Long-stalled Serena Park housing project clears major hurdle; grading to begin in August

A 386-unit residential development that has been stalled for years took a significant step forward Wednesday evening when the City Council approved subdividing the former Palm Springs Country Club area into seven parcels for sale to individual builders.

The approval of Tract Map 39025 allows master developer SunCal to move ahead with the next phase of the Serena Park project on the 156-acre site located north of Verona Road, east of Sunrise Way and southwest of the Whitewater River wash. Grading activity is expected to begin as early as late August, city planning officials said.

“This is really the key to unlocking and moving this project forward,” said Ken Lyon, principal planner with the city’s planning department. “It creates seven large parcels that can be sold off to individual merchant builders who will then take each one of those seven parcels and actually develop the vertical construction on it.”

The subdivision map approval represents a major milestone for a project that has faced numerous delays over the years under previous developers. The Planning Commission recommended conditional approval of the map in January. SunCal took possession of the property in August 2024, working since then to meet development agreement requirements with the city.

City staff told councilmembers that substantial progress at the site has been made, with street improvement plans, sewer plans and storm drain plans roughly 80% complete. The city is currently developing subdivision improvement agreements and calculating bond amounts.

The first construction activity will focus on building what officials call the “spine road,” a public street that will run through the project area. The fire department has required that all fire hydrants along that street be active and usable before any vertical construction begins.

Councilmember Grace Garner, who has been in regular contact with SunCal representatives, said the company has proven to be responsive partners, especially compared to previous developers. She noted that SunCal plans to start construction at the southern portion of the property, with areas around Golden Sands Drive and adjacent to Four Seasons being the last phase.

In the interim, SunCal has implemented maintenance obligations including cleanup of graffiti and illegal dumping, installation of security cameras, and deployment of an on-site security company. The company has provided a contact number for residents to report any issues: 951-750-4210.

The developer is also applying dust stabilizer this week to address concerns about airborne particles from the vacant property.

Under the development agreement, SunCal will pay the city $3.2 million in phases, with the first payment of approximately $670,000 due now. The city council previously earmarked that money for acquiring land for open space.

Once the individual merchant builders purchase their parcels, each will need to submit final development plans including architecture and landscaping details for approval by the planning commission.

The project has been in various stages of planning and development for more than two decades, making Wednesday’s approval particularly significant for residents who have long awaited progress on the vacant site.

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