Planning Commission approves extension for for 31-home project near former golf course

The Palm Springs Planning Commission unanimously approved a two-year extension for the Casa Verona project, a 31-lot single-family residential development, at its meeting Wednesday night.

The project, located at the east terminus of Verona Road adjacent to land containing the former Palm Springs Country Club, was originally approved in September 2022 with a two-year timeframe to begin construction. Developer Mark Temple requested the extension, citing progress on the nearby Serena Park project as a reason for the delay.

“Our primary objective is to get the project developed,” Temple told commissioners. “There are some really positive things. Probably number one is the Serena Park project, because that kind of sets the whole tone.”

The 6.44-acre site is zoned R-1E, allowing for 5,000-square-foot lots. It’s the first development to use the new zoning classification, created in 2021 to encourage higher-density single-family homes without relying on planned development districts.

Planning Director Christopher Hadwin explained the rationale behind the R-1E zone as he discussed the request with commissioners.

“This was really in response to the way that we were seeing a lot of the small lot development come in through the planned development district process, which just becomes untenable and unmanageable over time,” he said.

The proposed development features one main road with three cul-de-sacs. Houses would have reduced setbacks, with front yard setbacks as small as five feet and side yards also at five feet.

Some commissioners raised concerns about the project’s design, including limited egress, lack of on-street parking, and absence of recreational areas.

“If you’re marketing these to smaller families with one or two children,” Commissioner John Morrill noted, “there’s really no recreation area except for the kids to play in the street.”

Hadwin acknowledged these concerns, stating that the city’s zoning code team is reviewing the R-1E rules.

“This is an example that our zone and code team is looking at specifically to see how the new R-1E rules resulted in this and where they might be improved,” he said.

Despite the concerns, commissioners agreed that the extension request met established criteria. Chair Kathy Weremiuk explained, “This fits exactly into the matrix as to when an extension is appropriate. They’ve done work on it. There is a reason that it’s an actual physical reason why it’s taking longer.”

Temple expressed optimism about market conditions and nearby amenities.

“The CV Link is pretty neat, too, because it’s all being built right there, which is a really nice amenity for this area of town,” he said.

The developer still needs to submit architectural drawings and obtain final approvals before breaking ground. The extension gives Temple until September 2025 to begin construction.

In other business, the commission:

• Heard an update on the appeal of the Prescott Preserve project, which has been deferred to the Oct. 10 City Council meeting.
  
  
• Received information about the ongoing environmental review for a large warehouse project north of I-10.
  
  
• Discussed potential updates to the 2025 meeting calendar, including considerations for religious holidays and conflicts.

The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m.

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