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Aerial
SUNNYLANDS SECTION
31 RANCHO
MIRAGE
COUNTRY
CLUB
EISENHOWER
MEDICAL
CENTER
EA22-0012, GPZMA22-0002, SP22-0002, DA22-0003, TPM22-0004, & PDP22-0001 Frank Sinatra Drive
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ATTACHMENT 1
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Planning Division
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Phone 760/328-2266
P U B L I C H E A R I N G N O T I C E
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
Thursday, July 20, 2023 – 1:00 p.m.
Desert Island Hotel
Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012, General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA22-0002, Specific Plan Amendment Case No. SP22- 0002, Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22 -0004, Development Agreement Case No. DA22-0003, and Preliminary Development Plan Case No. PDP22-0001.
Applicant: FM71777 LLC.
Request: Consideration to repurpose approximately 17.2 acres of the existing Desert Island golf course with a new 34-key boutique hotel comprised of four (4), 1-story buildings totaling 33,940 square feet, 11 private residences totaling 56,844 square feet, hotel grounds for guest use with tennis, pool, 852 square foot café, lounge area and 2,572 square foot yoga pavilion, along with additional 376 parking spaces. A new golf training park, and 7,818 square foot golf maintenance building will replace the existing driving range and old maintenance building that will be eliminated to make room for the new facilities. General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002) will change the underlying zoning designation from “Open Space-Private (OS-PV)” to “Resort Hotel (Rs-H)” for 10.2 acres where the proposed hotel and residences will be located. The Specific Plan Amendment (SPA22-0002) will introduce the hotel use to the Desert Island Specific Plan.
Location: 71777 Frank Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA, 92270 APNs:688-040-001; 688-050-005; 688-060-006; -008.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be held before the City of Rancho Mirage CITY COUNCIL RE: consideration of the above-referenced application pursuant to Rancho Mirage Municipal Code Title 17. An environmental assessment application was submitted for the subject project and the determination was made that the project required an initial study. An Initial Study has been prepared to result in the recommendation to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). A Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration was published in the Desert Sun on June 4, 2023. The 30-day public review period for the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration commenced on Monday, June 5, 2023, and will end on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
The Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., in the Council Chamber, 69-825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, California, at which time and place ATTACHMENT 2
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EA22-0012, GPZMA22-0002, SPA22-0002, TPM22-0004, DA 22-0003, & PDP22-0001 July 20, 2023
pertinent testimony will be heard. The file, including all environmental information, is available for public inspection at City Hall, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Written testimony may be submitted to the City Clerk via email to [email protected], or mailed to City of Rancho Mirage, ATTN: City Clerk, 69- 825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. Written testimony must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting to be considered by the City Council.
GOVERNMENT CODE § 65009 NOTICE: If you challenge this proposed activity in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the Public Hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council sufficiently prior to the Public Hearing to enable its consideration by them.
Vicinity Map – Not to Scale
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STAFF REPORT
Planning Commission Staff Report AGENDA ITEM #
TO: Planning Commission DATE: June 22, 2023 FROM: Pilar Lopez, Senior Planner
SUBJECT: Desert Island Hotel - Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012, General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA22-0002, Specific Plan Amendment Case No. SPA22-0002, Development Agreement Case No. DA22- 0003, Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22-0004, and Preliminary Development Plan Case No. PDP22-0001.
SPECIFIC REQUEST OR RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. [next in line] recommending that the City Council take the following actions:
a)Adopt Resolution [next in line] approving the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) for the Proposed Project based on Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012; b)Adopt Resolution [next in line] approving General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002), to change the underlying zoning designation of the Subject Property from Open Space-Private (OS/PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H) for 10.5 acres where the proposed hotel and residences will be located; c)Introduce and adopt Ordinance [next in line] approving Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002) to add hotel use to the Desert Island Specific Plan; d)Introduce and adopt Ordinance [next in line] approving the Development Agreement by and between the Developer and the City of Rancho Mirage (DA22-0003); and e)Adopt Resolution [next in line] approving Tentative Parcel Map (TPM22-0004) and Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001) regarding the Proposed Project.
ATTACHMENTS:
1.Aerial
2.Public Hearing Notice
3.Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration
ATTACHMENT 3
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4. Draft Specific Plan Amendment
5. Draft Development Agreement
6. Resolution of the Planning Commission recommending that the City Council Approve Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve a Statutory Development Agreement, a General Plan Zoning Map Amendment, a Specific Plan Amendment, Tentative Parcel Map, and Preliminary Development Plan for the Desert Island Hotel Project.
7. Resolution approving and adopting the proposed Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Desert Island Hotel Project and approving and certifying the Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) based on Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012
8. Resolution approving proposed General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No.
GPZMA22-0002 change the underlying zoning designation of Open Space-Private to Resort Hotel
9. Ordinance [next in line] approving Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002) to add hotel use to the Desert Island Specific Plan
10. Ordinance [next in line] approving the Development Agreement (DA22-0003) by and between the Developer and the City of Rancho Mirage
11. Resolution approving the proposed Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22-0004 (TPM38399) and proposed Preliminary Development Plan Permit Case No. PDP22-0001 for the Desert Island Hotel Project
12. City Attorney’s Independent Analysis
13. ARB Minutes dated January 23, 2023
14. ARB Minutes dated February 27, 2023
15. ARB Minutes dated March 27, 2023
16. Draft Notice of Determination
17. PDP Exhibit Booklet
18. Desert Island HOA Letter dated June 6, 2023
19. Public Comments
FACTS:
1. Applicant/Property Owner: FM71777, LLC.
2. Purpose of Request: The project will repurpose approximately 17.2 acres of the existing Desert Island golf course with a new
34-key boutique hotel comprised of four (4), 1-story
buildings totaling 33,940 square feet, 11 private
residences totaling 56,844 square feet, hotel
grounds for guest use with tennis, pool, 852 square
foot café, lounge area and 2,572 square foot yoga
pavilion, along with an additional 376 parking
spaces. A new golf training park, and 7,818 square
foot golf maintenance building will replace the
existing driving range and maintenance building
that will be removed to make room for the new
facilities. A General Plan Zoning Map Amendment
is proposed to change the underlying zoning
designation from “Open Space-Private (OS-PV)” to
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Date: June 22, 2023 EA22-0012, GPZMA22-0002, SP22-0002, DA22-0003, TPM22-0004, & PDP22-0001 Page 3 of 44
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“Resort Hotel (Rs-H)” for 10.5 acres where the
proposed hotel and residences will be located. The
Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002) will
introduce the hotel use to the existing Desert Island
Specific Plan.
3. Location: 71777 Frank Sinatra Drive
Assessor’s Parcel Numbers: 688-040-001; 688-
050-005; 688-060-006; -008.
4. Parcel Size: 17.2 Acres
6. Existing Land Use: Private Open Space (OS/PV) and R-L-2 for existing Desert Island Residences.
7. Proposed Land Use: Resort Hotel (Rs-H) / Private Open Space (OS/PV)
8. Surrounding Land Use: North: Frank Sinatra Drive, Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated with Desert Island Golf and
Country Club
East: Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated with
Desert Island Golf and Country Club and
Clubhouse
South: Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated
with Desert Island Golf and Country Club
West: Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated
with Desert Island Golf and Country Club
9. Environmental Information: The recommendation is to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) based on
Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012
pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act
Section 15074.
10. Date Staff Deemed
Application Deemed Complete: June 6, 2023
PROJECT SUMMARY
The project will repurpose approximately 17.2 acres of the existing Desert Island golf course with a new 34-key one-story boutique hotel, 11 private residences, hotel grounds for guest use with tennis courts, pool, café, cabana, and yoga amenities, along with additional onsite parking.
A new golf training park, and golf maintenance building will replace the existing driving range, and the old maintenance building that will be removed to make room for the new facilities.
The proposed hotel is intended for use as a high-end venue with guests booking multi-day overnight stays. The proposed hotel and residences will be located west of the existing clubhouse. 10.5 acres of the 17.2-acre project site will be designated as Planning Area 1 “Boutique Hotel & Residences” and to be converted from the current zoning of Private Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H).
The following applications comprise the entitlement package: Environmental Assessment, General Plan Zoning Map Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Development Agreement, and Preliminary Development Plan.
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BACKGROUND
The Desert Island project was originally approved by the County of Riverside in 1971 with multiple residential towers, a 25-acre lake, and an 18-hole golf course under Conditional Use Permit 1252 and Tract Map 4195. The project was annexed to Rancho Mirage in 1973 when the City was incorporated. By 1979, three towers containing 226 units, a golf course, lake, clubhouse, and ancillary buildings had all been constructed per the original County approvals.
However, reliance on the original County approvals for a fourth tower was denied by the City in 1989. To address this, the Desert Island Specific Plan was proposed and approved in 1993 to facilitate the construction of two additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions. To date, additional towers have not been built.
PROJECT ENTITLEMENT
Given multi-faceted nature of the proposed project, the applicant submitted several entitlement applications that are being processed concurrently pursuant to RMMC Section 17.36.020 which requires that “[a]n applicant for a development project that requires the filing of more than one application, shall file all related applications concurrently unless waived by the director,” and “permit processing and environmental/design review shall be concurrent.”
• Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012: For environmental determination pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). • General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002): The GPZMA will amend the project General Plan and Zoning designation from Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H).
• Specific Plan Amendment Case No. SP22-0002: The SPA will allow the Desert Island Specific Plan to include hotel uses.
• Development Agreement Case No. DA22-0003: The Development Agreement will allow the development of 11 hotel residences.
• Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22-0004 (TPM38399): The TPM will create parcels to contain the hotel and residential uses.
• Preliminary Development Plan Case No. PDP22-0001: The PDP will provide design detail and ensure quality architecture, landscape and site design.
The Mitigated Negative Declaration is the environmental assessment of the potential environmental impacts for the project as a whole. This is the first application in the entitlement package because the environmental assessment provides the support and justification (from an environmental perspective) for considering the project’s entitlements. The ordinance approving the Development Agreement memorializes the operational standards that are agreed upon for the hotel and condo-hotel (residential) component of the project. The General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA) must be approved prior to changing the current zoning to Resort Hotel (Rs-H) and considering the Specific Plan Amendment (SP), which is needed in order to approve the Tentative Parcel Map and the Preliminary Development Plan (PDP). The TPM and PDP, if approved, would allow the construction and operation of the hotel and other uses that are not permitted uses in the existing OS-PV zoning district.
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HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION (HOA)
On June 6, 2023, the City received a letter of support for the project from the Desert Island Community Association Board of Directors. The letter indicated that a survey would be sent out to homeowners to obtain a majority opinion and they expected to receive a response in support of the project. The letter also stated that the farthest west entry lane at the Frank Sinatra Drive entrance would remain open at all times during operations. The letter is included as Attachment
15. DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (DA22-0001)
In California, cities are allowed to enter into development agreements with any person(s) or entity(ies) having a legal or equitable interest in real property for the development of property in order to establish certain development rights in the real property.
A development agreement is intended to provide assurances to the developer that an approved project may proceed subject to the policies, rules, regulations, and conditions of approval applicable to the project at the time of approval, regardless of any changes to the City’s policies, rules, and regulations after the project approval. This is in exchange for assurances that the City will receive certain payment of fees, the installation of certain unfractured, and other benefits the City cannot otherwise unilaterally impose as conditions of approval of the project outside the context of a negotiated development agreement. Development agreements basically eliminate a lot of uncertainty in planning, secure orderly development of the projects, assures progressive installation of improvements and provides the least economic cost to its residents.
The Development Agreement for the proposed project is necessary for the condo-hotel component of the project. It is very important to note that a condo-hotel is not a timeshare project, since the ownership of a condo-hotel unit constitutes an interest (ownership) in real property, whereas ownership of a timeshare unit constitutes an interest in a share of time in a timeshare unit.
Pursuant to Section 17.30.095 of the RMMC, the development standards applicable to resort hotels apply to condo-hotel units projects, unless otherwise provided by a development agreement. Under the proposed Development Agreement, the applicant (developer) will be permitted to construct up to eleven (11) condo-hotel units and thirty-four (34) hotel rooms, with the number of condo-hotel units constituting twenty-four percent (24%) of the total sum of both condo-hotel units and hotel rooms planned for the proposed project.
Per RMMC Section 17.30.095, the following provisions are required in development agreements:
RMMC Requirement Development Agreement
Development Standards. The development
standards applicable to resort hotels shall
apply to all condo-hotel projects unless
otherwise provided in this chapter or pursuant
to a development agreement.
The project is consistent with this provision.
Conversions. No existing hotel room or
existing hotel facility or structure shall be
The proposed project is a new development
and there are no existing hotel rooms or hotel
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RMMC Requirement Development Agreement
converted to condo-hotel status unless
otherwise permitted pursuant to a
development agreement.
facilities are being converted to condo-hotel
status. The Development Agreement
addresses this issue in Section 11.
The number of units of a condo-hotel project
that may be condo-hotel units shall be limited
to no more than ten percent of the project’s
total sum of condo-hotel units and hotel rooms
combined unless otherwise permitted
pursuant to a development agreement.
The proposed project will consist of eleven
(11) condo-hotel units and thirty-four (34)
hotel rooms, with the number of condo-hotel
units constituting twenty-four percent (24%)
of the total sum of both condo-hotel units and
hotel rooms planned for the proposed project.
The Development Agreement addresses this
issue in Section 11
Each owner of a condo-hotel unit shall enter
into an agreement with a professional hotel
management entity/company which, at a
minimum, provides that the management
entity/company will collect all transient
occupancy taxes required on rentals of that
owner’s unit, outside the owner occupancy
periods, whether or not such rentals are
handled by said management
entity/company. The management
entity/company shall then be responsible for
forwarding transient occupancy taxes to the
city in accordance with the city’s transient
occupancy tax regulations.
This is addressed in Development Agreement
Section 11
The professional management
entity/company designated to collect transient
occupancy taxes pursuant to this section must
have at least five consecutive years of
experience, meeting the First-Class Hotel
Standards and having no fewer than ten other
properties (in separate cities, or distinct and
separate projects in any given city, nationally
or internationally) under current management
unless otherwise provided pursuant to a
development agreement. (Ord. 932 §7, 2006)
This is addressed in DA Section 11
Development Impact Fees: Development Impact Fees, or DIF fees, are fees charged to new residential and nonresidential projects which are intended to recover a reasonable and proportional share of the cost of public facilities and infrastructure improvements that serve or will benefit that project. The Developer shall pay the City’s Development Impact Fees set forth in Chapter 3.29 of the Municipal Code on all new development square footage at the City’s commercial rates in effect as of the date of the ordinance enacting the agreement.
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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CASE NO. EA22-0012
An environmental assessment application was submitted for the proposed project and the determination was made that the project required an Initial Study. An Initial Study has been prepared resulting in the recommendation to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND).
Mitigation measures were recommended for Biological Resources. A Notice of Determination will be filed with the Riverside County Clerk once a final determination has been made by the City Council. The complete Initial Study, along with the Mitigation Measures, is included as Attachment 3 – Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration.
An Initial Study/Negative Declaration was first circulated for public review for a 30-day review period starting on April 24, 2023 to May 23, 2023, the City received two comment letters. A response to comments was included as Appendix F in the Draft IS/MND (Attachment 3). The City received one formal letter from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) commenting on the document requesting additional mitigation measures to be incorporated.
While the City is not required to respond to comments, Sections 21091(d)(1) and 21092.5 of the Public Resources Code (PRC) and Section 150874 (b) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines require that prior to project approval a Lead Agency must consider all comments received before making a final determination. With due consideration of the proposed mitigation measures, the City recirculated the document and revised the recommendation from a Negative Declaration to a Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) and incorporated three mitigation measures related to Biological Resources. A Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration was published in the Desert Sun on June 4, 2023, and distributed to interested parties. The issues raised in the comment letters were taken into due consideration while preparing the Draft MND. A 30-day public review period for the revised Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration commenced on Monday, June 5, 2023, and will end on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. A draft revised IS/MND with the requested mitigation measures has been included as Attachment 3.
AB 52 & SB 18 Tribal Consultation:
The City initiated tribal consultation in accordance with Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52) and Senate Bill 18 (SB 18) on August 8, 2022, with contacts for twenty-one (21) tribes and representatives provided by the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) notifying them of the proposed project. The City received one comment letter from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI) on September 7, 2022. The Tribe responded that the project area is not located within the boundaries of the ACBCI Reservation, but it is within the Tribe’s Traditional Use Area. The Tribe requested any copies of cultural resource documentation generated in connection with the proposed project be provided. No additional correspondence or requests for formal consultation were received and the SB 18 and AB 52 noticing period was concluded.
The notices provided pursuant to AB 52 and SB 18 did not elicit any requests for formal consultation, nor identify any Tribal Cultural Resources within or near the proposed project area.
GENERAL PLAN ZONING MAP AMENDMENT CASE NO. GPZMA22-0002 The purpose of the General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (“GPZMA”) is to amend the existing underlying General Plan zoning designations on the project site from Open Space (OS/PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H). 10.5 acres of the 17.2-acre project site will be designated as Planning Area 6-15
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1 Boutique Hotel & Residences and to be converted from the current zoning of Private Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H). GPZMA area is limited to the Planning Areas 1A, 1B, and 1C which consists of 10.5 acres of the 17.2-acre project site. The Rs-H Zoning District allows for the development of hotels and destination resorts with limited, ancillary commercial uses, such as spas, recreational facilities, restaurants, lounges, and small retail shops that directly support the primary use.
Although the Specific Plan will guide development on the site, changing the underlying zoning designation to Rs-H will provide more consistency between the Specific Plan and the General Plan. In addition, this GPZMA will help achieve and/or establish the framework for implementation of Goals, Policies and Programs within the Land Use Element of the City’s General Plan.
GOAL LU4: High-quality commercial land uses conveniently and appropriately distributed throughout Rancho Mirage, to meet the community’s current and future needs and to take full advantage of emerging development and economic opportunities
Response: The Rs-H land use designation allows for the development of hotels and destination resorts. The General Plan states “Transient occupancy tax (also termed “bed tax”) is generated by the City’s hotels and is an important component of the City’s general fund operating revenues.” The proposed zone change would allow for the repurposing of an existing property into a thoughtfully planned, revenue-generating, 34-key hotel with eleven (11) residential units that will be designed with sensitivity to the surrounding existing uses. This new source of revenue to the City will help fund public services.
SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT CASE NO. SP22-0002
The purpose of the Desert Island Specific Plan Hotel Amendment is to create a comprehensive planning document that will guide development of the project site. As stated in the City’s General Plan, specific plans seek to generate development of exceptional quality through flexible planning and design. Specific plans differ in that they are intended for larger, more complex projects that integrate a variety of residential and non-residential land uses. Specific plans can also permit uses, development standards, and density/intensity levels beyond those allowed in the City’s Zoning Code. In return, specific plans require an applicant to demonstrate exceptional design quality and amenities, as well as a phased, cost-effective extension of infrastructure.
This Specific Plan Amendment is intended to guide future development and use of land within project site boundary, including the establishment of site-specific development standards and regulations. The Specific Plan Amendment is intended to ensure quality development consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan.
Pursuant to Section 17.54.020 “Intent” of the Municipal Code, a specific plan adopted by ordinance shall replace the base zoning district for the subject property, and the development standards and guidelines identified in the specific plan shall take precedence over the general standards and guidelines contained in Title 17 “Zoning” of the Municipal Code. In short, if adopted, the Desert Island Specific Plan Hotel Amendment will become the regulatory planning 6-16
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document for the 17.2-acre project site, superseding certain provisions within Title 17 (Zoning) of the Municipal Code and amending the original Desert Island Specific Plan.
Organization
The Specific Plan is organized into four chapters as described below:
Chapter 1. Introduction – Pages 1-2
This section provides an overview of the document, project setting and history, legislative authority for the Specific Plan, entitlement process, and other contextual information.
Chapter 2. Master Plan – Pages 3-12
This section describes the primary master plan components required for further development of the property. These include land use, circulation, water and sewer, grading and drainage, and the development concept. The proposed project is divided into eight planning areas (PA).
The planning areas are briefly summarized below:
• PA-1A: Hotel – PA-1A will include the 34-key boutique hotel. Each hotel key will be designed as a self-sufficient luxury residence with a chef’s kitchen, generous floor plan, private garden, and exclusive exterior entrance. The hotel portion is to be comprised of four (4) one-story hotel buildings that are staggered to provide differentiating facades.
The two (2) one-story north hotel buildings will have a total of twenty (20) studios. The one-story south hotel buildings will have eleven (11) studios, two (2) two-bedroom suites, and one (1) 3-bedroom suite. The southeast hotel building will have a Manager/Reception area with a housekeeping room as well as an employee bathroom.
• PA-1B: Hotel Grounds/Gardens – PA-1B will include the area between the hotel and the existing lake. This area is planned as an outdoor desert garden for recreation and relaxation. Amenities planned for this area include a hotel pool, pool café, tennis court, and shaded cabanas.
• PA-1C: Residences – PA-1C would include eleven (11) one-story residences. Most of the residences are attached units with one detached.
• PA-1D: Yoga Pavilion/Golf Green – PA-1D provides a private yoga pavilion to be constructed on a small island owned by the golf course.
• PA-1E: Access Road – PA-1E would realign and widen the existing golf cart path to 24 feet to provide a secondary gated emergency access to Frank Sinatra Drive.
• PA-2A: Maintenance Building – PA-2A would replace the existing maintenance building with a new one east of the main entry. The maintenance building will accommodate handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composting. The building placement allows for separation of maintenance and clubhouse/resort operations.
• PA-2B: Clubhouse/Parking – PA-2B contains the Golf Clubhouse and existing parking 6-17
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lots. No new structures are proposed in PA-2B. New additional parking spaces are proposed near the new maintenance building to take advantage of its extended driveway configuration to augment on-site parking capacity. Tandem parking is proposed for valet use.
• PA-2C: Golf Practice Facility – PA-2C includes an area reserved for a new golf training park as a replacement for the current driving range that will offer golfers a professionally programmed facility to improve their game. It will consist of an 18-hole tournament putting green, short game training areas, and free-standing virtual golf simulator equipment.
The planning areas, use, proposed acreages, and land use designations are provided in the table below:
PA No. PA Use Area Propose Land Use Designation
1A Hotel 2.5 ac Resort Hotel (Rs-H)
1B Desert Gardens/Pool/Tennis 2.2 ac Resort Hotel (Rs-H) 1C Hotel Residences 4.6 ac Resort Hotel (Rs-H)
1D Yoga Pavilion 1.0 ac Private Open Space (OS/PV)
1E Access Drive 0.2 ac Private Open Space (OS/PV)
2A Maintenance Building 0.6 ac Private Open Space (OS/PV) 2B Existing Clubhouse & Parking 4.8 ac Private Open Space (OS/PV) 2C Golf Practice Facility 1.3 ac Private Open Space (OS/PV) Grand Total 17.2 ac
Chapter 3. Development Standards – Pages 13-15
This chapter identifies the development standards applicable to the Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan area. The establishment of the site-specific development standards are intended to guide orderly development within the Specific Plan Amendment area, while also maintaining some flexibility to respond to changing conditions which may be a factor in any long-term development.
The below tables show the proposed development standards for the various Planning Areas:
Hotel and Grounds (PA-1A, 1-B)
Max building coverage 45%
Min. building setback from property line* 10 feet
Min. building separation 10 feet
Accessory Structures Per RMCC Section 17.30.090
Max. building height 24 feet or 1 story, the lesser
Shade Canopies/Artwork 16 feet
Required parking per guest room 1.1 parking space
*10-foot setback from property line. The northern property line is approximately 200 feet from the Frank Sinatra Drive ROW and the southern property line is approximately 480 feet from the nearest residential tower.
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Residences (PA-1C)
Max building coverage 40%
Min. building setback from property line 10 feet
Min. building separation 10 feet
Accessory Structures Per RMCC Section 17.30.190
Max. building height 24 feet or 1 story, the lesser
Required parking per unit 2-car garage plus ½ guest space
Yoga Pavilion (PA-1D)
Max building coverage 20%
Min. building setback from property line 10 feet
Max. building height 20 feet or 1 story whichever is less Required parking None, ancillary to the hotel
Maintenance Building (PA-2A)
Max building coverage N/A
Min. building setback from the property line 10 feet
Max. building height 20 feet or 1 story whichever is less Required parking 22 parking spaces
Golf Training Area (PA-2C)
Max building coverage N/A
Min. building setback from the property line 10 feet
Max. building height 20 feet or 1 story whichever is less Required parking None, ancillary to golf course
Chapter 4. Design Guidelines– Pages 16-17
The prescribed architecture and design of the proposed project is a modern inspired theme with materials that portray a serene, upscale retreat environment complementary of the surrounding local desert.
Chapter 5. Administration – Page 18
This chapter describes the procedures for administration and implementation of the Specific Plan Amendment. This section defines processes for administrative and formal changes, interpretations of regulations, and enforcement of the Specific Plan Amendment.
Chapter 6. Relation to General Plan – Page 18
The Desert Island Specific Plan Hotel Amendment was developed with the Goals and Policies of the 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan in mind. Below is a list of some of the Goals and Policies being implemented:
GOAL LU-2: A balanced mix of functionally integrated land uses, meeting the general social and economic needs of the community through simplified, compatible, and consistent land use and zoning designations.
Response 1: The Specific Plan Amendment will replace the base zoning of the 6-19
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subject property and will provide the context for development of a hotel with an expectation for high-quality development. In addition, a vision for the 17.2-acre site is being established and has been planned comprehensively to complement adjacent residential land uses.
POLICY LU 2.1: Specific plans shall be required, where appropriate, to ensure new development achieves high-quality building, design, and development standards and provides amenities above those expected in conventional development.
Response: The project site is well suited for a specific plan amendment for a hotel development since the existing specific plan doesn’t address the proposed uses and design. It is imperative that the 17.2-acre site be designed and planned in a comprehensive and integrated way. A piecemeal approach to the planning and development of this site would result in an inferior product. The proposed specific plan amendment has defined expectations with regard to design, development, and operational standards and proposes high quality amenity features.
The Desert Island community is currently governed by the Desert Island Specific Plan (approved in 1991 and revised in 1993). The Desert Island Specific Plan was established to facilitate the construction of two additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions.
The residential towers had a maximum height of 65 feet. However, the additional towers have not been built. The Desert Island Specific Plan includes a set of illustrative plans and design guidelines that establish continuity with the buildings proposed in 1991. The Desert Island Specific Plan Amendment proposes the development of a boutique hotel, eleven residences, hotel amenities, a golf training facility, maintenance building, and an overflow/valet parking area.
The below table provides a summary analysis of the proposed Desert Island Specific Plan Amendment consistency with the 1991 Desert Island Specific Plan Design Guidelines:
Desert Island Specific Plan
Design Guidelines Project Consistency
The architectural style of each building
shall provide visual interest created through
the cohesive quality of the architectural
elements, including windows, doors, patios
and balconies, and roof lines.
Consistency: The project proposes a high-quality
boutique hotel with outdoor amenities, hotel
residential units, a golf training facility, and a new
maintenance building on approximately 17.2 acres
within Desert Island golf course. The project will
include architecture and a color-scheme that
maintains consistency with the existing community
design and the natural environment.
