Rancho Mirage council paves the way for future development off Monterey Avenue
With few empty lots remaining for new large-scale development in Rancho Mirage, city officials are eyeing roughly 35 acres of land off Monterey Avenue for a project that could include hundreds of homes and a hotel, as well as other stores and restaurants.
The city council unanimously agreed Thursday to zoning changes for the site, as well as amendments to the city’s specific plan for the area west of Monterey Avenue near Dinah Shore Drive, setting “a comprehensive vision for a mixed-use project,” according to a report by Ben Torres, the city’s planning manager.
The requested changes to the city’s plans were submitted by MSA Consulting, and property records show the parcels are owned by Zelman Rancho Mirage, a Pasadena-based LLC.
The council’s vote Thursday allows for the project’s necessary zoning, changing it to allow for a mix of medium-density residential and commercial space. The approved amendment to the city's plan sets development standards that allow for up to 400 homes, up to 150,000 square feet of retail space, as well as a hotel with up to 150 rooms on site.
However, a development plan detailing the types of homes and shops envisioned will still need to gain city approval before anything gets built at the 35-acre site, which is located just east of the Rancho Mirage Dog Park and south of the Monterey Marketplace shopping center.
“It’s important to note that the current request does not include entitlements for vertical development and only includes the consideration of the specific plan amendment that would allow for future development projects on the site to be submitted and considered,” Torres wrote in a council report.
The plans adopted Thursday allow for senior and multi-family apartments, as well as drive-through restaurants, on the site, though it's unclear what will be included in the final plans. The development concept included in the plans mentions a "pedestrian friendly setting" for the site, with a possible community center.
The number of apartments and stores could vary depending on the project's final layout. For example, a conceptual rendering included with the plan shows that if the full retail space were to be developed, there would be space only for 192 housing units. In comparison, if 101,000 square feet of space is commercially developed, 312 homes could be built on the site, according to the renderings.
While the project has more hurdles to clear, it was largely cheered by councilmembers Thursday. Member Ted Weill said he was pleased to see the project advancing, adding the developer’s team has been working on it “for a long time.”
“It’s a property in a very important part of our city,” Weill said. “I hope that the developer, should we approved this today, is able to follow up and get it built.”
“Like so many of the projects that come before this council, it’s one thing for us to approve it, then of course, the challenge for the developer will be getting the financing to get it constructed,” he added.
Mayor Richard Kite was similarly enthusiastic, saying the project has “been on the books for a long time.”
“It’ll be exciting to see how it’s developed and how there’s a significant benefit to that end of the city,” Kite said. “I look forward to approving this project, and hopefully they can move ahead on a very short-term basis.”
With the council’s unanimous approval, it’s unclear when the developer will submit the final plans for the project, as nobody from MSA Consulting spoke at the meeting Thursday.
The development eyed for the area comes as the city is seeing some activity at its other remaining plots of empty land. Just south across Gerald Ford Drive, a 618-acre property — which developers have called “the last great piece of ground in the central valley” — is being developed as Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community, with home sales set to begin there later this year on in early 2024.
While a master plan for that project won city approval in 2019, the council has approved pieces of Cotino, such as specific subdivisions and design guidelines for homes, in recent months.
Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Rancho Mirage council sets the table for future development off Monterey Avenue
