ORDINANCE NO. _____
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING SPECIFIC PLAN 25-
0001, ESTABLISHING THE FOREST LAWN – CATHEDRAL CITY
SPECIFIC PLAN AND AN INITIAL STUDY, MITIGATED NEGATIVE
DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING
PLAN
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2025, T&B Planning, representing Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association, (“Applicant”) submitted applications to amend the General Plan (General Plan Amendment 25-0001), change the official zoning map (Change of Zone 25-0001) and establish the Forest Lawn Cathedral City Specific Plan (Specific Plan 25- 0001) (“Project”); and
WHEREAS, the Project proposes to establish the Forest Lawn - Cathedral City Specific Plan for the long-term development of the existing cemetery use consisting of a total of 10 acres located on the southwest corner of Ramon Road and Da Vall Drive, including a General Plan Amendment and Change of Zone in support of the existing and future cemetery uses; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65453 states that a specific plan shall be prepared, adopted and amended in the same manner as a general plan, except that a specific plan may be adopted by resolution or by ordinance and may be amended as often as deemed necessary by the legislative body; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65450 authorizes that, after the City Council adopts a General Plan, the Planning Agency may, and if directed by the City Council must, prepare specific plans to guide the implementation of the General Plan for all or part of the area covered by the General Plan.; and WHEREAS, pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) herein referred to as CEQA, the State of California Guidelines for the implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (commencing with Section 15000 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations; herein referred to as the "CEQA Guidelines"), and the City's CEQA Procedures, the City is the "lead agency" for the preparation and consideration of environmental documents for the Proposed Project; and WHEREAS, draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (“IS/MND”) was prepared in accordance with CEQA, the CEQA Guidelines and the City's CEQA Procedures to evaluate the potential physical environmental impacts of the Project. The IS/MND was circulated for a 30-day public/responsible agency review on January 21, 2026, and was also made available for review on the City’s web page, and at City Hall; and Ordinance No. _____
WHEREAS, in conformance with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines, a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (“MMRP”) has been prepared for the Project and includes mitigation measures that are specific to the Project; and WHEREAS, on March 18, 2026, and April 15, 2026, the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing on the Project at the City of Cathedral City Council Chambers, and adopted a Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt an Ordinance establishing the Forest Lawn – Cathedral City Specific Plan; and WHEREAS, City Council, having final approval authority over this Project, has reviewed and considered all comments received during the public review period prior to approving this Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. CITY COUNCIL RECORD. The
City Council determines that the evidence in the
record constitutes substantial evidence to support
the actions taken and the findings made, that the
facts states herein are supported by substantial
evidence, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Cathedral City
Municipal Code and Cathedral City
General Plan;
(b) The Staff Report
prepared by Acting Director Sandra
Molina dated May 13, 2026, including
all Exhibits attached thereto;
(c) Planning
Commission Resolution No. 2026-02,
a Resolution of the Planning
Commission of the City of Cathedral
City, California recommending City
Council action on the Project;
(d) Staff’s
presentation at the public hearing
conducted at the City Council meeting
held on May 13, 2026;
(e) Testimony and/or
comments on the Project from
interested parties including the
Ordinance No. _____
Applicant and its representatives
submitted to the City in both written
and oral form at, or prior to, the public
hearing conducted at the City Council
hearing held on May 13, 2026; and
(f) Public comments
on the Project, both written and oral,
received and/or submitted at, or prior
to, the public hearing conducted at the
City Council meeting held on May 13,
2606.
Section 2. CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA). The
City Council determines that based on a thorough
review of the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative
Declaration and the evidence received to date,
does hereby adopt the Mitigated Negative
Declaration, including the Initial Study, based on
the findings and determinations as follows:
Ordinance No. _____
(a) That the Mitigated
Negative Declaration has been
prepared in compliance with the
requirements of CEQA, the CEQA
Guidelines, and the City's CEQA
Procedures and, together with the
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting
Plan serves as the appropriate
environmental documentation for the
Project;
(b) Based on the
record before it, the Project will have a
less than significant impact on the
environment with the implementation
of the mitigation measures contained
in the Mitigation Monitoring and
Reporting Plan and the Mitigated
Negative Declaration reflects the
independent judgment and analysis of
the City Council;
(c) The City Council
hereby approves and adopts the
Mitigated Negative Declaration and
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting
Plan, which are part of the public
record and maintained in the office of
the City Clerk.
