Indio City Council
September 21, 2022

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New connections will form a multi-modal, connected public realm network, per the vision articulated in Chapter 2. Many new connections will require collaboration between the City, developers, and adjacent property owners.

Full-movement, signalized intersections on the Boulevard and major arterials make the multimodal mobility network more efficient and easy to navigate. In particular, they make it possible for pedestrians to cross busy streets.

Sites which are larger than the size of a block must be broken into multiple blocks. Blocks are defined by the publicly-accessible streets, paseos, and open spaces of the public realm.

There are many types of connections with comprise the public realm network. In some cases, pedestrian routes can serve as dynamic open spaces while also providing through-connectivity.

Blvd 111

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The Role of
Connections and Open Spaces
Different types of connections and open spaces play
a wide range of roles in the public, semi-public, and
private realms. Some spaces comprise the public
realm network, while others simply provide access
to buildings or private outdoor space for units.

This spread lays out the spectrum of types at a
glance and identifies what role they play in the built
environment, as summarized below:
• Allowed Connection Types. Allowed
connection types, such as streets and Midblock
Paseos, comprise the public realm network and
are used to meet the connectivity standards of
Section 3.6.B. Multimodal streets are intended to
be the most common connection type.
• Defines a Block & Requires Frontage.

Streets and other types which define a block may
be used to meet the block standards of Section

3.6.C. All types which define a block are required
to be lined by proper frontage per Section 3.10.
• May Provide a Building’s Primary
Access. All public realm types, other than alleys,
are permitted to provide a building’s primary
access. Semi-public realm types, serving as public
realm extensions (See Section 3.8.B.2), may also
provide a building’s primary access. See Section

3.8 for Building Placement & Access and Section

3.10 for Frontage standards and guidelines. Any
other type shall not provide a building’s primary
access.
• Counts toward Open Space
Requirement. Types such as Plazas and
Parks serve as public outdoor rooms and count
toward the public open space requirements of
Section 3.7.D.

The Categories and Types of
Connections and Open Spaces
The Public, Semi-Public, and Private Realms serve different roles in the built environment:
• Public Realm. “Public” means those spaces and
connections which are publicly accessible—providing
public right-of-way—regardless of ownership.
• Public Connection. These type form the connective
network of the public realm, linking all parts of the
city. While a close and alley are public connections,
they are not ‘Allowed Connection Types’ which meet
the standards of Section 3.7.B.
• Public Open Space. Public open spaces are the
outdoor rooms of the community. Plazas, squares, and
parks serve many roles, such as providing gathering
space and defining the edges of blocks.
• Semi-Public Realm. The semi-public realm comprises
spaces that are shared between multiple buildings or
multiple building tenants, but that are not fully open to the public. They may have access controlled physically with gates or doors, or they may simply suggest that access is controlled through visual queues. They may have access
limited at all times or only certain times of the day.
• Shared Private Connection. Shared private
connections provide access into the block, to or
between courts or other private spaces, or even
through a block but with limited or no public access.
• Shared Private Open Space. Shared private open
space can serve as an amenity to building tenants and
can provide frontage and access to buildings.
• Private Realm. The private realm does not provide
public access.
• Private Open Space. Private open space serves
as an amenity to tenants of individual units and is
inaccessible to the public; it does not count towards
the public open space requirement.

3. Types of connections and open spaces. The types of connections and open spaces which comprise the public realm are best understood in relation to the whole range of public, semi-public, and private connections and open spaces. This range is displayed in Table 3.6–1, and a brief overview is provided below. These types will be referenced and further regulated throughout the remainder of this Code.

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Role of Each Type
Allowed
Connection
Type
Defines
a Block &
Requires
Frontage
May
Provide a
Building’s
Primary
Access
Counts
towards
Public
Open
Space Req.

Optional
Private
Amenity
Public Realm
Public
Connection
Section 3.7
Street1 X X X
Close X
Carless Street X2 X X
Midblock Paseo X2 3 X
Alley 4
Public
Open Space
Section 3.7
Plaza / Green X2 X X X
Park X2 X X X
Mini Park X2 X X X
Semi-Public Realm
Shared Private
Connection
Section 3.14
Passage X
Any secured version of
the Public Connections
listed above
X
(except alleys)
Shared Private
Open Space
Section 3.14
Forecourt5 X X
Internal Court X X
Terrace X
Any secured version
of the Public Open
Spaces listed above
X X
Private
Realm
Private
Open Space
Section 3.14
Internal Court X
Roof Deck/Terrace X
Front, Side, or Rear Yard X
Balcony X
Table 3.6-1:

Connection Types and Open Space Types

1. Including public Avenues (Section 3.7.B.4.a), Neighborhood Streets (3.7.B.4.c), and existing streets.

2. These connection types may satisfy the requirements of Section 3.6.B only under specific circumstances (See Section 3.6.B.1)

3. Midblock Paseos are connections through a block, but they do not define the perimeter of blocks (See Section 3.6.C).

4. Alleys supplement the connective network, but they do not satisfy the connectivity requirements of Section 3.6.B.

5. A forecourt, if designed per Section 3.13.G.b, and per Section 3.12.D.3.a, may also function as a parking court.

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B. Connectivity Standards

1. Completing the Network. Per Section 3.6.A.2.a,
all new development must complete and/or support—
and in no way impede—the required connections and
intersections which appear in their Subarea. Subareas
are mapped in Figure 3.4–3. This shall be demonstrated
on the Master Subarea Connectivity Plan (See Section

3.2.4: Development Review & Permitting). The connections and intersections diagrammed have the following
requirements:
a. Existing Streets. Existing public streets shall remain.

When existing streets are improved, they shall be
improved per Section 3.7. New development shall line
and front existing streets per the building placement
standards of Section 3.8 and the frontage standards
of Section 3.10.
b. Required Connections. These connections form links
through and between Subareas. They are required
to be multi-modal streets with vehicular access. They
shall be designed as Avenues (per § 3.7.B.4.a) or
Neighborhood Streets (per § 3.7.B.4.c).
i. The placement and configuration of Required
Subarea Connections is flexible, but they shall
connect between the destinations diagrammed in
Figure 3.6-1 and described in Table 3.6-2.
ii. Exception. A Priority Subarea Connection may be
a carless street (§ 3.7.B.4.e), paseo (§ 3.7.B.4.f), or a through-connecting open space (plaza/green,
neighborhood park, or mni park designed per §

3.7.D) if the Director determines that it will not be
possible for the connection to continue onto adjacent
property(ies) as a vehicular connection. See Section

3.6.C for standards related to defining blocks with
non-vehicular connections.
c. Required Full-Movement Intersections. New fullmovement intersections shall be provided at all intersections between Blvd 111 and arterials. They shall also be provided at locations between these arterials as illustrated in Figure 3.6-1 and described in Table 3.6-2, although these intersections have flexible locations.

These full-movement shall be signalized—subject to
the discretion of the City Engineer—to facilitate multimodal movement through and between subareas. d. Recommended Connections are included as
suggested ways to meet the Block Standards of Section

3.6.C, but their quantity and placement is flexible.

Recommendations for how some of these connections
can be implemented are included in Table 3.6-2. In
many cases, the creation of properly-sized blocks will
require more connections than those diagrammed.
i. Per § 3.6.C.2.a.i, these block-defining connections may be a Street, Carless Street, Plaza/Green, Neighborhood
Park, or Mini Park, provided that no block is bound
on more than one side by a carless connection or
open space.
e. Example Frontage lanes. A frontage lane is a useful
tool for providing parking and frontage along a major
corridor or arterial. These corridors are diagrammed
as examples, but they shall be used as appropriate
per Section 3.7.B.4.b.
f. Other Intersections and Links to Existing Streets.

These intersections, where future streets intersect
existing streets, will be necessary to be meet the block size standards and General Plan requirement of one
street intersection per 4 acres of development. They
require intersection controls as defined by the City
Engineer and may be full-movement or right-in/rightout per the discretion of the City Engineer. g. Potential Connections to Surrounding
Neighborhoods. These connections are necessary
to satisfy the block standards of Section 3.6.C and
enhance connectivity within the Plan Area as well as
increase connectivity from surrounding neighborhoods
to Blvd 111.

An applicant shall submit a Master Connectivity Plan (See § 3.2.4) demonstrating that the proposed development meets the connectivity requirements described below, listed in Table 3.6-2, and conceptually illustrated in Figure 3.6-1. This section (3.6.B) requires specific “Required Connections” (§ 3.6.B.1.b) which create links through and between Subareas. Section

3.6.C establishes Block Standards which implement the remainder of the connective network. Certain “Recommended Connections” (§ 3.6.B.1.c) are included in Figure 3.6-1 and Table 3.6-2 as suggested ways to meet the Block Standards. See Chapter 4, Section 4.4: Public Realm Funding and Phasing regarding the coordination and funding of this network.

Resolution No. 10326 adopting the Highway 111 Corridor Specific Plan and... Page 1421 of 1610 All new development will create or support the connections diagrammed above and described in Table 3.6-2 which appear in their Subarea (see Figure 3.6-2 below).

Figure 3.6-1: Conceptual Connectivity Diagram

2. Other Requirements
a. Types which satisfy the connectivity requirements of this section shall be public.
i. “Public” means those spaces and connections which are publicly accessible—providing public right-of-way—at all times, regardless of whether they are publicly or privately owned.
b. Vehicular driveways, parking lots, and alleys are intended for vehicular access but not active mobility modes. Accordingly, when designed in accordance with the standards of this
Plan they may provide access within blocks, but they shall not be interpreted to define any block perimeter for the purposes of this section.
c. Public ways should be calibrated to the context. For example, some connections, such as those to future CV Link Community Connectors, should exclude private automobile traffic.
d. Wherever practical, new streets should be aligned with existing parcel lines, such that they provide access to both properties and require only a half right-of-way from each property owner.

3. Connection Stubs
a. In many cases, applicants within a largely undeveloped Subarea will be required to provide one or more connections to an adjacent property which has not yet been developed or redeveloped under this Specific Plan. In such cases, the applicant shall “stub out” a street connection, which on an interim basis will be a dead end. When the adjoining property owner develops or redevelops that property, their circulation plan shall connect to and extend that stub so as to contribute to the completion of the network illustrated in Figure 3.6.1.

A notation on required site plans (see Section 3.2) shall note that connection points are to connect with future allowed connection types.
b. When any property abutting such a stub street is developed, it shall connect, in a manner to be approved by the City, to any stub created by previous developers in collaboration with the City. See the Implementation Chapter for more detail. c. Such stubs should be designed in a way that is functional and attractive in the near term—that is, in the time before future development completes the connection. Closes, carless
streets, and open spaces serve this purpose particularly well. Leaving a dead-end street requires careful planning to ensure that cars are able to turn around or exit at the dead end without the use of a cul-de-sac.
d. Where an applicant’s site abuts an existing parking lot, a connection may be made to an existing drive lane within that parking lot. When the abutting property is redeveloped, that drive lane shall be improved as an allowed connection type per the standards of this section and Section 3.7.

Legend
Required, fixed location Existing Streets
Required, flexible location
Required Connections
Required Full-Movement Intersections
(location not flexible where existing)
Illustrative, as required
per the Block Standards of
§ 3.6 and the remainder of
this Code
Recommended Connections
Example Frontage Lanes
Other Intersection and Links to Existing Streets
Potential Connections to Surrounding Neighborhoods
Potential, as feasible Potential pedestrian and bike “Community Connector” to CV Link:
per the 2016 CV Link Conceptual Master Plan, pages 114-117 Blvd 111
Jefferson StShields RdYoungs LnYoungs LnMonroe StArabia St Requa Ave
Oasis StJackson StCalhoun St Indio Blvd
Dr Carreon Blvd
Clinton St
Madison St

Subarea Required & Recommended Connections 1 A2
A new connection from Blvd 111, through the site, to the vehicular access at the east edge of the shopping center to the west (which currently includes Costco) is recommended. The west end of this connection is encouraged to align with an east-west drive aisle in the shopping center to form a new 4-way intersection.

B Pedestrian and bike connections from new development to the canal easement, in order to connect to the future CV Link extension, are recommended.

C A new connection from Jefferson St, into the site, and back out to Anna Rosa St to form a loop around 1 block, is recommended.

D A connection from the recommended Connection 1C
2 to Anna Rosa Street is recommended. It is recommended that this connection align with Sumac St to form a 3-way intersection. 2 A No new connections are recommended for Subarea 2.
3 A
1 The existing north-south entry drive shall be fronted and improved as a street. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall remain as full-movement intersection.

B A connection to the canal easement, in order to connect to the future CV Link extension, is recommended. C A connection eastward to new development in Subarea 4 is recommended. 4 A A least two connections from Blvd 111 to Paseo Encanto, spaced to form new blocks between them, are recommended.

B
A new connection from Jackalope Trail—the entry drive located approximately 910’ west of Shields Rd— into the Subarea the depth of a block, and east to Shields Rd and ultimately to Subarea 6, is required. Its intersection with Shields Rd shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

C The intersection of Jackalope Trail with Blvd 111 shall remain a full-movement, signalized intersection. 5 A Shields Rd shall be improved as a public street following its current alignment (see Section 3.7 for standards and guidelines for improving existing streets).

B
A connection from Blvd 111, at least 850’ o.c.
3 from Shields Dr, southward into Subarea 5 for the depth of a block, and then eastward to Shields Rd is required. This connection’s intersections with Blvd 111 and with Shields Rd shall both be full-movement, signalized intersections.

C At least one additional north-south connection from Blvd 111 to Connection 5B (in addition to Connection 5B) is recommended.

D
At least one conection from Connection 5B to Bunker lane to the south is recommended. Any such connections could simply be pedestrian and bike passages or small open spaces which allow access from the neighborhood to the south to new development along Boulevard 111. It is recommended that one such connection align with Spike Ln.
6 A A connection from Shields Rd, within 450’ o.c. of Jasmine Ln, into the site for the width of at least 1 block, and then southward to Blvd 111, is recommended.

B
A connection from Shields Rd, at least 1 block from Blvd 111, eastward to Riverdale Ln, is required. Its intersection with Shields Rd shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection, connecting to Connection 4B. Its intersection with Riverdale Lane shall be a full-movement intersection.

C At least one connection from Connection 5B to Blvd 111 is required. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

D A connection from Riverdale Ln to Madison St is recommended. E Multiple additional connections in Subarea 6 will be necessary to meet the block standards of Section 3.6.C. F Subarea 6 will likely feature an oversized partial block lining its constrained site edges to the north. The size of this block should be limited to allow all primary buildings within it to front a street or allowed public realm extension (See Sections 3.6.C.3 and 3.8). Buildings within the oversized partial block should back up to (rather than front) development to the north.
7 A As stated in 5A: Shields Rd shall be improved as a public street following its current alignment (see Section

3.7 for standards and guidelines for improving existing streets).

B
A connection from Shields Rd, at least 1 block from Blvd 111, to Youngs Ln, is required. The connection from Shields Rd to Youngs Ln should be placed so that it can be fronted by new development on both its north and south sides. As this connection spans multiple properties, developers will need to leave a connection stub (see Section 3.6.B.3) for future development to link to. This connection’s intersections with Shields Rd and with Youngs Lane shall both be full-movement, signalized intersections.

C A connection from Connection 7B to Blvd 111 is required, located at least one block width from both Shields Rd and Youngs Ln. Its connection with Blvd shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection. 8 A An east-west connection from Youngs Ln to Madison St, located 1 block away from Blvd 111, is required.

Its intersections with Youngs Ln and with Madison St shall be full-movement, signalized intersections.

B
A connection from Blvd 111 to Connection 8B is required, located approximately halfway between Youngs Ln and Madison St. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection connecting to Riverdale Ln.

C A connection from Madison St to the School District’s property along Youngs Ln is recommended, in order to provide access to any potential shared open space on the Schoold District’s property in the future.

D A connection between Connection 8B and Connection 8D is recommended, to create an internal route to the School District’s property.

E
Subarea 10 will likely feature an oversized partial block lining any constrained site edges along the School District site. The size of this block should be limited to allow all primary buildings within it to front a street or allowed public realm extension (See Sections 3.6.C.3 and 3.8).

Table 3.6-2: Connectivity

1. Rows highlighted in pink include specific requirements. Rows without a pink highlight are recommendations, or guidelines, for how to meet the block standards of Section 3.6.C, but their specific configurations are flexible.

2. In this table, standards will be referred to by their subarea number and letter in the table. For example, connection A in Subarea 1 will be referred to as Connection 1A.

3. In this table, “o.c.” (on center) shall mean the distance from the centerline of one street to the centerline of another street, as described in the text.

Subarea Required & Recommended Connections (Continued) The Subareas are shown grouped into West, Midtown, and East to facilitate visual reference.

Table 3.4-3: Regulatory Subareas
West
Midtown East

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9 A
A connection from Blvd 111 to Madison St, defining a block at the corner of Blvd 111 and Madison St, is recommended. This could align with the current L-shaped drive lane that runs along the front of the strip mall shops.
10 A
A connection from Madison St, at least one block depth from Blvd 111, eastward over the canal to Subarea 12 is required. The intersection of this connection with Madison St shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection. The easternmost segment of this connection, which crosses the canal, shall be a pedestrian and bike bridge which helps to complete an east-west route through Subareas 5-12 on the south side of Blvd 111. Access should also be provided to any future pedestrian or bike routes along the canal.

B A connection from Blvd 111 to Connection 10A, approximately halfway between Madison St and the canal, is required. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

F
Subarea 10 will likely feature an oversized partial block lining its constrained site edges to the south and east. The size of this block should be limited to allow all primary buildings within it to front a street or allowed public realm extension (See Sections 3.6.C.3 and 3.8). Buildings within the oversized partial block should back up to (rather than front) development to the south. 11 A
A connection from Blvd 111 to Via Brava and/or Via Laredo, within the development to the north, is recommended. It could line the canal if the canal is to be improved as a “Community Connector” to CV Link (see the 2016 CV Link Conceptual Master Plan, pages 114-117). It should align with a north-south connection in Subarea 12 to form a new 4-way intersection with Blvd 111. 12 A
A connection which serves as a continuation of Connection 10A, over the canal from Subarea 10, and eastward to Cheyenne Rd, is required. Access should also be provided to any future pedestrian or bike routes along the canal. The intersection of this connection with Cheyenne Rd shall be a full-movement intersection.

B
At least 2 connections from Blvd 111 to Connection 12A are required. The westernmost of these connections could line the canal if the canal is to be improved as a “Community Connector” to CV Link (see the 2016 CV Link Conceptual Master Plan, pages 114-117). At least one of these shall intersect with Blvd 111 at a full-movement, signalized intersection. Any intersection located near the canal easement shall facilitate pedestrian and bike crossing of Blvd 111 if and when the canal is improved as a “Community Connector.” C A connection from Connection 12A southward to Buffalo Trail is recommended.

E
Subarea 12 will likely feature an oversized partial block lining its constrained site edge to the southwest. The size of this block should be limited to allow all primary buildings within it to front a street or allowed public realm extension (See Sections 3.6.C.3 and 3.8). Buildings within the oversized partial block should back up to (rather than front) development to the south. The site edge along Buffalo Trail is not constrained and should be connected to per 12C.
13 A
A connection from Blvd 111 to Granada Dr is required. It could take advantage of the existing drive between commercial buildings within Desert Villa Plaza. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

B
A connection between Rajah Way and Boulevard 111 is recommended. This connection is intended to better connect the neighborhoods along Avenue 46 to Blvd 111, and it would require collaboration with Indio High School and existing commercial property owners.

C Pedestrian access from the east end of Avenue 46 to Monroe Street and/or Boulevard 111 should be maintained and improved or replaced by more organized pedestrian and bike connection(s).

Subarea Standards & Guidelines (Continued)

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14 A
A connection from Blvd 111—aligning with Connection 13A—eastward to Monroe St (outside the Plan Area) is required. This connection should make use of the existing east-west entry drive of Regency Festival Cinemas, which is recommended to be fronted as a street. This connection’s intersection with Blvd shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

B A connection from Connection 14A to Dr Carreon Blvd within the Plan Area is required. This connection should align with the existing north-south entry drive.

C
A connection from Connection 14A to Dr Carreon Blvd outside the Plan Area is recommended. This connection should make use of the existing north-south entry drive from Dr Carreon between existing medical office buildings.

D
A connection from Connection 14A, near the east edge of the Plan Area, to the existing drive which connection to Blvd 111 is required. This connection, along with the existing drive, shall be improved and fronted as a street.

E An open space (diagrammed as a dark green rectangle in Fig. 3.6-1) could organize and celebrate the intersection of Connections 14A, 14C, and 14B.
15 A No new connections are recommended in Subarea 15 apart from Connection 13C. 16 A A connection between Bliss Ave and Requa Ave is recommended. The current gap between existing homes on the south side of Bliss Avenue could serve this purpose without affecting existing structures.

B Closes or public realm extensions may be necessary for development within Subarea 16 to meet the block standards of Section 3.6.C and the frontage standards of Section 3.8.

C
Subarea 16 will likely feature an oversized partial block lining its constrained site edge to the north. The size of this block should be limited to allow all primary buildings within it to front a street or allowed public realm extension (See Sections 3.6.C.3 and 3.8). Buildings within the oversized partial block should back up to (rather than front) development to the north.
17 A A generally east-west connection from Monroe St, 1 block depth from Blvd 111, to Arabia St is required.

B
A generally north-south connection from Blvd 111 to Requa Ave is required. This connection should align with Connection 18B to form a 4-way intersection at Blvd 111. Its intersection with Blvd shall be a fullmovement, signalized intersection.

C
Two additional north-south connections (in addition to Connection 17B) from Blvd 111 to Requa Ave are recommended. These connections are recommended to align with north-south connections in Subarea 18 and 19 to form 4-way intersections at Blvd 111.

D
Rubidoux Street shall be improved and fronted as a street, and its intersection with Blvd 111 shall remain a full-movement, signalized intersection. It could follow its current curving alignment, or, if such a realignment would facilitate the formation of blocks with appropriate frontage, Rubidoux Street could be realigned to continue straight from its existing intersection with Boulevard 111, following the alignment of Rubidoux St south of Blvd 111.
18 A A generally east-west connection from Monroe St to Rubidoux St is required. It should align with Las Palmas Rd to the west to form a new 4-way intersection at Monroe St.

B
A generally north-south connection from Blvd 111 to John Nobles Ave is required. This connection should align with Connection 17B to form a 4-way intersection at Blvd 111. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

C At least on additional connection from Connection Blvd 111 to John Nobles Ave is recommended.

Subarea Required & Recommended Connections (Continued)

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Subarea Required & Recommended Connections (Continued) 19 A A connection from Blvd 111 to Plaza Ave is recommended. This connection should align with a connection in Subarea 17 to form a 4-way intersection at Blvd 111.

B A connection from Plaza Ave to John Nobles Ave is recommended, located so as to provide a block width between it and Rubidoux St.

C A connection from Connection 19B to Roubidoux St is recommended, located approximately halfway between Plaza Ave and John Nobles Ave.
20 A No new connections are recommended for Subarea 20. 21 A
The existing north-south connection through the fairground is required to remain. At any location where the Fairgrounds are redeveloped, this connection shall be improved and fronted as public realm. Its intersection with Blvd 111 shall be a full-movement, signalized intersection.

B 3 east-west connections are recommended in the Fairgrounds (Subareas 21 and 22) if/when portions of the it are redeveloped. At least one of these connections shall be in Subarea 21. 22 A
As stated in 21A, the existing north-south connection through the fairground is required to remain. At any location where the Fairgrounds are redeveloped, this connection shall be improved and fronted as public realm.

B As stated in 21B: 3 east-west connections are recommended in the Fairgrounds (Subareas 21 and 22) if/ when portions of the it are redeveloped. At least one of these connections shall be in Subarea 22. 23 A No new connections are recommended for Subarea 23. 24 A A connection from Vera Ln to Date Ave is recommended. This could be a pedestrian and bike route through the recreation areas.

B A connection from Vera Ln to Calhoun St is recommended. 25 A No new connections are recommended for Subarea 25. 26 A No new connections are recommended for Subarea 26. 27 A A connection from Peach St to Date Ave is required. It should be placed so as to allow new development to front it on both sides.

B A connection from Connection 27A to Calhoun St is recommended.

C Additional new connections and/or public realm extensions should be made to provide frontage to development despite the Constrained Site Edges (see Section 3.6.C.3).

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C. Block Standards

1. Block Size
a. The block face lengths and block perimeters of all newly-formed blocks shall not exceed the maximum allowed dimensions in Table 3.6-3, as measured from the inner edge of walking paths. Some blocks at the edges of constrained sites are exempt from this requirement per Section 3.6.C.3.

Standard Mixed-Use
Corridor
Neighborhood
General
Neighborhood
Low
Maximum Block Perimeter 1,600 1,600 1,600
Maximum Block Perimeter with Midblock Paseo1 2,200 2,200 2,200 Maximum Block Face Length 600 600 600
Maximum Block Face Length with Midblock Paseo1 800 800 800 Table 3.6-3: Maximum Block Size
1: See Section 3.7 for standards related to midblock paseos.

2. Defining the Block Perimeter
a. Per Table 3.6-1, all blocks shall be defined—or in
other words: bound at their perimeter—by one or
more of the following types of public connections
or open spaces: Street, Carless Street, Plaza/Green,
Neighborhood Park, or Mini Park.
i. A block may be bound on no more than one (1) side
by a Carless Street, Plaza/Green, Neighborhood Park,
or Mini Park.
b. Types which define a block shall be public. They shall not be private or semi-public.

Figure 3.6-3: Blocks with and without Midblock Paseos
Diagrammatic Examples
Precedent Examples
Blocks with a paseo (right) may have a greater perimeter than blocks without a paseo (left) per Table 3.6-3.

In these precedent examples,
only streets are used to define the
perimeters of blocks.

Block Perimeter
Street
Carless Street
Midblock Paseo
Public Open Space
Block
Perimeter
Without a Paseo With a Midblock Paseo
Street
StreetStreetStreetStreet
Street
Street Street
i. “Public” means those spaces and connections which
are publicly accessible—providing public right-ofway—regardless of ownership. c. Midblock Paseos increase connectivity, but they do
not define blocks, as they are not required to have the same quality of building frontage as streets and carless streets. Their presence in a block does, however,
increase the allowable block size (See Table 3.6-3 and
Figure 3.6-3).
d. The block perimeter shall be lined with buildings per the placement standards of Section 3.8 and frontage
standards of Section 3.10.

