Palm Springs council transmits nonconforming report to tribe on proposed 2.85M‑sq‑ft warehouse, requests joint meeting

Palm Springs City Council voted Dec. 10 to transmit an administrative conformity report to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on a proposed 2,850,000‑square‑foot warehouse complex and to request a joint meeting with the tribal council to address outstanding concerns.

The action follows more than three hours of public testimony and a staff presentation explaining the city’s advisory role under the 1998 land‑use coordination agreement with the tribe. Planning Director Chris Hadwin told the council that tonight’s decision was limited to transmitting findings and recommended conditions, not approving or denying the project itself. He said the report “outlines the ways that it does and does not conform to the city's policies and regulations” and that transmitting the report preserves the city’s right to a joint meeting with the tribe.

Speakers from local environmental groups, residents and the city’s police and fire departments urged the council to register a nonconformity finding or otherwise press for additional study. Public commenters cited apparent inconsistencies in the staff report, incomplete biological surveys, questions about hydrology and flood‑plain analysis, and a police letter warning that the road network and railroad crossings could create emergency‑response risks if heavy truck queues lengthen.

Staff and council acknowledged important unknowns in the record. Glenn Malacker, associate planner, summarized the submitted materials and noted the tribe’s draft environmental impact statement (TEIS) as the project’s primary CEQA‑style document. Staff said the city has 60 days under the coordination agreement (counting from the tribe’s Oct. 13/Oct. 10 submission) to transmit comments; that deadline was Dec. 13.

Rather than withhold a report (which would forfeit the city’s right to a joint meeting), council members voted to adopt a revised conformity resolution that explicitly states the project does not conform with the Palm Springs general plan and zoning code and includes a package of recommended conditions staff reviewed with council. Those recommendations include transportation and roadway improvements, water‑quality and hydrology studies, fire‑safety and emergency‑response modeling, measures to reduce truck idling and vehicle emissions, rooftop solar and battery considerations, EV charging infrastructure, and language to revisit air impacts after a set period of operation.

Councilmember DeHart moved to accept the draft resolution and transmit staff’s recommendations; Councilmember Bernstein seconded. The motion carried. The resolution directs staff to transmit the conformity report and to request a joint meeting with the tribal council to be scheduled within 30 days of the action. The joint meeting will give the public, the council and the tribe an opportunity to discuss outstanding studies, mitigation, and possible alternatives.

What the council did not do tonight is approve any project entitlements, rezoning or infrastructure commitments on tribal land. As staff repeatedly noted, the tribe retains sovereign authority over development decisions on trust land. The council’s action preserves the city’s right to formally provide its views, and it sets a timetable and a list of conditions the city wants considered if the tribe moves forward.

Next steps: staff will update Exhibit A of the resolution to include comments made at tonight’s meeting, transmit the conformity report to the tribe, and work with tribal representatives to schedule the joint meeting required under the land‑use coordination agreement. The tribe may then take whatever action it deems appropriate under its permitting process.