Huckleberries: Palm Desert no oasis for some Hagadone neighbors

Duane Hagadone had his way with the Palm Desert City Council last week and now will be cussed and discussed in two communities for the rest of his life. Huckleberries hears from a Palm Desert Berry Picker who sat behind The Duane and “his cadre of attorneys” that Coeur d’Alene’s Native Son was unruffled when council members jumped on him for misleading the city about his project. Remember? Originally, The Duane’s 32,016sf home and graded area were to be unobtrusive in the foothills that are part of a natural viewing area for the SoCal desert community. It wasn’t. Then, someone was looking the other way at City Hall when the swimming pool grew from 43 feet to 180 feet. On Thursday night, the council huffed and puffed before granting permission on a 3-1 vote for The Duane to expand the property’s graded “pad” from 44,000sf to 61,000sf. In exchange for the OK, Hagadone agreed to work with two council members in a legally binding arrangement to address “mitigating circumstances” (basically to reduce the visual impact of his monster house and lighting). If he can’t satisfy the city officials, he promised to rip out his sport court. (Yeah, right.) The Duane was on his best behavior. He told the council he’d gotten up at 4:30 that morning just to fly from Idaho to meet with disgruntled neighbors. He didn’t impress them or my Berry Picker. Sez she: “Duane, I think, is simply one of those poor people who have been so rich so long that they’ve forgotten what it’s like not to be.” I wonder what that feels like?