Planning commission OKs two-year extension for Farrell Drive self‑storage entitlement

The Palm Springs Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a two‑year extension of an entitlement for a proposed 64,092‑square‑foot self‑storage facility at 900 North Farrell Drive.

The extension, granted by unanimous vote, extends the original entitlement — which took effect Aug. 2, 2022, and had been set to expire Aug. 2, 2024 — until Aug. 2, 2026. The application was filed by MSA Consulting Inc. on behalf of Farrell Drive Palm Springs LLC.

City planning staff told commissioners the applicant submitted an extension request after the entitlement’s effective date and that the extension application was deemed complete April 23, 2025. Staff said the approved project includes four detached buildings on a 4.2‑acre vacant parcel, with building sizes ranging from about 5,500 square feet to roughly 41,000 square feet; the main single‑story building is shown at a maximum height of 21 feet and drive‑up units at about 13 feet, 8 inches. Staff recommended approval of the extension after finding no changes to the approved plans and noting that financial inability and market conditions are not in themselves valid reasons for an extension under the zoning code.

The applicant, Eric Yiguchi, told the commission that the original intent was to build the project and that partner withdrawal — not a desire to delay indefinitely — prompted the effort to find a buyer. “We did intend to build this, which is why we proceeded forward with building plans,” Yiguchi said. He said some partners chose not to move forward with construction and that the applicant sought a buyer who would carry the project as currently entitled.

John Chen, who spoke for the applicant team, said the parties were negotiating a draft purchase and sale agreement with a national self‑storage operator identified in the meeting as USAA and that the prospective buyer’s due‑diligence period would run about 90 days. “They would close, I believe, in 90 days,” Chen said when asked about a timetable.

Commissioners questioned whether the applicant had paid all related plan‑check or permit fees and whether the prospective buyer had engaged directly with city staff. Staff said plan checks had advanced with most departments but that the building permit itself had not been issued and that engineering remained an outstanding plan‑check item on the earlier permit. Staff also said some submitted materials had been incomplete initially, which delayed the extension filing being deemed complete.

After discussion about the project’s technical progress through plan check and the applicant’s current contract negotiations, the commission voted to grant the requested extension to Aug. 2, 2026.

The extension preserves the existing approved designs and entitlements. If the applicant or new owner seeks substantive changes to the project’s design or program in the future, those changes would require a new application and additional review, the commission and staff said.