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3. Specific to Constrained Site Edges
a. Block Size Exception. A constrained site edge is one which abuts a private or otherwise closed development
which does not offer any opportunities for Public
Realm connections. If the Director determines that
a constrained site edge makes it impossible for all
blocks within a site to meet the block size standards,
an oversized partial block which exceeds the block size standards of Table 3.6-3 may line the constrained site
edge. See Figure 3.6-4.
i. The size of any oversized partial block shall be limited to the extent practical. Ideally, an oversized partial
block should only be the depth of a standard lot,
allowing all primary buildings to front the street.
ii. An oversized partial block shall not be defined on
any side by a carless street.
iii. Where a site edge is not fully constrained, and the Director determines that it is possible to make a
Public Realm connection—subject to collaboration
with the relevant property owners—in order to meet
the block size standards or to reduce the size of an
oversized block, that connection shall be made. See
Figure 3.6-5.
b. Public Realm Extensions. All development within
an oversized partial block shall still meet the Building Placement & Access standards of Section 3.8. Within
blocks that are large and/or irregularly-shaped due to
constrained edges, closes and public realm extensions
may be used to provide frontage to buildings (see
Section 3.8.B.2 for related standards). See Figure 3.6-5. i. Public realm extensions do not define a block; they
are extensions of the public realm into a block.
ii. Per Section 3.8.B.2, the route from the public realm, through a public realm extension, to a building’s
primary access shall be clear and continuous and
may not exceed 200 feet.
iii. Flag lots are not public realm extensions; the creation of flag lots is not permitted.

4. Specific to Secured Development
a. Connections and open spaces that are necessary to
define appropriately-sized blocks shall remain publicly accessible. Additional shared connections and open
spaces, in excess of those necessary to meet the
standards of Table 3.6-3, may be secured.

Figure 3.6-5: Public Realm Extensions
Figure 3.6-4: Oversized Partial Block
These closes provide frontage to buildings within a partial block which is too deep for all buildings to directly front the street. Despite most of the edge being constrained, there is an opportunity for a Public Realm connection, in the form of a Paseo, to connect to the existing street.

In the above example, an oversized partial block lines the northern constrained site edges of the project site. Its size is minimized; it is only as deep as the depth of a standard single family lot. The other site edges are not constrained, so all other blocks in the site are properly sized per Table 3.6–4.

Constrained Edge
Close Close Close
Existing Street
Constrained Site Edge
Oversized Partial Block
Blvd 111
Paseo
Opportunity
b. Secured connections and open spaces shall be
considered part of the “Semi-Public Realm.” They
function as public realm extensions and are thus subject to the standards of Section 3.8.B.2.
c. Any security elements—such as gates or retractable
bollards—shall be subject to the Site Design standards
of Section 3.13 and the Development Design Review
Process (see Section 3.2.5).

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3.7 | Public Realm Standards
A. Introduction

1. Intent & Applicability. Development within the 111
CSP area is intended to be organized around a robust,
well-connected Public Realm network and environment
that is comfortable and safe to navigate by foot, bicycle, or any vehicular mode, and provides high-quality
frontages for new and existing development.

Accordingly, this section provides design concepts,
standards and guidelines for all intended public realm
elements within the 111 CSP area, to ensure that a
complete, connective, pedestrian-oriented public realm
is achieved in a systematic and well-coordinated manner over time. The standards and guidelines of this section are consistent with the goals and vision described and
illustrated in Chapters 1 and 2.

All public realm improvements will be organized by
the City, and implemented through the cooperative
efforts of the City and private development as it occurs incrementally over time. All public realm improvements
shall comply with the standards of this Section, and are subject to the discretion of the City Engineer.

R.O.W.

Figure 3.7.A-1: Prototypical Public Realm Anatomy
Public Frontage
Roadway
Public Frontage Private
Frontage
Private
Frontage

D OPEN SPACE TYPES
B Circulation Network

C PUBLIC FRONTAGE TYPES

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Standards for Streets and Other Public Realm Connections This Plan is designed under the principle that connections should be understood as public space through which cars may operate as guests. Vehicular circulation will continue as usual, but lanes may be narrowed and bike lanes and bulb-outs may be added. These recommendations have been calibrated in response to the goals and principles of the General Plan.

Public Frontage Standards
The public frontage is the space along the edges of the street. Technically, for the purposes of this Plan, the recommendations apply specifically to the strips of space between street-adjacent property lines and the first travel lane in the adjacent roadway (whether for bikes or cars). It is from this space that most people experience the city: it is the space into which people spill out from buildings, and it is the space within which pedestrians move about.

Public Open Space Standards
While public frontages and streets form the circulatory framework within the plan, the public open spaces are the relatively larger openings of the public realm network that provide opportunities for a wide variety of uses: rest, play, gatherings, civic events, etc. They may take the form of plazas, greens, or parks. These standards apply wherever such open spaces occur.

B
C
D
In this Section

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B. Standards for Streets and Other Public Realm Connections Topics Covered in this Section

3.7.B.3

3.7.B.4

3.7.B.5
Section:

Street Design Standards
New Public Realm
Connection Standards
Retrofits to Highway 111
& Existing Arterials

1. Intent. A core intention of the 111 Corridor Specific Plan is to implement the General Plan’s goals for
connectivity, walkability, and citywide structure, by
providing a complete network of complete streets
and other public realm connections that are safe and
accessible by users of all ages and all abilities. This is accomplished by providing clear and direct access to
and from destinations for all modes, and for pedestrians, bicycles, and other forms of active mobilty in particular (as described in Section 3.6), and ensuring that vehicular modes drive at appropriate speeds to ensure the safety
of all other modes.

2. Applicability. This section establishes design
standards and guidelines for all Public Realm Connections within the 111 CSP area, as allowed or required by
Section 3.6.

While all general street improvements defined in the
2040 General Plan (and Complete Streets Plan, pending
adoption) shall be implemented for improvements to
existing streets, the standards and guidelines in this
section may require additional improvements beyond the
recommendations of those plans to implement the multimodal and pedestrian-oriented infrastructure required for the the long-term success of the 111 CSP area.

All new or improved Public Realm Connections within the 111 CSP are intended to be implemented through the
cooperative efforts of the City and private development as described in Chapter 4: Implementation.

Enhanced pedestrian crossing: including contrasting crosswalk materials, and pedestrian refuge areas.

3. General Design Standards and Guidelines.

The design or retrofit of each street and the individual design components thereof shall comply with the general improvements listed below, the overall circulation
network requirements in Section 3.6.B, and be in
accordance with applicable Public Realm Connection
Types identified in Table 3.6-1. The following standards apply to all new or improved streetscapes in the Plan
Area:
a. NACTO. In addition to the standards and guidelines
provided in this section, the most current edition of
the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guide shall be consulted
for all streetscape design details, including best
practices for all dimensions and streetscape elements.
b. Streetscape and Landscape Improvements.

Planters and landscaping that provide stormwater
management are recommended, per NACTO’s Urban
Street Stormwater Guide. Additional standards are
provided by connection type in Section 3.7.B and public frontage type in Section 3.7.C.
c. Pedestrian Crossings. Crosswalks shall continue the
“pedestrian zone” (See Section 3.7.C) of sidewalks as
directly as possible, and shall have a minimum width
of 10 feet. Enhanced crosswalks shall be provided at
all new or improved intersections on Highway 111
or Existing Arterial streets within the 111 CSP area.

Enhanced crosswalks shall include high visibility
markings, overhead lighting, and in-street signs, as
well as bulb-out curbs and pedestrian refuges where
possible and appropriate.

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d. Intersection and Signal Enhancements. For all new
or improved intersections, efficiency and safety of
pedestrian/bicycle crossing shall be prioritized and
enhanced, including timing of signals, crosswalks, and
intersection design features. Signal timing that allows intersection crossing shall be implemented according to the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. e. Minimum and Maximum Vehicular Lane Widths.

Vehicular lane width minimums shall be as determined
by the City Engineer. Preferred vehicular lane widths for all new and improved streets within the 111 CSP area
shall be 10ft; maximum vehicular lane width shall be 12ft. f. Bicycle lanes/facilities. Any proposed shared or
dedicated bicycle lane/facility designs will be reviewed against the recommendations of the most current edition of NACTO’s Urban Bikeway Design Guide.
g. Turning Radii. As illustrated in Figure 3.7.B-1, the effective turning radius takes parked cars and bike lanes into
account. On all streets within the Plan area, except for Arterial Retrofits, the radii of new or improved curbs shall be limited to 5 feet (actual) and 15 feet (effective) turning radius. If a corner radius must be greater than 15 feet for any reason, the intent of the above standard shall be met through the use of visually-contrasting pavement.

Comparison of Actual Curb Radius vs. Effective Turning
Radius.

Figure 3.7.B-1 Effective Turning Radii
Actual Radius
Effective Radius
Re-colored asphalt near the curbs modifies existing street infrastructure without permanent or expensive actions.

NACTO’s Urban Bikeway Design Guide provides direction on bike lanes and how they interact with the streetscape.

Medians bring life to major corridors, such as Blvd 111, while also organizing left-turn movements.

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3. General Design Standards and Guidelines (Cont.)
h. Performance Standards. At the time of the 2040
General Plan, a vehicle-based “level of service” (LOS)
was still being conventionally employed by Indio (and
most other cities) as the default metric for street
performance. That metric was developed based on
the assumption that a street that moves more vehicles
per hour with less congestion (and generally at higher
speeds) “performed better” environmentally than
streets that slow vehicles down or makes them stop
at frequent intervals.

As of July 2020, California state law has formally
recognized that the convenience of motorists, while
a legitimate metric of community satisfaction, is not in fact a valid metric of environmental performance, and
all CEQA analysis is now required to evaluate traffic
impacts as measured in overall Vehicle Miles Traveled
(VMT). Nevertheless, as allowed by State law and as
defined in the General Plan, LOS may still continue
to be employed as a metric by which the community
and its decision makers choose to evaluate street
network performance for community convenience
and satisfaction.

With that said, neither LOS nor VMT metrics provide
meaningful feedback on the performance multi-modal
circulation within local, focused areas such as the 111 CSP. Accordingly, many cities have begun utilizing more comprehensive “Multi-Modal Level of Service” (MMLOS)
performance metrics for such environments as means
to measure the service levels of prioritized modes
based on a “layered networks” approach.

Accordingly, when and if the City of Indio develops and adopts its own MMLOS performance standards, such
standards shall be required for all streets within the 111 CSP area. At such time, LOS D or better for prioritized modes and LOS E or better for non-prioritized travel
modes shall be maintained. If a mode conflicts in the
edges of the intervention area, e.g. when a bicyclepriority street intersects with an auto-priority street, such as Highway 111, the most vulnerable user shall
dictate modal priority.

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4. New Public Realm Connection Standards
Standards for all streets and other public connections are provided in this section. Requirements for where these
connections shall be located in order to complete the
public realm network, define blocks, and provide frontage for buildings are found in Section 3.6 and Section 3.8. The types which are regulated in this section are listed to the right, which their associated section reference numbers.

Streets and Other Public
Realm Connections
Section
Reference
Avenue 3.7.b.4.a
Frontage Lane 3.7.b.4.b
Neighborhood Street 3.7.b.4.c
Close 3.7.b.4.d
Carless Street 3.7.b.4.e
Midblock Paseo 3.7.b.4.f
Alley 3.7.b.4.g
Types in this Section:

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3.7.B.4.a. Avenue
Intent. Avenues are the preferred and intended roadway type for all continuous cross-town connectors and/or priority bicycle and transit routes within the 111 CSP area. Accordingly, the design standards and guidelines provided here for the Avenue type apply equally to newly constructed cross-town vehicular connections, as well as to retrofits and improvements to existing arterial connectors within the plan area.

Avenues are multi-lane roadways, typically with 1 or 2 travel lanes in each direction, a landscaped center median (where feasible) with left-turn lanes/pockets at intersections and at mid-block locations where needed for alley or driveway access, and convenient curbside parking for visitors and customers of adjacent development.

Strong streetscape and landscape elements—including generous landscaped parkways and medians with regularly-spaced street trees, wide sidewalks, high quality lighting, signage and street furnishings, and dedicated bike and transit facilities—will emphasize these avenues as prominent cross-town routes for all modes.

Design Standards. Avenues shall conform to the standards of Section

3.7.B.3 and Table 3.7.B-1.

Table 3.7.B-1 : Avenue Standards
80'–100’ Public Right-of-Way (may vary)
Roadway
A Travel Lanes 2 (1 each way); 10’–12' lanes
B Median/Left
Turn
10’–11' landscaped median; Left-turn
lanes where applicable
C Bicycle Facilities 5’ min (see NACTO standards)
Public Frontage (Section 3.7.C)
D Street Parking Parallel: 7’–8’; Perpendicular: 16’–20’; Angled: 16’–18’ (calibrated to angle)
E Landscape zone 6’–8’
F Sidewalks 8' min for commercial environments, 6'
min for residential environments
Private Frontage (Section 3.10)
Convenient curbside customer and visitor parking is
a valuable amenity for development.

Avenue promote active frontages with Ground Floor
commercial or Residential building units facing street.

G

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A B C
Public Frontage Public Frontage

D C A D
Public Right-of-Way
Roadway

G F E E F G
A B C
Public Frontage Public Frontage

D C A D
Public Right-of-Way
Roadway

G F E E F G
Figure 3.7.B-3: Typical Avenue - Commercial / Mixed Use Corridor Figure 3.7.B-2: Typical Avenue: Neighborhood Corridor

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Intent. Frontage lanes—also known as side access lanes—provide low-speed vehicular access and parking adjacent to a major corridor.

Frontage lanes are separated from the primary travel lanes of a street by a median, creating a comfortable pedestrian environment along the fronts of bulidings, even when placed along a busy cross-town thoroughfare. Frontage lanes are common along the edges of the classic boulevards of great American and European cities. They are particularly useful on streets where no curbside parking is present due to a lack of roadway space or where the City determines that, due to vehicular speeds and volumes on that street, curbside parking cannot be provided in a safe and comfortable manner. They can provide a significant parking supply while looking more like part of an important street than like “parking lots” in front of the buildings.

As illustrated to the right, a frontage lane is a low-speed, one-way roadway, separated from the main thoroughfare by a median/ planting strip, with parking on one or both sides. Parking may be parallel, perpendicular, or angled; also, head-in and back-in parking configurations are both possible in a frontage lane. As with all other active public frontage types, the frontage lane is adjoined by a landscape/amenity area and comfortable sidewalks.

Frontage lanes require more space than on-street
curbside parking, so buildings need to be set back
further from the main thoroughfare than would
be necessary for bulb-in or bulb-out parking. As a
result, the ground floor uses within those buildings
are provided with a higher quality parking and
pedestrian experience, and in many cases, buildings
along a frontage lane would be set back no more
than pre-existing buildings. In select cases where
the City determines that the number and width of
travel lanes may be reduced, it may prove possible
to construct frontage lanes outward into the existing
streets, encroaching less—or not at all—into the
private properties adjacent.

Design Standards. Frontage Lanes shall conform
to the standards of Section 3.7.B.3, Table 3.7.B-2,
and those listed below:
100’–200’ Public Right-of-Way (may vary)
Roadway
A Travel Lanes As needed for roadway configuration
Frontage Lane and Public Frontage (Section 3.7.C)
B Median 8’–10’
C Drive Lane
10’–14’ (calibrated to parking
configuration and access
requirements)
D Parking Parallel: 7’–8’; Perpendicular: 16’–20’;
Angled: 16’–18’ (calibrated to angle)
E Landscape /
Furnishing Zone
4’–8’; Not required where parking lane
planters are provided
F Sidewalks 6’ min for primarily residential streets;
8’ min for primarily commercial streets
Private Frontage (Section 3.10)
Table 3.7.B-2: Frontage Lane Standards

3.7.B.4.b. Frontage Lane
i. Street Trees. Street trees are required in
the median between the travel lanes and the
frontage lane as well as along the sidewalk in
a parkway strip, sidewalk planters, or parking
lane planters.
ii. Bikes and Transit. All designs shall conform
to NACTO standards. Bike and transit lanes
may be accommodated along the curb of the
primary roadway or within the frontage lane
itself, provided that a safe and coherent route
is created. Where a cycle track is desired, it may
run down the center of the median or along
the sidewalk. Depending on the placement of
the lanes, bike parking and bus stops may be
incorporated into the median/planting strip or
along the curbs within the frontage lane.

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Figure 3.7.B-4: Frontage Lane
Frontage lane with angled parking adjacent to sidewalk
Street trees and parked cars provide physical and visual buffer from vehicular traffic for pedestrians
Transit stop in median between frontage lane and travel lanes Frontage lane with raised crosswalk slows traffic, especially at intersections
Roadway Frontage Lane and Public Frontage
Public Right-of-Way

A B C D E F G

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Intent. Neighborhood streets are intended to create a beautiful, intimate, and calm environment onto which ground floor dwelling units can comfortably front. Neighborhood streets typically have less pedestrian traffic than heavily commercial environments, so sidewalks may be narrower, and a greater emphasis on landscaping is needed to provide layers of privacy, shade, and enclosure.

Design Standards. Neighborhood Streets shall conform to the standards of Section 3.7.B.3, Table 3.7.B-3, and those listed below:
60’–75’ Public Right-of-Way
Roadway
A Travel Lanes 2 (1 each way); 10’–12' lanes
Frontage (Section 3.7.C)
B Street Parking Parallel: 7’–8’; Perpendicular: 16’–20’; Angled: 16’–18’ (calibrated to angle)
C Landscape 6’–8’
D Sidewalks 8’ min for commercial environments, 6’
min for residential environments
Private Frontage (Section 3.10)
Figure 3.7.B-3: Neighborhood Street Standards
Welcoming, Engaged residential Frontages, providing
sidewalk fronted by landscape areas with planted trees.

Parking lane planters can be a continuation of the
sidewalk curb, or be constructed separate from the curb.

Inviting residential frontages with landscape on each
side of sideawalk and raised building entrances facing
street.

3.7.B.4.c. Neighborhood Street
i. The roadway shall include one lane of traffic in each direction as well as convenient curbside parking on both sides of the street. ii. Street trees and landscaping shall be provided in sidewalk planters, parkway strips, parking lane planters, or a combination of these elements.
iii. Private frontage. To provide a sufficient level of privacy while still maintaining an active urban environment, residential units shall be set back from the public right of way and/or raised.

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Public Frontage Public Frontage
B A B
Figure 3.7.B-5: Neighborhood Street
Public Right-of-Way
Roadway

D C C D
Multifamily residential building with private terraces behind landscaping and balconies along the façade to activate the frontage.

Large canopy trees provide shade and frame the streetscape.

Wide, continuous planting strip allows for frequently spaced large trees with large canopies, providing lots of shade.

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Intent. A close functions as dead-end boulevard, with
parking on both sides, which extends into the block to
form an intimate space onto which buildings can front.

They are particularly useful for large or irregularly-shaped blocks in which it is difficult, or impossible, for all buildings to front directly onto the adjacent street. Closes have very little vehicular traffice, as they simply provide vehicular access to curbside parking in the front of houses. Therefore, their sidewalks, travel lanes, and medians offer a great opportunity for gathering and recreation for all ages. They may be publicly accessible and serve as an amenity for the community, or they may control access by the use of gates or visual queues and therefore serve as an amenity for the buildings which front them.

This example close has an optional additional sidewalk at the far end which forms a passage to alleys and parking.

Standards. Closes shall conform to the standards of Section

3.7.B.3, Table 3.7.B-4, and those listed below:
80' Public Right-of-Way
Roadway
A Travel Lanes 2 (1 on each side of the central median, forming a loop); 10’–12' lanes
B Median
10’ minimum (more typically needed
to accommodate turning movements
and desired landscape and gathering
space)
Frontage (Section 3.7.C)
C Street Parking
Parallel: 7’–8’; Perpendicular:
16’–20’; Angled: 16’–18’ (calibrated
to angle)
D Landscape 6’–8’
E Sidewalks 6' minimum
Private Frontage (Section 3.10)
Table 3.7.B-4: Close Standards Figure 3.7.B-6: Close Plan Diagram

3.7.B.4.d. Close
i. Closes shall have trees in their median and/or along the sidewalks in parkways, sidewalk planters, or parking
lane planters.
ii. The end of a close shall allow for a standard-sized vehicle to turn around and exit on the other side of the median (as diagrammed below). If fire truck access is required due to the block configuration, turning geometries are
subject to the discretion of the local fire marshall.
iii. When closes are publicly accessible at all times—and therefore form a part of the public realm—their length
shall be limited to 300’ (from public ROW to back edge
or furthest sidewalk).
iv. When closes have limited access—and therefore form
a part of the semi-public realm—they function as
extensions of the public realm into the site and are
therefore subject to the standards of Section 3.8.B.2.

Accordingly, their length is limited to 200’.

Street
Optional passage
AlleyAlley
Alley / Parking Lot
Close Vehicular Access

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A Close in Mariemont, OH
A close with adjacency to single-family homes
Public Frontage
Figure 3.7.B-7: Close

E D C A B A C D E
Public Frontage
The central green/median of a close can be an amenity.

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20' Public Right-of-Way (it can vary)
Frontage (Section 3.7.C)
A Pedestrian Way 30' minimum (may include landscaping
or be only hardscape as shown)
Private Frontage (Section 3.10)
Intent. A carless street provides for multiple modes
of mobility—such as walking, biking, and transit where
appropriate—but does not provide vehicular through access.

Standards. Carless Streets shall conform to the standards of Section 3.7.B.3, Table 3.7.B-5, and those listed below:

Public Frontage
Figure 3.7.B-8: Carless street
A
G
Carless streets provide frontage elements such as plants, benches and building entrances.

Table 3.7.B-5: Carless Standards
Carless streets provide frontage elements such as plants, benches and building entrances.

Private Frontage Private Frontage

3.7.B.4.e. Carless Street
i. Buildings shall line and front onto Carless Streets just as they do along all streets and public open spaces, subject to the standards of Sections 3.8 and 3.10.
ii. When they provide public access, a Carless Street may define only one side of a block (per Section 3.6.C).
iii. Carless streets shall always provide pedestrian and bike access. Where appropriate, they are encouraged
to provide for transit and micromobility modes, such
as scooters.

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Intent. A Midblock Paseo is a pedestrian route through a block. Midblock Paseos are particularly useful for providing connections through large blocks or connections to adjacent development where no vehicular access is possible or
appropriate. They can function as intimate open spaces
that support passive recreation and outdoor dining, with places to gather and sit.

Standards. Midblock Paseos shall conform to the standards of Section 3.7.B.3, Table 3.7.B-6, and those listed below:
ii. Buildings may—but not required—front onto and take
their primary access from a Midblock Paseo. However,
priority should be given to fronting and activating public streets and open spaces.
iii. Access from a vehicular right-of-way, through a Midblock Paseo, to a building’s primary access shall not exceed
200’.
iv. A Midblock Paseo may to serve as a Priority Subarea Connection in specific circumstances per § 3.6.B.1.b.ii. v. A Midblock Paseos may not define block edges, but they do increase the allowable block size (See § 3.6.C.2.c). vi. Gateways from the public right-of-way to a Midblock Paseo shall clearly demarcate and control which mobility modes are permitted in the paseo.

Figure 3.7.B-9: Mid-Block Paseo
E F
Wider paseos provide opportunities for community
activities
E
Frontage
20' Public Right-of-Way (varies)
Frontage (Section 3.7.C)
F Sidewalk 8’–20’
E Landscape 6’ minimum (may be part of private
frontage)
Private Frontage (Section 3.10)
Table 3.7.B-6: Midblock Paseo Standards

3.7.B.4.f. Midblock Paseo
i. Midblock Paseos shall connect continuously thorugh a block, from one public right-of-way to another publicright-of way.

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Intent. Alleys provide vehicular access into a block for parking, services, and deliveries. By nature, they carry less traffic and at lower speeds than streets; they therefore can also serve as safe outdoor playgrounds for kids and families to enjoy.

Standards. Alleys shall conform to the standards of Section

3.7.B.3, Table 3.7.B-7, and those listed below:
iv. Clear demarcation between the public street and
semi-public alley is encouraged at all alley entrances.

Gateway/enclosure elements, such as piers or wing
walls may encroach into the 5’ required rear building
setback, but must preserve the 20’ clear width for
vehicles.
v. Fences must be set back 5 feet from the face of the
garage to provide space for landscaping and utilities.
vi. Specific to T- and H-alleys: inner corners must
maintain clearance areas of a minimum of 12 by 15
feet; the minimum paved turning radius is 12 feet.
vii.Upper floor façades of buildings that face the alley and are within 15 feet of the rear property line
shall provide full-sized openings that constitute a
minimum of 20% of the façade.

Guidelines
i. Permeable paving is encouraged.
ii. Trees and activating furniture—such as benches and
basketball hoops—are encouraged.
20’ Building-to-Building
A Clear Vehicular Access Width
20’ (may exceed 20’
if required for trash
or fire access)
B Rear Building Setback 5’
C Fence/wall setback behind
building face 5’ minimum
D Corner clearance at alley
intersections 12’ x 15’ minimum
E Paved turning radius at alley
intersections 15’
Table 3.7.B-7: Alleys Standards Figure 3.7.B-10: Alley Plan Diagram CLEAR
D
D
C
B
A
E

3.7.B.4.g. Alley
i. Alleys shall be owned and managed by an HOA.
ii. HOA regulations shall not prohibit or discourage the use of alleys for play or recreation or prohibit or discourage the placement of activating furniture at the edges of
alleys, such as basketball hoops, benches, or tables.
iii. Alley entrances from streets shall be designed to
prioritize the user of the sidewalk, and shall have no
effect on sidewalk width or direction; the sidewalk slope across alley entrances shall in no case exceed 2%.

This example alley is a T-alley.

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Figure 3.7.B-11: Alley
Alleys. Alleys can be useful, lively, and beautiful places. Setbacks allow for landscaping, utilities, and waste storage. Second story windows overlooking the alley provide natural and passive surveillance. Higher quality pavement can greatly enhance the aesthetic quality of the alley, as well as reduce the urban heat. Permeable paving ins encouraged.

B A B

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5. Public Frontage Improvements on Highway 111 & Existing Arterials a. Intent. Highway 111 and other existing arterials are intended to evolve from a roadways which prioritize
the speed of vehicles moving through Indio into
integral elements of the City’s public realm network.

This transformation of public rights-of-way will
be incremental, and will include improvements to
roadways (see the Section 4 - Implementation) as well
as to the public frontage which lines them, which is
regulated in this section.
b. Applicability. The following standards are applicable to the improvement of and new development along
Blvd 111 and all other existing arterials.
c. General Standards.
i. Sidewalks. As with all streets in the plan area, a
clear, continuous, and ADA-accessible pedestrian
route comprising sidewalks and crosswalks shall run
parallel to Blvd 111 and other existing arterials.
ii. Street trees. Street trees are required within
the public frontage, located per the 3 frontage
configurations illustrated in Figure 3.7.B-12, unless
otherwise specified in the recommended Master Plan
of Arterial Streets described in Section 4.4.C.
iii. Public Easements. If the existing public right-of-way does not provide adequate space to accommodate
one of the 3 public frontage alternatives as required
in Section 3.7.5.d, a public frontage easement within
the private property shall be dedicated for the
purpose of providing the necessary space. This public
frontage easement shall grant full public access at
all times of day.
d. Standards for Public Frontage Alternatives. There
are 3 allowed public frontage configurations along Blvd 111 and other existing arterials (See Figure 3.7.B-12). In addition to the standards listed below, further public
frontage standards—such as dimensional standards
for each portion of the public frontage—are provided
per ground floor environment in Section 3.7.C.
i. Landscaping with Parking. This alternative is not
permitted in front of ground floor commercial or
in front of any development for which on-street
tenant, visitor, or customer parking is required. This
configuration is not permitted within the Mixed-Use
Center Overlay (per Section 3.4.C.5). This alternative
requires a 10’–12’-wide parkway strip with street trees (in the Landscape and Furniture Zone) as well as a
Pedestrian Zone of 8’-minimum width (See Section

3.7.C.3 for discussion of Public Frontage Zones).

