Preservation board delays decision on latest Orchid Tree hotel plans, sends four items back for restudy

The Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board voted 4-3 on Wednesday to delay a decision on plans to restore two historic sites as part of a proposed downtown hotel and spa.

The board continued a request from New Church II LLC for a certificate of appropriateness to restore the Community Church and the Orchid Tree Inn bungalows, both Class 1 historic sites, at 284 South Cahuilla Road and 261 South Belardo Road.

The church would become the resort’s food and beverage space, and the eight remaining bungalows would stay guest rooms around a pool courtyard. City documents describe a larger project north of the two sites, including a four-story resort building with 66 guest rooms, 20 condominiums, a gym and a spa.

The church was dedicated in 1936 and designated a Class 1 site in 1989. The bungalows were built around 1934 and designated in 2010, and fires in 2013 and 2022 damaged the church.

Since 2015, the city has processed multiple redevelopment proposals for the sites, and hotel plans won approvals in 2015, 2016 and 2020. None moved forward, and the approvals expired in May 2023.

The current application, deemed complete in March 2026, is being treated as a new project.

Planning staff recommended approval with five conditions. The item will return for review of the first four: a masonry material for a stair addition on the church, removal of two trellises, revised plantings near the outdoor dining area, and a restudy of the form and location of a detached cabana and shower building.

The fifth condition, a detailed restoration plan by a preservation expert, would not need to come back to the board, the member said.

The cabana drew the most discussion. Several members said it would block the view into the bungalow courtyard, and an informal poll showed a majority favored relocating it.

Chair Kurt Bachman said the pool would need an enclosure for safety, but moving the cabana could help preserve the sense of the original design.

Other members said the plans were carefully thought out and the board should approve the project with conditions. City staff said a conditioned approval could return to the board only for information, while a continuance would give members another chance to weigh in.

Richard Weintraub, president of the company developing the property — Weintraub Real Estate Group — told the board by video that the pool area cannot be open to the street. He called the cabana a “whimsical folly” and said it and the trellises are important to the project and its brand.

Weintraub asked the board to decide Wednesday, saying “any delay is a big, big delay at this point.”

Principal Planner Ken Lyon said a restudy would add time because the board meets monthly and would likely need another special meeting. The applicant can appeal the board’s decision to the City Council, he said.

The board will review separate demolition requests for 200 South Cahuilla Road and 205 Belardo Road at a later date.

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