[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6328705,"mediaKeyId","2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae","parentId",2318337,"title","Consultants tell Palm Springs council downtown has ample parking; recommend better wayfinding, lighting and targeted enforcement","audioSeconds",752,"startMs",1602000,"endMs",2354000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae&start=1602&end=2354","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae/thumbnail_1602000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6328705/Palm-Springs/Riverside-County/California/Consultants-tell-Palm-Springs-council-downtown-has-ample-parking-recommend-better-wayfinding-lighting-and-targeted-enforcement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328705-959538285c88c12243f8b99e093d63f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775278027&Signature=nYRZ9pJtJESnk6fPO0OZlwF2NB-G4R3QGTkG5B418Ozc2WxdXOiCIcvpQXUmglijHbf7gSTiPoJIBMVpd1KffQKO0Ij1DKZoOnki2p98oW9qFjFhAdqBsvNkuhQPdjwnNSZbRm1sNjSp~Rg78fj34lRFnIQV-bkaI9jHIsCCbiqARqJPJA37hcG2ywGuB9r2l43LBPgE6uH4xlsuflJW9u9lrisyudjhYru4u4GlkfkQbk7tRN2Qf9HsTneOjjZFwHkwNc06Hcz-Lc7aQ5RMmHnv3FCYdfAPnRnlEryVNFB69YDMJ8ItNzwMpfFKEbiKhg9Fw~8SiZ6Usn27E2kiDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Palm Springs CA","date","2025-02-14T04:28:04Z","article","A parking assessment funded by PS Resorts found Palm Springs' downtown has more off‑street parking than many visitors realize, but poor signage, lighting and garage visibility push drivers to stay on surface streets, consultants told the City Council on Feb. 23.

Julie Dixon of Dixon Resources, presenting remotely, said the firm’s block‑by‑block study used license‑plate recognition and drones and set a baseline for ongoing data collection. \"This is an important baseline,\" Dixon said. \"Parking continues to be an impact in Palm Springs, and our recommendation is that you continue to collect data.\"

The consultant and city staff framed the problem as one of visibility and management rather than supply. Dixon said the city’s garages are often underused and that people usually can find a space within one or two blocks of downtown destinations, but that visitors often mistake some garages for private hotel lots. She recommended better wayfinding (static and digital signage), brighter lighting, paint markings to standardize stall spacing and use of license‑plate recognition to support enforcement and data collection. \"If we manage parking effectively, it makes it easy for everyone to be able to follow the rules,\" Dixon said.

Dixon also suggested targeting on‑street time limits to increase turnover and pushing longer‑stay parking into garages through an expanded employee permit program and shared after‑hours agreements with private lots. For large events, she proposed special‑event paid parking to fund traffic control and event‑specific needs. On enforcement technology, she said exterior digital counters that show available spaces would be a cost‑efficient first step; the red‑green in‑space sensor systems would cost \"low end, at least $400,000\" for an above‑ground garage, while a digital exterior counter could be under $25,000.

Councilmembers raised safety and branding. Councilmember Bernstein asked whether strategies differ for underground versus above‑ground garages; Dixon said lighting and signage are crucial in either case but noted underground garages usually require a larger investment to make them feel safe and navigable. Councilmember Garner urged that any new downtown signage “go with the Palm Springs brand” and said the employee permit program may be underpromoted.

City Manager and staff said they will review budget availability and existing resources and work with engineering, public works and communications on an implementation plan. Several councilmembers suggested bringing the parking study and a proposed implementation plan into the council’s upcoming priority discussions and budget process.

No formal action or ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Council directed staff to return with implementation options and budget implications for council consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting | February 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A parking assessment funded by PS Resorts found Palm Springs' downtown has more off‑street parking than many visitors realize, but poor signage, lighting and garage visibility push drivers to stay on surface streets, consultants told the City Council on Feb. 23.","taxTitle","Palm Springs, Riverside County, California","taxId",55405,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6328695,"Council approves hotel operations covenant for Yara Hotel under city incentive program",414,5069000,5483000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae&start=5069&end=5483","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae/thumbnail_5069000.jpg","/articles/6328695/Palm-Springs/Riverside-County/California/Council-approves-hotel-operations-covenant-for-Yara-Hotel-under-city-incentive-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328695-711ea6b7146bf8eaeccfd490f4251390/orig.mp4?Expires=1775278027&Signature=JyQm3advAu5S3pqeAtzWOXXVhtvNGvpmStvKoPvcQyzUuzBs24PHn8Jbqz-e2Sp~M-7zYyVQ3VaScHURgYX0g1tdCmYJnwPejiyCXUBKqlMCiRytjHkp6Ci~OlInmifvBptVuijroQNQnFEg5OMXjPZd1pOh4s0jRnB5gbQsgOGLismQbNDtd3iRTc5Fgf2HxHkzfBD3cJEZu14-718BcIdhRnfyYoqCadDMYrUETexti5-zWPWgoaKprktoSre0qBgtnd7b4OdtPXWv3AeuuzWqp1WF8pT0FzXfmfpoav-GCQbcR4M1B7CvBNEPLEoYi5e4PLZA3NhJFb-YVW4zZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Palm Springs City Council voted to approve a hotel operations covenant for the Yara Hotel, certifying $857,122 in qualifying project costs under the city’s Hotel Operations Incentive Program codified in Municipal Code chapter 5.26.

Wayne Olson, the city’s chief economic development officer, said the property (211 East Sonora Road, District 5) documented $857,122 of reimbursable expenses and therefore qualified under program rules, which require an aggregate project cost of more than $5,000 per key. Olson explained the program’s reimbursement mechanism: the city establishes a base by averaging the last three years of Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue, and any increment above that base is split 50/50 with the owner. Olson said the three‑year base for the property was $102,481 and that to reach full reimbursement under current rules the property would need to generate roughly $171,424 of annual increment (about $17,142 per room), although he added few projects typically achieve full reimbursement within ten years.

