult with a traffic engineer to help them make decisions in this area.
TWENTYNINE PALMS PLANNING COMMISSION FOCUSES ON PARKING RULES
