The Planning Department provides a summary of residential and non-residential projects that have been approved, are under construction, or are in review for a new development proposal.

You can access information on current projects in development by using the accordion widget below or the interactive map located at the bottom of this page. For questions or further information about these projects, please contact the Planning Division.

Specific Plan

• DSRT SURF Specific Plan

Economic Development Subsidy Report

• DSRT SURF - Economic Development Subsidy Report (AB562)

Project Approvals 

November 14, 2019 - Original Approval

• DSRT SURF Final EIR (FEIR) - Adopted by City Council Resolution No. 2019-83
  • Appendix A – Notice of Preparation (NOP) Responses
  • Appendix B – Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Report
  • Appendix C – Habitat Assessment and Coachella Valley Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP)
  • Appendix D – Cultural Resources Report
  • Appendix E – Geotech Report
  • Appendix F – Desert Willow Golf Course Water Quality Management Plan
  • Appendix G – Noise Study
  • Appendix H – Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA)
  • Appendix I – Water Supply Assessment (WSA)

• City Council Staff Report
• City Council Meeting Minutes
• City Council Adopted Resolution 2019-82
• City Council Adopted Resolution 2019-83

In 2018, the City Council approved plans for the development of 69 condominium units on 30 acres formerly occupied by the Palm Desert Country Club Executive Course. These applications include a precise plan, conditional use permit, tentative tract maps, and environmental assessment.

Refuge Palm Desert is a proposed development on a 106.4-acre parcel located south of Gerald Ford Drive, directly east of the Riverside County Sheriff Station. The Project includes a Specific Plan (SP), Change of Zone (CZ), and Tentative Tract Map (TTM) to facilitate the development of up to 969 residential dwelling units on the project site.

The Specific Plan document will establish site-specific development standards, design guidelines, and land use regulations to guide future development of the project site.

The project will facilitate the coordinated development of a residential community of up to 969-residential dwelling units with a variety of singe- and multifamily housing types, densities, private recreational amenities, open spaces, pedestrian connectors, and a design program.

Additionally, this document will plan for the expansion of infrastructure necessary to accommodate these future residences (i.e., plan for roadway capacity, intersection improvements, private open space, bikeways, stormwater retention and water capacity, etc.).

The Specific Plan proposes to establish five Planning Areas (PA) summarized on the table below. PA 5 will provide a 50'-0" open space trail along the south and east portions of the project site.

The Change of Zone will change the current zoning designation of the project site, Planned Residential 20 (PR-2) to accommodate the proposed Planning Areas density range and define the Specific Plan Planning Area boundaries.

The Tentative Tract Map will subdivide a 94.5-acre portion of the project site to create parcels for 339 single-family dwellings , open space, and streets.

The project is currently under review by City Staff. A draft Initial Study (IS) / Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared for the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is available for public review or comment between October 4, 2022, and October 24, 2022.

Public Hearings will be held before the Palm Desert Planning Commission and City Council in Fall 2022.

Should you have any questions about this project, please contact the City's Development Services Department- Planning Division at (760) 346-0611 or email Nick Melloni, Senior Planner at nmelloni@palmdesert.gov.

Resources:

• Draft Refuge Specific Plan
• Draft Landscape Concept Exhibits

Notice of Intent

Draft Initial Study - Refuge Specific Plan

• Appendix A Refuge Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Modelling
• Appendix B Refuge Palm Desert Biological Resources Report
• Appendix C Refuge Palm Desert Cultural Resources Report
• Appendix D Refuge Water Supply Assessment- Water Supply Verification
• Appendix E Refuge Traffic Analysis Report and Appendices
• Appendix F Refuge VMT Analysis

The City’s newly updated General Plan identifies San Pablo Avenue as a key area for transformational change to facilitate the creation of a downtown/city center. The mile-long corridor connects shopping, restaurants, and other commercial services at El Paseo and Highway 111 with residential neighborhoods and civic uses including Palm Desert City Hall, College of the Desert, Civic Center Park, and eventually, CVLink.

Plans for the corridor call for a “road-diet” that would remove a vehicle lane in each direction on San Pablo and add enhanced walkways and buffered bike lanes. To publicly introduce and promote these concepts, the City hosted the “Vision San Pablo” event in May 2016. Community feedback for the proposed changes was overwhelmingly positive and City staff and consultants have spent the following years evaluating the final design and configuration for the corridor.

Phase 1

In December, 2018, the City Council approved final construction plans for Phase 1 of the corridor improvements. Phase 1 included the following improvements from Highway 111 to Fred Waring Drive.

• Improvements to the intersection of Highway 111 and San Pablo
• A "road-diet", removing one vehicle lane in each direction;
• Parking improvements throughout the corridor;
• Pedestrian improvement; wider sidewalks, shade trees, and street furniture;
• A round-a-bout at San Pablo Avenue and San Gorgonio Way; and
• Enhancements to the Community Gardens along San Pablo.

Phase 2

Phase 2 improvements, Fred Waring Drive to Magnesia Falls, completed in September 2021.

Helpful Documents

• San Pablo Conceptual Plan
• San Pablo Avenue Sections

Contact Us

To share comments about the plan, please email Nick Melloni, Principal Planner, at nmelloni@palmdesert.gov or call (760) 346-0611, ext. 480.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

To view Notices of Determination for completed projects please click here to visit California's CEQAnet web portal.    

Reports and documents relating to each project listed on this page are available for public inspection at the Development Services Department, (Planning / Land Development) Division.

For more information please contact the Planning Division at (760) 776-6483 or by email at planning@palmdesert.gov. 

Urban Crossings

• Notice of Intent

Refuge Specific Plan

Notice of Intent

Draft Initial Study - Refuge Specific Plan

• Appendix A Refuge Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Modelling
• Appendix B Refuge Palm Desert Biological Resources Report
• Appendix C Refuge Palm Desert Cultural Resources Report
• Appendix D Refuge Water Supply Assessment- Water Supply Verification
• Appendix E Refuge Traffic Analysis Report and Appendices
• Appendix F Refuge VMT Analysis

University Medical Office Park

Notice of Determination - SP/EA22-0002, PP22-0009, TPM 38728

Notice of Intent

Initial Study (IS) / Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) -  University Medical Office Park 5.8.23

• Appendix A - CalEEMod Assembled
• Appendix B - Cultural Report Package
• Appendix C - Preliminary Hydrology Report
• Appendix D - Traffic Impact Analysis
• Appendix E - VMT Analysis

Haystack Stormwater Channel Rehabilitation Project

Notice of Intent

Initial Study (IS) / Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) dated 7.31.23

• Appendix A - CalEEMod Outputs
• Appendix B - Biological Resources Assessment
• Appendix D - Haystack Channel Technical Memorandum

Notice of Intent

Initial Study (IS) / Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) dated 6.5.24

• Appendix A - CalEEMOD AQ and GHG Project Detailed Report
• Appendix B - Geotechnical Report
• Appendix C - Hydrology Report
• Appendix D - Trip Generation Letter 20231025