Council opened a public hearing and had no speakers. After a staff report and brief questions from Councilmember Bernstein about how the increment split works, the council made and seconded a motion to accept staff recommendations. \"Motion carries,\" the mayor announced; the transcript does not record an individual roll‑call vote or tally in the public record excerpt.

Under the program, the owner can be reimbursed for either the total documented project cost or for up to 10 years of increments above the established base, whichever comes first. Olson said the program has reimbursed hotels in the past and that most projects remain in the program for the full 10‑year period but do not typically recover the full documented cost.

The council did not amend the covenant language at the meeting; staff said auditors monitor compliance and that the program requires documentation of project costs and subsequent TOT generation as the basis for reimbursement.","The Palm Springs City Council voted to approve a hotel operations covenant for the Yara Hotel, certifying $857,122 in qualifying project costs under the city’s Hotel Operations Incentive Program (Municipal Code chapter 5.26).",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6328700,"Council hears Parks and Recreation master plan; commissioners and residents urge quick implementation and clarity on funding, water play and facilities",6093,3593000,9686000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae&start=3593&end=9686","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318337-0d76d047b840df0d9e16dd673fefe2ae/thumbnail_3593000.jpg","/articles/6328700/Palm-Springs/Riverside-County/California/Council-hears-Parks-and-Recreation-master-plan-commissioners-and-residents-urge-quick-implementation-and-clarity-on-funding-water-play-and-facilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328700-ae46464755e3447297807a86941398b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775278027&Signature=RqtJg9rJeak4RgyjSW4VegCX8W-1rwkrQ0RIbQVNT7o~FaGAHcSR0XhleYaDDtQvVQkIcCFwdLRzGgzJy0rh4NmeYLRFUPE3nyVGDJey-c7msf9guL9cSS~6rlusR2bA2kU~wiaxc4tEnB7tyB06Y14ibQG5fn5h5adZTBrw4ypBoZbAXAh5A-LhmlI2sPvIEagPIT81eKUA0CnAMMs34Arp~m9guXIPWcB5MHKh2F1iQvRcVuk0pj470e5zUag3qNpBt5OLH4LnLP-AE57-HdeBrVoYoPrK7gD6j-t2jUyUsCkyXA0z-CSGb-DJ~T--BdSqPGKlH1Q0hE3FHHC2EA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and consultants presented the Palm Springs Parks and Recreation Master Plan on Feb. 23, laying out a 10‑year vision, six guiding themes, 19 goals and more than 50 recommended actions to expand and equitably improve parks, recreation facilities and programming.

\"This is a visionary document that will shape our parks and recreational offerings over the next decade,\" Parks and Recreation Director Nick Gonzales told the City Council. Shalina Otvert of Concrete Design Initiative, the lead consultant, described a year of site inventories and outreach that engaged more than 700 people and produced maps and an implementation timeline. \"We did it by listening to your staff and listening to the people on the commission and others that make the park system go,\" Otvert said.

The plan documents uneven access across city neighborhoods and recommends tools for implementation, including funding strategies, part classifications, design guidance and a phased action plan intended to be folded into the city's budget process. Consultants recommended increasing outreach, establishing asset‑management systems and clarifying pricing and subsidy policies for programs and facilities.

Councilmembers and speakers focused on implementation priorities. Councilmember Garner emphasized better communication about existing programs and bandwidth to expand community‑center hours; Mayor Pro Tem Soto and others asked for more detailed facility condition assessments and clearer replacement schedules for playgrounds and other capital assets. Gonzales said a separate facilities assessment and a one‑ to two‑year action plan will follow to guide budgeting.

Water play generated sustained discussion. Consultants and staff acknowledged tensions between user demand for splash pads and broader water‑conservation goals; the plan recommends water‑sensitive, lower‑maintenance interactive water features as an implementable alternative and calls for close coordination with the city’s sustainability team.

The meeting also featured public testimony on the plan and related park projects. Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission and an ad‑hoc community committee urged the council to move rapidly on the plan and the proposed pickleball expansion at DeMuth Park. Michael Finland, a Parks and Rec commissioner, called the master plan a \"worthwhile endeavor\" and urged forward movement; Nancy Ferguson, another commissioner, called the plan \"complete and well thought out.\" T Centauri, an ad‑hoc member, praised the community process and urged planning for alternative play locations during court reconstruction.

At the same time, some residents expressed concern about the scope and cost of the proposed pickleball expansion. Jim Seavey, an area resident, said the project cost had grown from $1.4 million to about $6.4 million in project documents and urged postponement, raised parking and spectator seating concerns and recommended bleachers and better parking plans. Peter Henson, a longtime player, asked that the city consult longtime users about design and phasing so regular players are not displaced during construction.

Consultants said the master plan is a roadmap, not a binding budget; staff and consultants said many actions will be prioritized and scheduled through the biennial budget process. Gonzales said staff will return with a more detailed action plan tied to budget timelines and recommended priorities. Council did not vote on the plan but provided guidance and asked staff to present implementation priorities for the upcoming budget and the council's priorities session.","City staff and consultants presented a 10‑year Parks and Recreation Master Plan after yearlong community engagement; commissioners and speakers urged timely implementation, more indoor and climate‑resilient facilities, water‑play options and clarity on cost‑recovery targets and funding strategies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Consultants tell Palm Springs council downtown has ample parking; recommend better wayfinding, lighting and targeted enforcement

Council approves hotel operations covenant for Yara Hotel under city incentive program

Council hears Parks and Recreation master plan; commissioners and residents urge quick implementation and clarity on funding, water play and facilities