Council introduces first reading to replace golf-course overlay with golf and recreation zone

The Indian Wells City Council introduced the first reading of an ordinance to replace the city’s long-standing golf-course overlay with a new golf-and-recreation zone intended to align zoning with the general plan and clarify permitted country‑club‑style uses.

Community Development Director John Berg explained the change is mainly a coding and clarity exercise: the proposal replaces a floating overlay polygon with base zoning that ties recreational uses to the boundaries of existing golf courses and enumerates compatible uses such as tennis and pickleball. Berg said the update does not change the zoning map or allow new land uses; rather, it restates and clarifies definitions and entitlement procedures. "It does not also amend the zoning map. The green areas stay green and it does not approve any new physical development," Berg said.

Berg noted ad hoc committee edits added language to prevent use of the golf-and-recreation zoning process to rezone for telecommunications facilities not related to golf or recreation; zones would not be changed solely to accommodate a cell tower. The council opened the public hearing and heard support from resident Rob Bernheimer, who cited a recent Reserve proposal for a 75‑foot tower and thanked staff for the clarifying edits. The council then introduced the ordinance on first reading; staff said the second reading would be scheduled at the subsequent meeting as a standard one‑month public‑notice interval.

Councilmembers and staff emphasized that future individual development proposals remain subject to public hearings and the discretionary review process.