Scale: The scale of the project would result in the
most efficient use of the parcel size and shape.
The scale of the additional infrastructure, i.e.,
lighting features, landscaping, etc., will be
consistent with the surrounding area.
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Height: The maximum building height of the
proposed hotel will be 24 feet or 1-story,
whichever is less.
Residential buildings 4 and 5 shall be sited
to assure the provision of a minimum 25-
foot setback from the lake where
emergency vehicle access is required, and
a minimum set back of 45 feet from new
auxiliary parking areas.
Not Applicable: This guideline refers to the
residential towers 4 and 5. However, the project
proposes a secondary access to Frank Sinatra
Drive to be accommodated by widening the
existing gated entry at the northwest corner of the
golf course from 12-feet to 24-feet to provide
secondary emergency vehicle access.
Residential buildings 4 and 5 shall be
restricted to a height limit of 65 feet above
elevation of pad to assure full exploitation
of the lake as stormwater retention, to
assure compatibility with Building No. 3 and
to provide adequate clearance for
underground parking approaches.
Not Applicable: The tallest building proposed for
the project will be 24 feet or 1-story. The project-
specific preliminary hydrology report confirms that
the minimal additional flows will be generated from
the proposed development, the 100-year 3-hour
storm event will have a minimal impact on the on-
site lake/retention (2’ free board). Therefore, the
project meets the hydrologic requirements
established by the City of Rancho Mirage.
The design, height, and massing of
residential buildings 4 and 5 shall
subsequently conform to the spirit of the
architectural style of the plans and
elevations presented in the Specific Plan,
and shall complement and enhance to
architectural styles developed at Desert
Island. Architectural detail may diverge to a
limited extent from established
relationships to allow the use of more
current floor/space plans and window
treatments.
Consistent: The project proposes an amendment
to the existing specific plan for the development of
a high-quality boutique hotel and outdoor
amenities, hotel residential units, a golf training
facility, and a new maintenance building on
approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island.
Although the architecture and color-scheme
proposed for the project diverges from the existing
buildings on the Desert Island site, the project
proposes a mid-century modern design,
consistent with the existing buildings onsite. The
project proposes simple, lightweight steel frame
structures organized linearly with a metal clad
gable roof. The project architecture will
incorporate natural materials and textures such as
wood and stone, concrete, gravel, and crushed
granite, painted metal panels and structural steel
using a color palette consisting of earth-tones.
Large expanses of glass doors will maximize the
natural light exposure and provide generous views
of the landscape. The over-arching roof structures
of all the buildings will provide shade and reduce
glare. Additionally, the proposed building and roof
structure will complement the existing clubhouse
building, which also includes a gable roof.
Scale: The scale of the project would result in an
efficient use of the parcel size and shape. The
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Date: June 22, 2023 EA22-0012, GPZMA22-0002, SP22-0002, DA22-0003, TPM22-0004, & PDP22-0001 Page 14 of 44
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scale of the additional infrastructure, i.e., lighting
features, landscaping, etc., will be consistent with
the surrounding area.
Height: The maximum building height of the
proposed hotel will be one-story or 24 feet.
Each residential building shall provide two
underground parking spaces for each unit
planned in the building. One additional
outdoor space shall be required for each
unit.
Not Applicable. The project does not propose
underground parking for the 34-key hotel guests,
or 11 residential dwellings as surface level parking
has been provided. The project proposes surface
hotel parking, residence parking, golf, and
overflow/valet parking. The total parking is 376
spaces.
The mansard-style roof-line used on the
other residential buildings shall be
incorporated in to the two residential
buildings to assure that all mechanical
equipment is screened from ground view or
from other buildings on the site.
The project does not propose the residential
towers referenced in the existing specific plan and
does not include mansard-style roof lines.
Mechanical equipment is not proposed on the
roofs of the project buildings and will be fully
screened.
Site planning for each residential building
shall provide a design which integrates the
building with the established character of
the site and the similar treatments utilized
with the first three (residential) buildings,
and shall be in substantial conformance
with the SP.
Consistent: The project will be designed to be
cohesive with the existing Desert Island buildings.
As previously stated, the project proposes mid-
century modern design consistent with the existing
buildings onsite. The project will include simple,
lightweight steel frame structures organized
linearly with a metal clad gable roof. The project
architecture will incorporate natural materials and
textures such as wood and stone, concrete,
gravel, and crushed granite, and painted metal
panels and structural steel using a color palette
consisting of earth-tones. Large expanses of glass
doors will maximize the natural light exposure and
provide generous views of the landscape. The
over-arching roof structures of all the buildings will
provide shade and reduce glare. Additionally, the
proposed building and roof structure will
complement the existing clubhouse building,
which also includes a gable roof.
Site planning of the proposed residential
buildings shall respect and preserve views
from existing buildings to the greatest
extent practical.
Consistent: The proposed buildings will not
exceed one-story. The proposed 34-key hotel will
include the development of four, 1-story hotel
buildings. The hotel buildings will be developed
parallel to Frank Sinatra Drive, approximately 218
feet from the Frank Sinatra Drive ROW. This
orientation is proposed so that all hotel rooms
have unobstructed panoramic views of the Santa
Rosa Mountains south across the golf course.
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Site planning activities shall take into
account existing major landscape
elements, and shall attempt to conserve
these elements where they currently exist,
or to move and reintegrate these into the
project landscape plan. Every effort should
be made to integrate drought tolerant
plants into the planting plan.
Consistent: The project landscape plan was
submitted as part of the Preliminary Development
Plan (PDP22-0001) and includes a detailed
landscape plan for the project site.
Pools and spas shall be developed in
conjunction with covered pavilions, with
pool facilities to be placed as to maximize
the southern exposure and minimize
shading from adjacent structures.
Consistent: the proposed pool is oriented south of
the hotel buildings, minimizing shading from the
proposed structures. Structures are not proposed
south of the pool.
A building-specific homeowner’s
association (HOA) shall be established to
assure the maintenance and parking, pool
and other facilities specific to each building.
Each building HOA shall be a member of
the umbrella HOA which together are
responsible for the maintenance of all
common areas and facilities for all Desert
Island residents.
Consistent: Although the project does not include
the use of an HOA, the hotel operator will be
responsible for the project site. Along with the
proposed hotel, the 11 residences will be fully
managed and maintained by the hotel operator as
stated in page 4 of the Specific Plan Amendment
(Attachment 4).
Prior to the issuance of building permits, the
developer shall secure approval of required
plans and applications from the City,
including detailed site plans and project
architecture and landscape architecture.
Consistent: As a part of the project entitlements, a
Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001)
application is also being considered which
provides design detail and ensures quality
architecture, landscape and site design. If the
Preliminary Development Plan is approved a Final
Development Plan will be required prior to
applying for Building Permits.
TENATATIVE PARCEL MAP CASE NO. TPM22-0004 (TPM38399)
The purpose of the Tentative Parcel Map (“TPM”) is to subdivide the hotel and residences (Planning Areas 1A, 1B, and 1C) into three (3) separate parcels and two (2) common area lots.
The TPM area is limited to 9.30-acres within the existing driving range (APN:688-040-001).
Parcel 1 and 2 are for the hotel development. Parcel 3 will contain the condo-hotel residences.
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The table below summarizes the proposed parcels:
Parcel No. Size PA
No. PA Use Propose Land Use
Designation
Parcel 1 1.21 acre 1A Hotel Resort Hotel (Rs-H)
Parcel 2 3.01 acre 1B Desert
Gardens/Pool/Tennis Resort Hotel (Rs-H)
Parcel 3 4.31 acre 1C Hotel Residences Resort Hotel (Rs-H) Access Lot “A” 0.33 acre 1C Frank Sinatra Drive
Access Street Resort Hotel (Rs-H)
Access Lot “B” 0.44 acre 1A Grand Aisle Access
Driveway Resort Hotel (Rs-H)
PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN CASE NO. PDP22-0001
The purpose of the Preliminary Development Plan (“PDP”) is to identify project specific activities which are intended to commence in the near-term. As mentioned above, the Specific Plan Amendment provides general guidance for the development of the property. The PDP takes it a step further in providing architectural and engineering details at the project level. The PDP can be thought of as a tool to implement the Specific Plan Amendment and is a necessary step which needs to be considered prior to issuance of Building and Engineering permit issuance.
The project site, located within Desert Island Country Club, currently operates as a golf course, parking and maintenance area. The project proposes the development of a hotel, hotel residences, golf training facility, new maintenance building, and adjustments to overflow/valet parking. The conversion of the golf course to a hotel with residences will provide a supplemental revenue source to help maintain the golf operations and enhance hospitality and dining opportunities in the clubhouse for the residents of Desert Island. The project’s architecture is designed to be consistent and complimentary to the existing Desert Island buildings, and will include varying heights, and setbacks.
The Desert Island Hotel Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001) proposes to reconfigure a portion the existing golf course. The PDP booklet is broken up into five sections The sections include the following: 1) “Engineering” that includes the master site plan, phasing, and grading plan; 2) “Sight Analysis” for sight line analysis and parking exhibits; 3) “Architecture” includes the architecture of the hotel, hotel residences, maintenance building, pool café, yoga pavilion, and tennis pavilion; 4) “Landscape Architecture” details the proposed landscape; and 5) “Photometric” that includes the lighting specifications for the project.