(d) The Cathedral
City Planning Department is the
custodian of the documents or other
material that constitute the record of
proceedings upon which this decision
is based.
(e) The City Council
hereby authorizes and directs staff to
file with the Clerk of the County of
Riverside a Notice of Determination in
accordance with Section 15075 of the
State CEQA Guidelines.
Section 3. ADOPTION OF THE FOREST
LAWN – CATHEDRAL CITY SPECIFIC PLAN.
The City Council hereby adopts t Forest Lawn –
Ordinance No. _____
Cathedral City Specific Plan (SP 25-0001),
attached hereto as Exhibit A. The City Council
hereby finds and determines that the Forest Lawn –
Cathedral City Specific Plan (SP 25-0001) was
prepared in accordance with California Government
Code, Article 8, Specific Plans [65450-65457] and
facts exist to justify approving the Forest Lawn –
Cathedral City Specific in accordance with Section
65453(a) of the California Government Code as
follows:
(a)The proposed
specific plan is consistent with all other
provisions of the General Plan. The
Forest Lawn Specific Plan is
consistent with General Plan policies
and programs that provide for the use
of Specific Plans as part of the
General Plan to address detailed
design, land use and policy direction
for a particular area within the City and
as a method of detailed and
systematic implementation of the
General Plan (General Plan,
Administration Element, Policy 2 and
Program 2A), and General Land Use
Policy 4 to encourage in-fill
development and lot consolidation
shall be encouraged as means of
enhancing existing development and
as a means of optimizing the use of
existing roadways and utility
infrastructure; and
(b)The proposed
specific plan will not be detrimental to
the public interest, health, safety,
convenience, or welfare. The Forest
Lawn Specific Plan is desirable in
service to the community in that it
allows the Applicant to meet the long
term needs of the immediate and
surrounding community by providing
needed cemetery
Ordinance No. _____
spaces, conforms with applicable policies of the General Plan, and is not detrimental to existing uses or to uses specifically permitted in the surrounding area.
Section 4. ADOPTION OF THE FOREST
LAWN – CATHEDRAL CITY SPECIFIC PLAN
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL. The City Council
hereby adopts the conditions of approval, attached
hereto as Exhibit B, for the Forest Lawn –
Cathedral City Specific Plan.
Section 5. SEVERABILITY. If any chapter,
sections, subsections, subdivisions, sentences,
clauses, phrases, or portion of this ordinance, is for
any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by
the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction,
such decision will not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this ordinance. The City
Council hereby declares that it would have adopted
this ordinance, and each chapter, sections,
subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses,
phrases, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact
that any one or more sections, subsections,
subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases, or
portions thereof be declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
Section 6. PUBLICATION. The City Clerk
shall, within fifteen (15) days after passage of this
Ordinance, cause it to be posted in at least three
(3) designated public places; shall certify to the
adoption and posting of this Ordinance; and shall
cause this Ordinance and its certification, together
with proof of posting, to be entered in the Book of
Ordinances of this City.
Section 7. CERTIFICATION. Approved and
adopted at a meeting of the Cathedral City City
Council held on the 27 th day of May, 2026, by the
following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
___________________________
Raymond Gregory, Mayor
Ordinance No. _____
ATTEST:
____________________________
Christina Burton, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________
Eric S. Vail, City Attorney
Ordinance No. _____
Ordinance No. _____
EXHIBIT A
FOREST LAWN – CATHEDRAL CITY SPECIFIC PLAN
Ordinance No. _____
Ordinance No. _____
EXHIBIT B
FOREST LAWN – CATHEDRAL CITY SPECIFIC PLAN
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL