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Palm Desert staff, consultants propose numeric 'objective' standards to protect hillsides; council urges ridgeline clarity
Summary
City staff and consultants presented a plan to create measurable hillside objective design standards to protect Palm Desert's ridgelines and viewsheds while reconciling existing code conflicts; council members asked staff to refine grading, pad coverage and dwelling-size rules and to evaluate state law impacts such as SB 9.
Consultants for the City of Palm Desert told the City Council on March 27 they are preparing objective design standards for hillside residential areas to replace subjective code language that currently leaves key decisions to discretionary review. "Objective design standards are measurable and they're quantifiable," said John Kalisky of John Kalisky Architects, who led the presentation with consultant Ami Bhatt and planning staffer Nick Maloney.
Kalisky said the goal is to create clear, numerical benchmarks that applicants and decision makers can apply consistently. He highlighted areas for possible standards: grading and limits on cut-and-fill, definition and treatment of ridgelines, pad size and coverage limits, maximum dwelling size, access-road standards and landscape and lighting controls to limit visual impact.
The consultants used the city GIS to map privately and publicly owned hillside parcels and noted…
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