Site Grading & Drainage – Pages 4 & 5
The Planning Areas that will include development and be graded are the following: PA-1B: Hotel Grounds/Gardens; PA-1C: Residences; PA-1D: Yoga Pavilion/Golf Green; PA-2A: Maintenance Building. The proposed pad elevations have been determined by the topography of the site and will be verified and determined by the City Engineer.
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The proposed pad elevations for the Planning Areas are listed in the table below and are appropriate for subject area where they are located:
Planning Areas Proposed Pad Height
PA-1B: Hotel Grounds/Gardens 241.35 feet to 248.83 feet PA-1C: Residences 245.23 feet to 248.03 feet
PA-1D: Yoga Pavilion/Golf Green 245.00 feet
PA-2A: Maintenance Building 237.53 feet to 239.33 feet
Desert Island Country Club includes an artificial lake configuration with a surface area of approximately 27 acres that serves as the retention system for stormwater runoff generated by the country club facilities, including the project site, during storm events. Per the preliminary hydrology study, the existing retention capacity is provided by approximately two (2) feet of freeboard across the lake system. For context, two feet of freeboard across a lake area of approximately 27 acres is equivalent to approximately 2.3 million cubic feet of available stormwater volume capacity. Runoff from the project site and other portions of the Desert Island Country Club property are conveyed to the lake retention system primarily via surface flows.
The existing storm drain system is not hydrologically connected or conditioned to discharge into off-site public facilities or natural drainage resources. The proposed development will comply with the City’s retention requirements by continuing to rely on the existing lake retention system.
Conveyance of stormwater runoff from the project site will occur primarily via surface flows with some instances of piped conveyances, as determined by the final grading plan and hydrology plans. The preliminary hydrology study estimates that the project would produce approximately 25,938 cubic feet in response to the controlling (worst-case) 100-year storm event. Although the final runoff quantity will be confirmed in the final plans, the preliminary drainage analysis has found that the project runoff would not impair the available retention capacity provided by the lake freeboard (approximately 2.3 million cubic feet across the 27-acre system).
Master Site Plan – Pages 1 & 2
Setbacks
All proposed buildings within the project site shall meet the required setbacks as specified in the Specific Plan Amendment development standards for their respective Planning Areas. The northerly hotel building is located approximately 218 feet from the Frank Sinatra Drive right of way. For reference the existing clubhouse is located approximately 78 feet from the nearest proposed hotel building to the west. The most easterly residence is located approximately 164 feet from east property line. The maintenance building will be setback approximate 54 feet from Frank Sinatra Drive right of way and 221 feet from the nearest lake. The project site boundaries are located 700 feet from the nearest residential tower within Desert Island.
Lot Coverage
The existing site currently holds 68,700 square feet of structures that include the clubhouse and the existing maintenance building.
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As the table below shows, the applicant complies with the lot coverage requirements of the Specific Plan Amendment.
Land/Buildings Planning
Sub-Area
Max.
Building
Coverage
per SPA
(%)
Parcel
Parcel
Area
(SF)
Proposed
Building
Area (SF)
Calculated
Parcel
Coverage
(%)
Hotel &
Grounds
PA-1A 45% Parcel 1 52,624 17,410 33%
PA-1B 45% Parcel 2 131,073 16,530 13%
Residences PA-1C 40% Parcel 3 187,308 56,844 30%
Yoga Pavilion PA-1D 20% APN:688-
060-008 39,640 2,572 7%
Maintenance
Building PA-2A N/A APN:688-
050-005 987,505 7,818 1%
Access and Circulation – Page 2
The existing golf cart path on the northwest portion of the project site will be realigned and widened to 24 feet to provide a gated emergency vehicle access constructed to Fire Department standards. Additional circulation improvements will include a new emergency access road off Frank Sinatra Drive. The project entrance can accommodate up to 16 vehicles before they reach the greeting station. The City received a letter of support from the HOA on June 6, 2023 (Attachment 15) stating that the farthest west entry lane at the Frank Sinatra Drive entrance would remain open at all times during operations. The exhibit on page 2 of the PDP Booklet (Attachment 14) shows the circulation plan for the proposed hotel and residences. Hotel guests will enter through the main gate where they will be directed via signage and striping to a greeting station. The greeting station will consist of a hotel staff member and a portable umbrella. From that point, the guests will proceed directly to their assigned parking where they can either enter their room directly or be met by hotel staff. Any errant vehicles will continue around the clubhouse port-cochere driveway and exit at the main gate. Pedestrian circulation is provided within the project’s low-speed, low-volume private streets and golf cart paths as is common in desert resorts. The project will be ADA-compliant.
Parking – Page 11
The Specific Plan Amendment requires 1.1 parking spaces per key, which is consistent with the parking standards in the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code. The PDP proposes 34 keys which equate to 38 spaces. The applicant has provided 93 spaces which is a surplus of 55 spaces.
Parking is provided in each use area, with the Grand Aisle, which is the access driveway and parking area for the hotel structure. Dedicated garages and guest parking spaces are provided at each hotel residence. East of Island Drive, the relocated maintenance building affords an opportunity for additional golf/clubhouse parking. The eleven residences will have a minimum of two-car garages and driveways to allow for additional guest parking. As proposed, there is a surplus of 117 spaces within the project area.
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The table below summarizes the parking tabulation for the project site:
Description
Vehicle
Spaces
Ratio per
SPA
New
Facilities
Spaces
Required Spaces Provided Surplus
Spaces
Hotel
1.1 Space
per Guest
Room
34 Guest
Rooms 38
Existing New Total
- 93 93 55
Hotel
Residences
2.5 paces
per Unit
11 Residences 28 - 49 49 21
Golf Course
/ Clubhouse N/A 161 161 161 41 202 41
H.O.A.
Offices N/A 10 10 - 10 -
Maintenance
Building
22 Spaces
per Building 22 22 22 22 -
Total - 259 171 205 376 117
Covered Parking
Municipal Code Section 17.26.070 requires a minimum of 25% of the provided parking to be shaded. The applicant proposed 93 spaces under the Grand Aisle and an additional 13 by the maintenance building’s overhang for a total of 106 shaded parking spaces, which is 28% of the provided parking.
Grand Aisle – Page 24
The hotel frontages will be lined with shade structures that are both a functional and artistic element for the project. The shade structures will be artistic designed shade canopies with a dappled, filtered shading effect. The structures are proposed to be a maximum height of 16 feet and be an art installation commissioned from Ball-Nogues Studio.
ADA Parking
Pursuant to Section 17.26.060 of the RMCC, a proposed project of 301-400 parking spaces shall provide a minimum of eight (8) ADA parking spaces. There are currently two (2) ADA parking spaces for the clubhouse. The applicant proposes nine (9) additional ADA parking spaces within the project area, which will exceed the requirement by three (3) spaces.
Architecture – Pages 12-54
The architecture and color-scheme proposed for the project diverges from the existing buildings on the Desert Island site but maintains a take on mid-century modern design.
The project proposes simple, lightweight steel frame structures organized linearly with a metal clad gable roof. The project architecture will incorporate natural materials and textures such as wood and stone, concrete, gravel, and crushed granite, and painted metal panels and structural steel using a color palette consisting of earth-tones. Large expanses of glass doors will maximize the natural light exposure and provide generous views of the landscape. The over-arching roof 6-27
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structures of all the buildings will provide shade and reduce glare. All proposed buildings and roof structures will complement the existing clubhouse building, which also includes a gable roof.
The Desert Island Hotel introduces rich color and material board of vibrant greens, stone, steel, and wood features. The same materials are used within every new building to create a cohesive project. Heights and facades vary per individual building to create interest.
Hotel – Pages 13-24
The specific plan sets a maximum height of 24 feet or one-story, whichever is less. The four (4) one-story buildings will have a maximum height of 14’-4”. The steel frames will be a muted green tone with the doors and frames to be rich green, drawing from the surrounding environment. The roof will be slate grey metal. Corten steel is used on the staircases leading from the parking lot to the northern building entrances and stone accents provide contrast.
Hotel - Floor Plan
The proposed hotel will include the 34-key boutique hotel. Each hotel key will be designed as a self-sufficient luxury residence with chef’s kitchen, generous floor plan, private garden, and exclusive exterior entrance. The hotel portion is to be comprised of four (4) one-story hotel buildings that are staggered to provide differentiating facades. The two (2) one-story north hotel buildings will have a total of twenty (20) studios. The one-story south hotel buildings will have eleven (11) studios, two (2) two-bedroom suites, and one (1) 3-bedroom suite. The southeast hotel building will have a Manager/Reception area with a housekeeping room as well as an employee bathroom. The hotel building heights are proposed at 14’- 4”, far below the maximum allowed height of 24 feet. The following is a breakdown of the various hotel units:
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Hotel Residences – Pages 25-30
The Specific Plan Amendment sets a maximum height of 24 feet for the residences. The applicant proposes a maximum height of 23 feet to the top of the ridge with most of the structures’ height measuring a maximum of 19’-6”. The residences will be similar in design to the hotel to maintain continuity and avoid contrasting design aesthetics and incorporate the same roof line and colors and materials.
