Planning commission approves 90,468‑sq‑ft climate‑controlled storage facility on Gene Autry with ARC review and landscaping conditions

The Planning Commission voted to approve a tentative parcel map and major development permit for a 90,468‑square‑foot climate‑controlled self‑storage building with 41 RV parking spaces on a site near the intersection of North Gene Autry Trail (State Highway 111) and District Center Drive.

Staff described the project as conforming to M1P zoning and said the developer revised the design after early staff review. The approved plan calls for a two‑story climate‑controlled storage building, an office and caretaker apartment, roll‑up doors for customer loading, and an eight‑space customer parking area. The proposal leaves the site’s northern parcel available for future development.

Shane Swerdlow, a land‑use consultant for 17 84 Holdings, said the company designs storage projects using neutral desert colors, masonry accents and a mix of shade trees including desert ironwood and blue palo verde; the design includes a staggered masonry screen wall with decorative breeze‑block insets as a nod to Palm Springs’ architectural tradition.

Public comment was limited and largely supportive: a representative of a neighborhood group complimented the design, and several speakers praised the applicant’s outreach and the project’s professional presentation. A member of the public asked the developer to consider covered RV parking and stronger tree canopy in parking islands; the applicant said covered RV parking had been evaluated but market analysis did not demonstrate demand for covered spaces on this site.

Commissioners approved the tentative parcel map and development permit after discussing design detail and asking the applicant to refine landscaping and wall articulation. During the motion and vote, commissioners asked staff and the applicant to forward the project to the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) for additional design refinements focused on:

- Greater three‑dimensional articulation of the building facades and perimeter walls (deeper offsets and varied materials), - Revisit tree species and increase the number and size of trees along Gene Autry and in RV parking islands to increase shading, - Confirm lighting color temperature and photometric cutoffs consistent with city standards (commissioners asked that fixtures be 3,000 Kelvin or less where feasible), - Encourage the applicant to study heat‑island mitigation for the large paved areas (shade, additional trees, or reflective/cool coatings) and report results to ARC.

A roll‑call vote carried the motion unanimously. The approval includes staff conditions requiring final materials and lighting plans to be reviewed by ARC and for landscape and wall details to be finalized prior to building permits.

What happens next: the applicant will return to ARC with revised elevations, materials, landscape plans and a more detailed wall section and shading plan. Once ARC signs off and the applicant satisfies staff conditions, building permits may be issued.