There shall also be landscaping on the building side
of the sidewalk, which may be public or private. This
landscaping is recommended to also have street
trees, creating an allée of trees through which the
sidewalk passes. Any landscaping within the private
frontage should be coordinated with the design of
the public frontage.
ii. Bulb-In/Bulb-Out Parking. This configuration
includes 7’–8’-wide curbside parking which may
have an additional adjacent 1’-3’ car-door buffer to
facilitate the entering and exiting of parked vehicles
along busy streets. This alternative also requires a
Landscape and Furniture Zone of 6’-minimum width
and an Pedestrian Zone of 8’-minimum width. Bulbs
within the curbside parking lane are recommended
to shield and clearly differentiate the parking lane
from the travel lanes, in addition to facilitating safe pedestrian crossings. Either this configuration or
the Frontage Lane alternative (below) is required in
front of ground floor commercial in order to provide
parking for customers.
iii. Frontage Lane. This configuration provides a lowspeed lane with parking, separated from the primary roadway by a median, designed according to the
standards of Section 3.7.4.b. Either this configuration or the Bulb-In/Bulb-Out Parking alternative (above)
is required in front of ground floor commercial in
order to provide parking for customers.

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Figure 3.7.B-12: Public Frontage Alternatives
iii. Frontage Lane
ii. Bulb-In/Bulb-Out Parking
i. Landscaping without Parking
Allée of
trees
Frontage
Lane
Bulbs

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C. Public Frontage

1. Intent. The street network of the Plan Area is intended to be an active pedestrian-oriented urban environment
that is comfortable, safe, and easy to navigate by foot, bicycle, or any mode of vehicular transit. The design
of the frontage lining the public realm is key to the
success of this environment. Frontage is composed of
private frontage and public frontage, working in close
coordination. Private frontage is the space between the edge of the public right-of-way and the buildings which line it, including the building’s ground floor ground floor façade. Private frontage is regulated in Section 3.10, and it is designed to provide an appropriate degree of privacy or transparency relative to the needs of the public-facing ground-floor use. Public frontage is adjacent to private frontage; it is the space between the travel lanes of the street and the edge of the public right-of-way (typically the back of the sidewalk). Public frontage plays a role similar to that of its private counterpart, but it remains consistent over longer stretches of streets and open
spaces, unifying the character of the public realm.

While the nature of the public frontage cannot vary
with every change in adjacent ground floor use, it can
be calibrated to the general ground floor environment.

Ground floor environments are largely influenced by the predominant ground floor use in the area, and therefore are placed into the following 3 groups for the purposes of this Section: retail and commercial; office and light industrial; or residential. Commercial and retail uses rely on more exposure for their success, while ground-floor
residences rely more on privacy so they aren’t forced to close their blinds and can therefore provide encourage
“eyes on the street”. Office and industrial uses typically require some privacy, but also engage the public realm.

This section provides design standards and guidance
for public frontage according to these 3 environments
(§ 3.7.C.5). These standards are supplemental to that
provided by type in Section 3.7.B.

2. Applicability. Public Frontage improvements shall
be implemented through the cooperative efforts of the
City and private development as described in Chapter
4: Implementation. All Public Frontage improvements
shall comply with the standards of this Section, and are subject to the discretion of the City Engineer.
a. Private developers of any construction in which the
total value of alteration, enlargement, or construction is greater than 50 percent of the current market value
of all existing structures on the lot shall be required to make improvements to the adjacent public right of way
in accordance with Indio Municipal Code § 159.830-39,
and all design specifications required by this Code.

R.O.W.

Figure 3.7.C-1: Prototypical Public Realm Anatomy
Roadway: Travel Lanes and Median Public Frontage Private Frontage
Private
Frontage
a
b
d
a
c
Public
Frontage
Public
Frontage

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3. Overview of Public Frontage Zones. Many standards on the following spreads are organized by “public frontage zones”. Below are descriptions of the 3 public frontage zones:
provided adjacent to the Parkway Zone, every effort
should be made to provide a 2 foot buffer adjacent to
the curb clear of any obstructions to allow for car doors to open or for bumper overhang for angled parking.
c. Curbside Flex Zone. This zone extends from the street curb to the first travel or bicycle lane, and is flexible in use and programming based on evolving needs,
including curbside parking, loading, landscaping,
stormwater management, and parklets.
a. Pedestrian Zone. This zone is the pedestrian pathway.

A minimum 6-foot wide portion of this zone is dedicated to pedestrian circulation and should be kept clear of
any obstructions, including driveway ramps.
b. Landscape and Furniture Zone. This zone extends
from the outer edge of the pedestrian zone to the
curb face (or equivalent). It is a dedicated space for
streetscape furnishings, landscaping, and bicycle
parking, and serves as a buffer between pedestrian
activity and vehicular traffic. When vehicle parking is

4. Public Frontage Standards by Ground Floor Environment. The following spreads provide intent, standards, and guidance for public frontage design according to the 3 ground floor environments: retail and commercial; office and light industrial; or residential.

Figure 3.7.C-2: Public Frontage Zones (residential ground floor environment example) Curbside Flex Zone
Public Frontage
Roadway Private Frontage
Landscape and
Furniture Zone
Pedestrian Zone
Property Line

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Intent. Public frontages in retail and commercial ground floor environments are intended to provide a vibrant, safe, and comfortable place for pedestrians to walk and shop, buffered from traffic by street trees, street furnishings, and parked cars. Here, frontages are designed to make
shops and restaurants visible to and accessible by passing pedestrians and motorists. Shopfronts are common in
such areas, located at or very near the back of amply wide sidewalks. Parking is provided in front of—or very close to— these shopfronts. Regularly-spaced street tree species help define the space and shade pedestrians while maintaining good visibility for the buildings and signage due to a relatively high and/or open canopy. Unlike most other frontage types the overall design intent is exposure—not privacy—to blur the line between the interior space of the business and the public environment of the sidewalk and street. The
combination of businesses with active private frontages (per Section 3.10.C) and well-tailored public frontage generates an amenity-rich pedestrian environment that accommodates
and encourages high levels of foot-traffic and a wide range of activities.

Standards. The standards of Table 3.7.C-1 apply to all
public frontages in retail and commercial ground floor
environments.

Public Frontage in a Retail & Commercial Ground Floor Environment Curbside Flex Zone
Public Frontage
Private Frontage
(See Section 3.10)
Roadway
(See § 3.7.B)
Landscape and
Furniture Zone
Pedestrian Zone
Property Line
Figure 3.7.C-3: Public Frontage Section (Retail & Commercial Ground Floor Environment)

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Zone Dimensions Standards
Pedestrian
Zone
Width:
8’ minimum
(greater widths are
recommended for
more active areas)
i. The pedestrian zone shall be a clear path for pedestrian access and shall not be interrupted by fixed objects (street lights, power poles, driveway ramps, street furnishings).
ii. Movable objects associated with adjacent uses (dining furniture, signage, etc.) are permitted to infringe into the pedestrian zone, provided a continuous clear width of 6 feet is maintained at all locations. iii. The pathway may be covered by an arcade or gallery in conformance with Section 3.11, providing additional enclosure and protection from the elements.

Landscape
and
Furniture
Zone
Width:
6 to 10 ft
Tree Spacing:

Every 25 to 50 ft
(on center)
Canopy Height:
10 to 15 ft
Planter Size:
6 ft x 6 ft minimum;
may not exceed 10’
in length along the
street
iv. This area shall be sized and programmed based on the needs of the public realm and of nearby businesses. It typically provides: street furniture, transit stops, street trees and landscaping, pedestrian-scale lighting fixtures, district branding and wayfinding signage, parking meters, and short-term bike parking.
v. This zone shall include street trees unless street trees are provided in parking lane planters, in which case they are optional in this zone. vi. Continuous parkway strips are not permitted in this environment. Trees and other other landscaping shall be in planters which do not occupy more than 40% of the linear length of any street segment. vii.The design of this zone shall promote the health of street trees. Strategies inlude: generously-sized planters; pervious paving materials between planters which allow water to flow to planters; or a continuous trench of structure soil between planters which allows the root network to be continuous.

Curbside
Flex Zone
Width:
7’ minimum
(as required to
accommodate
parking or drop-off
configuration)
viii. This space shall be flexibly programmed based on the needs of the area or nearby businesses. It may include: parking, passenger and commercial loading zones, transit stops, parklets, and street trees. ix. Where street trees are not provided in the Landscape and Furniture Zone, this zone shall include street trees in planters spaced a maximum of 50’ apart, on center. Street trees may also be provided here in addition to those provided in the Landscaping and Furniture Zone.

Private Frontage
Private frontage types which characterize, and are most common in, a retail and commercial ground floor environment:
• Shopfront (See Section 3.10.C.4.a)
• Common Entrance / Lobby (See Section 3.10.C.4.b)
Table 3.7.C-1: Public Frontage Standards (Retail & Commercial Ground Floor Environment)

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Intent. Office and light industrial ground floor environments do not require as much exposure to ground floor uses as retail environments, as such uses do not rely as heavily on on-site sales of goods and services. Often, privacy is needed for ground floor offices and light industrial, as occupants may not want to be fully exposed as they work. Despite the less active nature of these uses, the public realm must provide a safe, comfortable, and attractive environment. On-street parking and front entries help to keep such environments active and convenient for workers, visitors, and patrons. This combintation encourages workers and others to walk out to the street to go to lunch or dinner nearby—provided such amenities are present within walking distance—rather than simply exiting to the parking lot, getting in their car, and driving to lunch.

Standards. The standards of Table 3.7.C-2 apply to all
public frontages in office and light industrial ground floor environments.

Public Frontage in an Office & Light Industrial Ground Floor Environment Figure 3.7.C-4: Public Frontage Section (Office & Light Industrial Ground Floor Environment) Curbside Flex Zone
Public Frontage
Private Frontage
(See Section 3.10)
Roadway
(See § 3.7.B)
Landscape and
Furniture Zone
Pedestrian Zone
Property Line

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Zone Dimensions Standards
Pedestrian
Zone
Width:
6’ minimum
(greater widths are
recommended for
more active areas)
i. The pedestrian zone shall be a clear path for pedestrian access and shall not be interrupted by fixed objects (street lights, power poles, driveway ramps, street furnishings).
ii. Movable objects associated with adjacent uses (dining furniture, signage, etc.) are permitted to infringe into the pedestrian zone, provided a continuous clear width of 6 feet is maintained at all locations.

Landscape
and
Furniture
Zone
Width:
4 to 10 ft
Tree Spacing:

Every 25 to 50 ft
(on center)
Canopy Height:
10 to 15 ft
Planter Size:
4 ft x 6 ft minimum
iii. This area shall be sized and programmed based on the needs of the public realm and of nearby businesses. It typically provides: street furniture, transit stops, street trees and landscaping, pedestrian-scale lighting fixtures, parking meters, and short-term bike parking.
iv. This zone shall include street trees unless street trees are provided in parking lane planters, in which case they are optional in this zone. v. Trees may be provided in individual planters or in continuous parkway strips.
vi. The design of this zone shall promote the health of street trees. Strategies inlude: generously-sized planters; pervious paving materials between planters which allow water to flow to planters; or a continuous trench of structure soil between planters which allows the root network to be continuous.

Curbside
Flex Zone
Width:
7’ minimum
(as required to
accommodate
parking or drop-off
configuration)
vii.This space shall be flexibly programmed based on the needs of the area or nearby businesses. It may include: parking, passenger and commercial loading zones, transit stops, parklets, and street trees. viii. Where street trees are not provided in the Landscape and Furniture Zone, this zone shall include street trees in planters spaced a maximum of 50’ apart, on center. Street trees may also be provided here in addition to those provided in the Landscaping and Furniture Zone.

Private Frontage
Private frontage types which characterize, and are most common in, an office and light industrial ground floor environment:
• Ground Floor Office (See Section 3.10.C.4.d)
• Common Entrance / Lobby (See Section 3.10.C.4.b)
• Shopfront (See Section 3.10.C.4.a)
• Vehicular Access (See Section 3.10.C.4.f)
Table 3.7.C-2: Public Frontage Standards (Office & Light Industrial Ground Floor Environment)

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Intent. Ground floor residential uses require a reasonable degree of privacy so that passersby aren’t perceived
to be visually intruding into the home. Public frontage must balance the need for privacy with the requirement
that these uses provide activity and safety to the public realm environment they are fronting. One public frontage element which promotes activity is the provision of onstreet guest parking, which allows visitors arriving on foot, by bike, by transit or by car to be welcomed at the front door. An emphasis on landscaping and street trees with
grand canopies can help ensure that these are comfortable, beautiful, and intimate environments in which to live.

Standards. The standards of Table 3.7.C-3 apply to all public frontages in residential ground floor environments.

Public Frontage in a Residential Ground Floor Environment Figure 3.7.C-5: Public Frontage Section (Office & Light Industrial Ground Floor Environment) Curbside Flex Zone
Public Frontage
Private Frontage
(See Section 3.10)
Roadway
(See § 3.7.B)
Landscape and
Furniture Zone
Pedestrian Zone
Property Line

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Zone Dimensions Standards
Pedestrian
Zone
Width:
6’ minimum
(greater widths are
recommended for
more active areas)
i. The pedestrian zone shall be a clear path for pedestrian access and shall not be interrupted by fixed objects (street lights, power poles, driveway ramps, street furnishings).
ii. Movable objects associated with adjacent uses (dining furniture, signage, etc.) are permitted to infringe into the pedestrian zone, provided a continuous clear width of 6 feet is maintained at all locations.

Landscape
and
Furniture
Zone
Width:
4 to 10 ft
Tree Spacing:

Every 25 to 50 ft
(on center)
Canopy Height:
10 to 15 ft
Planter Size:
4 ft x 6 ft minimum;
continuous
parkways
encouraged
iii. This area shall be sized and programmed based on the needs of the public realm and of nearby businesses. It typically provides: street furniture, transit stops, street trees and landscaping, pedestrian-scale lighting fixtures, parking meters, and short-term bike parking.
iv. This zone shall include street trees unless street trees are provided in parking lane planters, in which case they are optional in this zone. v. Trees may be provided in individual planters or in continuous parkway strips. Continuous parkway strips are encouraged in areas with a high proportion of ground floor residences, with occasional hardscape breaks for pedestrian crossing between the sidewalk and parked vehicles. vi. The design of this zone shall promote the health of street trees. Strategies inlude: generously-sized planters; pervious paving materials between planters which allow water to flow to planters; or a continuous trench of structure soil between planters which allows the root network to be continuous.

Curbside
Flex Zone
Width:
7’ minimum
(as required to
accommodate
parking or drop-off
configuration)
vii.This space shall be flexibly programmed based on the needs of the area or nearby businesses. It may include: parking, passenger and commercial loading zones, transit stops, parklets, and street trees. viii. Where street trees are not provided in the Landscape and Furniture Zone, this zone shall include street trees in planters spaced a maximum of 50’ apart, on center. Street trees may also be provided here in addition to those provided in the Landscaping and Furniture Zone.

Private Frontage
Private frontage types which characterize, and are most common in, a residential ground floor environment:
• Ground Floor Residential (See Section 3.10.C.4.e)
• Common Entrance / Lobby (See Section 3.10.C.4.b)
• Retail / Housing Flex (See Section 3.10.C.4.c)
• Vehicular Access (See Section 3.10.C.4.f)
Table 3.7.C-3: Public Frontage Standards (Residential Ground Floor Environment)

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D. Public Open Space

1. Intent and Applicability
a. As stated in Section 3.6.A.2.c, all new development
must provide usable public open space as defined
and regulated in this Section.
b. This Section is intended to implement the goals and
policies of General Plan Chapter 7: Parks, Recreation,
and Open Space. In particular, this section provides
standards to help meet General Plan Goal PR-2.1: “Park
ratio: Work to achieve a ratio of 3 acres of public parks per 1,000 residents and place a park or recreation
amenity within one-half mile of all Indio residents.

Maintain adequate land dedication requirements and/
or development fees for new development to meet
the park ratio.”
c. Public open spaces are publicly-accessible areas such as parks, plazas and green spaces that establish shared centers for gathering, recreation and the opportunity to weave the natural environment into a given community.

Through the strategic placement of open spaces, the
Plan Area will achieve the following:
i. Support quality of life and healthy lifestyles through the promotion of active and passive recreation;
ii. Increase public safety and visibility throughout the community by encouraging “eyes on the street”;
iii. Support the preservation and restoration of natural habitats that complement the built environment;
iv. Enhance the appearance and economic value of
residential and non-residential uses such as dining,
shopping and other commercial activity; and,
v. Foster a unique community identity and cohesive
sense of place throughout Indio.
d. Open spaces are integral to the success of Indio.

Collectively, public open spaces are designed to
function as a comprehensive system of public amenities
and gathering spaces that support a variety of physical contexts, which is characterisic of mixed-use places.

Located in areas that are easily accessible, open spaces will create an interconnected network through the
Corridor Plan Area and to adjacent neighborhoods.

Some of the functional features and design qualities
all open spaces should provide include:
i. Adequate lighting and visibility from the street to
encourage usage throughout the day and evening;
ii. A full range of outdoor experiences for people of all ages and abilities;
iii. Pedestrian and bicycle access and facilities including paths/trails, street furniture, pavilions, bike racks;
iv. Landmarks, monuments and cultural areas of interest to enhance civic life, community identity and pride;
v. Integrated stormwater drainage and retention
through the use of drought-tolerant plants and
trees, groundcover and materials that actively
contribute to water recapture, reuse and overall
water management. See Section 3.14.F Stormwater.
vi. Adjacent on-street parking should encourage people
to get out of their cars and opt for passive and active recreation in Open Spaces.

Parks can provide active and passive recreation, and a chance to preserve or recreate natural environments.

Open spaces should create attractive and comfortable gathering and event spaces within a community.

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Civic plaza for gathering and special events

2. Public Open Space Requirement. A minimum of

7.5% of the gross land area of a site shall be improved as public open space. Public open space which fulfills
this requirement is subject to the following standards:
a. The public open space requirement shall be met by one or a combination of the following public open space
types: Plaza / Green, Neighborhood Park, or Mini Park
(see Table 3.7.D-1). These types correspond to General
Plan Parkland Classifications (pages 7–6 through 7–8)
and are subject to the standards of Section 3.7.D.3,
found on the following spreads.
i. Exception. At the discretion of the Director and in
coordination with City-wide parks strategies, the
larger and more specialized Parkland Classifications
described in the General Plan—Community Parks,
Special Use Areas, Open Space, and Greenways and
Trails—may be provided.
b. Public open spaces shall be shall be publicly accessible at all times, regardless of whether they are publicly or privately owned and/or maintained.
c. Required public open space shall be provided within
the development site.
i. Exception. The Director may allow or require
an applicant to provide an in-lieu fee for all of or
for a specific portion of the public open space
requirement—instead of providing it within the
development site—if the Director has determined
that the associated public open space shall be
provided elsewhere in the Subarea, Plan Area, or
City. The following considerations shall apply:
• The Director shall locate public open space in
coordination with the creation of Subarea Master
Public Realm & Connectivity Plans (See Section 3.4)
and according to the goals and policies of General
Plan Chapter 7: Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.

In most cases, the Director will require any public
open space not provided within a development
site to be provided within that site’s Subarea. This
ensures proximity of parks to new development,
distributes open space evenly across the Plan Area,
and provides “equitable access to recreation and
special events” (General Plan Policy PR-4.1).
• The in-lieu fee rate shall be set by the Director as
part of the Development Monitoring Program and
in coordination with any other fees related to the
Quimby Act (see Chapter 4, Implementation).

3. Standards by Open Space Type. This section
establishes the standards for the types of public open
spaces based on their function and intended physical
character. Table 3.7.D-1 lists the public open space types regulated by this chapter, their allowed sizes, and the section in which they are found. The standards for these open spaces are found on the following spreads.

Small plaza for cafe seating
Type Size (Acres) Section
Min Max
Plaza / Green .05 2 3.7.D.3.a
Neighborhood Park .25 10 3.7.D.3.b
Mini Park 0.02 0.25 3.7.D.3.c
Table 3.7.D-1: Public Open Space Types

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Old Town Plaza and Bandstand, Albuquerque, NM
Plaza Park, Orange, CA
Conceptual Plaza design for Indio
i. Description. Plazas and greens are public spaces
available for civic purposes and commercial activities, spatially defined by building frontages, and located at the intersection of important streets. Plazas and greens are typically less than 2 acres in size, with a mixture of landscape and hardscape, and shaded by trees and/or
open shade structures. Plazas have a greater portion of hardscaped space, while greens have a greater portion
of landscaped space.
ii. Context and Connectivity. Plazas and Greens are
generally located near the main centers of commercial
and pedestrian activity. Because of this, they are some of the most important public open spaces within a city, typically becoming an integral part of a community’s
identity. Additional collector streets also connect to
the space from all directions. No vehicular access is
permitted through a Green or Plaza, but adequate onstreet parking is supported by continuous crosswalks, bicycle lanes and other pedestrian facilities with
convenient and unrestricted movement through the
public space.
iii. Function and Opportunities.
• A Plaza’s or Green’s principle function is to serve as a gathering spaces and support civic and commercial
activities such as farmer’s markets, music concerts and art fairs. The space’s design must serve all ages and
abilities as it provides safe and convenient pedestrian connections through the site as well as 360-degree
vistas of the surrounding building frontages and key
locations. Traffic-calming features such as crosswalks, pedestrian-oriented intersections, and landscaped
buffers may be implemented to enhance the
pedestrian experience. A second function of a Plaza
or Green is to support flexible allocation and closure
of the space. In turn, future ordinances and policies
must allow for flexible and creative use of the space.
• Successful design, implementation and function of
greens and plazas is critical to the success of the Indio.

Not only do they serve as gateways and gathering
spaces, but they also enhance economic development,
aesthetics and walkability of the community.
a. Plaza / Green

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Monuments may be used to create formal or historic gathering spaces within a neighborhood or city.

Plazas create essential gathering spaces that support local commercial and retail uses.

Sundance Square, Fort Worth, TX
iv. Landscape. A Plaza or Green must achieve the
following:
• Provide a balance of drought-tolerant trees, plants
and groundcover that provide significant shade and
interconnected spaces for convenient movement
through the space. See Section 3.14.E, Landscaping.
• Plazas or Greens may have variations in levels,
structures and hedges to create smaller “rooms”
within the plaza.
• The introduction of terrain variation should provide
a sense of physical movement across the green as
well as support water drainage and reclamation
patterns.
• Furnishings such as benches, chairs, tables and
drinking fountains are required.
v. Design Details and Elements
• Size. Designs may vary. They may range from .05
to 2 acres.
• Visibility. A Plaza / Green must be visible from
all sides. Pedestrians and motorists alike must be
able see through the space to the opposite side.
• Frontages and Adjacencies. They shall have
a vehicular street on at least one side. It is
recommended that they have streets on at least 2
sides, if not more. Proper scaling and orientation
of the Green and Plaza and its relation to the
surrounding streets and buildings are critical.
• Shading and Lighting. Given a Green and Plaza’s
size and largely hardscaped surface, adequate
shading from shade trees, landscape elements
and structures is critical.
• Structures and Improvements. Greens and
Plazas provide iconic locations for pavilions,
kiosks, bandstands, public art, water features and
monuments. All installations must enhance the
gathering space, open spaces and not obstruct
views and pedestrian connections.

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i. Description. Parks have the opportunity to be the
largest open spaces in Plan Area, ranging in size from 1/4 to 10 acres, and available for unstructured recreation.

A Park may be spatially defined by landscaping rather
than building Frontages, and its landscaping should
consist of drought tolerant softscape, lawn and trees,
naturalistically composed. The “Rule of 10” developed
by the Project for Public Spaces is a recommended
guideline for park design, providing at least 10 types
of activities, from active to passive, for children and adults of all ages.
ii. Context and Connectivity. All parks should be scaled and designed according to the scale and uses of their
surrounding context. Parks are to be centrally-located
(as shown on the right) and will provide both active and passive open space, event venues and recreational fields for both residents and visitors. All parks should offer abundant on-street parking on the perimeter streets
that can be used by residents, visitors, shoppers and
diners who may also frequent the park.
iii. Function and Design Opportunities. Parks in Indio
should offer a full range of outdoor experiences for
people of all ages and abilities. Park facilities may include passive open greens, recreational fields, pools, squares, amphitheaters, other programming or event spaces, or
simply pedestrian and bike pathways.
iv. In addition to their uses and built features, parks in the Plan Area will provide critical solar cooling and ecological preservation and restoration through the integration
of drought-tolerant trees, plants and hardscapes that
facilitate on-site water recapture and recycling.
v. Landscaping
• Trees and plants shall be arranged naturalistically and provide shade on the edges of the parks and on the
open greens. See Section 3.14.E, Landscaping.
• Hardscape shall generally be kept minimal with
paved trails providing convenient connections and
circulations through the park space.
• Unnecessarily complicated and distracting paving
patterns are discouraged.
• Landscaping and hardscaping should be porous and
facilitate water recapture through the use of bioswales and other green infrastructure.

This conceptual neighborhood Park will include pedestrian connections to surrounding blocks.

A conceptual Park at the edge of downtown with tree nursery and gathering space across the street
Parks should support a variety of uses and facilities from open greens to playgrounds and other built structures.
b. Neighborhood Park

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Drought-tolerant plants and landscaping should use a variety of colors within all public open spaces.

Hardscape and landscape may recreate terrain and spaces within a park that complement natural forms.

Open spaces provide family and child-friendly facilities such as playgrounds.

Palm Desert’s Civic Center Park successfully provides a number gathering spaces for a range of passive and active uses. vi. Important Details and Elements
• Visibility. All parks must be visible and easily
accessible from the street and adjacent blocks.

Pedestrians and motorists alike must be able see
clearly through the space.
• Frontages and Adjacencies. Parks should have
pedestrian-oriented frontages on all sides, with
on-street parking provided wherever possible.

Frontages will include clear entrances and facilities
for both pedestrians and bicyclists. Whenever
possible, parks should connect to the larger
pedestrian network.
• Shading and Lighting. Adequate shading from
trees, landscape elements and shade structures is
vital to encourage comfortable gathering spaces,
recreational areas and circulation through the park.
• Structures and Improvements. Parks may have a
range of buildings and structures such as pavilions
and event venues, amphitheatres, stages, dining
areas, water features and other programmingrelated structures. All installations must enhance the gathering space, open spaces, and not obstruct
views or pedestrian connections.