Hotel Residences – Floor Plan
The hotel residences will be 4,091 square feet with 600 square foot garages. Each hotel residence will have a private pool and outdoor space as well as a two-car garage. The floor plan provides 3-bedroom suites, and a private master suite. AC units will be under the roof.
The following table describes the square footage breakdown of the residences:
Owner’s Residence – Pages 31-35
The owner’s residence is a 5,134 square foot 5-bedroom home with a 1,228 square foot three- car garage and a 992-square-foot detached studio. The home is designed with expanded overhangs that function as both a major design feature and protect the expansive glazing from solar exposure while taking advantage of surrounding views. Similar to the other residences the owner’s residence incorporates the materials and colors of the hotel in order to create a unified project. The maximum height of this structure is 19’ – 6”, which is in compliance with the maximum height of 24 feet for the Planning Area 1C.
Maintenance Building – Pages 36-39
The 7,818 square foot maintenance building will accommodate the handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composting. The building placement allows for separation of maintenance and clubhouse/resort operations. The existing maintenance building will be demolished and replaced by this proposed 7,818 square foot building, which is designed in a similar format as the hotel.
The building will be used for back-of-house activities. The maximum height of this building is 14’- 7”, which is in compliance with the maximum height of 20 feet for Planning Area 2A.
Pool Café – Pages 40-45
The 852 square foot pool café will be an accessory structure and feature a bar and shaded seating areas to provide food and drink to the hotel guests as they enjoy the pool and lounge area amenities. The pool café ‘s architecture is similar to the hotel, but with a maximum height of 15 feet.
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Yoga Pavilion– Pages 46-49
The 2,572 square foot yoga pavilion will be an open floor plan structure that will support a variety of fitness activities that would range from private exercise classes to equipment-based exercises. Expanded patio overhangs and large windows allow the outdoors to integrate with the indoor environment. This building is proposed at a maximum height of 18 feet, and is in compliance with the proposed Specific Plan Amendment.
Tennis Pavilion – Pages 50-54
A small 214 square foot bathroom facility will be located by the tennis court. The design is similar to the other buildings on site and maintains the cohesive vision of the project. This building is proposed at a maximum height of 10’ – 7”, which is in compliance with the proposed Specific Plan Amendment.
Landscaping – Pages 55-64
An overall illustrative landscape plan is shown on page 56 in the PDP Exhibit Booklet.
Landscaping around the property is strategically designed to frame the views to the surrounding mountains using natural boulders, trees, shrubs and ground cover. Drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and accents will be utilized to both enhance the property and complement the desert environment. Per the RMMC Section 17.24.040, project areas over 1-acre are required to have trees at a ratio of 30% 36-inch box, 50% 24-inch box, and 20%15-gallon with shrubs at 60% 5- gallon and 40%1-gallon. These ratios will be required once the Final Development Plan landscape plans are submitted. Although the project will include four phases, the proposed landscape will be part of phase one.
There are 6 distinctive landscape areas within the overall project site:
1. Golf Edge Desert Planting
a. Additional landscape berming is proposed along the new emergency access road to increase privacy of the residences directly south. Palo Verde trees (36-inch box) will provide shade and palm trees (12’ BTH) will aid in adding a lush feel. Accent agaves and cacti round up the plant pallete (15-gal to 5-gal).
2. Hotel Residence Courtyard
a. Within the hotel residences, the landscape design idea is a vibrant desert palette with abundant plantings to create a tranquil environment as agaves (5-gal to 15- gal) are interlaced with yucca and palms. Added berming is proposed on the east side of the owner’s residence to reduce any vehicle glare or light pollution for the hotel properties.
3. Pool Gardens
a. Eighty lounges with custom movable lounge furniture are set along the pool with palms and desert plantings, creating a palm oasis experience. Live turf approximately 5% of the total Parcel 2 will be maintained by the pool café and pool area. The proposed live turf complies with the maximum 10% of live turf per the RMMC Section 17.24.040.
4. Grand Aisle & Hotel
a. The Grand Aisle landscape has been revised and incorporates additional finger planters and a mix of colored concrete to further break up the long stretch of 6-30
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driveway. The hotel landscape will feature agaves and cacti with Desert Gold decomposed granite as the ground cover.
5. Ornamental Agave Garden & Yoga Lawn
a. The agave garden and yoga lawn are within a manmade island and will retain the existing turf on the south side, while the north portion will have crushed grey rock and an agave garden.
6. Frank Sinatra Drive Edge Screening
a. Palo Verde trees and a continuation of an existing hedge along Frank Sinatra Drive will provide additional shaded parking. Decomposed granite will be laid on an eastern portion to provide overflow parking.
Photometric Plans & Lighting Specifications – Pages 65-72 Photometric Plans have been included in the Exhibit Booklet on pages 65-72 which demonstrate light containment on the property and show readings at all adjacent property lines to be zero foot candles. This is in compliance with City standards. The final lighting plans will be reviewed in detail during the Final Development Plan application for compliance. Condition of Approval #13 is added to ensure compliance with City policy at all times.
PHASING
The project will be constructed in four phases. The first phase would develop a portion of the southern hotel with outdoor recreation amenities, a yoga pavilion, a golf training facility, and the proposed secondary access to Frank Sinatra Drive (along the west side of Desert Island). Phase two would develop residences 7 and 8, at the western side of the site. Phase three would develop residences 5, 6, 9, and 10¸and the maintenance building and parking areas to the east. Finally, phase four would develop the southern hotel (14-keys), residences 1 through 4, and the owner’s residence. The northern hotel (20-keys) pad will be left undisturbed or reseeded with live turf until constructed until Phase 4.
FINAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT (FDP)
Prior to the issuance of any building permits, the applicant shall submit a Final Development Plan and pay the requisite fees. The FDP shall include detailed written responses to each of the project’s conditions of approval along with final sets of construction, grading, lighting and landscaping plans.
Any revisions that are in substantial compliance with the original project, and do not trigger the need for additional environmental analysis, can likely be reviewed at the staff level through either the FDP process or Minor Modification process. If, however, there are wholesale changes to the project during the FDP review, the applicant shall be required to submit additional applications to modify the entitlement as necessary.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
The Specific Plan and Preliminary Development Plan was presented to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) on January 23, 2023, with a second review on February 27, 2023, and a third review on March 27, 2023. Board Members inquired about various aspects of the project, including the onsite circulation, design, and/or layout of the site. Upon conclusion of the discussion on March 27, 2023, the Board voted 4/1 to endorse the project with the condition that 6-31
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the Planning Commission further review the site circulation.
MAILING & NOTICING REQUIREMENT
This application request was publicly posted and mailed to all affected property owners within 500 feet of the parcel boundary pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 17.74 of the Municipal Code. Any information addressed to the Planning Commission, but received after completion of this final report, will be distributed at the public hearing.
Municipal Code Section 17.74.020, Hearing and notice, requires that all property owners, as shown on the county’s latest equalized assessment roll, within a five- hundred-foot radius of the boundaries of the subject parcel be notified of matters requiring a public hearing. If the number of property owners to whom the notice would be mailed to is less than twenty-five, then the mailing radius is required to be increased to one thousand feet as measured from the exterior boundaries of the subject parcel. The Notice is also required to be published in a local newspaper of general circulation and in public places. The subject notice was published in The Desert Sun on Sunday, June 11, 2023. The notice was also posted at City Hall, The Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory, and on the City’s website on June 8, 2023.
SUMMARY
The proposed project incorporates design and layout inspiration from the existing Desert Island Community. Development of this proposed project would successfully implement multiple goals and polices as listed in the Rancho Mirage General Plan, and the project has been analyzed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
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CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL :
Special conditions (or portions thereof) are designated by bold.
GENERAL :
1. All improvements shall conform to the provisions of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code (RMMC), unless specifically modified by any of the following conditions.
2. Development of the Subject Property shall require the appropriate entitlement process as determined by the Planning Division.
3. The project entitlements are subject to the 15-year term set forth in the Development Agreement.
4. The applicant shall execute a written acknowledgment to the Planning Division stating acceptance of and compliance with all of the Conditions of Approval for Case Nos. EA22- 0012, GPZMA22-0002, SPA22-0002, DA22-0003, TPM22-0004, & PDP22-0001 and that the plans submitted are in compliance with the Conditions of Approval. No modifications shall be made to said plans without written approval from the appropriate decision-making body.
5. The Conditions of Approval set forth herein may include certain fees, dedication requirements, reservation requirements, and other exactions. Pursuant to Government Code Section 66020(d)(1), these Conditions constitute written notice of a statement of the amount of such fees, and a description of the dedications, reservations, and other exactions. You are hereby further notified that the 90-day approval period in which you may protest these fees, dedications, reservations, and other exactions, pursuant to Government Code Section 66020(a), has begun.
6. Prior to issuance of any permits, the applicant shall acknowledge that the approved project and any or all proposed modifications to the approved project shall be completed in accordance with applicable City Ordinances, Guidelines, and other requirements in effect at the time of building permit issuance.
