Cathedral City council gives initial approval to 204-unit Date Palm apartment project, delegates final wall design to staff

The Cathedral City City Council voted on Jan. 8 to approve a set of entitlements — a general plan amendment, change of zone and design review — for a proposed 204-unit apartment community on a site fronting Date Palm Drive and Rosemount Road.

Staff presented the project as a multi-building complex with 204 units in 12 buildings (six two-story “Big House” buildings and six three-story “Stack House” buildings), 319 parking spaces (306 required, 292 covered), and on-site amenities including a clubhouse and pool. The council accepted the initial study and mitigated negative declaration prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Why it matters: the proposal represents a notable increase in multifamily housing supply in an area the staff described as appropriate for higher-density residential development given transit access and nearby services. The measure had been reviewed previously by the Architectural Review Committee and the Planning Commission, which recommended approval.

Project details and planning history: Cindy Schultz of the city planning staff summarized the application, noting the request to amend the general plan land-use designation from commercial to medium-high density residential and to change zoning from planned community commercial to R-3 multifamily. The project includes a retention basin that staff said would provide a buffer along the eastern property line; the basin width varies and was described as adding about 50 feet of separation in some locations. The three-story buildings would terrace down in places and reach a maximum height of 35 feet; the two-story buildings have a maximum height of just under 29 feet. The applicant proposed 6 ADA spaces and 8 electric-vehicle spaces and said the site is served by SunLine Route 4.

Public concerns and design clarifications: neighboring property owners raised concerns at the Planning Commission hearing about privacy, lighting, runoff and views. Staff and the applicant provided additional elevation and setback visuals for council review; staff noted the applicant increased setbacks compared with what current commercial zoning would allow and emphasized that the proposed R-3 standards are more stringent than the existing commercial entitlement would require.

Discussion on perimeter wall: several council members and the applicant discussed the design and materials of the perimeter wall along Date Palm Drive. Council Member Carnivale asked the developer to consider a more decorative, modern concrete-block or exposed-concrete treatment to better complement the corridor. The developer’s representative, Stefan Vogel, said the team was open to further refinements, adding, “We want to build a project that we’re proud of and that you guys are proud of.” The council ultimately approved the project with staff delegated authority to finalize the wall design rather than returning the project to the full council or Architectural Review Committee for that single detail.

Vote and motion: Mayor Pro Tem Tim Gregory made the motion to approve staff’s recommendation with the caveat that staff have final approval over the wall design; Council Member Oscar Gutierrez seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote with all ayes recorded.

What’s next: staff will finalize plan-check details and work with the applicant on the wall and landscape refinements the council requested. The council’s action authorized the change of zone (23-001), design review (23-002) and general plan amendment (GPA 23-002) consistent with the mitigated negative declaration adopted for the project.

Ending: The council approved the project as presented and asked staff and the applicant to continue working on site details that respond to neighborhood concerns while preserving the approved project scope.