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i. Description. Mini Parks are defined as small open
spaces tucked into blocks at the scale of lots (typically up to 1/4 acre). They are usually designed equipped for the recreation of children, generally fenced and may
include an open shelter. Mini parks by alternatively be designed primarily for quiet, passive recreation, and in all cases they are intended to be interspersed within
residential areas.
ii. Context and Connectivity. Mini Parks may be located anywhere within a block; however, they should be
strategically placed and sized in order to contribute to the larger network of open spaces within the community.

Mini parks may be ideal on small neighborhood blocks
adjacent to blocks that have larger open spaces.
iii. Function and Opportunities
• Mini Parks will primarily serve the residents located immediately on the same block. However, a Mini Park’s
location on the block and its visibility to the street may allow it to serve those beyond the block.
• Mini parks may also serve as gateways or iconic
markers for smaller neighborhood sub-areas.

They have the ability to generate value for a given
community or block and the ability to foster a sense
of safety and visibility for the immediate community.
iv. Landscape. Guidelines for landscape features and
conditions are listed as follows:
• Groundcover may range from predominately greens,
to hardscape, or a balance of both. However, paved
paths and hardscape features should be integrated to
encourage pedestrian movement through the park.
• Unobstructed lawn, planting beds, hardscape, and or
drought tolerant landscape are recommended. See
Section 3.14.E, Landscaping.
• Trees arranged either naturalistically or formally and shall be of sufficient scale for their particular context. • Unnecessarily complicated and distracting paving
patterns are discouraged.

Conceptual corner Mini Park
Mini Parks may be used to connect the larger public realm and open space network.

A mini park with adjacency to single-family homes
c. Mini Park

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v. Design Details and Elements
• Size. 0.02 acre to 1/4 acre, in general.
• Visibility. Visibility from one side of the Mini Park to the other is required (hedges shall not exceed
36 inches in height).
• Frontages and Adjacencies. Mini Parks shall front
at least one public street when located mid-block,
or two public streets on the corner of a block.
• Shading and Lighting. Shading should be provided
mostly from natural and drought-tolerant trees
and plants to create a more natural setting. Shade
structures may be allowed but should be limited
in use and appropriately scaled.
• Structures and Improvements. Built structures
may include by are not limited to pergolas, trellises,
small monuments, water features, and pedestrian
amenities (benches, tables, drinking fountains, etc.),
bike racks, playground equipment and informal
athletic courts that provide a focus to the Mini Park.

Mini park providing passive open space and pedestrian route Neighborhood serving recreation facilities are ideal for Mini Parks.

Pavers and simple hardscapes may be used to create temporary A mini park with a small plaza mini parks if further development is planned for future phases.

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1. Intent
This Section establishes standards to ensure that proposed development within the Specific Plan area promotes a
pedestrian-friendly environment along the street by placing buildings at the front of the site and locating parking at the center or the back of the site.

2. Applicability
The standards and guidelines of this section apply to all projects which include the construction of new primary
buildings. Minor exceptions to the standards herein may be allowed for Limited Uses, as defined in Section 3.14.

3.8 | Building Placement & Access
A. Introduction
B. Standards & Guidelines

1. Placement & Orientation. All new primary buildings
shall front onto and take primary access from the public realm (except alleys) or a public realm extension (see
Section 3.8.B.2) per the façade and frontage standards
of Section 3.10 and the standards of this section.
a. Build-To Range. The street-facing façade of new
primary buildings shall be set within the ‘Build-To
Ranges’ identified in Table 3.8–1.
i. Additional ‘Front Street Build-To Range’ standards
and guidance are provided according to frontage
type in Section 3.10.C.
ii. The following elements may encroach past the ‘BuildTo Range’:
(a) Projecting Architectural Elements, subject to the
requirements of Section 3.10.D.
(b) Surface parking, subject to the requirements of
Section 3.12.
b. Buildout Percentage. New street-fronting primary
buildings shall be built along the street per the buildout percentage requirements indicated in Table 3.8–1.

Buildout percentage is the length of building required
along the street frontage in relation to the lot width
(minus required side setbacks). The buildout length
may be interrupted by the following elements:
i. Forecourts that are a maximum of 60’ wide, subject
to the requirements of Section 3.13.G.2.
ii. Entrances to paseos, passages, or side yards that are Street
Street
StreetStreet
a maximum of 30’ wide, subject to the requirements
of Section 3.13.G.2.
iii. Exterior staircases and associated landing areas.
iv. Chamfered corners, provided they include a primary
entrance or stairway. See Figure 3.8-1.
v. Parking courts, that are a maximum of 100’ wide,
subject to the requirements of Section 3.12.D.3.a.
vi. Drive-through entrances and exits, per the
requirements of Section 3.14, Limited Uses in the
MU-C Zone.
vii.Surface parking lots fronting secondary streets, per the requirements of Section 3.12.D and Section 3.14,
Limited Uses in the MU-C Zone.
c. Setbacks. All buildings shall be placed in relation to each other and to their property lines per the setback
standards in Table 3.8–1.
i. Allowed encroachments into required side and rear
setback areas are identified in UDC Section 3.02.03.
d. Access
i. Entrances into residential units shall not be located more than 250 feet from the tenant/visitor parking
space(s) assigned to that unit, as measured along
walking paths.
ii. Where alleys are present, vehicular access to on-site parking shall be from the alley.

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Table 3.8-1 Building Placement
Notes for Table 3.8–1

1. See Section 3.8.B.1.b for
allowed buildout interruptions.

See Section 3.14 for exceptions
applicable to Limited Uses in
the MU-C Zone.

2. See Section 3.12.D.3.b for
exceptions applicable to
Frontage Lanes.

3. For corner lots only.

Figure 3.8-1 Building Placement
Building Footprint
Property Line
Street - See § 3.7.B
Public Open Space
See § 3.7.D
Parking Lot
See § 3.12
Forecourt
See § 3.8.B.2
and 3.13.G
Street
StreetStreet
B B
A B
A A
E
C
C
D
F F Alley
Passage
See § 3.7.B
Passage
See § 3.13.G
Chamfered
Corner Entry
Dimension Mixed-Use Corridor Neighborhood General Neighborhood Low A Front Street Build-To Range 0’ – 10’ 5’ – 15’
Front Street Buildout (min.) 100% 1 70%
Highway 111 Build-To Range 0’ – 15’ 2 N/A
B Side Street Build-To Range 3 N/A 5’ – 15’
Side Street Buildout 3 80% for the first 40’ from the Front Street; no buildout requirement after 40’.

Outbuildings must be located on street side.

C Building Length (max) 300’
Single family detached:
40’
Single-family attached:
5 units or 100’
Other building types: 200’
Single family detached:
40’
Single-family attached:
5 units or 100’
Other building types: 70’
Setbacks (min.)
D Side yard 0’ 10% of lot width or 5’, whichever is less E Rear (w/ alley) 15’ from centerline of alley
Rear (w/o alley) 5’
F Minimum Separation between
Multiple Buildings on a Single Lot 10’ 10’ 10’

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2. Public Realm Extensions. While most buildings and
ground-floor units will front onto and take their primary access from the adjacent Public Realm right-of-way, some buildings and ground-floor units may take this primary
access from shared private spaces and connections
that function as extensions of the public realm into a
site. These are identified in Table 3.6-2 as comprising the “Semi-Public Realm” and they serve as transitions
between fully-public and fully-private spaces. Public
Realm Extensions are subject to the following standards:
a. Continuous Access Route. A Public Realm Extension
may comprise a single space or connection type, or it
may be a sequence of spaces and connections. In either
case, Public Realm Extensions shall connect directly to the public realm.
i. The route from the public realm, through a Public
Realm Extension, to a building’s primary access shall
be clear and continuous and may not exceed 200 feet.
ii. A space which is ‘floating’ within a block—such as an internal court which is not linked via other shared
spaces or connections to the public realm—shall not
provide the sole frontage to a primary building.

Forecourts abut and receive
direct access from the public
right of way. A parking court,
when designed properly, can
also function as a forecourt (See
Section 3.12.D.3.a).

Internal Courts are accessed
from the public right-of-way via
a shared private connection such
as a Passage.

Paseos, passages, and side
yards abut and receive direct
access from the public right of
way. Paseos connect through
blocks, creating a non-vehicular
link between public rights of way.

Figure 3.8-2
Public Realm Extensions: Semi-Public Spaces and Connections Provides
Frontage
Public Realm
Public
Connection
Section 3.7
Street X
Carless Street X
Mid-Block Paseo X
Public
Open Space
Section 3.7
Plaza / Green X
Neighborhood Park X
Mini Park X
Close X
Semi-Public Realm
Shared Private
Connection
Section 3.14
Passage X
Any secured version
of the Public
Connections listed
above
X
Shared Private
Open Space
Section 3.14
Forecourt X
Internal Court X
Any secured version
of the Public Open
Spaces listed above
X
Types which Provide Frontage
(from Table 3.6-2)

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A sequence of courts and passages can create a non-vehicular connection into or through blocks and larger sites.

This court functions as a outdoor room while providing access to multiple buildings and units. It is linked to the public realm via a passage.

A passage can pass through the ground floor of a building to provide access from the public realm to a private courtyard. b. Frontage. The standards and guidelines in Section 3.10, Façades & Frontages section shall be applied to the
facades which define and front these spaces, including
frequent points of building access and clear, ample
fenestration.
c. Activation. Semi-public spaces may allow public access or they may limit access to residents to create a more
private space. However, these spaces are not intended
to be fully private, which means that they shall remain visible from the public realm, and activate the public
realm via the regular coming and going of residents
and visitors.
d. Connectivity. Public realm extensions also provide
connections through blocks. This is accomplished
with a paseo or through a sequence of courts and
paseos linking together through the block. Where
non-vehicular paths are used to meet connectivity
requirements (see Section 3.7), full and unrestricted
public access shall be provided through the route.
e. Amenities. Public realm extensions also double as
amenity space, and they should be designed and
furnished as such. They can serve as spaces for
gathering, play, and can include fountains and other
amenities.
f. Design. The size, configuration, and character of
these spaces shall prioritize pedestrian comfort. The
spaces and connections which comprise a Public
Realm Extension are subject to Section 3.13.G and
the following:
i. Public Realm Extensions shall connect directly to the public sidewalk. Any necessary steps, ramps, and/
or elevators to connect them shall be easy to locate
and comfortable to use. Apart from steps and ramps,
surfaces used by pedestrians shall be flat.
ii. Decorative and/or permeable pavement is
encouraged.
iii. Landscaping, pedestrian-scale lighting, and seating areas are encouraged.
iv. Public Realm Extensions may be enclosed from the
public realm with landscaping, low walls, and/or
fences, provided that entrances are provided.
v. On-site driving and parking areas shall either be
designed as shared, multi-use spaces or be kept
separate with strategic siting of buildings and/or
landscaping.

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3.9 | Building Height

1. Intent
This Section regulates various aspects of building height and vertical proportions, including maximum height, floor to floor height, and upper floor set backs, ground-floor / “building base” proportions, etc. to ensure buildings are appropriately-scaled to their location and to their context.

2. Applicability
The standards of this section apply to all new buildings within the Specific Plan area. Minor exceptions to the standards herein may be allowed for Limited Uses, Section 3.14.

The following height standards apply to all new buildings within the plan area (see Figure 3.4.1):

1. Building height and upper floor stepbacks shall conform to the standards of Table 3.9-1.

2. Zone Transitions: Buildings located on parcels located adjacent to another zone shall not exceed the allowed
height of the neighboring zone by more than one story
for a distance of 100 feet from the boundary of the
neighboring zone, whether the boundary abuts, is
located directly across a street from, or directly across an alley from the subject parcels.

3. Except for retail-ready ground floors (Section 3.10.C.4.b) and accessible ground floors, the heights of residential Building Base—Highlighted in blue below are the bases of buildings. Building base heights are regulated in Table 3.9-1.

The upper floor of this mixed-use building is covered by a loggia, outlined in white above.

A. Introduction
B. Standards
ground floors shall be governed by the requirements
of Table 3.10-5, Ground Floor Height above Sidewalk.

4. The building base shall be measured from the sidewalk grade to the (lower) cornice, string course, or horizontal plane break. In absence of these elements, the midpoint between the topmost point of the first-floor openings and the lowermost point of the second-floor
openings shall serve as an upper reference point.

5. The upper floor setback area may be covered by an
open structure—such as a trellis or upper floor loggia, shown below—with a front façade that is no more than
10% solid, excluding any parapet wall height.

6. Ground floor residential units in the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone (allowed outside the Shopfront Overlay subject to
an Administrative Use Permit and the provisions of the
Retail-Ready Private Frontage Type (Section 3.10.C.4.b), shall be 12 feet tall, floor to ceiling, and designed so that future compliance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (ADA) for commercial use is not precluded.

7. Chimneys, elevator penthouses, and properly screened mechanical vents, HVAC equipment, and solar panels
may exceed the height limit as allowed by the California Building Code.

8. Architectural elements,such as spires, steeples, or roof lanterns, may exceed the height limit, subject to design review and Director approval.

9. Pitched roofs shall be symmetrical, and sloped no less than 4:12. Roofs for porches and other attached shed
roofs shall be sloped no less than 2:12. Gables facing
the public realm shall not exceed 30 feet in width.

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Table 3.9-1 Building Element Height
D
E
15’
C
A
B
F Property Line
Private
Frontage Street Façade
D
E
15’
C
A
B
F Property Line
Private
Frontage Street Façade
Table 3.9-1 Building Element Height
Figure 3.9-1 Building Height
Element Mixed-Use
Corridor Zone
Neighborhood
General
Neighborhood
Low
Minimum Number of Stories 3 stories1 N/A N/A
Maximum Number of Stories
A Street Façade
2 to 4 stories;
30% of the length of
the façade can be built
up to 6 stories (max)
4 stories (max)
B Upper Floors which are set back from
the street façade a minimum of 15 feet 6 stories (max) 4 stories (max) C Finished Floor Height (max - measured from adjacent sidewalk grade) Non-Residential2 4 feet (See also Ground Floor Residential, Section 3.10.C.4.d) Residential2 4 feet (See also Ground Floor Residential, Section 3.10.C.4.d) Floor Heights (min - measured from floor to ceiling)
D Ground Floor 12 feet 8 feet
E Upper Floor 8 feet
F Building Base Height (min - measured from adjacent sidewalk grade) Base on Buildings of 1 or 2 stories N/A 10 feet 12 feet Base on Buildings of 3 or 4 stories 16 feet
Base on Buildings of 5 stories or more 25 feet
Notes

1. Exception: Buildings in Subareas 25-27 shall be allowed to be a minimum of 2 stories.

2. See Section 3.10.C.4 for variations

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3.10 | Façades and Frontages
A

1. Intent
The standards in this section are intended to ensure that large-scale (“block-form”) buildings, are modulated into smaller “human-scale” increments and composition. Such
designs will not only generate more dynamic and interesting streetscapes, but will also result in more resilient buildings that are adaptable over time to meet the varied needs of different tenants and uses.

2. Applicability
New buildings with primary building façades exceeding the length listed under Applicability in Table 3.10-1, which varies by zone, shall be divided into smaller ‘Massing Increments’ with maximum lengths in accordance with Table 3.10-1.

This ensemble of shopfronts, upper floor windows, and slight building heigt variation, is often thought of as separate buildings by passerbys. They are actually part of a single building with carefully articulated massing increments.

C
B B
AVOID: Despite the minor undulation of the facade, the
continuous curtain wall cladding results in monotonous building.

The height difference of these cornices accentuate the separate identities of these massing increments.

A. Building Massing
a. Massing Increments are visually discrete design
compositions that are:
i. Distinguishable from each other.
ii. Have a coherent look and character from the ground
to the top of the façade.
b. If a building is less than the length identified under Applicability in Table 3.10-1, its façade does not need to be broken into multiple Massing Increments.
c. New detached single family houses shall be subject
to Section 2.03.05.E of the Unified Development Code.
d. Minor exceptions to the standards may be allowed for Limited Uses, as defined in Section 3.14.

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This example shows many of the techniques listed in Table 3.10-1 used to create different massing increments within a long façade of a large development. Creating unique façade compositions are crucial towards encouraging activity and making the pedestrian environment feel special.

Table 3.10-1 Massing Increment Standards
Standards Mixed-Use
Corridor
Neighborhood
General
Neighborhood
Low
Applicability
Façade length beyond which the Massing
Increment standards below become applicable
For façades longer
than 100’
For façades longer
than 80’
N/A; See maximum
building lengths in
Table 3.8-1 Building
Placement
Massing Increment (max.) 100’ 60’ N/A
Façade height difference between Massing
increments (min.)
10% of lesser façade
height N/A
Upper floors setback (min.)
Distance set back from the primary façade 10’ 10’ N/A
Bay width 15’–30’ (see Section 3.10.B.2 for bay
standards) N/A
Gap between Massing Increments (min.) 10’ wide by 10’ deep 16’ wide by 20’ deep N/A B
C
D
E
F
A
E
F
F
C
B
B
B
D

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D
C
B
B
Upper Floors Set Back—The upper level of the left portion of the building is set back (D) in order to create an adequate difference in façade height (C) between the two Massing Increments (B).

3. Mixed-Use Corridor Zone Standards. The
massing increments for buildings within the Mixed-Use
Corridor Zone are subject to the following standards:
a. Façade elements—such as openings and balconies shall not overlap the division between massing increments.

The entire façade composition of each individual
massing increment shall be contained within each
massing increment.
b. A massing increment design may be repeated a
maximum of 3 times (max.) on the same project
elevation. Repeated massing increments may not
be immediately adjacent to each other; they shall be
separated by a distinct massing increment.
c. Massing increments within the Mixed-Use Corridor
Zone shall be differentiated as follows:
i. Difference in façade height: the façade height of each massing increment—as measured from the adjacent
sidewalk level to the eave, cornice, or parapet—shall
differ from the façade height of its neighboring
massing increment(s) per Table 3.10-1.
d. Individual massing increments shall be further
differentiated from one another though the use of at
least three (3) of the following architectural strategies:
i. Variation in height of building base.
ii. Use of different façade materials or colors.
iii. Use of different window types/configurations.
iv. Variations in the use of frontage types.
v. Variations in the presence or arrangement of
architectural elements such as projecting balconies,
recessed balconies, trellises, chimneys, and awnings.
vi. Setting the entire facade increment back a minimum
of two (2) feet.
vii.Stepping back the upper floor of the increment per
the distance listed in of Table 3.10-1. The resulting
setback area may be covered by an open structure—
such as a trellis or upper floor arcade—with a front
façade that is no more than 10% solid, excluding any
parapet wall height (Illustrated in Figure 3.9-1)
viii. Incorporation of a corner tower that accommodates occupiable space in the form of either another floor
or as a double-height space.
e. Façade Gap: massing Increments in this zone may be
separated by a gap (F) of no less than 10’ wide by 10’
deep, per Table 3.10-1.

B B B
Upper-Level forecourt—All upper floors above the building base are set back to create an upper-level forecourt which creates an adequate differentiation between Massing Increments (B).

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Street
B
B
B
G
G
Example: These Gaps between Massing Increments provide vehicular and pedestrian access into the block.

Width of Gap
Depth of
Gap
G
Example: This Gap between Massing Increments
serves as a small forecourt, surrounded on all sides
by building.

Property Line
Property
Buildable Area
Building Footprint
Gap between Massing Increments
(See Table 3.10–1 for dimensions)
Massing Increment (See Table 3.10–1
for dimensions) B
F
Width of
Gap
Depth of Gap
Rear of Lot
Street
Side of Lot
Side of Lot
B B B
F F

4. Neighborhood General Standards. The Massing Increments for buildings within the Neighborhood General Zone shall be differentiated in the following ways:
iv. Variations in the presence or arrangement of
architectural elements such as projecting balconies,
recessed balconies, trellises, chimneys, and awnings.
v. Setting the entire facade increment back a minimum
of two (2) feet.
vi. Use of pitched roofs.
d. Gaps between massing increments may—but are not
required to—serve as entries to paseos, courts, side
yards, or any other on-site open space, subject to the
requirements of Section 3.13.G. Gaps may also serve as
small courts or yards and be surrounded on all sides
by frontages, subject to the requirements of Section

3.13.G.

Figure 3.10-1 Neighborhood Zones: Building Massing
a. Massing Increments shall be separated by a gap (F) of no less than 16’ wide by 20’ deep, per Figure 3.10-1.
b. A massing increment design may be repeated a
maximum of 3 times (max.) on the same project
elevation. Repeated massing increments may not
be immediately adjacent to each other; they shall be
separated by a distinct massing increment.
c. Massing increments shall be differentiated from one
another though the use of at least three (3) of the
following architectural strategies:
i. Use of different façade materials or colors.
ii. Use of different window types/configurations.
iii. Variations in the use of frontage types.

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BASE
MIDDLE
TOP

1. Intent & Applicability
The standards in this section are intended to generate active, attractive, and human-scaled façade compositions based on timeless building traditions and proportions.

2. Façade Composition Standards
a. Façade Grid. The openings of each individual façade or massing increment—as required per Section 3.10.A.2—
shall be organized into a grid as follows:
i. Horizontal alignment of elements. Rooflines,
openings, and materials within each façade or
massing increment shall be aligned horizontally,
and be consistent in style across the entire width.
ii. Vertical Bays. The entirety of a building’s façade
or massing increment shall be clearly divided into
vertical bays, subject to the following standards:
(a) Façade bays shall extend from the ground to the
top of the façade.
(b) Each bay shall be between 15’ and 30’ wide.
(c) Openings shall be stacked and arranged
symmetrically within bays as illustrated below.
b. Multi-story building facades shall be designed to
include a base, middle, and top.
i. The building base consists of the entire ground floor facade. The base shall be differentiated from the rest
of the facade through the provision of a minimum
of two (2) of the following strategies:
(a) Provide a string course at the top of the first story; (b) Specify materials different from rest of facade;
(c) Specify colors different from rest of facade;
(d) Provide a ground floor Arcade or Gallery per Section

3.10.D, Projecting Architectural Elements.
ii. The middle of the building consists of the facade of all floors located above the base and shall be designed
as follows:
(a) Windows shall be organized in bays per the
requirements of Section 3.10.B.3, Façade Fenestration
Standards.
(b) If provided, attached architectural elements such as balconies, bay windows, and projecting rooms, shall
be designed per the requirements of Section 3.10.D,
Projecting Architectural Elements.
iii. The top of the building consists of the archtiectural elements that define the upper limits of the building
and shall be designed as follows:

B. Façade Design

3.10 | Façades and Frontages (cont.)
Façades organized by a grid: of floors and bays. Each bay in this example features a shopfront on the ground floor with 1 or 2 columns of upper floor windows stacked above. This pattern is especially appropriate for the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone.

Bay
Massing Increment Massing Increment
Tower
Massing Increment

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Table 3.10-2 Fenestration Area
70–95%
Figure 3.10-2 Applying the Fenestration Standards
Each portion of the façade grid must meet the applicable fenestration requirement. This example displays Mixed-Use Corridor Zone requirements.
(a) The top of the building facade shall incorparte
capping elements, such as a cornice, enhanced
ornamentation, or a decorative parapet.
(b) In addition, for buildings that are at least six
(6) stories tall, the entire upper floor may be
differentiated with a change in material, color, and/
or window fenestration type/layout.

3. Façade Fenestration Standards
a. Fenestration area.
i. Façades shall be designed to incorporate fenestration (windows and doors) per the amounts identified in
Table 3.10–2.
ii. The fenestration amount shall be calculated as the
total percentage of windows and door area on the
façade—to the area of the façade. Each portion of the
façade grid, as defined in the Section 3.10.B.2, shall
have a fenestration percentage which falls within
the range identified in Table 3.10–2 and illustrated
in Figure 3.10-2.
iii. Per Table 3.10–2, the required fenestration amount varies by Zone and by floor level.
iv. The ground floor façade area is determined by
multiplying the ground floor height (as shown in
Figure 3.9-1), by the façade or massing increment
width.
b. General to all floors:
i. Except for shopfront or bay windows, all glass shall be set back a minimum of four (4) inches back from
the façade plane.
ii. Windows shall have an external reflectance of less
than 15%, and a transparency higher than 80%.

Opaque windows are prohibited.
iii. Non-operable shutters—known as ‘faux shutters’—
are prohibited.
iv. The horizontal distance between wall openings
shall not exceed 15 feet within a façade or massing
increment.
c. Specific to ground floors in the Mixed-Use Corridor:
i. Structural elements shall be visible on the facade
exterior in order to visually convey that the upper
floors are supported, especially for ground floor
façades with over 90% glass (to avoid the illusion
that the upper floors are resting on a glass box.
ii. Bedroom and bathroom windows along any new or
existing street are prohibited.
iii. Display windows which block views into interior
spaces may only comprise up to 25% of the required
fenestration area.
iv. Ground floor window sills shall be no more than six (6) feet above the grade of the sidewalk.
d. Specific to ground floors in the Neighborhood Zones:
i. Bedroom and bathroom windows are allowed on
the ground floor façade, but frosted glass must be
used below 6’ in height measured from the level of
the sidewalk and their window sills must be 3’ min.
above ground level.
e. Specific to all upper floors:
i. Wall openings should generally not span across stories (vertically) or bays (horizontally).
ii. Upper-floor wall openings shall be square or taller than they are wide. Individual vertically oriented windows
can be grouped side by side to form a horizontal
ensable of windows.

Upper Floors Ground Floor
15–70%
Second floor finished floor
Façade
Area
Mixed-Use
Corridor
Neighborhood
General
Neighborhood
Low
Ground
Floor 70% - 95% 50% - 70% 35% - 70%
Upper
Floors 15% - 70% 15% - 50%

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At least visually, these townhouses use heavier masonry below lighter wood paneling material.

This example uses smooth material finishes, especially at the shopfronts where the most pedestrian interactions occur.

Materials and design are consistent within each Building Increment.

A simple palette of materials across multiple storefronts does not need to feel boring as long as they are well composed.

4. Façade Materials
a. Fiberglass or plastic (false) architectural elements or ornamentations are prohibited.
b. Materials used on shopfronts shall be smooth and
non-abrasive to touch.
c. Rough-cast and sand-finishes are prohibited on all
building surfaces that are visible from a street.
d. Where more than one material is used for the façade, the heavier material shall be used below the lighter
material (e.g. brick below siding, not vice versa).
e. Modulations, color schemes, balconies, and other
façade elements shall be consistent within an individual façade or within an individual Building Increment, when required per Section 3.10.A.2.

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This parking structure has the same bay and opening rhythm of a loft or office building, creating a façade that doesn’t detract from the street in front of it.

This example also has ground floor commercial screening parking behind it, but is particularly striking at night, becoming a notable landmark in the community.

Creative applications of certain materials can turn a
concrete box into a glowing sculpture.

5. Parking Structure Façades
a. Parking structure facades shall be designed to fit into the urban context in one of the two following ways:
i. Facades that look similar to other mixed-use buildings with designs that meet the standards of Sections

3.10.B.2 and 3.
ii. Facades designed as art walls, murals, or screens
that incorporate decorative, graphic, or sculptural
elements, subject to the approval of the Director,
upon submission of the following Required Findings:
(a) Facade design theme, materials and aesthetic
compliment and enhance the intended unified
streetscape aesthetic of the 111 Corridor, as
defined by this Specific Plan.
(b) Facade design design is unique and iconic,
using durable, element-resistant, materials and
techniques.
b. Ground floor façade. Per Standard 3.12, structured
ground floor parking shall be set behind at least 30 feet of occupiable ground floor liner space. Vehicular entries are subject to the standards of Section 3.10.C.4.e.

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Public Frontage
R.O.W.

Building
Setback

1. Intent
The Highway 111 Corridor is to be an active, pedestrianoriented urban environment that is comfortable, safe, and easy to navigate by foot, bicycle, or any mode of vehicular transit. As such, careful attention must be given to the way that buildings shape and front Indio’s network of public streets, paseos, and open spaces—also known as the
“Public Realm.” The space between the travel lanes of a street and the building, and including the building’s ground floor façade, is defined as “frontage.” In order to create a high-quality urban environment, the design of that frontage must be calibrated to the ground-floor use of the adjacent buildings and to the unified Corridor character envisioned in this Plan. Frontages must be designed to provide an
appropriate degree of privacy or transparency relative to the needs of the public-facing ground-floor use. Commercial shops and spaces rely on more exposure for their success, while ground-floor residences need to balance privacy
needs with providing “eyes on the street” (so residents do no feel obligated to keep their blinds closed all the time).

This section provides the design standards for the private portion of this frontage.

Ground
Floor
Façade
Ground
Floor
Façade

2. Applicability
The standards of this section apply to any new building, façade renovation, or building addition along a street or public open space in the Corridor Specific Plan area. Minor exceptions to the standards herein may be allowed for
Limited Uses, as defined in Section 3.14.

Private
Frontage Private
Frontage

3.10 | Facades & Frontages (cont.)
C. Frontages
Figure 3.10-2 Private Frontage
Building
Setback
Public Frontage
Travel Lanes
Parcel
Parcel

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3. General Standards
The entire ground floor façade of buildings, additions, or facade renovations facing a public street or public open space shall consist of the private frontage types described in this section and shall be designed in accordance with Sections 3.10.A and B (Building Massing and Façade Design). a. Private frontages are defined as the ground floor
building façade and the area between that façade
and any property line along a street or public open
space. This area serves as the transition and interface between the building interior and street environment.

Table 3.10-3 identifies six Private Frontage Types that apply to new development within the Plan Area. These
six types are regulated by zone and may be used in
combination with applicable projecting architectural
elements as described in Section 3.10.D.
b. Alleys. The facades of ground-floor alley-facing spaces that contain principal residential rooms (i.e, living
rooms and /or dining rooms) and principal retail and
office spaces (i.e., not storage, restrooms, or other
ancillary uses) shall provide appropriate private
frontage types per Table 3.10-3.

Table 3.10-4 Frequency of Building Entries by Zone
Frontage Type See
Section:

Mixed-Use Corridor

NG & NL
Zones
Within
Mixed-Use
Center
Overlay1
Outside
Mixed-Use
Center
Overlay
Ground Floor Retail 3.10.C.4.a Yes Yes Yes
Ground Floor Retail Ready 3.10.C.4.b No Yes Yes
Ground Floor Residential 3.10.C.4.c No No Yes
Ground Floor Office 3.10.C.4.d Yes Yes Yes
Vehicular Access 3.10.C.4.e No Yes2 Yes
Table 3.10-3 Allowed Private Frontage Types by Zone
Notes

1. Applied per Section 3.4.

2. A project façade in the
Mixed-Use Corridor Zone
shall have no more than
one Vehicular Access.

Vehicular Access is
prohibited along Highway
111.
c. Building Access. A key role of private frontages is to provide access from the public realm into the building.

The following standards apply:
i. All buildings shall provide pedestrian access from
the sidewalk or from private on-site open space that
directly connects to a public sidewalk via the required building entry elements described in Section 3.8.B.2.
ii. Frequency of Pedestrian Entries. To promote active
sidewalks, buildings shall provide pedestrian entries
per the frequencies listed in Table 3.10-4, below.

4. Standards by Frontage Type. All buildings shall
provide at least one of the first five private frontage types listed in Table 3.10-3. Buildings with access to a parking garage from a street shall design the access per the
“Vehicular Access” private frontage type listed in Table

3.10-3, subject to the requirements of the applicable
zone. Design standards for the private frontage types
listed in Table 3.10-3 are provided on the following pages.

Mixed-Use
Corridor
Neighborhood
General
Neighborhood
Low
Frequency of Building Entries
(max. distance between
entries)
50' 75' 100'

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Ground Floor Retail private frontage types are
characterized by large ground floor openings, including windows and entries, which provide transparency and
connection between the public realm and ground
floor uses such as shops and restaurants. The primary
entrance is typically at sidewalk grade and provides direct access to the ground-floor use, unless ADA accessibility is accomplished by other means. The primary architectural
element comprising the retail frontage type is the
shopfront, which consists of large clear windows, doors with glass, and transom windows. Shopfronts can be
enhanced with awnings and canopies as well as arcades
and galleries.

Design Standards
i. The ground floor shall be no more than six (6)
inches above the adjacent sidewalk, to allow ADA
access to the entry.
ii. Any setbacks that are provided shall be treated
as an extension of the sidewalk.
iii. Refer to Section 3.10.4.D.f for more detailed
Shopfront design standards.
iv. Refer to Section 3.10.4.D.g for more detailed
Arcade design standards.
v. Refer to Section 3.10.4.D.h for more detailed
Gallery design standards.

3.10.C.4.a - Ground Floor Retail
Retail may also be under arcades or galleries (see 3.10.D), providing shade for pedestrians. Pedestrian comfort, especially in hot climates, is critical to the success of local businesses.

Arcade
Gallery

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Ground Floor Retail-Ready frontage is a versatile type that can host residential uses in the near-term and be easily converted into shopfronts as future commercial market
conditions improve.

Design Standards
i. Within the Mixed-Use Center Overlay, the ground
floor shall be no more than six (6) inches above the
adjacent sidewalk, to allow ADA access to the entry.
ii. For ground floor residential use, bedroom and
bathrooms windows are prohibited along the front
façade.
iii. The ground floor fenestration amount, regardless of the zone, shall be between 70% and 95%.
iv. For residential or office uses, entry shall be provided through a Dooryard designed per the requirements
of Section 3.10.D.4.d.
v. For retail uses:
(a) Access from the sidewalk shall be provided through
a Shopfront designed per the requirements of
Section 3.10.D.4.f. A Dooryard may also be provided
per Section 3.10.D.4.d.
(b) The setback shall be treated as an extension of the sidewalk, unless a Dooyard is provided.
(c) For retail use, the ground floor fenestration shall be transparent and provide visibility to the interior
spaces per Section 3.10.D.4.f, Shopfronts.

3.10.C.4.b - Ground Floor Retail-Ready

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Ground Floor Residential frontages provide a transition from the public sidewalk to semi-private or private interior space. These frontages moderate the privacy needs of the residential unit with the need to provide eyes on the street to ensure a safe and activated public realm environment.

Accordingly, the closer the ground floor façade is to the street, the more carefully designed the frontage must be.

Ground floor units are either entered through a common
entry (such as an entry lobby or shared private court)
or directly from the public sidewalk, typically through a transitional entry element such as a dooryard, porch, terrace, or stoop.

Design Standards
i. See Section 3.8.B and Table 3.8-1 Building Placement for required residential setback requirements
ii. See Section 3.10.B.3 and Table 3.10-2 Fenestration
for residential fenestration standards.
iii. Ground floor bedroom and bathrooms windows are
prohibited along the front façade in the Mixed-Use
Corridor and Neighborhood General zones.
iv. In order to enhance privacy for ground floor
residential units, ground floor heights shall be
established in relation to the distance to the adjacent sidewalk, as indicated in Table 3.10-5. Retail-Ready
units (see Section 3.10.C.4.b) are exempt from this
requirement.
v. If access to ground floor units is provided directly from the public sidewalk, entry shall be provided via
a Dooryard, Terrace, Porch, or Stoop, per the design
standards of Section 3.10.D, Projecting Architectural
Elements and the ground floor heights standards
of Table 3.10-5. Units with direct access from the
sidewalk may also be access from an internal corridor.
vi. If direct access is not provided, entry shall be via a Lobby Entry with shared passageways.

Direct Entry Type - Dooryard Direct Entry Type - Terrace Lobby Entry

3.10.C.4.c - Ground Floor Residential

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Building
Distance
from back of
Sidewalk
Min. Ground Floor Height above
Adjacent Sidewalk

MUC NG NL
0 - 5 ft. n/a n/a n/a
5 - 7.5 ft. n/a 3 ft. 3 ft.

7.5 ft. - 10 ft. n/a 2 ft. 2 ft.
10 - 15 ft. n/a 1 ft. 1 ft.
5'
Raising the ground
floor from sidewalk
level allows residents
to watch over the
street outside, while
keeping window sills
5’ above ground
level can prevent
unobstructed views
into private interior
spaces.

No Setback (Atypical Urban Condition). The façade is
immediately at the back of sidewalk, but window sill height is above eye level of the passerby, maintaining privacy within the unit while allowing the tenant to overlook the street and leave the window blinds open.

Shallow Setback (Very Urban Condition) Since the façade is close to the sidewalk, the ground floors are raised so pedestrians must look up to see into the interior. The opaque front door and the landscaping further enhance privacy. The landscape provides greenery suitable for a neighborhood context.

Moderate Setback (Typical Urban Condition). The combination of modest setbacks, raised ground floors, and dooryard patios, provides sufficient privacy and a comfortable buffer between the sidewalk and large glass openings of the living room, with more private bedrooms on the upper floor.

Generous Setback (Less Urban Condition). These ground-floor units are at-grade with the sidewalk, with low sill-height. In this case, generous landscape setbacks (15ft) provide a sufficient privacy buffer from the street allowing residents to look out onto the public realm.

Privacy Modulation Examples
Table 3.10-5 Ground Floor Height above Sidewalk Pedestrian and Resident Interface 10'

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A
B
C
C
A
B
Ground Floor Office frontage, where allowed, shall be
carefully designed to ensure that they appropriately
contribute to the active public realm environment of the Plan Area (see Figure 3.4.1). Like ground floor residential, they typically require some level of privacy, but they still have the opportunity to give life to the street.

Design Standards
i. Fenestration shall be provided per the
requirements of Section 3.10.B.3.
ii. The most public-friendly office functions, such as
reception and waiting area or office amenity space,
shall be located closest to the primary façade.

Areas for private or support functions, such as
examination rooms, storage, and restrooms, shall
not be located along the primary façade.
iii. Ground floor offices may take access directly from the sidewalk and/or from a Lobby Entry, subject to the
requirements of Section 3.10.D.4.e.
iv. The setback areas of ground floor offices located at or near sidewalk level shall be designed per a minimum of one of the following:
(a) A dooryard per the requirements of Section 3.10.D.4.d. (b) Simple landscaping per the requirements of Section 3.13.E. (c) An extension of the sidewalk.

Office/Multiple Floor Lobby Entry
Office building with lobby entry and landscaped setback area.

3.10.C.4.d - Ground Floor Office

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Vehicular Access frontages provide access to parking
garages or through a building to rear service areas or surface parking lots. Because of their utilitarian nature, their design is often neglected. However, they require particular care in their design as their sheer size and presence along the street wall can make them one of the most disruptive elements
to the quality of the pedestrian environment.

Design Standards
i. See Section 3.10.B.4 for parking structure façade
standards.
ii. Vehicular entries and exits shall be organized into bays (See Section 3.10.B.2). Each opening shall fit
within a single bay.

VEHICULAR ACCESS

SHOPFRONTS
Vehicular Access can be organized into attractive, well-proportioned bays, just like shopfronts.

Single lane entry opening Entry and exit openings split by building structure iii. Vehicular entries shall be organized into openings that are as similar as possible to a shopfront.
iv. Openings shall be no wider than is necessary for one vehicle to enter or exit. Adjacent entry and exit openings shall be designed as two separate openings. Single
opening that accommodate more than one car are
prohibited.
v. Vehicular entries shall be at least 50 feet from the corner of a block.
vi. Gates or doors which secure vehicular entries shall be designed as attractive urban elements, just like
pedestrian entry doors.

3.10.C.4.e - Vehicular Access

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Notes

1. Shall not encroach into the public right-of-way. As a result, a Porch or Terrace shall only occur within setbacks of 10’ or more.

2. Lobby Entries within the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone shall comprise no more than 20% of the frontage length. The remaining length shall be devoted to shopfronts.

3. May encroach into the public right-of-way on upper floors.

4. May encroach into the public right-of-way provided the resultant sidewalk width covered by the arcade or gallery is at least 12 feet clear from the inside of the post, column, or pier to the ground floor building face. In most cases, this requires that the ground floor facade be set back more than 0 feet from the property line to accommodate a wider sidewalk than currently exists.

1. Intent
Facades and frontages and the quality of the adjacent pedestrian environment are enhanced with:
• Building entry elements—porches, dooryards, terraces, stoops, and shopfronts—that signal the location of the building entrance, provide a transition between the public realm of the street and the private environment of the building interior, and generate interesting, cohesive, and active ground-floor environments. • Projecting architectural elements—bay windows, balconies, awnings and canopies, arcades, and galleries—that, depending on the element, provide shade, private open space, additional interior space, and contribute to interesting and articulated facade designs per Section 3.10.A (Building Massing) and 3.10.B (Facade Design).

Building entry elements and projecting architectural elements, may extend beyond the build-to range—identified in Section

3.8—into the front setback and, in some cases, into the public right-of-way.

D. Building Entry and Projecting Architectural Elements

3.10 | Facades & Frontages (cont.)
Architectural Element Types See Section:

Mixed-Use Corridor Neighborhood
General Neighborhood Low
Encroachment beyond
the façade
Encroachment
beyond the façade
Encroachment
beyond the façade
Required Building Entry Elements
Porch1 3.10.D.4.a Not allowed Not allowed 8’ min. and up to 2’ min. from ROW
sidewalk5
Dooryard1 3.10.D.4.b Not allowed Not allowed
Terrace1 3.10.D.4.c Not allowed Not allowed
Stoop1 3.10.D.4.d Not allowed Not allowed up to 2’ min. from ROW sidewalk
Lobby Entry 3.10.D.4.e Allowed Allowed Allowed
Shopfront2 3.10.D.4.f Allowed Allowed Not allowed
Optional Projecting Architectural Elements
Projecting Room n/a 2’ 2’ 2’
Bay Window3 n/a 2’ to 4’ 2’ to 4’ 2’ to 4’
Balcony3 n/a 4’ to 8’ 4’ to 8’ 4’ to 8’
Awning or Canopy n/a Up to 8’ Up to 8’ Up to 8’
Roof Eave / Cornice Assembly3 n/a Up to 5’ Up to 5’ Up to 5’ Arcade4 3.10.D.4.g Allowed Not allowed Not allowed
Gallery4 3.10.D.4.h Allowed Allowed Not allowed
Table 3.10-6 Projecting Architectural Elements

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A stairway and landing leading directly from the right of way to an elevated building entrance.

Element Standards MIN MAX
Stoop width 4‘ 8‘
Stoop depth (not including
stairs) 4‘ 8‘
Stoop floor height3 1.5 3‘
Planter/fence height - 3‘
Entry Recession depth 0.5' 6‘
Additional Standards
a. The exterior stairway shall be perpendicular or
parallel to the adjacent sidewalk. When parallel to
the sidewalk, landscape of 1-2 feet shall be provided
between the side of stair/stoop and the sidewalk.
b. Adjoining stoops shall be limited to two entries. A
stoop may also provide access to a common entry.
c. Gates are prohibited.

A
B
C
D
A
B
C D

3.10.D.4.a - Stoop 2. Applicability
New building designs shall include at least one (1) of
the Required Building Entry Elements identified in Table

3.10-6 and may include any of the Optional Projecting
Architectural Elements identified in Table 3.10-6. Building Entry and Projecting Architectural elements may project beyond the surface of the building facade as shown in
Table 3.10-6.

3. General Standards
All Building Entry and Projecting Architectural elements shall comply with the following requirements:
a. Materials, style, and design shall be consistent with the architecture of the building.
b. Deep eaves, balconies, bay windows, and projected
rooms of traditionally styled buildings shall have
visible supports in the form of projecting beams or
braces. Balconies on contemporary styled buildings
shall not be required to have beams or braces.
c. Landscaping shall be appropriate to the
architecture and scale of the building. General
Standards

4. Additonal Standards for Required Building
Entry Elements
All buildings shall provide entry via one of the following Building Entry Elements: Porch, Dooryard, Terrace,
Stoop, Lobby Entry or Shopfront, as allowed by zone
in Table 3.10-6. Additional Standards for each of these types are provided in subsections 3.10.D.4.a-f to follow.

5. Additonal Standards for Optional
Projecting Architectural Elements
Arcades and Galleries are recommended along the
frontages of all south-facing building facades. If
provided, additional Standards for each of these types
are provided in subsections 3.10.D.4.g-h on the pages
to follow.

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D
A raised enclosed area outside of an elevated ground floor, usually enclosed by a low wall or fence.

Element Standards MIN MAX
Depth, clear 8' -
Finish level above sidewalk - 3'
Length of terrace - 150'
Distance between stairways - 50'
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. Door and window design shall be appropriate
for street-fronting façades, per the fenestration
standards in Section 3.10.B.3.

A
B
C
B C
A

3.10.D.4.c - Terrace
Element Standards MIN MAX
Porch depth (excluding stairs)1 8' -
Porch width 10' -
Porch height2 8' 12'
Floor height3 1.5' 3'
Between porch and front PL 5' -
Additional Standards
a. Porches may be used to provide access to multiple
front doors of ground-floor units.
b. Porches may wrap around building corners. This is
particularly appropriate on corner lots.

G
D
Porches are roofed, unenclosed rooms attached to the
exterior of a building that provide access and comfortable semi-private outdoor social spaces that help activate the public realm.

A
B
Notes

1. Between building façade and end of porch deck.

2. From porch floor to top of porch columns.

3. Measured from grade at right of way.

C
C
D
E
B
A
E

3.10.D.4.b - Porch

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C
A
Lobby entries provide shared access to residential, office, or mixed-use buildings with access to individual residential units and offices via interior corridors. They have a strong connection to the public realm and are easy to find.

Element Standards MIN MAX
Height to top of transom 10’ 20’
Height to bottom of canopy/awning 8’ -
Distance to back of sidewalk - 20’
Area of outdoor semi-private space 80 sf -
Awning/Canopy Depth 4’ -
Additional Standards
a. Lobby entries shall be designed to be conspicuous
and as a focal-point of the ground-floor façade.

Techniques include providing a unique awning
or canopy above the entry; recessing the entry;
designing the openings to engage multiple floors;
and/or providing a frame around the entry opening.
b. Lobbies entries shall be visible from the public right of way as follows:
- Ground floor glazing shall have a minimum
transparency of 80% and an external
reflectance of less than 15%.
- Window sills shall be no higher than 2 feet
above adjacent grade.
- Shade shall be provided by exterior
architectural elements such as awnings or
canopies, Internal shade devices such as
blinds, shades, or curtains are prohibited.
c. A semi-private forecourt, designed per Section

3.13.G.2.b (Forecourt) may be introduced to provide
a transition between the entry and sidewalk.

A
B
C
B
An enclosed area outside of an at grade first floor, usually enclosed by a low wall or fence.

Element Standards MIN MAX
Depth, clear 8' -
Finish level above sidewalk - 3'
Length of terrace - 150'
Distance between stairways - 50'
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. Door and window design shall be appropriate
for street-fronting façades, per the fenestration
standards in Section 3.10.B.3.

A
B
C
A B
C

3.10.D.4.d - Dooryard 3.10.D.4.e - Lobby Entry

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B
C
A
D
E
Frontage Element Standards MIN MAX
Height to top of transom 12’ 16’
Height to bottom of canopy/awning 8’ 10'
Width of each shopfront bay 10' 25’
Height of shopfront base 1' 3'
Awning/Canopy Depth 4’ -
Additional Standards
B
C
A
D
E
Shopfronts are large openings in a building facade that are enclosed with large transparent windows and doors that provide direct, at-grade access to ground floor commercial/retail uses.

The basic required architectural elements of shopfronts include large windows, doors with glass, transom windows, and a solid base (bulkhead). Optional elements include awnings, canopies, signage, lighting, and cornices

3.10.D.4.f - Shopfront
a. Shopfront openings shall be organized into bays, with upper floor windows stacked above, per the standards in Section

3.10.B.2.
b. As permitted by the applicable zone, shopfronts may be used in combination with Galleries or Arcades (see Section

3.10.D.4.g and h).
c. With minor exceptions, all shopfront openings shall provide visibility into the interior space as follows:
• Openings shall not be visually obstructed by signage, merchandising racks, storage shelves, etc.
• Ground floor glazing shall have a minimum transparency of 80% and an external reflectance of less than 15%.
• Window sills shall be no higher than two (2) feet
above adjacent grade.
• Shade shall be provided by exterior architectural
elements such as awnings, canopies, arcades, or
galleries. Internal shading devices such as blinds,
shades, or curtains are prohibited. Transparent
solar shades are permitted for restaurant uses.
d. If a shopfront is recessed or otherwise setback, and is not designed in combination with a Dooryard,
Terrace, or Porch (as allowed in Section 3.10.D), the
resulting setback shall be designed as a seamless
continuation of the sidewalk, not as a landscaped
area or buffer. Where permitted, this area may be
used for outdoor dining and merchandising.

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Frontage Element Standards
Encroachment Arcades shall extend to a distance
of 2 feet from the curb face.

Sidewalk The resultant sidewalk width,
covered by the arcade, shall be at
least 12 feet clear from inside of
post to ground floor building face.

Columns Column height shall be between four
and five times the column width.

Openings The width of Arcade posts shall not
exceed a 1/5 ratio to the size of
openings and shall correlate with
façade bays. See Section 3.10.B.2.

Clearance The minimum vertical clearance at
each opening shall be a minimum of
12’, excluding decorative brackets,
spandrels, and/or lower portions of
arches.

Height Only floors 2, 3, and 4 shall extend
over the sidewalk. Any floor above
the 4th floor shall be at or behind
the build-to range.

Frontage Element Standards
Encroachment Galleries shall extend to a distance
of 2 feet from the curb face.

Sidewalk The resultant sidewalk width,
covered by the gallery, shall be at
least 12 feet clear from inside of
post to ground floor building face.

Columns Column height shall be between four
and five times the column width.

Openings Gallery posts shall not exceed a 1/6
ratio with the size of openings and
shall correlate with façade bays. See
Section 3.10.B.2.

Clearance The minimum vertical clearance at
each opening shall be a minimum of
12’, excluding decorative brackets,
spandrels.

Height Galleries shall either be single or
double-story, and must correlate
with building floors.
2'
2'
A
A
A A
C
C
C C
B
D
E
B
B B
D
D
D
E
E E
Arcades are extensions of upper floors over a sidewalk, supported by structural elements such as piers, columns, or arches. Arcades provide shade, glare control, and weather protection. Arcades are especially useful on south- and westfacing façades in order to shade the sidewalk from sunlight.

Galleries are appendages to building façades that extend over sidewalks, providing shade for pedestrians and often providing balcony space above. They are supported by
structural elements such as piers, columns, or arches
which extend to the ground. Galleries are especially useful on south- and west-facing façades in order to shade the sidewalk from sunlight.

3.10.D.4.g - Arcade 3.10.D.4.h - Gallery

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1. Intent. Private signage shall be a beautiful contribution to the urban environment while serving its purpose in
drawing attention to businesses and wayfinding.

2. Applicability. All new signs, including on new
buildings, existing buildings, and renovations or additions to existing buildings within the Plan Area (see Figure 3.4.1, Regulating Plan) shall be subject to the standards of this section. Any sign type that is not listed and permitted by right in this section shall only be approved by the
Planning Commission through Design Review. Public
signs are exempt from this section.

3.11 | Private Signage
A. Introduction B. General Standards

1. Standards. The following standards are applicable to all private signage:
a. Signs shall not obscure building entrances, cornices, columns, or other prominent architectural elements.
b. A maximum of three allowed sign types shall be
allowed on a building or massing increment unless
stated otherwise.
c. Phone numbers and email addresses shall be
prohibited from being displayed on any of the allowed
sign types, with the exception of front yard signs.
d. Sign lighting shall be designed to minimize light and glare on surrounding rights-of way and properties.
e. Directory signs are small wall signs located at
pedestrian eye level and intended to identify multiple
tenants within a building or complex. The following
standards apply to these signs:
i. Directory signs shall not exceed 6 square feet.
f. Internal illuminated “Cabinet Signs” and/or “channel letters” shall be prohibited for all signage.

Wall sign painted directly on the building

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Wall-mounted Projecting Signs
Projecting Sign mounted on a shopfront's canopy Sidewalk Signs Neon Wall Sign
C. Standards by Sign Type

1. Allowed Sign Types. Table 3.11-1 lists the signs
types that are permitted by right within the Plan Area, subject to the associated standards. The following pages provide design standards and guidelines for each of
these allowed types.

Key
P Permitted by right
DR Design Review required
n/a Not allowed
Table 3.11-1 Sign Types
Sign Type See
Section:

MU-C
Zone
NG
Zone
NL
Zone
Wall 3.11.C.1.a P P n/a
Window 3.11.C.1.b P P n/a
Blade 3.11.C.1.c P P n/a
Vertical Projecting 3.11.C.1.d P P n/a
Front Yard 3.11.C.1.e P P P
Monument 3.11.C.1.f P P n/a
Awning 3.11.C.1.g P P n/a
Sidewalk 3.11.C.1.h P P n/a
District Wayfinding 3.11.C.1.i P P n/a
Minor Pylon 3.11.C.1.j DR n/a n/a
Major Pylon 3.11.C.1.k DR n/a n/a
Roof 3.11.C.1.l DR n/a n/a
Mural 3.11.C.1.m DR n/a n/a

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A sign that is applied directly to or projecting out and parallel to the façade. This type of sign is intended for viewing from across the street and along the sidewalk.

B
C
Standards Min Max
Height 10" 30"
Width (as % of façade width) - 60%
Clearance from openings 24" -
Additional Standards
a. A minimum of one wall sign shall be approved per
business per street- or open-space-facing façade.

In multi-tenant buildings, only the businesses with
frontage on the sidewalk shall have a wall sign.
b. Wall signs shall be located above the storefront and at least 12 inches from any eave or edge of building
above.
c. Sign thickness (as measured from the wall) shall not exceed four inches.
d. Internally illuminated Cabinet Signs shall be
prohibited.
e. Channel lettering is permitted, provided that the
letters are either back-lit or externally illuminated;
internally-illuminated channel letters are prohibited.
f. Lettering on background panel shall be up to 24 inches tall. If a background panel is not included, letter height shall be up to 30 inches tall.

A
B
C
A
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.a - Wall Sign

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A sign painted or applied directly to the storefront windows and/or doors. Window signs also include posters for
advertisements and sales, product merchandise posters,
open/closed signs, and painted or etched business names and logos.