CONFORMANCE
7. The development of the subject property shall conform substantially with the approved exhibits contained in Case Nos. EA22-0012, GPZMA22-0002, SPA22-0002, TPM22- 0004, PDP22-0001 on file in the Planning Division of the City of Rancho Mirage. This includes all dimensional and size specifications, landscaping, hardscape, water elements, parking areas, design treatments (including color and materials), and the locations of buildings, structures and plant materials as shown in the Specific Plan Amendment document and the PDP exhibit as attached to this staff report.
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8. A revised General Plan Zoning Map Amendment exhibit in conformance with the proposed Specific Plan Amendment shall be submitted to the Planning Division prior to the consideration of the City Council.
PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT CASE NO. PDP22-0001:
FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN REQUIRED
9. A Final Development Plan application (FDP) shall be required prior to issuance of any grading or building permits (application on file with the Planning Division). The Final Development Plan (FDP) shall include a complete set of Building Construction Plans, Final Lighting Plans (including cut-sheets with Photometric Plan), Precise Grading Plan, Wall Plans, Final Landscaping and Irrigation Plans, a written response to the project Conditions of Approval, and any other requirements as listed in the Final Development Plan application.
10. The Development Services Director shall consider the Final Development Plan Permit application. He or she may approve a Final Development Plan permit if it substantially conforms to the Preliminary Development Plan and associated Conditions of Approval.
11. The approved Preliminary Development Plan may be modified only with City approval in a manner pursuant to Section 17.42.120 (Modification of a Development Plan Permit) and the terms of the Development Agreement. Minor modifications to an approved Preliminary/Final Development Plan may be considered by the Development Services Director.
12. The project shall be completed in accordance with the Ordinances, requirements, guidelines and other criteria in effect at the time of construction, and/or in accordance with the provisions in the Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan and Development Agreement.
FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN – LIGHTING
13. All new exterior lighting shall be shown on the Final Development Plan and shall be low- level directed lighting, energy-efficient and shielded or recessed so that direct glare and reflections are confined within the boundaries of the subject site. All pole or building mounted lighting shall be directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public right of way. Lighting shall not blink, flash, or be of unusually high intensity or brightness. All new lighting fixtures shall be appropriate in scale, intensity, and height to the building and shall be subject to review and approval by the Planning Division. A photometric Plan shall be required as a part of the Final Development Plan application and shall show a zero-foot-candle light reading at all property lines.
PRESERVATION OF SECURITY IN GATED COMMUNITIES
14. The applicant shall comply with Ordinance 815 PRESERVATION OF SECURITY IN EXISTING GATED COMMUNTIES whose purpose is to preserve the security of existing gated communities by regulating vehicular access to such communities while homes are 6-34
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being constructed within them. The ordinance requires the submittal and approval of a security plan.
OTHER
15. All green waste shall be disposed of at a permitted composting facility.
16. The applicant shall undertake or cause to be undertaken such action or actions as are necessary to permit and/or otherwise accommodate the implementation of recycling services. Such action or actions may include, but are not limited to: designating and providing adequate area at convenient locations with appropriate access for the placement of dumpsters and/or bin sets; constructing permanent enclosures that meet all requirements of the Code of the City of Rancho Mirage for each dumpster and/or bin set; providing for the security of each dumpster to discourage scavenging, and; providing adequate indoor area at convenient locations for the collection and short-term storage of recyclables. The applicant shall submit a “Recycling Program” that has been reviewed by an agent of the City, which, at a minimum, explains, states or otherwise defines: (1) recyclables generated by type; (2) estimate by pounds for each recyclable generated; (3) number of dumpsters and/or plastic bin sets (one set equals three “baskets”) needed to accommodate estimated recyclables; (4) location of each dumpster (may be identified on a map attached as an exhibit); (5) method of collection such as curbside at each residential unit or at rear of property by dumpster, etc.; and (6) pick-up schedule for recyclables. The applicant shall provide other such information as may be necessitated by the development proposal.
17. The development shall comply with the requirements of Assembly Bill AB341 which mandates recycling for all new commercial developments. Recycling containers shall be sized in accordance with the anticipated need as approved by the City’s contracted waste hauler. The applicant shall also participate in the Burrtec Organic and Food Waste Recycling program. Recycling bin enclosures shall be located and architecturally screened in accordance with the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code as approved by Staff.
18. As part of the FDP submittal, the applicant shall obtain a letter of compliance/approval from the City’s contracted Waste Hauler (Burrtec) for the design of their trash bin enclosures. Said enclosures shall be designed to accommodate trash, recycle, and organic waste receptacles as required by State law.
19. All water features shall be maintained in compliance with Ordinance No. 844.
20. All new landscaping shall be water efficient landscaping shall be installed and maintained in compliance with Chapter 17.24 (Landscaping Standards) of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code.
A. Vegetation with spikes that may be harmful to pedestrians shall be a minimum of three (3) feet away from walkways.
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21. The location of this project is considered an “infill site” with very close proximity to existing residences. Should the City receive complaints about construction noise from residents in close proximity of the project, the City may limit construction activities to the hours between 7am and 5pm.
22. The mitigation measures contained in the Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH Number 2023030308) based on Environmental Case No. EA22-0012 are hereby incorporated as Conditions of Approval. The property owner shall be responsible for implementing the mitigation measures contained within the adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration, as necessary.
PHASING
23. This is a Phased Project. The project will be constructed in four phases. The first phase would develop a portion of the southerly hotel with outdoor recreation amenities, yoga pavilion, golf training facility, and the proposed secondary access to Frank Sinatra Drive (along the west side of Desert Island). Phase two would develop residences 7 and 8, at the western side of the site. Phase three would develop residences 5, 6, 9 and 10¸and the maintenance area to the east. Phase four would develop the northerly hotel, residences 1 through 4, and the owner residence. The southern hotel pad will be left undisturbed or reseeded with live turf until constructed.
Each Phase is to be considered “stand-alone” and shall always provide secondary emergency access and all improvements within said phase to the satisfaction of the City Engineer and Fire Department as a part of the Final Development Plan for each respective Phase.
PLANNING DIVISION: Prior to approval of a Final Development Plan, the following Conditions shall be satisfied:
FILING FEES
24. Within 5 days of project approval the applicant shall submit to the City of Rancho Mirage a check in the total amount of $2,814 made payable to the City of Rancho Mirage for the CEQA filing fees for the IS/MND.
HARDSCAPE, LANDSCAPE AND SCREENING
25. In conformance with Rancho Mirage Municipal Code Chapter 17.24, a complete set of on-site and off-site Landscaping Plans and installation schedules shall be required for all public and private street parkway areas between any curb and the right of way line or perimeter wall, including any common areas, and shall be submitted to, and approved by the Planning Division prior to issuance of a building permit.
26. The plans shall be submitted as a Landscape Documentation Package in accordance with Ordinance No. 990. Such Plan(s) shall be consistent with the Preliminary Landscape Plan, and the applicant shall provide evidence that the landscape plan has been reviewed 6-36
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and approved by the Riverside County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner and the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) prior to issuance of permits as a component of the Final Development Plan (FDP) or conformance check.
27. Where walls are shown on the development plan they shall be designed with aesthetic relief and be of high-quality architectural design to compliment adjacent developments.
28. The final landscaping and irrigation plans shall incorporate the use of Evapotranspiration (ET) irrigation “smart” controllers which shall include automatic water scheduling, rain and temperature sensors. Prior to a final inspection, the landscape contractor shall verify in writing with Planning staff that controllers have been installed, are correctly programmed, and operate with these features. More information on smart controllers can be found at www.irrigation.com .
29. Landscaping, Wall and Grading Plans shall demonstrate that all electrical transformers, utility pads, cable TV and phone boxes, and similar utility fixtures will be screened, pursuant to Chapter 17.20 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code and/or installed underground if required.
LANDSCAPE VERIFICATION
30. The project landscape architect shall submit written verification that the landscaping and irrigation has been installed per the approved landscape plan.
31. The project approvals do not authorize any use of lands outside of the project boundaries depicted in the Specific Plan and Preliminary Development Plan.
32. All mechanical equipment must be screened.
BUILDING & SAFETY DIVISION: Prior to the issuance of Building Permits the following Conditions shall be satisfied:
TUMF FEE
33. The applicant shall pay the applicable Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee in effect at the time the Building Permits are issued.
LICENSE TAX FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
34. The applicant shall pay to the Building Division the License Tax for New Construction pursuant to Chapter 3.28 of the Municipal Code and Capital Facilities Needs Study to mitigate the impact of the development on said capital facilities, per the Development Agreement.
DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES
35. The applicant shall pay the commercial Development Impact Fees as a reasonable and proportional share of the cost of public facilities and infrastructure improvements that serve or will benefit the project in accordance with Chapter 3.29 of the Rancho Mirage 6-37
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Municipal Code, per the Development Agreement.
PAD CERTIFICATION
36. Prior to release of Building Permits, a Pad Certification submitted from a Licensed Land Surveyor or Civil Engineer, attesting to the elevation matching the rough grade pad elevation shall be submitted to validate the rough grading completion.
