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Board closes hearing and later approves lease and CEQA exemption for Rancho Mirage High School cellular pole
Summary
After a public hearing and outreach summary, the board approved a lease option with Diamond Towers VLLC and adopted a CEQA exemption to replace a 70-ft light pole with a 100-ft pole and mount a cellular facility at Rancho Mirage High School.
The Palm Springs Unified School District held a public hearing on June 23 on a proposed ground-lease and option agreement with Diamond Towers VLLC to install a cellular facility on a raised sports-light pole at Rancho Mirage High School.
Julie Arthur, the district's executive director for facilities planning and development, walked the board through the proposal: remove an existing 70-foot sports-field Musco light pole, replace it with a 100-foot pole, re-install the Musco lighting at approximately 70 feet, and locate a cellular facility at the top of the new pole. The district noted prior telecom infrastructure at other district sites and said the change would address known cellular coverage gaps at Rancho Mirage High School important for staff, parents and public-safety communications at outdoor fields.
Arthur summarized outreach: 1,700 notices mailed districtwide, 286 mailed within a quarter-mile, ParentSquare messages to ~1,400 families, staff notices and a Desert Sun notice; the district reported 16 responses by the comment deadline (11 in favor, two opposed, plus a tribal request to be notified if human remains are encountered during construction). Arthur said the city of Rancho Mirage partnered on the project and its mayor attended the hearing.
The public hearing had no oral testimony beyond earlier written comments; the board closed the hearing and later considered agenda items that included a resolution finding the pole replacement and cellular facility exempt from CEQA and an option and ground lease with Diamond Towers. At the business portion of the meeting the board moved, seconded and approved the option and ground lease (agenda item 16N) and adopted resolution 2025-2026-49 and related CEQA exemption findings (agenda item 16Q).
Board members and staff noted the project is intended to improve connectivity and public safety for outdoor activities at the campus. The district recorded the written comment tally and explained mitigation and notification protocols requested by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians if construction encounters cultural resources.
Outcome: The board approved the lease option with Diamond Towers VLLC for a wireless facility at Rancho Mirage High School and adopted the CEQA exemption resolution on the public record. The lease and CEQA resolution will be posted with the meeting minutes and contract documentation.