B
A
C
Standards Min Max
Height (% of window/door height) - 50%
Width (% of window/door width) - 50%
Area (% of window/door area) - 25%
Additional Standards
a. Permanent window signs shall be individually painted, etched or otherwise applied letters or logo graphics
surrounded by clear glass.
b. If no awning is provided, secondary window signs shall be allowed, which may span the width of the window,
shall be located at the top of the window, and shall
be limited to one foot in height.

A
B
C
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.b - Window Sign

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A double-sided sign perpendicular to the building façade from a mounted wall brace or from a ceiling. Blade signs typically project over a sidewalk and are intended for viewing by approaching pedestrians.

Standards Min Max
Sign height - 36"
Vertical clearance from sidewalk 8’ 12’
Depth of projection into R.O.W. - 5’
Area (sign only; per side) - 6 sf
Sign thickness - 4"
Additional Standards
a. A maximum of one blade sign shall be allowed for
every storefront entrance on the façade.
b. Blade signs that extend into the public R.O.W shall be subject to a City permit, if the City Engineer deems
one is needed.
c. The top of a blade sign shall be located below the
building’s second floor windows.
d. Signs shall be externally illuminated by a light mounted on the façade or by neon tubing used to illuminate
letters, symbols, and accent frames.

A
B
C
A
C
B
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.c - Blade Sign

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A painted, reverse-channel, or individual-lettered sign applied directly to or projecting out and parallel to the façade. This type of sign is intended for viewing from across the street and along the sidewalk. Internally-illuminated cabinet signs are prohibited.

Standards Min Max
Height - 15'
Width - 4'
Depth of projection into R.O.W. - 5’
Vertical clearance from sidewalk - 8’
Area (sign only; per side) - 16'
Additional Standards
a. Projecting signs shall be permitted to extend above
the parapet or roof of the structure to which it is
attached.
b. A maximum of one projecting sign shall be allowed
for every storefront entrance on the façade.
c. Vertical projecting signs extending into the public
R.O.W. require Public Works review and approval.
d. Signs shall be externally illuminated by a light
mounted on the façade or by neon tubing used to
illuminate letters, symbols, and accent frames.

A
B
C
A
Design Standards Design Character
C
D
D
B

3.11.C.1.d - Vertical Projecting Sign

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A front yard sign is intended for businesses in buildings that are wholly or partially set back from the public right of way. The target viewer is the passing pedestrian or bicyclist.

Front yard signs may be freestanding or integrated into the design of a fence or dooryard wall.

Standards Min Max
Sign width - 30"
Sign height - 30"
Overall height - 5'
Horizontal clearance from sidewalk 2' -
Additional Standards
a. Signs shall not encroach into the public right of way. b. Signs shall be oriented toward side property lines,
unless incorporated into fence or wall design.
c. Exterior illumination shall be permitted, provided that it is from a single bulb, shielded, and warm in tone.

B C
A
D
A
B
C
D
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.e - Front Yard Sign

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A short, solid sign that rests directly on the ground, rather than being propped up by narrower support elements.

Standards Min Max
Overall sign width - 10'
Overall sign height - 5'
Distance from sidewalk 2' -
Additional Standards
a. Monument signs shall be permitted only along
Highway 111.
b. LED messages displays shall be prohibited.
c. Marquee (changeable letter/word) displays shall be
prohibited.

A
B
B
A
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.f - Monument Sign

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A sign painted directly onto, or projecting from any sort of awning or canopy.

Standards Min Max
Letter height 10" 30"
Width (as % of façade width) - 60%
Area (as % of each surface) - 25%
Depth of awning/canopy projection
into the R.O.W. 6’ 10’
Vertical clearance from lowest
point of awning/canopy to the
sidewalk
8’ 12’
Additional Standards
a. Awning side panels shall be prohibited.

A
B
C
D
B
A
C
D
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.g - Awning/Canopy Sign

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A
B
A two-sided, non-illuminated, portable and temporary sign placed outside a storefront on the sidewalk for viewing at close range.

Standards Min Max
Height (overall) 18” 36”
Width 18” 30”
Horizontal clearance from curb 18” -
Clear pathway 6’ -
Additional Standards
a. Signs shall not contain posters, flyers, balloons,
pennants or flags attached to the sign.
b. There shall be no projections other than raised carved letters, which should extend no more than ½ inch
from the sign face.
c. Maximum of one sidewalk sign shall be allowed per
business.
d. Signs shall only be displayed during hours of
operation.
e. Signs shall not be affixed to any wall or mounted on wheels.
f. “Reader board” signs with removable slide-in letters shall be prohibited.
g. Signs shall be constructed of wood or plastic with
professionally-applied lettering or images, provided
that handwritten menu boards or "specials of the
day" for restaurants shall be allowed.

A
B
Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.h - Sidewalk Sign

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A pedestrian-oriented sign-type intended for Districts and Centers that include multiple businesses and amenities to enhance pedestrian navigation and wayfinding.

Design Standards Design Character

3.11.C.1.i - District Wayfinding Sign
Required Findings
Approval of a District Wayfinding sign, and its design, is subject to Design Review and approval of the Director,
upon submission of the following Required Findings:
a. District Wayfinding Signage is necessary for ease of pedestrian/ visitor use and navigation of the district, center or campus it is serving.
b. District Wayfinding Sign Pylon Sign design and
materialsis are of high quality and are architectually
and thematically complimentary of the district, center
or campus it is serving.

Standards
Overall Height 8ft max
Overall Width 3ft max
Distance from grade to signage
text 18” min
Overall Sign Area 24 ft2 max
Electronic Readerboards not permitted
A
B
C
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. District Wayfinding signs may be conditionally
approved only for Centers, Districts or Campuses with
150,000 sq. ft. of commercial gross leasable area or
greater, with a minimum of 10 unique businesses.
b. District Wayfinding signs may not be located within
50ft of 111 Blvd or other Major Arterial Street.
c. A maximum of ten (10) businesses or destinations
may be identified on each District Wayfinding Sign
that contains lettering/graphics.
d. Sign shall have a maximum of two sides.

B
A
C

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A conditional sign type, specifically for the identification and wayfinding of businesses within a center or district not directly fronting 111 Blvd or major arterial street the center or district itself fronts. This sign type is intended to uniqely emphasize, support and enhance the regional
identity and character of 111 Boulevard, consistent with the overall corridor aesthetic for the City of Indio. Design themes that reflect the history of Highway 111 / Route 99 are encouraged.

Standards
Overall Height 12ft max
Overall Width 10ft max
Distance from grade to signage
text 3ft min
Overall Sign Area 100 ft2 max
Electronic Readerboards not permitted
Required Findings
Approval of a Minor Pylon sign, and its design, is subject to Design Review and approval of the Director, upon
submission of the following Required Findings:
a. The district / center for which the minor pylon sign(s) is proposed includes re-use of an existing building that is set back from 111 Blvd, such that the use of such
signage for the success of its businesses.
b. Minor Pylon Sign design theme, materials and
aesthetic compliment and enhance the intended
unified streetscape aesthetic of 111 Corridor, as
defined by this Specific Plan.
c. Minor Pylon Sign design uses enhanced / high quality materials and construction methods.
d. Minor Pylon Sign design and materialsis are
architectually and thematically complimentary of the
activity center it is serving.

A
B
C
Design Standards Design Character
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. New Minor Pylon Signs may be conditionally approved
only for Centers / Districts with 150,000 sq. ft. of
commercial gross leasable area or greater, with a
minimum of 10 unique businesses.
b. A maximum of 2 Minor Pylon Signs shall be allowed
along each arterial street (including 111 Blvd) that the center/district has frontage along.
c. A maximum of eight (8) businesses may be identified
on each Minor Pylon sign.
d. Sign shall have a maximum of two sides, with each
side oriented toward each direction of the street it
is fronting.
e. Sign shall not encroach into the public right-of-way.

3.11.C.1.j - Minor Pylon Sign
A
B
C

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A conditional sign type, specifically for the branding and identification of key activity nodes/centers along the 111 Boulevard corridor. Additionally, this sign type is intended to uniqely emphasize, support and enhance the regional
identity and character of 111 Boulevard, consistent with the overall corridor aesthetic for the City of Indio. Design themes that reflect the history of Highway 111 / Route 99 are encouraged.

Standards
Overall Height 35ft max
Overall Width 15ft max
Distance from grade to signage text 8ft min
Overall Sign Area 300 ft2 max
Electronic Readerboards 150 ft2 max
Required Findings
Approval of a Pylon sign, and its design, is subject to Design Review and approval of the Director, upon submission of the following Required Findings:
a. Major Pylon Sign design theme, materials and
aesthetic compliment and enhance the intended
unified streetscape aesthetic of 111 Corridor, as
defined by this Specific Plan.
b. Major Pylon Sign design is unique and iconic, using
enhanced / high quality materials and construction
methods.
c. Major Pylon Sign design and materialsis are
architectually and thematically complimentary of the
activity center it is serving.

B
C
A
B
C
D
A
Design Standards Design Character
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. A maximum of one (1) new Major Pylon Sign may be
conditionally approved for any Centers / Districts with 150,000 sq. ft. of commercial gross leasable area or
greater, with a minimum of 10 unique businesses.
b. Major Pylon Signs shall only be permitted along
111 Blvd; no more than 1 Major Pylon Sign shall be
permitted per 2,500 lineal feet of 111 Blvd frontage.
c. A maximum of eight (8) businesses may be identified
on each Major Pylon sign.
d. Sign shall not encroach into the public right-of-way. e. Sign shall have a maximum of two sides, with each
side oriented toward each direction of 111 Boulevard.
f. Electronic readerboards, if included, shall be wellintegrated into the overall design composition and shall not exceed 50 percent of the overall sign area,
and shall include automated dimmer controls to
manage and reduce nighttime glare.

3.11.C.1.k - Major Pylon Sign
D

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Required Findings
Approval of a Roof sign, and its design, is subject to design review and approval of the Director, upon submission of the following Required Findings:
a. Roof Sign design theme, materials and aesthetic
compliment and enhance the intended unified
streetscape aesthetic of 111 Corridor, as defined by
this Specific Plan.
b. Roof Sign design is unique and iconic, using enhanced / high quality materials and construction methods.
c. Roof Sign design and materialsis are architectually
and thematically complimentary of the activity center
it is serving.

A conditional sign type, specifically for the branding and identification of key activity nodes/centers (or businesses therein) along the 111 Boulevard corridor. Design themes that reflect the historic Highway 111 / Route 99 corridor aesthetic are encouraged.

Standards
Overall Height 20ft max
Overall Width/Length 60ft max
Art Graphic / Logo 150ft2 . max
Electronic Readerboards not permitted
A
B
C
A
B
C
Design Standards Design Character
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. A maximum of 1 Roof Sign per Center / District or
development of over 150,000 sq. ft shall be permitted.
b. Structure supporting the sign shall be integral to the design and architectural style of the building.
c. Lighting shall be exposed neon or decorative external sources as approved by the City.
d. Electronic readerboards shall be prohibited on Roof
Signs.

3.11.C.1.l - Roof Sign

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A conditional type of art wall that may incorporate signage, useful for the branding and identification of key activity nodes/centers. Additionally, this sign type is intended to uniqely emphasize, support and enhance the regional
identity and character of 111 Boulevard, consistent with the overall corridor aesthetic for the City of Indio. Design themes that reflect the history of Highway 111 / Route 99 are encouraged.

Standards
Overall Height Limited to height
of building wall
Overall Width Limited to perimeter
of building
Overall Sign Area Limited to surface
area of exterior walls
Distance from grade
to sign base No min Required Findings
Approval of a Mural sign, and its design, is subject to Design Review and approval of the Director, upon submission of the following Required Findings:
a. Mural Sign design theme, materials and aesthetic
compliment and enhance the intended unified
streetscape aesthetic of Indio, as defined by this
Specific Plan.
b. Mural Sign design is unique and iconic, using durable, element-resistant, non-toxic materials and techniques.
c. Mural Sign design and materials are architectually
and thematically complimentary of the activity center
it is serving.

B
A
B
A
Design Standards Design Character
Additional Standards and Guidelines
a. Mural sign shall be allowed to spread across multiple walls.
b. Mural sign shall be allowed to advertise a place or
property, but shall not be used to market an existing
service or retail good.

3.11.C.1.m - Mural Sign

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Use Type Min. Required Max. Allowed
Retail 2 / 1,000 NSF 4 / 1,000 NSF
Office 2 / 1,000 NSF 4 / 1,000 NSF
Residential 1 / DU 2 / DU
Restaurant 0.5 / 4 seats 1 / 4 seats
Table 3.12-1 Required Parking
Development
Type
Percentage of
Reduction
Approval
Authority
Retail Up to 15 City Council
Office Up to 15 City Council
Table 3.12-2 Parking Reductions

3.12 | Parking

1. Intent
Auto-oriented environments are typically characterized by large and exposed surface parking areas. It is the intent of this plan to both minimize the aesthetic damage of existing and new parking areas through occupiable building lining, and to facilitate the rationalization of parking areas to better levels of efficiency to support new development.

2. Applicability
a. The standards within this section shall apply to all residential and non-residential development and/or
redevelopment within the Specific Plan boundaries.

A. Introduction
B. General Standards

1. Required number of spaces
a. The number of required on-site parking spaces are
itemized in Table 3.12.1.
b. Parking requirements for uses not listed in Table 3.12-1 shall be determined by a study of parking demand for
that use, as prepared by a qualified professional and
as accepted by the Director.

2. Parking Reductions Requirements. The number
of parking spaces required by Table 3.12-1 may be
reduced, and the type or location of parking spaces
required by this Section may be modified as follows:
a. Parking Reduction. In general, the total requirement for off-street parking facilities shall be the sum of
the requirements for the various uses computed
separately. However, the required number of offstreet parking spaces (including visitor spaces) for all residential and the residential portion of a mixed use
b. The applicant shall submit a written statement with
the factual reasons for requesting the reduction in
parking spaces. The statement must also include
a detailed description of the proposed use(s) and
calculations of the required number of parking spaces
and a description of the number, size, and location
of proposed off-street parking spaces. The required
site plan must include a parking plan showing the
dimensions and locations of all parking spaces, drive
aisles, and the abutting alley width, if applicable.
c. The reductions specified herein shall only be considered if the Community Development Director finds that:
i. After any allowed reduction, an adequate amount
of on-site parking remains for the uses on the site,
b. Compliance with these standards is not required in
the following instances:
i. a change of use within an existing building; or
ii. an expansion of an existing building that does not
result in an increase in floor area by more than 25
percent; or
iii. a replacement of an existing building that does not result in an increase in floor area by more than 25
percent.
c. Except where in conflict with the provisions of this chapter, surface parking lots and structures shall be
designed and built to the standards of Chapter 3.03 of
the Unified Development Code.
developments may be reduced by up to a maximum
of fifteen (15) percent, if such developments are under single ownership, and/or under the control of the same
professional management company, subject to the
following approval authority requirements:

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ADOPTION DRAFT | SEPTEMBER 2022 209
and the parking reduction will not limit the use of
the property for other uses that would otherwise be
permitted on the property; and
ii. The operating characteristics of the proposed use
are such that granting the parking reduction will
not cause unreasonable negative impacts to the
surrounding property owners or neighborhoods; and
iii. Parking for residential uses in mixed use
developments will be accommodated through a
shared parking agreement, as authorized by this
section; and
iv. A Parking Management Plan (PMP) has been
approved for the project, and
v. The PMP and an appropriate legal instrument of
agreement among the affected owner(s) of the
property(ies) is recorded with the County Recorder.

This legal instrument shall be binding upon the
owner and his successors and assigns and shall
limit and control the use of land included in the
development to those uses and conditions approved
by the Community Development Director.
vi. No person benefiting from a parking reduction shall make any changes to the use that would increase
parking.
d. Shared on-site parking. Shared parking may be
utilized as an effort to promote an overall reduction
in parking when a development project is under the
control of a single owner/developer and contains
commercial, retail, office, institutional or public uses with staggered peak parking demands. Shared parking
by multiple owners/developers may be implemented
if the shared parking provisions are instituted in a
parking management plan. The amount of off-street
parking required for a mixed use development may be
reduced up to fifteen (15) percent as determined by the Community Development Director and approved by
the City Council when it can be demonstrated through a
Parking Demand Study that sufficient parking is or can
be met by the subject uses through a shared parking
arrangement. Said study should explain the parking
demands of the land uses within the development and
how business practices or hours of operation impact
the demand for parking at different times of the day.
e. Where shared parking is proposed, a shared parking
agreement between the property owner and the City
shall be recorded prior to the issuance of a building
permit. This agreement must be recorded as a deed
restriction on the property and cannot be modified or
revoked without the consent of the City Council. This
legal instrument shall be binding upon the owner and
his successors and assigns and shall limit and control
the use of land included in the development to those
uses and conditions approved by the City Council. If
any requirements for shared parking are violated,
the affected property owner must provide a remedy
satisfactory to the City Council or provide the full
amount of required parking for each use, in accord
with the requirements of this Section.
f. Waiver of parking. Any project site where it can be
demonstrated that the land use thereon will not
utilize the required number of parking spaces due to
the nature of the specific land use, or the manner in
which the specific land use is conducted, the number
of parking spaces required may be reduced pursuant
to the following:
i. Approval Required. A parking reduction based
upon low parking demand may be allowed upon
the approval of a Low Demand Parking Reduction
Agreement by the City.
ii. Alternate Parking Plan. In approving a parking
reduction, the City may require the preparation of an
Alternate Off-Street Parking Plan, which demonstrates
that additional parking spaces can be provided onsite, as necessary, to accommodate future land use changes or intensifications in land use. Furthermore,
a restrictive covenant that runs with the land may
be required by the City, which restricts the use of
the subject property for the duration of the parking
reduction.
g. Low Demand Parking Reduction Agreement. A Low
Demand Parking Reduction Agreement by and between
the City, the applicant, and all other affected property owners, shall be executed and recorded with the
County Recorder, which, at a minimum, shall:
i. Provide confirmation that the parking supply
proposed will be adequate during periods of
maximum demand,
ii. Confirm that the parking demand is provided within a reasonable walking distance to the use it serves, and
iii. Identify parking management strategies that are
necessary to ensure the availability of the necessary
number of parking spaces for the duration of the

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current use and future users of the project site. The
Low Demand Parking Reduction Agreement shall be
subject to City Attorney review and approval as to
form and content.
h. Parking Analysis. The City may require the applicant to submit a parking analysis, prepared by a person/firm
experienced in preparing such analyses, to assist the
City in determining the appropriate reduction.
i. Car-sharing. For each dedicated car-share space, a
reduction of 4 required spaces may be granted, up to
10 percent of the total required.
j. Provision of Bicycle Parking.
i. Short-term. For every 10 dedicated short-term bicycle parking spaces, a reduction of 1 required car parking
space may be granted, up to a total of 5 percent of
the total required.
• Minimum space: 2 by 6 feet.
• Minimum aisle width: 5 feet.
• Must be located within 50 feet of entrance.
ii. Long-term (secured). For every 5 dedicated long-term (secured) bicycle parking spaces, a reduction of 1
required car parking space may be granted, up to a
total of 5 percent of the total required.
• Must be located within 150 feet of entrance.

3. Electric Vehicle Charging Spaces (EVCS). New
residential development shall provide for EVCS in the
manner prescribed as follows:
a. In new multiple-family projects of ten (10) dwelling units or less, twenty (20) percent of the total required parking spaces shall be provided with a gang box
(four inches by four inches) connected to a conduit
linking the covered parking spaces or garages with the
electrical service, in a manner approved by the building and safety official, to allow for the future installation of electric vehicle supply equipment to provide EVCSs at
such time as it is needed for use by residents. EVCSs
shall be provided in disabled person parking spaces
in accordance with current California Building Code
requirements.
b. In new multiple-family projects of more than ten (10) dwelling units, ten (10) percent of the total parking
spaces required shall be provided with a gang box
(four inches by four inches) connected to a conduit
linking the covered parking spaces or garages with
the electrical service, in a manner approved by the
building and safety official. EVCSs shall be provided
in disabled person parking spaces in accordance with
current California Building Code requirements.

4. Driveways
i. Driveway throat depths shall be a minimum of 50 feet and shall be unobstructed with no parking spaces
allowed within the required throat depth.
ii. One-way driveways shall not exceed a width of 14
feet; two-way driveways shall not exceed a width
of 24 feet.
iii. Curb cut flares shall collectively not exceed the width of the driveway by more than 20 percent.
iv. All driveways shall be perpendicular to the street. v. Driveways shall not affect the slope or direction of the sidewalk.

5. Configurations. On-site parking may be provided
in the locations/configurations which are regulated on
the following pages.

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Street
Property Line
Building Frontage Line
Min Depth - 30'
Ground Story/Liner Parking
Figure 3.12-1 Lined Parking
Street
Property Line Building
Frontage Line
Figure 3.12-2 Subterranean Parking
Floor Height
C. Standards for Structured Parking

1. Lined Structured Parking. Where adjacent to any
street, structured parking shall be behind at least 30 feet of occupiable space on the ground floor. The lining shall be designed per the Frontage Standards in Section 3.10.B.

2. Subterranean Parking. Fully-subterranean garages
may extend to all lot lines. Semi-subterranean garages
shall not extend beyond the building facade, and shall
not extend higher than 4 feet above sidewalk grade.

See Figure 3.12-2.

3. Private Garages. Front-loaded private garages whose
spaces are accessed directly from the primary street
shall only be allowed in the Neighborhood Low Zone,
and only on lots that are a minimum of 55 feet wide.

All other private garages shall take direct access from alleys or side streets.

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1. Frontage and Access
a. In the Plan Area (see Figure 3.4.1, Regulating Plan), new surface lots may extend a maximum of 100 feet along a
block face fronting on a primary street (see Figure 3.12- 3). Along a block face fronting on a secondary street,
new surface parking lots may extend a maximum of
140 feet. An exception is allowed for Limited Uses
(See Section 3.14), where new surface lots may not
constitute more than 50 percent of a lot’s frontage
on primary streets, but may be more than 50 of a lot’s
frontage on a secondary street.
b. The surface parking lot adjacent to the street shall be screened by a wall or hedge no greater than 4
feet in height, that is set behind a minimum of 5 feet
of landscaping, or as far back as the building face -
D. Standards for Surface Parking
whichever is greater. Screening shall be interrupted
only for vehicular and pedestrian access & visibility.

Architectural features, such as pergolas may frame
pedestrian or vehicular entrances, but shall not exceed a height of 9 feet.

2. Configuration
a. Parking areas shall be designed to reduce the amount of stormwater run-off. Landscape planters that capture
and percolate stormwater areas shall be required.
b. Shared parking lots shall provide clearly marked and well-it pedestrian access from on-site parking to the
building(s) being served, as well as to the street, using pathways that are not shared with the vehicular access
and at least 6 feet wide.

Figure 3.12-3 Surface Parking
Property Line Allowed area for
surface parking
30+ feet of
occupiable
space
30+ feet of
occupiable
space
Primary Street
Landscaped setback minimum: 5’ or as deep as
building setback, whichever is greater
building-to-building where
adjacent to right of way
Secondary Street
Secondary Street
100’ max.
140’ max.

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3. Surface Parking Adjacent to the Public Realm. Surface parking shall be allowed to be located adjacent to the street and public open spaces along 111 Boulevard only in the following two configurations. However, Parking Courts shall be allowed anywhere in the Plan Area.
a. Parking Court. Parking courts are intended to have the spatial quality and function of a forecourt (see Section 3.13.G).

If designed properly, they serve as a public realm extension, complete with building frontage facing the court. A parking court is appropriate where on-street parking is not yet present or possible, and for Limited Uses (see Section 3.14). i. A parking court shall be no wider than 100 feet and contain only one parking bay (70 feet max.) with 15 feet of public frontage extension on both sides (total of 30 feet max.). A parking bay is comprised of a central 1- or 2-way travel lane with a row of parking spaces and pedestrian access on both sides. ii. If a building’s primary entrance is located immediately off of the parking court, the entry sidewalk shall connect directly to the public frontage at the street. See also Section 3.7.C.4 for Public Frontage standards and guidelines. iii. Any portion of the surface parking lot adjacent to the street shall be set back 5 feet from the sidewalk, or as far back as the building face—whichever is further. A wall or hedge that is between 3 and 3.5 feet in height shall be located within this setback area, which shall be no closer than 1.5 feet to either the sidewalk or to the first space of the surface lot. Screening shall be interrupted only for vehicular and pedestrian access and visibility. b. Frontage Lane
Frontage lanes can be added to segments of Highway 111 to provide a high-quality public frontage environment and safer, more convenient customer and visitor parking access, rather than directly from high-speed 111 Boulevard.

Frontage Lanes shall be a minimum of 30 feet wide. They shall contain parallel, diagonal, or perpendicular parking on one or both sides of the drive lane. When Frontage Lanes are used, the front setback of the lot shall be increased by an amount equivalent to the Frontage Lane’s width. See also Section 3.7.C.4 for Public Frontage Standards.

This frontage lane in Berkeley, CA, provides comfortable and convenient access to storefront parking along Shattuck Avenue.

The open space created when parking is adjacent to the right of way is designed as an attractive forecourt for the buildings that surround it. The overall width is minimized and the lot is screened by low walls and landscaping.

Public Frontage
Public Frontage
Public Frontage
Extension
Public Frontage
Extension
100’
70’
15’
15’
Public Frontage
Exte
Public Frontage
nsion
Public Frontage

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A. Introduction
B. Utility Placement

1. Intent
The following site standards are intended to inform the design and location of various site design elements for the purpose of the health, safety, and general welfare of the immediate occupants of each building, and for the
neighborhood.

2. Applicability
The following standards apply to all new development,
or whenever below-mentioned features are introduced
to an existing development. In cases where the Director determines that deviations from the strict interpretation of any standard in this section is appropriate, the Director shall also seek to ensure that the obvious intent of each standard is still met.

1. Utility Access and Equipment
a. Utility access and equipment such as back-flow
preventers, transformer boxes, gas and electric meters, and other utilities shall be placed within or adjacent
to and be accessed from the alley, subject to the
requirements and approval of the associated utility
company. On lots with no alley, meters and similar
equipment shall be located in underground vaults or
in utility rooms/closets within buildings, were possible.

If such locations are infeasible, these services shall be located in inconspicuous locations along the sides of
project sites and shall be thoroughly screened from
public view.

2. Mechanical and Electrical Equipment
a. All mechanical and electrical equipment – including, but not limited to, air-conditioning units, antennas,
garage door motors – whether roof-mounted, groundmounted or otherwise, shall be screened from public view or located so as not to be visible from streets or open spaces. Such equipment and related screening
shall be designed with materials and colors that
conform to and are an integral part of the design of
the building.
b. Mechanical equipment that generates noise, smoke
or odors, shall not be located on or within 10 feet of a public right of way or any on-site common open spaces.
c. Noise- and odor-generating equipment and containers
shall be located in areas that will not create a nuisance to adjacent properties. Such bins should be covered
when possible. Openings to a trash enclosure shall be
shielded from public rights of way.

3. Telecommunication Devices
a. Telecommunication devices (such as satellite dishes
or other equipment) shall be screened from public
view or located so as not to be visible from streets.

