Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 3.H
Meeting Date: January 14, 2026
From: John A. Corella - Director of Public Works
Title: Approval of a Resolution to Summarily Vacate unused five-foot wide Public Utility Easements (PUEs) on Lots 66 and 67 and a portion of Lot 68 of Desert Retreat Estates, and on Lots 56 and 57 of Cathy Estates, located north of Dinah Shore Drive, between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Wishing Well Drive (Vacation No. 2025-01).
RECOMMENDATION:
City Council make the required findings contained in the Resolution, approve and adopt the Resolution summarily vacating all City and public interests in the five-foot wide Public Utility Easements (PUEs) on Lots 66 and 67 and a portion of Lot 68 of Desert Retreat Estates, and on Lots 56 and 57 of Cathy Estates, located north of Dinah Shore Drive, between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Wishing Well Drive.
BACKGROUND:
In 1953 and 1954, prior to City incorporation, the Desert Retreat Estates subdivision and the Cathy Estates Subdivision, were recorded, and are located north of Dinah Shore Drive between Cathedral Canyon Drive (formerly The Betty Trail) and Wishing Well Trail (formerly Cathy Trail). On the recorded tract maps, the owners offered and the County of Riverside accepted various street easements and public utility easements (PUEs).
The recorded map shows 5.0-foot-wide public utility easements along many rear lot lines, which were provided for the use of the various utility companies who would service the area.
DISCUSSION:
The applicant and present owner of the subject lots, RDS Development, LLC, acquired the lots for the purpose of clearing the lots of all encumbrances, and then deeding the lots to the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) for use as a domestic water well site. As part of this transaction, the six lots involved were previously merged by City approved Lot Merger No. 2017-495, approved and recorded in September 2017.
The lots in question have been vacant for years and because it is apparent the subject PUEs were and are unused, and because of the lack of existing utilities near these lots, staff deems merit to this application that it qualifies for a summary vacation. While processing this application, staff found that Southern California Edison (SCE), Frontier of California, and Ramon Palm Mutual Water Company, all had their own utility easements coincident upon the 5.0-foot wide PUEs on the subject lots.
Staff contacted these utilities and every other possible utility company which might either have facilities in the PUEs or might need the PUEs in the future. Every utility company, except Ramon Palm Mutual Water Company, responded that they had no facilities in their easements, and had no future need of the PUEs. Southern California Edison had already quitclaimed its own easement.
Further investigation of the easement to Ramon Palm Mutual Water Company, revealed their easement was acquired in 1951 and the company itself ceased operations and went out of business in 1973, without any successor.
In the interests of the public and to eliminate these unnecessary PUEs, Engineering staff recommends approval of this request to summarily vacate the public utility easements as described above.
Summary Vacation: The State Streets and Highways Code provide a method for a summary vacation under certain circumstances. In this case, the five-foot wide PUEs on the subject lots have not been used for any public purpose for at least the last five-years and are not needed by the city nor any utility company for future use.
For the above reasons, this vacation qualifies for Summary Vacation under Sec. 8333 of the Streets and Highways Code. The attached Resolution contains the findings required to be made under this and other sections.
Because this matter qualifies for summary vacation, the State Streets and Highways Code does not require a public hearing, posting of the property, publication of any notices, or the adoption of a Resolution of Intention.
CEQA Review: This vacation affects over 70-year-old public utility easements which have been unused for public purposes and have no prospective future public use.
Staff has determined that due to the minor nature of the vacation, it is exempt from CEQA under Sec. 15061 (3) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.” A finding to this effect is included in the Resolution.
Other Findings: Typically, a vacation requires a finding from the City Council that the vacation is in compliance with the General Plan. However, the city’s General Plan has no element or section concerning public utility easements. Therefore, no such finding is needed since the General Plan does not apply. A finding to this effect is included in the Resolution.
Staff is recommending the City Council make the required findings contained in the Resolution, approve and adopt the Resolution Summarily Vacating all City and public interests in the five-foot wide Public Utility Easements (PUEs) on Lots 66 and 67 and a portion of Lot 68 of Desert Retreat Estates, and on Lots 56 and 57 of Cathy Estates, located north of Dinah Shore Drive, between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Wishing Well Drive.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact to the city as the result of this action.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
GOAL C- FISCAL STABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
C-6: Implement a private development entitlement and plan review system which is predictable, streamlines internal intake and review processes, and creates applicant experiences which are facilitative vs regulatory
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Vacation 25-01 Tract Maps
2. Vacation 25-01 Legal and Sketch
3. Vacation 25-01 Resolution of Summary Vacation