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ORDINANCE NO. ____
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CATHEDRAL CITY, CALIFORNIA, REPEALING AND REPLACING
TITLE 9 (PLANNING AND ZONING) OF THE CATHEDRAL CITY
MUNICIPAL CODE, ADOPTING THE CATHEDRAL CITY
DEVELOPMENT CODE AS THE CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE ZONING
AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, FINDING THE PROJECT
EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
(CEQA), AND MAKING RELATED FINDINGS
WHEREAS, the City of Cathedral City adopted the Cathedral City 2040 General Plan to guide future growth and development within the City; and WHEREAS, Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code serves as the City’s zoning code and principal regulatory tool for implementing the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City has undertaken a comprehensive update to Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code to modernize and reorganize its land use and development regulations, improve clarity and usability, streamline development review procedures, ensure consistency with the General Plan, and establish the newly named Cathedral City Development Code; and
WHEREAS, the Development Code Update has been developed through an extensive public planning process involving City staff, the Technical Advisory Group, Steering Committee, Planning Commission, City Council, community stakeholders, and members of the public; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Cathedral City Development Code will replace and supersede Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code and serve as the City’s primary implementation tool for the Cathedral City 2040 General Plan; and WHEREAS, an Addendum to the Cathedral City 2040 General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164 to evaluate the environmental effects of repealing and replacing Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code and adopting the Cathedral City Development Code; and
WHEREAS, the Addendum concludes that implementation of the Development Code Update and adoption of the Cathedral City Development Code would not result in new significant environmental effects nor substantially increase the severity of impacts previously analyzed in the General Plan EIR; and
WHEREAS, on September 30, 2026, the Planning Commission of the City of Cathedral City conducted a duly noticed public hearing and adopted Planning Commission Resolution No. 2026-03 recommending that the City Council approve the repeal and 07024-0152 4907-1645-7942 v1 2
replacement of Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code and adopt the Cathedral City Development Code; and
WHEREAS, notice of the City Council public hearing was provided on October 2, 2026 in accordance with the applicable provisions of the California Government Code and the Cathedral City Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing on October 14, 2026, at which all interested persons were afforded an opportunity to be heard concerning the proposed Development Code Update and adoption of the Cathedral City Development Code.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. CEQA DETERMINATION.
The City Council finds that the Development Code Update has been evaluated pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) through the Addendum to the General Plan EIR prepared in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, attached hereto and incorporated by reference as Exhibit B. The City Council further finds that the Development Code Update would not result in new significant environmental impacts or substantially increase the severity of impacts previously identified in the General Plan EIR and that no subsequent or supplemental environmental document is required.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS.
Based upon substantial evidence contained in the administrative record, the City Council makes the following findings:
A. The proposed repeal and replacement of Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code with the Cathedral City Development Code is consistent with the Cathedral City 2040 General Plan.
The Cathedral City Development Code serves as the primary implementation tool for the Cathedral City 2040 General Plan and translates the goals, policies, land use designations, and implementation programs of the General Plan into enforceable development regulations. The City Council finds that the Development Code is internally consistent with and substantially advances the objectives of the General Plan.
B. The adoption of the Cathedral City Development Code promotes the public health, safety, and welfare.
The Cathedral City Development Code establishes a clear, comprehensive, and modern regulatory framework governing land use, development, housing, circulation, economic development, community design, and infrastructure, thereby promoting orderly growth, increasing regulatory clarity, and protecting the public health, safety, and welfare. 07024-0152 4907-1645-7942 v1 3
C. The adoption of the Cathedral City Development Code improves the administration of the City’s land use and development regulations.
The Cathedral City Development Code consolidates and modernizes the City’s zoning and development regulations within a single integrated document, clarifies development standards, permit requirements, review procedures, and decision-making authority, and streamlines development review processes while maintaining appropriate public participation and oversight.
SECTION 3. CATHEDRAL CITY MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENT.
Based upon the foregoing findings, the City Council hereby repeals and replaces Title 9 (Planning and Zoning) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code in its entirety and adopts the Cathedral City Development Code, attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference, as Title 9 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code and as the City’s comprehensive zoning and development regulations.
SECTION 4. VESTED RIGHTS, EXISTING APPROVALS, AND PENDING APPLICATIONS.
Any Conditional Use Permit, Planned Unit Development, Variance, subdivision approval, or other entitlement approved prior to the effective date of this Ordinance shall remain valid and subject to its approved conditions. Where a condition references a permit, review process, or approval procedure that no longer exists under this Development Code, the Community and Economic Development Director may determine the substantially equivalent review process necessary to implement the intent of the approved condition.
SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance.
The City Council declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, and portion thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions may be declared invalid.
SECTION 6. PUBLICATION
The City Clerk shall cause the adoption of this Ordinance to be published and processed in accordance with California Government Code Sections 36933 and 36937 and any other applicable provisions of law.
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SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days following its adoption.
SECTION 8. CERTIFICATION
Introduced and approved for first reading this 14th day of October, 2026.
The foregoing Ordinance was approved and adopted at a meeting of the City Council held on the ____ day of _____________, 2026, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Abstain:
Absent:
______________________________
Raymond Gregory, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________
Christina Burton, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________________
Eric S. Vail, City Attorney
Burke, Williams, & Sorensen, LLP
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EXHIBIT A
Cathedral City Development Code
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EXHIBIT B
Environmental Impact Report Addendum
City of Cathedral City Development Code Update