Applicants shall work with satellite providers to locate satellite dishes out of view on building roofs and/or
on rear yard or side yard facing façades if adequate
signal strength and quality can be achieved. In multifamily and multi-tenant buildings, conduits should be provided from such a location to each unit.

4. Wet Utilities
a. Wet utilities shall be located in the street, but shall be allowed to be located in the alley to address
topographical, efficiency or other engineering reasons.

If “wet” and “dry” utilities are co-located in the alley, proper trench separation and utility access shall be
ensured. On lots with no alley, all “wet” utilities shall be located in the street or public right-of-way. Utility meters and entrances shall also be provided belowgrade in the street or sidewalk and shall be flush with the surrounding grade.

5. Sevice Entrances and Waste Disposal Areas
a. Service entrances, waste disposal areas, and other
similar service areas shall be located adjacent to the
alley and take their access from it. On lots with no
alley, these areas shall be located as far away from
– and screened from views from – the public right of
way as practical.

3.13 | Site Design

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Example of an appropriately placed double standpipe
connection in the base of a building at the sidewalk.

Example of inappropriately placed check valves and other utility devices in the front yard of a commercial building.

Example of inappropriately placed ground-level utilities in a parkway.

Example of inappropriately placed utility boxes in a parkway.

Wherever possible, mechanical/utilities equipment should be placed in alleys. In this example, they are further shielded by architectural elements and a hedge.

Figure 3.13-1 Appropriate Placement Figure 3.13-2 Inappropriate Placement Example of mechanical equipment well-screened by an
architectural element incorporated into the building's
composition.

AVOID AVOID AVOID

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C. Grading & Site Walls

1. Fence and Wall Heights
a. Fence and wall heights shall be measured from the grade directly below. In cases where the grade differs on either side of the fence or wall, the lower measuring point shall be the average between the grades of the sides. Fences and walls (including retaining walls) shall be set back at least 18 inches from the sidewalk.

2. Entrance Arbors
a. Entrance arbors, when provided, shall be limited to a maximum of 9 feet in height and 5 feet in width.

3. General to Frontages
a. Fence and wall posts within the front setback shall be limited to 3.5 feet in height.
b. Streetscreens up to 8 feet in height may close gaps in the streetwall, but may not be any closer to the street than the building façade and may not exceed a length of 20 feet. c. Retaining walls shall not have more than 3 feet of difference between the grade on either side. Fences or walls up to 3.5 feet in height shall be allowed to be erected above retaining walls provided that:
i. Any fence or wall more than 3.5 feet as measured from the sidewalk is at least 50 percent open.
ii. At no point does the fence intrude into the line of visibility between the landing of the entrance(s) of the primary
building(s) and the sidewalk. This shall be measured from point that are 5 feet above said landing(s) and 5 feet above the sidewalk.

Entrance arbor. Landscaped fencing set back from sidewalk Cafe rearyard with a wood fence.

4. Specific to Corner Lots
a. On corner lots, fences and walls shall be allowed
to reach 6 feet in height to enclose the private
rear yard from the side street, but shall be set
back at least as far back as the building face of
the primary building. Fences and walls shall be
allowed to reach a maximum of 8 feet in height,
provided that any portion of the fence or wall
that is more than 6 feet in height is at least 50
percent open.

5. Specific to interior side yards and rear
yards
a. Fences and walls shall be allowed to reach 6
feet in height and be flush with the façade of
the primary building. Interior side and rear fences
and walls shall be allowed to reach a maximum of
8 feet in height, provided that any portion of the
fence or wall that is more than 6 feet in height is
at least 50 percent open.
b. Any rear fence or wall along any alley shall be so
constructed as to provide a space in the rear yard
that is sufficient in length, depth, and height to
house trash bins off of the alley. If another area
within the rear yard meets this requirement, it
shall not be necessary to incorporate such a space
for trash bins into the fence or wall.
c. Gates and doors on rear fences shall not open
outward towards the alley but shall be designed
to open inward to the property.

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D. Lighting

1. General to All
a. Site lighting shall be shielded by permanent
attachments to light fixtures so that light sources are not visible from a public way and to prevent off-site
glare.
b. Specific to residential ground floors: site and buildingmounted luminaires shall produce initial illuminance value no greater than 0.04 horizontal and vertical
footcandles.
c. Specific to nonresidential ground floors: site and
building-mounted luminaires shall produce a maximum
initial illuminance value no greater than 0.1 horizontal and vertical footcandles at the boundary with adjoining residential lots, and no greater than 0.01 horizontal
footcandles 10 feet beyond that boundary.

1. Lighting Abuting the Public Realm. Lighting
within surface parking lots, private frontages, and any other on-site open space that abuts a public right of way shall comply with the following standards:
a. Lighting shall be shielded by permanent attachments
to fixtures so that light sources are not visible from
adjacent properties or the public right of way.
b. No freestanding fixture shall exceed a height of 15 feet as measured from finished adjacent grade.
c. Light sources shall have a maximum output of no
greater than 3,00 lumens.
d. Required illuminance (in footcandles)
i. Max: 4.0
ii. Min: 0.2
iii. Max average: 0.8
iv. Uniformity ratio (max/min): 20/1
v. Uniformity ratio (average/min): 4/1
Shielded and/or frosted lighting avoids off-site glare.

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E. Landscaping

1. General to All
a. Where front yards are landscaped, individual paths
to the sidewalk shall be provided for each entrance.
b. Allowed species. Trees and Plant material shall be
native to the Sonoran Desert, or adaptive from regions
with similar arid climates (such as the Mojave Desert). c. Invasive species. Invasive plant species shall be
prohibited.
d. Desert-adapted plants. All plants shall be waterconserving, drought-tolerant plants. e. Green screens. Landscape shall be used to soften
walls and fences and provide green screens, where
appropriate, between residential and nonresidential
buildings.
f. Climate mitigation. Trees, shrubs, hedges, and
deciduous vines are encouraged to be used to minimize
solar heat gain during the summer and maximize heat
gain during the winter.
g. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
(CPTED). All landscape plans shall be reviewed
by a CPTED-qualified member of the Indio Police
Department.
h. Materials
i. Stair treads. Exterior stair risers and treads shall be constructed of durable and permanent materials and
in a manner that is consistent with the design of the
rest of the building.
ii. No grass/turf shall be allowed; only desertappropriate landscaping shall be allowed. iii. Paving materials should be decorative and
complementary to the main building design.
iv. Where hardscape is used, permeability shall be
incorporated into the design.
i. New landscapes shall comply with state and City
requirements for Water Efficient Landscapes.
j. Irrigation. Permanent and automatic irrigation systems shall be provided for all landscaped areas per the City’s Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance. Native, desert-adapted plants should be used.

Drought-tolerant landscaping.

A drought-tolerant back yard.

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1. General to All
a. Ground water recharging and stormwater runoff limits shall be facilitated on all parts of new building sites.

See NACTO’s Urban Street Stormwater Guide and the
Light Imprint Handbook, by Thomas E. Low; Possible
strategies include:
i. Rain gardens and vegetated bioswales that convey
and infiltrate rainwater.
ii. Pervious pavement that allows stormwater to
infiltrate directly into the ground below.
b. Stormwater management shall be provided through
a system that is integral to streetscapes (swales
within medians or parkways) and/or open space(s) in
the development. These areas shall double as visual
features and be accessible to the public.

Green roofs are used to capture and store water on-site.

An appropriately landscaped rainwater garden in a desert climate
In a climate with strong direct sunlight, shade and Canopy trees can help encourage pedestrian activity.

F. Stormwater
A parking lot paved with gravel allows water to infiltrate, reducing runoff.

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1. General to All
On-site open space is private or shared outdoor space that exists for the enjoyment and use of building tenants, and sometimes the public. It can also provide comfortable paths through which pedestrian access is provided from the street to any buildings (or portions of buildings) that lack direct street frontage. Of the required usable open space (see Section 3.7.B), 25 percent of that can be accounted for with on-site open space.
a. At-grade open space shall be directly accessible and easily visible from the adjacent ground floor.
b. Buildings adjacent to semi-private open spaces (with the exception of those adjacent to passages) shall front onto the open space. Façades shall be designed per
Section 3.10.

2. On-site open space types. This Section identifies
a series of open space types and design characteristics of each type.
a. Court
b. Forecourt
c. Side Yard
d. Rear Yard
e. Passage
f. Roof Deck/Terrace
g. Balcony
i. Description. A court is a semi-public, shared open
space within a lot or between lots. It is a well-defined, coherent area that is an essential component of the
project’s design, not merely space left over after the
building mass is placed. Courts generally provide
visitor access from the street to dwellings, retail
or office spaces, and/or buildings within the lot
that lack direct frontal access from the street. The
degree of enclosure or openness may vary per the
requirements of each zone and the design intent of
the project designer.
ii. Configuration
• Side Court. The court is placed along the interior
side of the lot to work together with a court or back
yard on an adjacent lot to:
- Create the effect of one large open space
between adjacent buildings
- Provide a contiguous space for entrances to
a neighboring existing building that face the
proposed project and are located close to the
property line
• Internal Court. The court is entirely contained within the building and accessed either through a lobby
or passage
• Special Circumstances. When a site contains
an exceptional feature, such as a large, healthy
tree, the court is configured so as to retain and
incorporate that special feature
iii. Size. Courts shall be a minimum of 20 feet by 30
feet.
iv. Enclosure.
• A court’s perimeter shall be defined by building
walls on at least two sides. The third and/or fourth
side shall be allowed to be defined by architectural/
landscape elements such as low walls or trellises,
hedges, or rows of trees.

G. On-Site Open Space a. Court

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A court can function as a shared dining area for residents or restaurants.

A court may provide access to private residences.

Residential courtyard that functions as a semi-private open space.
• One side of a court shall be allowed to be defined
by a building wall or a linear landscape element on
an adjoining property.
• Driveways located adjacent to a court shall be
screened by architectural elements such as low
walls or trellises, hedges, or rows of trees so as not
to appear to be located within the court.
v. Access & Private Spaces. Units shall be allowed to
take direct access through a court. Semi-private space
shall be allowed to be located around each access,
but when provided, shall not be fully enclosed.
vi. Design
• Common Area. Courts shall be designed as
gathering places for the occupants and also
circulation spaces through which pedestrian
access is provided from the street to any buildings
(or portions of buildings) that lack direct street
frontage. Courts provide a central, flat area that
is usable and encourages activity and interaction.

This area contains a combination of paving and
landscaping.
• Private Area. Courts shall be designed to provide for private access to dwellings and businesses that lack
direct street frontage. Courts shall also be allowed
to provide space for private patios and terraces.
• Amenities. Courts shall be allowed to include public
amenities such as seating areas, fountains, BBQ
islands and/or outdoor fireplaces to encourage
their use as common outdoor rooms or gathering
places.
• Landscape. See Section 3.13.E for landscaping
standards.

Side Court Internal Court
Street Street
Court Configurations

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i. Description. A forecourt is a court that abuts the
public sidewalk. Where forecourts give access to retail and other public uses, they function as an extension
of the public realm. Where forecourts grant access
to residential or other private uses, they function as
transitional spaces between the public and private
realms.
ii. Configuration and Size. Similar to Court. See Section

3.13.G.2.a for guidelines on Enclosure, Access &
Private Spaces, and Design.
iii. Build-Out Requirements. A forecourt is a permitted exception to the build-out requirement for a lot. See
Section 3.8.B.
iv. Location. A forecourt shall be allowed to occur on
any floor and is considered an allowed method of
creating facade massing increments. See Section

3.10.A.3.

When used as an outdoor dining area, a forecourt should read as an extension of the public realm.

Forecourts can also read as an outdoor extension of the interior space.

Forecourts can serve multiple property owners or Forecourts help transition from the public to private realm. tenants.
b. Forecourt
Street
Forecourt open to Street
Forecourt Configuration

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c. Side Yard
i. Description. An open space along an interior side of a lot. Side Yards are semi-private spaces through which
visitor access is provided to one or more buildings or
dwellings, or may be private spaces for the exclusive
use of the residents of one or more dwellings.
ii. For multi-family or non-residential buildings, Side Yards shall be designed for the shared use of all
tenants, or divided into private areas for the use of
a specific dwelling.
iii. Configuration and Size
• Configuration. Side Yards are located between
the building and the interior side property line.

The yard area can provide a contiguous space for
entrances to a neighboring existing building that
face the proposed project and are located close to
the property line.
• Size. At least 12 feet in any direction.
iv. Build-Out Requirements. An entrance to a Side Yard
is a permitted exception to the build-out requirement
for a lot. See Section 3.8.B.
v. Encroachments. Dooryards, porches, stoops, and
architectural elements shall be allowed to encroach
into the Side Yard up to a total of 30 percent of the
space’s width and/or length. An encroaching element
shall be allowed to project a maximum of 8 feet into
the sideyard. If the projecting element has usable
space above the first floor level, it shall not be allowed to come within 10 feet of a neighboring property.

The side yard of this multi-family building provides access to adjoining units.

Single- and multi-family residences separated by side yards.

Street Street
Side Yard Configurations

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i. Description. A private, landscaped open space
located behind the building that is intended to
provide passive or active outdoor space for the users
of the building.
ii. Configuration and Size
• Configuration. Rear yards, also known as “back
yards” are located behind the primary building,
generally away from the view of the street. For
buildings with two or more units, rear yards may be
divided into separated private yards in compliance
with the site requirements below.
• Size. Minimum dimensions: 15 feet by 15 feet.
iii. Encroachments. Dooryards, porches, stoops, and
architectural elements shall be allowed to encroach
into the Rear Yard up to a total of 30 percent of the
space’s width and/or length. An encroaching element
shall be allowed to project a maximum of 8 feet into
the sideyard. If the projecting element has usable
space above the first floor level, it shall not be allowed to come within 10 feet of a neighboring property.
d. Rear Yard
A back yard with a large paved area surrounded by border planting.

A drought tolerant, passive back yard.

Street A back yard seating area and outdoor fireplace.

Rear Yard Configurations

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i. Description. Passages provide a pedestrian
connection between or through buildings, from the
street to a court, recessed entrance, or rear parking
lot. Passages may be covered or uncovered. They may
be gated or completely open to the street.
ii. Configuration and Size
• Configuration. They shall be provided between
buildings or along side yards.
• Size. Passages shall be a minimum of six feet in
width.
iii. Build-Out Requirements. An entrance to a Passage
is a permitted exception to the build-out requirement
for a lot. See Section 3.8.B.

A passage may connect between courtyards and the street.

This passage provides some entrances to business as well as a connection to the street on other side of the block.

A passage may provide access to residential units.
e. Passage
Passage Configuration
This passage example provides access to an
internal court.

Street

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i. Description. An open space on the roof or podium
level of the building. The space(s) may be assigned
to individual units or exist as a shared open space
available for use by all residents or tenants.
ii. Configuration and Size
• Configuration. Roof decks/podiums shall be located
on a portion or all of a building’s floor plate.
• Size. Minimum dimensions: 15 feet by 15 feet.
iii. Amenities. Roof decks shall include a minimum of 3 of the following: trellises, landscaping, seating areas, herb/kitchen gardens, fountains, and/or outdoor
fireplaces to encourage their use as outdoor rooms
or gathering places.
iv. Finishes. Materials, finishes, fixtures, and colors visible from the street shall be designed in a manner
that is consistent with the architectural style of the
building.

Roof decks/terraces may provide shared lounging and dining areas for residents.

A roof deck/terrace used as a dining area for restaurants. f. Roof Deck/Terrace
Multiple roof decks on one building.

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Corner Balconies
A shared balcony
A balcony should have enough functional space to include furniture while still being comfortable to inhabit.
i. Description. A small open area to be used for private outdoor living space for an individual unit or a shared open space available for use by more than one unit.

Balconies may project, be recessed, or a combination
of the two.
ii. Configuration and Size
• Configuration. Balconies shall project from the
façade and/or be recessed, in compliance with the
California Building Code (CBC).
• Size. For a balcony to be useable, a depth of at least 5 feet is required. If a balcony is only proposed
for ornamental or landscape usage, it shall be a
maximum depth of 2 feet.
iii. Finishes. Materials, finishes, fixtures, and colors visible from the street shall be designed in a manner
that is consistent with the architectural style of the
building.
g. Balcony

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3.14 | Limited Uses in the MU-C Zone
A. Introduction

1. Intent.

The General Plan defines a vision for Boulevard 111 that is characterized by 3 to 6 story urban buildings, built close to and facing 111, with active, human-scale, pedestrianoriented ground floor frontages, and windows on all floors overlooking the street. The Mixed-Use Corridor Zone is
intended to deliver that vision, and requires that buildings within 200 to 300 feet of 111 be at least 3 stories in height.

Such buildings are to be be built along over 50% of corridor frontages to provide strong spatial definition for Boulevard 111 and to deliver relatively high intensities of housing, employment, and commercial uses in the center of Indio.

This Plan recognizes that many of the existing 1- and 2-story buildings along the corridor may remain for an indefinite period of time, and that current and near-term market
forces may not support the feasibility of 3-story and greater development within some properties within the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone.

In order to enable market forces to attract near-term
reinvestment to the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone - while also ensuring that over time the vision for that Zone is realized - this Section provides standards and processes whereby limited quantities of lower intensity, more automobileoriented projects that positively contribute to the economic development and quality of life within a Subarea - defined herein as “Limited Uses” - may be approved in the MixedUse Corridor Zone through the Administrative Use Permit (AUP) or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process.

Accordingly, four specific categories of Limited Uses are defined in this Section, including adaptive reuse of existing 1 and 2-story commercial and office buildings ,development of limited quantities of new buildings of those types, and development of blocks with lower Frontage Buildout
percentages and larger quantities of street-adjacent surface parking that otherwise allowed.

2. Applicability
a. The standards in this section apply only to properties within the Mixed-Use Corridor (MU-C) Zone.
b. A “Limited Use” is generally defined as: a development that provides neighborhood-serving amenities
(including job-creation) along the corridor, but that
does not meet all of the form-based standards of the
MU-C Zone. Accordingly, four unique Limited Use
“Typologies” are described in this section:
i. Freestanding single-use (pad) commercial buildings
with and without drive-through service facilities;
ii. Office/light industrial buildings;
iii. Adaptive re-use of existing commercial/industrial
buildings;
iv. Parking lots that occupy greater percentages of one or more street frontages than prescribed by the
standards of Sections 3.8 and 3.12.
c. The standards of this section do not exempt a proposed development from the Subdivision & Public Realm
Network Completion standards of Section 3.4.
i. The standards in this section do not exempt a
proposed development from the location-specific
commercial-use requirements of the MU-C Zone –
See Section 3.4.C.2.

Single-Use ( Pad ) Commercial Office / light industrial

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3. Project Review and Approval.

Sections 3.14.B through B.14.F provide development
standards and design guidelines which shall be met as a condition of approval for all Limited Uses defined in this Section, and Table 3.14-1 defines the locations and quantities of Limited Uses that may be allowed. Non-Conforming
Parking Lots (see Section 3.14.F) are not limited in quantity and are therefore not included in Table 3.14-1. Section 3.5.C.1 defines the findings that must be made to support issuance of an AUP or CUP approving Limited Uses.

Further, the corridor Development Monitoring Program
(DMP) - as described in Chapter 4 Implementation (See
Section 4.2.C, Strategy 4.2.12) is intended to monitor the acreage of Limited Uses in each Subarea on a regular basis, to ensure that Limited Uses do not become the predominant development pattern within any Subarea. The DMP will
identify the “target quantities” of housing, commercial and other uses for each Subarea, based upon the acreages of each subarea and the development intensities defined by the General Plan and this Specific Plan.

The DMP will define a process by which the City will keep a record of the quantity and type of development within each Subarea that has already been developed or is proposed or pending entitlement or construction. The DMP will prescribe an annual, biannual or other review of all subareas, and certain “thresholds of non-attainment” that would trigger a requirement for addtional findings for issuance of an AUP or CUP form Limited Uses within certain Subareas,
or potentially a moratorium on the issuance of such new permits in that Subarea. Prior to the establishment of a DMP, the standards of Table 3.14-1 shall govern.

Table 3.14-1 shall be used to determine the number of “new” approvals of Limited Uses that may be permitted (in addition to any existing non-conforming uses that may already exist) within each subarea. The table provides numeric caps for “Allowed Number of Approvals by LU Type” within each subarea, as well as the “Total Allowed Number of Approvals” (regardless of LU Type) allowed in each subarea. Note that in most
cases, the “Total Allowed Number of Approvals” is intentionally less than the sum of the “Allowed Number of Approvals by Type” caps. The City shall track the number of such approvals and not allow any more than the allowed number by type or the total allowed number of approvals within each Subarea.

Subareas 13, 14, and 27 have “no limit” on new approvals of such Limited Uses due to existing small parcel sizes and devlopment patterns making the potential for future largerscale infill in those places somewhat unlikely.

Sub-Area
Allowed Number of Approvals
by Limited Use Type
Total Allowed
Single-Use (Pad) CommercialOffice / Light IndustrialAdaptive Reuse Number of Approvals
1 2 2
No Limit
(New primary buildings on an adaptive reuse site are subject to the applicable limits in this table according to their type) 3 2 2 2 3
3 2 2 2
4 2 2 2
5 2 2 2
6 3 3 4
7 2 2 2
8 2 2 2
9 2 2 2
10 2 2 2
11 2 2 2
12 2 2 3
13 No Limit No Limit
14 No Limit No Limit
15 1 1 1
16 N/A
17 3 3 4
18 3 3 4
19 1 1 1
20 1 1 1
21 1 1 1
22 N/A
23 1 1 1
24 2 2 2
25 2 2 2
26 2 2 2
27 No Limit No Limit
Table 3.14-1: Allowed Number of Approvals

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Office Building with main
lobby facing Boulevard 111
Main Building entrance
from the sidewalk
Landscape Frontage
Interior active uses should be display along
the primary facade along the boulevard Outdoor dining adjacent to main building
This interim development example features a palm-lined sidewalk along Blvd 111, with windows and an entry fronting onto Blvd 111.

B. General to All

1. Standards. The following standards apply to all new
“Limite Use” buildings to help ensure that they contribute to the pedestrian-oriented character of the Corridor.
a. Building Use Specific land uses allowed for “Limited Uses” in the MU-C Zones are listed in Section 3.5, along with the planning permit type required for approval
of each use. Any use not listed in this section shall be considered “Not Permitted.”
b. Locations. Concentrations of commercial uses should
be at the same node locations specified in the General
Standards for the Mixed-use Corridor Zone.
c. Building Placement
i. Buildings shall be oriented toward the sidewalk,
meaning that the primary entrance (and/or a walkup service window) is provided directly from the sidewalk.
ii. Building facades shall be located parallel to and
near the frontage sidewalk to promote visibility and
pedestrian access into businesses and to help provide
spatial definition of the public realm.
iii. If located on a corner lot, the building shall be located at the corner, fronting both streets.
iv. The Frontage Buildout requirements listed in Table

3.8-1 may be waived for provided buildings are in
conformance with the requirements of the rest of
this Section.
d. Access
i. Simple and direct pedestrian access to the main
building entrance from the sidewalk must be
provided. The main entrance shall not be located
on a façade facing opposite the Corridor and must be
located to face Highway 111 or a pedestrian-oriented
open space that is open to and directly aaccessible
from Highway 111.
ii. Secondary pedestrian access to the building may be
provided from adjacent parking lots.
iii. The walkway leading from the sidewalk to the main
entrance shall be wide and welcoming, per the Public
Frontage Standards of Section 3.7.C.4.
iv. Setback areas shall be designed per the on-site
sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting standards of
Section 3.13, Site Standards and Guidelines.
e. Building Height. Building height: 16’ minimum (to
eaves).
f. Building Massing, Frontage, and Facades
i. The architecture of the building shall provide large openings that clearly convey that the façade facing
the street - particularly facades facing 111 - is the
front of the building, regardless of where the main
building entry is located.
ii. For Façade fenestration requirements see Section

3.10.B.3.
iii. Facades over 100’ in width are subject to the Façade Standards in Section 3.10.A.3.

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g. Parking & Circulation
i. The visual impact of surface parking shall be
mitigated to maintain the desired street character
(see UDC Chapter 3.03, Parking Standards).
ii. Surface parking shall generally be located behind
the building and screened by the building mass, low
walls, pergolas, and/or landscaping.
iii. A limited amount of on-site parking is permissible along the side of the building, adjacent to the front
sidewalk along 111 as a Parking Court (see Section

3.11.D.3.a.), but is prohibited from being located
between the building and the Corridor sidewalk, per
UDC Chapter 3.03, Parking Standards.
iv. Vehicular entrances to the site shall be located as far as practical from street intersections to allow
adequate stacking room.
v. Vehicular entrance curb cuts shall be limited to one per adjacent street, and wherever possible should be
located on common property lines to provide access
from one driveway to at least two properties.
vi. To futher reduce traffic congestion and parking
demand, sidewalks for comfortable pedestrian
access shall be provided between adjacent buildings
and properties. And wherever feasible, reciprocal
vehicular access between adjacent parking areas
shall also be provided.

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C. Specific to Freestanding Commercial & Drive-Through

1. Intent and Applicability. The intent of these
standards is to ensure that:
a. New freestanding commercial buildings shall contribute to the overall pedestrian experience and quality of life withing the Corridor, while minimizing any negative
impacts to the mixed-use urban character envisioned
for the Corridor.
b. New buildings that provide drive-through facilities
operate efficiently while minimizing the negative
impacts on traffic, pedestrian safety, and street
character. No part of a drive-through faciity may
interfere with clear and safe pedestrian access to
the building’s main entrance, nor detract from the
building’s frontage character facing the Corridor.

2. Freestanding Commercial Building Standards
a. Frontage
i. Active uses (retail, dining, bar, etc.) shall be located along the street-facing façade, with fenestration
as required in Section 3.10.B and 3.10.C to render
business activity clearly visible from the the street.
ii. Active outdoor spaces (dining, gathering, etc.) are encouraged, and when provided shall be located so
as to be clearly visible from 111 and/or other street.
iii. Outdoor dining areas shall be defined by low fences and/or low landscaping. Where adjacent to the drivethrough stacking aisle, a landscape buffer of at least six (6) feet in width shall be provided. See Section

3.13 (Site Standards) for addtitional requirements.
iv. Encroachments. Sun-shading devices (awnings,
canopies, porches, pergolas, umbrellas, trees, etc.)
shall be provided over any active outdoor spaces
to provide a more comfortable, user-friendly
environment. See requirements in Section 3.10.D
(Projecting Architectural Elements), and Section 3.13
(Site Standards).

