Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Commercial Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Architectural panel approves Palm Springs mini‑storage project with conditions on panels, lighting and landscaping
Summary
The Palm Springs ARC on Feb. 18 approved a 90,468‑sq‑ft self‑storage and RV parking project by 17 84 Holdings, approving a revised facade of onyx CMU with perforated steel screens and LED backlighting, subject to final panel gauge, lighting design, structural certification and a larger shade tree palette.
The Palm Springs Architectural Review Committee approved a redesigned 90,468‑square‑foot mini‑storage building and adjacent RV parking on Feb. 18, voting unanimously to approve the applicant's revised façade and landscape package while attaching technical conditions intended to ensure durability and the intended night‑time effect.
Staff (Glenn Malacher) summarized prior ARC comments and said the planning commission had already set site plan and height. The current submittal emphasizes an exposed onyx concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall framed by a perforated metal screen offset about 8 inches from the face; LED strip lights would be mounted behind the screen at top and bottom to create backlit nighttime expression. Staff recommended approval but flagged the corner vision‑glass details and alignment with the screen for ARC feedback.
Applicant Michelle Bach (17 84 Holdings) and consultant Shane Swerdlow described the evolution away from faux storefront features toward an authentic storage building expression, showing material samples and patterned metal panels in three colors. "Metal is important in this area, and that was something we took into account with this design," Bach said, adding that the perforated screens are intended to reveal the dark onyx block in daytime and present a backlit pattern at night.
Commissioners focused questions on constructability, panel thickness and long‑term behavior (oil‑canning), the exact perforation/opening percentage, the attachment details for the 8‑inch offset screen and the lighting designer's cut sheets. The applicant said the panels will be steel, powder‑coated, mounted to a structural framework and that LED tracks were specified for down‑lighting behind the screen. The team also presented precedent installations in Scottsdale and brought material samples for the ARC's review.
The ARC approved the project with conditions requiring: staff review and approval of the final panel gauge, perforation pattern and spacing; confirmation of the light fixture selection and final placement in consultation with a lighting designer; structural certification/engineering details demonstrating how the screen attaches to avoid excessive oil‑canning; alignment of display windows and panel seams; and use of larger shade trees in the RV and parking areas to meet shading goals. The approval leaves minor shop‑drawing details to plan check and staff review.
Next steps: staff will confirm final panel and light specifications in plan check; applicant may return to ARC on request for final design refinements.
