Planning Commission continues large ‘Casa Del Cava’ bed-and-breakfast review to allow more information on scale and zoning consistency

The City of Indio Planning Commission on Dec. 11 voted to continue deliberation on the Casa Del Cava planning review (case file PLAN PRD240012), a proposed 32,000–33,000-square-foot, fully staffed bed-and-breakfast estate, to the commission’s next meeting on Jan. 11 to allow staff and the applicant to provide additional information about zoning consistency and the project business model.

Staff presented the project as a planning review application submitted by Walter Daniels on behalf of owner Kei Manning. The site is a single parcel of about 3.3 acres near the southwest corner of John Nobles Avenue and Arabia Street, zoned Connected Neighborhood 20 (CN-20) with a General Plan designation of Connected Neighborhood High. Staff said the proposal includes an estate with eight guest suites, dining and amenity spaces, parking and landscape areas totaling roughly 26.4 percent landscaped area (the CN-20 standard is 10 percent). Staff recommended conditional approval (Resolution No. 2101) and concluded the project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act with the application of required conditions of approval.

Multiple commissioners said they were not comfortable moving forward with approval at this meeting. They raised questions about whether the size and commercial scale of the project are consistent with the CN‑20 zone’s stated intent (which emphasizes housing types and small-scale nonresidential uses) and asked staff to clarify how the project fits allowable uses and whether the project would operate as a bed-and-breakfast under the city’s definition.

During public testimony an applicant representative described Casa Del Cava as a wellness- and sustainability-themed, Mediterranean-style estate with eight bespoke guest suites, a dining court, pools and amenity pavilion. The representative said the project would be a fully staffed bed-and-breakfast estate operating at short-term stays (30 days or fewer) with supplemental programming targeted at leisure and corporate retreat markets. In written and spoken remarks the representative described planned sustainability measures including a high-performance thermal envelope, greywater reuse for irrigation, low‑ and no‑VOC materials, and on-site water treatment. The representative also described intended community engagement measures such as promotional rates for Indio residents and occasional free events for neighbors.

Commissioners asked whether the proposal should be treated as a bed-and-breakfast, hotel or short-term rental. Staff read the unified development code definition for “bed and breakfast” into the record: a residential structure occupied by a resident as his/her primary residence with one or more bedrooms rented for periods of 30 consecutive days or fewer; meals may be provided. Staff said the city has no other bed-and-breakfasts on record.

Given the size and program of the proposed estate, two commissioners said they needed more information about allowable uses in CN‑20, the development-code definitions that apply, the project’s business model and whether the project has precedent in the city. One commissioner recommended that staff and the applicant meet with commission members and provide additional written materials prior to the Jan. 11 meeting; another commissioner said the holidays reduce availability but urged staff and commissioners to gather the requested information before the continued hearing.

A motion to continue the item to the Jan. 11 planning commission meeting passed on roll call. The motion was seconded and carried with recorded affirmative votes (the roll call record shows the commissioners present voting yes). The continuance does not constitute approval; staff said they will prepare responses to the commission’s requested clarifications for the next hearing.

Why this matters: the proposal would introduce a larger-scale hospitality operation into a neighborhood zone that emphasizes walkable, mixed housing and small-scale nonresidential uses. Commissioners sought detailed justification on how the project’s scale, services and operations fit the CN-20 zone and the city’s General Plan before making a land-use decision.

Items to watch: staff follow-up to the commission’s questions on code consistency and permitted uses in CN‑20, clarification on taxation or TOT classification (staff noted finance would need to be consulted), and any adjustments to the proposal or conditions that the applicant presents at the continued hearing.