3. Drive-Through Facilities Standards
a. Permit requirements. Drive-through facilities - as
defined in the UDC - shall require a Conditional Use
Permit and are permitted only within the Mixed-Use
Corridor Zone.
b. Access
i. To the greatest extent possible, driveways providing access to our egress from a drive-through service lane
shall also provide access to the customer parking lot.
ii. Drive-through lanes adjacent to the building shall
be screened from the Highway 111 Corridor and
all sidewalks by the building mass, low walls (3’ – 4
tall), pergolas, and/or landscaping. See Figures 3.14-2 for preferable configurations. Drivethrough lanes
elsewhere on the site shall be screened from the
street in the manner required for parking lots.
iii. Locating the drive-through lane between a building and the Highway 111 Corridor sidewalk is strongly
discouraged. However, if there is no other alternative, a clearly marked pedestrian walkway shall provide
clear access from the sidewalk, across the drivethrough lane, to the building entrance (see Figure

3.14-3). The pedestrian walkway shall be designed as
a crosswalk, including signage and visual cues such
as striping or material changes.
c. Frontage
i. If a drive-thru lane is located between the building and the Corridor sidewalk, the drive-thu shall be
integrated into the building design via a “faux”
façade or screen wall built between the drivethrough lane and the sidewalk that shall either be built to look like an extension of the primary building and made of the same material, or be built as an
arcade or pergola addition to the primary building.

The façade or screen wall must present a generally
open, fenestrated appearance meeting the intent
of Façade requirements in Section 3.10.B while also
substantially screening views of idling vehicles, by
spanning the entire length of the primary façade(s)
facing the sidewalk (see Figure 3.14-3).
d. Parking
i. Drive-through lanes shall be physically separated
from the parking lot by low walls (3’ to 4’ tall), pergolas, and/or landscaping (See Figures 3.14-2 and 3.14-3).
ii. If a drive-through lane is located between the building and the parking lot, a clearly marked pedestrian
crossing across the travel lane shall connect the
parking lot to the building entrance.

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Boulevard 111
Alley
Adjacent parcel
Adjacent parcel
Boulevard 111
Alley
Secondary street
Adjacent parcel
Lot between parcels facing Boulevard 111 Corner Lot along Boulevard 111 Active Frontage facing Boulevard 111
Clear visibility access from Boulevard 111
Secondary access from parking lot
Drive consolidation, one curb cut per street
Active Frontage along Boulevard111 and
Secondary street
Clear human access from Boulevard 111
Secondary access from parking lot
Drive consolidation, one curb cut per street
Building
Frontage
Public/Private pedestrian
public realm
Screen Wall
Landscape area
Main access
Secondary access
Drive-Through
Vehicular access
Active Frontage facing main
street Main entrance facing
street Side Entrance Facing
Parking Lot
Preferred
Configuration
Preferred
Configuration
Figure 3.14-1 Free Standing Commercial
Street visibility
Free Standing Commercial facing Corner Lot

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Adjacent parcel
Boulevard 111
Alley
Secondary street
Adjacent parcel
Active Frontage facing Boulevard 111
Clear visibility access from Boulevard 111
Secondary access from parking lot
Drive-through perpendicular to the main street
Drive consolidation, one curb cut per street
Active Frontage facing Boulevard 111
Clear corner visibility access from Boulevard 111
Secondary access from parking lot
Drive through perpendicular to the main street
and not facing the secondary street
Drive consolidation, one curb cut per street
Building
Frontage
Public/Private pedestrian
public realm
Screen Wall
Landscape area
Main access
Secondary access
Drive-Through
Vehicular access
Active Frontage along the corner
facing two main streets
Drive through exit
Outdoor seating area
Sun-shade devices to
protect from the sun.

Lot between parcels facing Boulevard 111 Corner Lot along Boulevard 111 Figure 3.14-2 Free Standing Commercial & Drive Through
Street visibility
Free Standing Commercial with Drive-Through
Preferred
Configuration
Preferred
Configuration

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Boulevard 111
Alley
Adjacent parcel
Adjacent parcel
Active Frontage facing Blvd 111
Clear visibility access from Boulevard 111
Secondary access from parking lot
Drive through perpendicular to the main street
Drive consolidation, one curb cut per street
Building
Frontage
Public/Private pedestrian
public realm
Screen Wall
Landscape area
Outdoor seating area and main
entrance visible from street
A screen wall has been build
between Drive through Drive through exit
Lot between parcels facing Boulevard 111
Figure 3.14-3 Free Standing Commercial & Drive Through
Street visibility
Free Standing Commercial with Drive-Through
Constrained ! sites only

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D. Specific to Office/Light Industrial Buildings

1. Intent and Applicability. The intent of these
standards is to ensure that new freestanding Office/
Light Industrial Buildings contribute to the active public realm environment of the Highway 111 Corridor.

2. Standards
a. Access
i. Ground floor offices shall take access directly from the front sidewalk and/or from a Lobby Entry (See
Section 3.10.C.4.c and 3.10.D.4.e).
ii. Additional access may be provided from an adjacent
parking lot through a secondary entrance that leads
directly into the same lobby space as the main
entrance from the front sidewalk.
b. Frontage
i. Façade fenestration is subject to the standards for
the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone. (See Section 3.10.B)
ii. At ground level, the most active uses (waiting room, reception) shall be located near the street-facing
façade, and be visible from the Corridor. The most
private uses (examination rooms) shall not be located
on the Corridor-facing façade.
iii. The setbacks of ground floor offices at or near the level of the sidewalk may feature a dooryard or
simple landscaping, or they may be designed as
extensions of the sidewalk if privacy is not desired.

Raised ground floor offices may use a Terrace, Porch,
or Stoop. See Section 3.10.D, Projecting Architectural
Elements.

Ground Floor entrance connected to
sidewalk
Ground Level facade is completely transparent to
make the interior active uses visible to exterior
Parking Located at the back screened
by the building
Lobby entrance connected
with the parking entrance
View from the back of building where the parking is located .

The building lobby has an entrance from the parking lot.

The whole Ground Floor facade is provided with large windoes that allow all ground floor uses be visible from the street View from main street where the office building has the main entrance and Ground level facade has it’s most active uses

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Opening cut to create a new courtyard
entrance into the complex
E. Specific to Adaptive Re-use Commercial/Industrial Buildings

1. Intent and Applicability. The intent of these
standards is to promote and make feasible the
adaptive reuse of valued existing buildings so that they can continue to connect Indio to its history while also contributing to its quality of life.

2. Standards
a. Big Box Re-use
i. Big Box to Office: Conventional office spaces benefit from natural light. To bring in more light:
ii. Introduce windows per the requirements of Section

3.10.B)
(a) Cut an opening or skylights in the roof to create a courtyard or atrium to bring light into the center
of the floorplan,.
iii. Big Box to Specialized Uses (indoor recreation
or entertainment, theater, library, medical
facilities): Some uses do not require natural light
for operations and only need simple reconfiguration
of the interior.
b. Former Industrial / Light Industrial building Re-use Like the Big Box condition, though some ceilings may
be lower than Big Box standards, which are typically
higher than 20’. Lower ceilings (16’ or lower) may make it suitable for uses such as art gallery/hospitality/event space (example images) private uses (examination
rooms) should not be located on the Corridor-facing
facade.

Courtyard example of a reconversion of a old Shopping Mall into a office campus
Adaptive reuse of a warehouse into a restaurant.

Adaptive Reuse of a Bix Box Store into an office campus

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a. Strip Mall Re-Use
i. Pedestrian-Prioritizing Sidewalk Improvements.

Along the Corridor, sidewalks shall be wide and
protected by landscaping and bollards to be a
suitable gathering environment.
ii. Extra Outdoor Dining/Gathering Space. Existing
buildings can better engage the public realm through
the addition of indoor/outdoor spaces such as dining
terraces.
iii. Building Frontage Improvements. Street-facing
frontages shall be designed to take full advantage
of their prime positioning by having large windows,
outdoor seating, and comfortable access from the
sidewalk.
iv. Controlled Entry Points. Entrance drives shall
be controlled with traffic signals where feasible or
guided by medians so that there aren’t too many left
turns that can cause traffic conflicts.

Prioritizing pedestrian improvements
Outdoor Dining / gathering spaces along frontage of the building Building frontage improvements with large windows and
comfortable side access
Controlled entry points with traffic signals
Simple improvements to existing parking lots and building facades can significantly enliven and renew older strip shopping centers

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F. Specific to Non-Conforming Parking Lots / “Parking Blocks”

1. Intent and Applicability
It is anticipated that in the early phases of the evolution of the Corridor from the current low-density, suburban pattern to the more compact and intense urban patterns defined by the Mixed-Use Corridor Zone, it may economically infeasible to construct the structured parking facilities envisioned to support higher development intensities. In order to support near-term investment in new infill development—while also providing the infrastructure and block structure to support long-term realization of the envisioned Mixed-Use Corridor Zone—this section provides standards for such surface parking lots as a fourth type of Limited Use.

Such parking lots may be located within the same block as the buildings and uses that they are intended to serve, or in an adjacent block, across one or more streets from the uses that they are intended to serve. In some very limited cases, in order to support near-term implementation of the complete public realm network and block structure intended for the MixedUse Corridor (MU-C) Zone, up to an entire block may initially be occupied by a surface parking lot. Appropriately designed, landscaped, and screened from public views—in accordance with the parking lot design standards of this Plan and the UDC— such a parking lot could contribute to the envisioned evolution of the 111 Corridor. Parking lots that occupy significant portions of selected city blocks are not uncommon in well-established downtowns and other commercial and mixed-use centers.

As new street networks and block structures are defined for each Subarea through the Master Planned Development
process, approval of parking lots that do not conform to the standards of Section 3.12 may be granted through the AUP or CUP process, upon the findings in Section 3.14.F.2 below.

2. Standards & Guidelines. The following shall apply:
a. Framework. The proposed parking lot shall lie within a block that is in conformance with an approved
Subarea Master Public Realm & Connectivity Plan that
defines a street network and block pattern meeting the
requirements of Section 3.6 and Section 3.7 and the intent of the MU-C Zone. Non-conforming parking lots may fill
a portion of or an entire block.
b. Maximum Length Along Blvd 111. Such lots may span no more than 400’ of length along 111 Blvd (see Figure 3.14-4). c. Adjacent Parking Lots. Non-conforming parking lots
which fill only a portion of their respective blocks may be adjacent to each other, provided that they do not exceed the maximum length along Blvd 111 when added together
(see Figure 3.14-5). Blocks which are filled with parking, or “parking blocks,” may not be adjacent to each other. A Limited Use parking block shall be no less than 500 feet from any other Limited Use parking block.
i. Exception. Parking blocks in support of Adaptive-Reuse are exempt from this Standard.
d. Lot Configuation for Phased Development. Through the Master Planned Development process, the applicant must
establish a block plan for the block in which the parking lot is proposed. That block plan shall define lots that are consistent with one or more development types allowed in the MU-C
Zone. The proposed parking lots shall be designed within one or more lots of the block in which it is proposed, such that other lots within the block may be developed with buildings conforming to the standards of Section 3.8, Building Placement & Access without significantly restructuring the proposed parking lot.
e. In blocks that are sized and configured to accommodate surface parking lots and/or future parking structures within the interior of the block, the proposed parking lot should occupy that area, extending into surrounding street-fronting lots only to the extend necessary to meet near-term parking requirements.
f. Whenever possible, such parking lots should not be located on corner sites, which should be built with or reserved for buildings whenever possible.
g. Like all street-adjacent parking lots, proposed parking lot shall be screened from street views by walls and landscaping as required in Section 3.12.D, and vehicular and pedestrian access from adjoining streets to the parking lots shall provided as required in Section 3.12.D.

3. Required Findings. The following required findings shall be made prior to the approval of a Limited Non-Conforming Parking Lot:
a. That constructing adequate parking facilities that conform to the Standards of Section 3.12 would be financially infeasible under current market conditions.
b. That the proposed parking lot, the block within which it is located, and the adjoining street network are configured to facilitate the future development that is consistent with the vision and standards of this Plan.
c. That in order to reduce the number of parking spaces to a practical minimum, whenever possible such parking lots shall be shared by more than one property or business or use through shared parking agreements or managed by a
parking district.
d. That the proposed parking lot meets all other applicable parking lot design standards of this Plan and the UDC.

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Figure 3.14-4 Conceptual Parking Block Configuration
Figure 3.14-5 Conceptual Parking Half-Blocks Configuration 400’ Maximum
See § 3.14.F.2
111 Blvd
111 Blvd
111 Blvd
111 Blvd
Street
Alley
Street
Alley
Alley
Street
AlleyAlleyAlley
StreetStreet
StreetStreet
A B
A + B = 400’ Maximum
See § 3.14.F.2
MU-C Zone MU-C Zone NG NG
Street
Street

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This Chapter Covers:

4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

4.2 Private Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

4.3 Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

4.4 Public Realm Funding Phasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

4.5 Anti-Displacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

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4.1 | Introduction
Government Code Section 65451 requires that a Specific
Plan provide a program of implementation measures
necessary to carry out its proposed land uses, infrastructure, development standards, and other criteria. Chapters 1,
2, and 3 present the vision, land use and urban design
principles, and development standards necessary to
revitalize Highway 111.

The 111 Specific Plan has been prepared to attract and shape new investment, economic development, and housing (a
minimum of 500 units consistent with project grant funding requirements) within the CSP, systematically transforming it from a sparsely developed highway commercial strip to a beautiful city center boulevard. The CSP is intended to deliver large quantities of diverse housing choices, new employment, new commercial and recreational amenities
serving local, citywide and regional customers, and highquality public gathering places within a series of humanscale, walkable, transit-ready neighborhoods, centers and districts along the Corridor.

The intensities, patterns, and forms of development
envisioned and required by this plan are different in a number of important respects from prevalent development practices in the Coachella Valley in recent decades,
the implementation of which will require customized
implementation strategies. In particular, the placemaking goals of the CSP - and of the General Plan on which it is based – require very close coordination of the planning and design of new buildings and site improvements with that of the infrastructure and public realm network that supports that development. They also require close coordination
of each new development project with existing and future adjacent development projects so that the built results deliver a seamless city center fabric, rather than a string of separate projects connected by a highway.

Achieving this ambitious vision will require new levels of coordination between all City departments and new levels of collaboration between the City and property owners and developers. The procedures and processes necessary to
systematically implement this Plan’s goals, vision, policies and standards are presented in Section xxx, Administration.

This Chapter identifies the strategies and related policies to make this happen. The strategies are categorized into four topics: Private Development, Economic Development, Public Realm, and Anti-displacement.

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4.2 | Private Development
A. Introduction
Private development along the 111 Corridor should support housing goals along with economic development goals and work to bring the corridor to a more human scale that feels safer for active transportation.

Under the SB2 grants that funded the 111 CSP, the City
is required to add a minimum of 500 new housing units.

The Corridor should be able to support significantly more housing that should be stepped to transition between the Corridor and adjacent single-family neighborhoods.

The Corridor should allow for commercial retail uses in key nodes and support job-generating uses that promote
citywide sustainable economic development goals.

B. Development Program
As noted in Chapters 1 and 2, much of the Corridor is
currently occupied by older, one-story buildings and vacant land. At the same time, the vision for the future also includes multi-story housing and mixed-use buildings that provide community activity nodes offering commercial amenities
well-connected to adjacent neighborhoods.

Aside from affordable housing, which relies on federal
and other subsidies, private development must be rooted in sound economic conditions. It is likely that two and three-story housing adjacent to – and connected to –
existing neighborhoods will precede multi-story mixed-use development along the Corridor. Such new housing along
with the existing neighborhoods, will build a critical mass of customers that can support new retail concentrated
in nodes, or centers, along the Highway 111 frontages.

Following this development pattern, the summary amounts estimated and analyzed, in the Highway 111 Corridor Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are as follows:
• Non-Residential: Up to xxx square feet
• Residential: Up to x,xxx dwellings
City staff will monitor quantities of new development
by subarea annually. It is anticipated that the General Plan will be updated approximately every 10 years, and
future updates and EIRs will take into account all 111 CSP development at that time, plus that projected by potential future Highway 111 Corridor Specific Plan EIR updates.

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C. Policy and Strategies
STRATEGY 4.2.1: Promote the Use of CEQA
Guideline 15183 Exemption to Incentivize
Residential and Other New Development that
Provide Corridor-Wide Benefits.

Private development that adheres to the objective standards outlined in the CSP may be eligible for CEQA exemption
under Guideline 15183, which allows a streamlined
environmental review process for projects consistent with existing zoning and the General Plan.

STRATEGY 4.2.2: Adopt Administrative Policy
to Prioritize New Development that Provides
Corridor-Wide Benefits.

Residential development will help the Corridor build a critical mass to support additional retail and commercial uses.

Similarly, result of commercial parcels that provide public realm improvements that would benefit the entire Corridor (e.g., active transportation network segments) should be eligible for development organizational prioritization that could include express permitting and/or a concierge service that provides Corridor developers with dedicated staff to walk developers through City process.

STRATEGY 4.2.3: Analyze the Reduction of NonDevelopment Impact Fees for New Development.

One way to incentive development under current market
conditions, would be to reduce City-generated development fees for planning, building, and engineering services. The City should analyze the impacts of reducing fees. If the reductions do not significantly impact the City’s ability to provide services, it could offer affordable housing projects a 75 percent fee reduction and market-rate development
a 45 percent reduction over a short period (e.g., five years) to make development along the corridor more attractive to the development community.

STRATEGY 4.2.4: Evaluate the Feasibility of
Reducing Development Impact Fees for New
Development.

The City does not currently receive impact fee revenues charged on new development. Any reductions in existing
impact fees would require a vote of approval from the
City Council and the City to pay collecting agencies from the General Fund. The City should explore the feasibility and potential fiscal impacts of development impact fee
reductions for new development that provides affordable housing units or other identified CSP-identified public realm improvements to adjacent sites.

STRATEGY 4.2.5: Promote Affordable
Homeownership Opportunities along the
Corridor.

Parcels or portions of lots abutting single-family
neighborhoods provide opportunities to develop affordable homeownership units. City staff should market the Specific Plan with these opportunities to developers that build
affordable ownership units and provide staff assistance to interested developers. While the City should not act as a broker, it can facilitate introductions between developers and property owners, where appropriate.

STRATEGY 4.2.6: Analyze the Potential of a
Housing Sustainability District or Workforce
Housing Opportunity Zone along the Corridor.

Affordable Housing can act as a catalyst for development and bring the population to an area that needs a critical mass of residents to support commercial uses. In addition, the Housing Element identifies a number of vacant and
underutilized sites along the Corridor for affordable housing development. The City should evaluate the feasibility of adopting either a Housing Sustainability District (HSD) or Workforce Housing Opportunity Zone (WHOZ) along
the corridor to promote and support affordable housing
development. Both designations would allow for ministerial review of housing development; however, the HSD requires that 20 percent of all district units be made affordable and that all district construction pays prevailing wages, while the WOHZ requires the adoption of a statute compliant Housing Development Plan (HDP). The City should evaluate which
designations would be more appropriate for the Corridor.

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STRATEGY 4.2.7: Promote Ground-Floor Retail in
Mixed-Use Center Overlay Areas .

Requiring ground-floor retail as part of all multifamily or office developments can result in a large amount of vacant ground-floor retail space. New retail will follow residential development. To best support new retail along the corridor, the City should focus on short-term retail opportunities within the mixed-use center overlay areas which represent current and future centers of economic gravity where the corridor connects to existing neighborhoods.

STRATEGY 4.2.8: Allow Flexible Temporary Uses
in Ground-Floor Retail Spaces.

Until there are enough residents to support new retail
along the corridor, the City should allow and encourage the use of flexible, temporary uses in ground floor spaces.

Buildings should promote “retail ready” spaces that include minimum of 12-foot ceilings and are designed so that future compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) for commercial use is not precluded. Temporary
ground floor uses could include residential amenities, art gallery space, pop-up shops, or other short-term uses.

STRATEGY 4.2.9: Phased Development of
Subareas.

In the short-term, to build a critical mass that can support more intensive development along the corridor frontage, the City should allow for partial development of sites at lower intensities along the backs of parcels adjacent to existing residential neighborhoods. This provides density transitions that can appropriately step development intensity down
from Corridor frontage sites to areas directly adjacent to single-family housing. On average, the CSP should achieve General Plan density/intensity goals.

STRATEGY 4.2.10: Adopt a Transfer of
Development Rights Program for the Corridor.

As a way to create value and encourage higher densities and intensities along the Corridor frontage, the City should adopt a transfer of development rights (TDR) program for each subarea (see Figure xxx) or corridor segment (see Figure xxx) along the corridor. The program would allow parcels adjacent to single-family neighborhoods to sell excess
development rights (density and/or FAR) to parcels along the corridor frontage. This would create value for parcels allowed to develop at lower intensities closer to existing single-family neighborhoods and promote higher densities/ intensities along the Highway 111 Corridor.

STRATEGY 4.2.11: Hire a Housing Developer
Recruiter. The City should consider hiring a consultant with ties to local, regional, and statewide multifamily residential developers to market the Corridor for development
opportunities.

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STRATEGY 4.2.12: Adopt a Development
Monitoring Program for tracking New
Development by Subarea.

The City should prepare and implement a Development
Monitoring Program (DMP), to systematically track the types, intensities and amounts of residential and commercial
development entitled and constructed within the Plan Area.

While the City does routinely review development in relation to General Plan
goals and objectives, because development within the
Downtown and 111 Corridor are top General Plan Priorities – classified in the “Make it Happen” priority level – a special program is warranted for the Corridor.

The vision for the amounts, types and intensities of
development in the Corridor is ambitious and will require many years to be fully realized. As current and nearterm market conditions are more likely to support lower development intensities than those envisioned in the
long term, the standards of this Plan have been crafted to enable some development of Limited Uses as described in Section 3.14 to catalyze new development and bring early investment to the Corridor.

The DMP will provide the City with a tool to ensure that, over time, the amounts and types of development as
envisioned by the General Plan and this Corridor Specific Plan are attained. This program is intended to provide a reasonable degree of flexibility in the design and approval of individual development projects to meet current market conditions, while progressing steadily toward attainment of the community’s vision for the Plan Area. Key elements and actions of the DMP should include:
a. Master Table of “Development Targets”: Develop a
Master Table for the total number of dwelling units,
square footages of retail uses, square footages of
employment uses, and potential targets for recreational uses and parks space. This master table will provide
such totals on a Subarea by Subarea basis - see Figure

3.4.2 – and for the Plan Area overall. The Downtown
Specific Plan Area might also be considered for
inclusion in this program, or a comparable program
could be developed specifically for Downtown. While
these are two distinct Specific Plans, they are effectively one single real estate market, and the General Plan
prioritizes them both in similar terms.
b. General Plan EIR Consistency: The target totals in
the Master Table should be closely correlated with
the build-out estimates that informed the Project
Description for the EIR Finding of Consistency prepared for the Corridor Specific Plan. The target totals might be further refined based on subsequent market
analysis or policy direction from the City Council..
c. Ongoing Monitoring. On a continuous basis the City
will tract the quantities and types of development in
each Subarea for which development applications have
been filed, for projects that have been entitled, and
projects that are under construction or completed.

The City will conduct a review – annually or some other interval, as determined practical and effective – to
compare development totals for each Subarea to the
target totals. The development quantities – expressed
as a percentage of the target totals – will be compared to the percentage of the Subarea – by acreage –
associated with the propose or built development.
d. Limited Uses. The DMP will define thresholds at
which approval of Limited Land Uses approvable per
the requirements of Section 3.14 will no longer be
considered.
e. The DMP may also include provisions whereby
developers of projects within the same Subarea –
or potentially also in adjacent or nearby Subareas
– may buy or sell “Credits” through the Transfer of
Development Rights (TDR) program recommended
in Strategy 4.2.10.

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4.3 | Economic Development
A. Introduction
Job-generating commercial uses along the Corridor
should focus on providing living-wage opportunities
for Indio residents. These can include internships and
apprenticeships for Indio students and residents, as well as higher paying jobs for workers at a variety of skill levels.

Economic development opportunities can also focus on
promoting small businesses and protecting the health of existing retail along the Corridor.

B. Policy and Strategies
STRATEGY 4.3.1: Adopt a Policy Prioritizing the
CSP as a Jobs Corridor
City staff should actively market and prioritize the Highway 111 Corridor for job-generating uses. Businesses looking for appropriate sites should be directed to first evaluate sites along the Corridor for development. City staff should create and maintain a database of CSP sites appropriate for job-generating uses documenting key site characteristics of interest to commercial users including visibility, access, developable area, easements, etc. City staff should also provide business concierge services to businesses locating along the corridor that provides guidance and assistance throughout the development and permitting processes.

STRATEGY 4.3.2: Hire Economic Development
Recruiter
The City should hire an economic development recruiter to assess and market sites along the Corridor to businesses.

The recruiter should have experience with key industries located along the corridor including healthcare, government, and education, and have experience attracting new
industries to similar locations.

STRATEGY 4.3.3: Target Key Industries for Growth.

The City should meet with representatives from key Corridor industries once a quarter to understand issues related
to possible expansion, employment needs, and location
factors to support the continued success of these industries, as well as any new or emerging industries. Discussions
should include information related to critical adjacencies to customers or suppliers to inform City economic development staff about potential industries to target for future location, desirable workforce skills, and potential internship and apprentice programs. Key industries currently located along the Corridor for initial outreach include
a. Healthcare in subareas surrounding the JFK Hospital, b. Government in the southerly blocks of downtown
across 111 from the County Justice Center,
c. Education in subareas around JFK Hospital and the
Justice Center, and
d. Boutique auto technology and service use in the east end.

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STRATEGY 4.3.4: Connect Corridor Businesses to
Workforce Development Organizations
The City should facilitate connections between Corridor businesses and institutions and workforce development
organizations, like College of the Desert, to promote
the coordination of training programs and workforce
development to support Corridor businesses.

STRATEGY 4.3.5: Annual Tour of East End
Industrial Uses
The City should coordinate a tour of commercial and
industrial spaces located along the east end of the Corridor to promote the continued use of this area for job-generating services.

STRATEGY 4.3.6: Lobby for and Support
Legislation Provides Tax Incentives for New
Development.

The City should lobby for and support state legislation that could provide a property or other tax incentives to new development that creates or promotes economic growth.

This could include new tax increment financing legislation, extensions or leveraging of Opportunity Zones, as well as other policies and programs under consideration.

STRATEGY 4.3.7: Adopt and Implement a Façade
and Frontage Improvement Program.

The City should evaluate the viability of implementing a Façade and Frontage Improvement Program within the 111
CSP. The program could provide matching grant funds or
low-cost loans to property owners and tenants to improve and/or restore commercial building and property frontages along Highway 111. Funds should be limited to those
improvements that conform to the Development Standards
and Design Guidelines of the CSP.

STRATEGY 4.3.8: Provide Business Support
Through Branding and Coordinated Marketing.

Coordinated branding and marketing of the 111 CSP can
strengthen existing retail and promote the success of new retail. The City should facilitate discussions with property owners and tenants about coordinated marketing campaigns that focus on existing and emerging retail nodes, rather than the entire corridor.

STRATEGY 4.3.9: Attend Annual Conferences
Related to Development and Business Attraction.

Form relationships with local chapters of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), International Economic Development
Council (IEDC), and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and attend one conference per year to meet developers, economic development practitioners, and/or
expanding retailers; stay apprised of land use, regulatory, and other trends that can assist City staff in successfully positioning and supporting 111 CSP businesses; and, market 111 CSP opportunities.