COMPACTION REPORT
37. Prior to the release of Building Permits, the Lot (s) for the building(s) shall have a compaction report submitted from a Geotechnical Engineer attesting to the buildable pad being compacted at least 90% of maximum relative density. If any over-excavation, or slopes steeper than 2:1, is needed for the building pad, a Geotechnical Engineer shall submit a document attesting to the acceptability of this non-standard earthwork in accordance with the recommendations of the preliminary soil report.
OPERATIONAL FIRE HYDRANT
38. In accordance with the Fire Marshall’s directives, Building Permits shall not be issued until an acceptable fire hydrant is operational and active within the required distance of the project.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS PLAN
39. In conformance with Rancho Mirage Municipal Code Chapter 7.07, construction and demolition debris from the project must be diverted from landfill and either recycled or reused to the maximum extent feasible. The applicant shall have prepared a Construction and Demolition Debris Plan (C&D Debris Plan) that shall be submitted to the Planning Division for review and must be approved by the City’s Compliance Officer prior to the issuance of any development, building, grading or demolition permit. For ease of preparing the C&D Waste Diversion Plan, the applicant may contact the Planning Division to obtain the outline and format for the Plan.
PERMITS & CLEARANCES
40. The applicant shall provide evidence of all applicable permit(s) or clearance(s) from the following agencies:
• City Engineer
• County Dept. of Environmental Health
• Rancho Mirage Planning Division
• Coachella Valley Water District
• Burrtec
• Palm Springs Unified School District
• Fire Marshal
• City Attorney
• City Contract Specialist
• SCAQMD
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CITY ATTORNEY: Prior to issuance of Building Permits the following Conditions shall be satisfied:
INDEMNITY AGREEMENT
41. As set forth in the Development Agreement, the applicant shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City, its agents, officers, and employees from any claim, action, or proceeding against the City or its agents, officers, or employees to attack, set aside, void or annul this permit approval. The City shall notify the applicant of any claim, action, or proceeding and the City shall cooperate in the defense. If the City fails to notify the applicant of any claim, action or proceeding, the permittee shall not thereafter be responsible to defend, indemnify, or hold harmless the city.
REIMBURSEMENTS
42. The applicant shall reimburse the City for any court and attorney’s fees which the City may be required to pay as a result of any claim or action brought against the City because of this project. Although the applicant is the real party in interest in an action, the City may, at its sole discretion, participate in the defense of the action, but such participation shall not relieve the permittee of any obligation under this Condition.
IMPROVEMENT SURETY
43. Pursuant to Chapter 15.64.280 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, all public improvements proposed with the Development Plan submittal, or required by the adopted approval Conditions, shall be guaranteed by cash bonds, letters of credit, or other legal instruments acceptable to the City Attorney and City Council.
RELEASE OF PLANS
44. Written authorization must be obtained from any certified, licensed or registered professional who signed the original building plans authorizing the plans to be made available by the City to all subsequent owners upon request (if on file with the City at the time of the request) for use by any subsequent owners solely for the construction, maintenance, operation, and use of the subject building(s) at the project site.
NOTICE TO CITY UPON DEVELOPERS’ DEFAULT, FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY
45. In the event that the applicant receives a notice of default from any lender in connection with funds loaned to the applicant for the proposed development, or that any security instrument given by the applicant to any lender is foreclosed upon whether through a trustee’s sale or otherwise, or that the applicant files a petition for bankruptcy, the applicant shall immediately notify the City of such notice of default, foreclosure sale, and/or filing of the bankruptcy petition, as the case may be.
CONTRACT SPECIALIST: Prior to issuance of Building Permits the following Condition shall be satisfied:
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MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS
46. The current and future property owner(s) shall be responsible for maintaining in compliance with all City standards for the same, the on-site and off-site landscaping and integrated architectural features required by this entitlement. Landscape maintenance shall consist of regular watering mowing, pruning, fertilizing, clearing of debris and weeds, and the removal and replacement of irrigation systems, in compliance with all relevant and applicable provisions of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code. Integrated architectural features must be kept in a manner which maintains the desirability of the immediate area and neighboring areas and respects the harmonious relationship with existing and adjoining developments. Due regard for preservation of each feature and its intended irrigation with surrounding landscaping, buildings, structures, screening and signs is required. All features must be maintained in a manner commonly accepted by professionals who are experts in the care and preservation of each particular type of feature.
FIRE MARSHAL : Prior to issuance of A Final Development Plan, the following Conditions, as may be modified by the County Fire Marshal through an Alternative Means and Methods, or otherwise, shall be satisfied:
ADVERSVE IMPACTS
47. The proposed project may have a cumulative adverse impact of the Fire Department’s ability to provide an acceptable level of service. These impacts include an increased number of emergency and public service calls due to the increased presence of structures, traffic and population. The project proponents/developers will be expected to provide for a proportional mitigation to these impacts via capital improvements and/or impact fees.
ACCESS
48. Fire Department emergency vehicle apparatus access road locations and design shall be in accordance with the California Fire Code, City of Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, and Riverside County Fire Department Standards. Plans must be submitted to the Fire Department for review and approval prior to building permit issuance.
FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROADS
49. Fire apparatus access roads, commonly referred to as fire lanes, shall be provided for every facility or building when any portion of an exterior wall of the first story is located more than 150 feet from a public roadway, as measured along an approved route.
Extenuating circumstances, increased hazards, and additional or modified fire safety features as deemed necessary by RVCFD may affect these requirements.
50. Fire Apparatus Access Road Design - Roadways must be engineered to support emergency response apparatus. Roadways must be designed to facilitate turning radii of apparatus and meet requirements for gradient, height clearance, and width. Specific criteria pertaining to the design of fire apparatus access roadways are detailed below.
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51. Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed, constructed, and maintained to support the imposed load of fire apparatus weight of 75,000 pounds. The surface shall be designed, constructed, and maintained to provide all-weather driving capabilities. A wet- stamped and signed written statement prepared by a registered engineer, shall be included on the plans certifying that new roadway design and construction meets the requirements for fire apparatus weight and all-weather capability. Road base without an appropriate topping or binding material does not satisfy the all-weather requirement.
52. Required Number of Fire Apparatus Access Roads: One access will be required where any portion of an exterior wall of the first story of a building is located more than 150 feet from a fire access roadway. The required access distance is to be measured by an approved route around the exterior of the building.
53. Location of Fire Apparatus Access Roads: For purposes of determining the suitability of public roads and fire apparatus access roadways for staging fire apparatus and facilitating fire suppression operations for a particular structure, the following criteria shall apply: To protect fire apparatus, personnel, and equipment from damage and injury from falling debris, the edge of fire access roadways serving buildings shall be located between 15 and 40 feet from the building. These distances are measured from the face of the building to the top edge of the curb face or rolled curb flow line nearest the structure. This road shall be positioned parallel to the building.
54. Width of Fire Access Roads - The minimum width of a fire access roadway is 24 feet.
Where a center median is included within the roadway, the required width shall be provided on both sides of the median.
55. Parking Restrictions - Parking is not permitted on roadways that are less than 24 feet in width.
56. Vertical Clearance - Fire access roads shall have an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet 6 inches.
57. Dead-end Access Roadways - Dead-end roadways in excess of 150 feet shall be designed and constructed with approved turnarounds or hammerheads.
58. Fire Apparatus Access Road Grade - The grade for access roads shall not exceed 15%.
Cross-slope shall not be greater than 2.5% for paved access roadways.
59. Inside and Outside Turning Radii - The inside turning radius for an access road shall be 18 feet or greater. The outside turning radius for an access road shall be 38 feet or greater. As fire apparatus are unable to negotiate tight “S” curves, a 56-foot straight leg must be provided between these types of compound turns or the radii and/or road width must be increased accordingly.
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OBSTRUCTIONS TO EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS
60. Existing or proposed gates and barriers crossing fire apparatus access roadways must be shown on the plans (to scale). Information such as the location, type of gate (e.g., swinging, sliding), dimensions, type of construction, and method of operation (manual, electric) must also be provided. Note or identify the following:
a. Clear Width – Gated openings for egress and ingress of vehicles shall not be less than 24 feet clear width. Gates serving a single direction of travel shall not be less than 18 feet clear width. The vertical clearance shall not be less than 13 feet 6 inches, including landscaping and/or trees. This reduction in width is applicable only to the area immediately adjacent to the guardhouse or gate. Roads leading up to and beyond the guard house or gate shall meet standard fire lane width requirements.
WATER
61. Fire Department water system(s) for fire protection shall be in accordance with the California Fire Code, City of Rancho Mirage Municipal and Riverside County Fire Department Standards. Plans must be submitted to the Fire Department for review and approval prior to building permit issuance.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT – Prior to City Council Approval of the Final Map, the following Conditions shall be satisfied:
FORMATION AND/OR ANNEXATION TO CFD
62. Pursuant to Ordinance No485 the applicant shall provide evidence that formation of, or annexation to a Communities Facilities District (CFD) No. 1 –Police and Fire services - to pay the City annually for public service costs associated with this project has been initiated. This requires the submittal of an application fee, the preparation of a boundary map, and 6-8 weeks processing time. The applicant is advised to begin the application process as soon as possible, because the CFD annexation must occur prior to issuance of Grading Permits, or prior to Final Map approval if there is one.
STUDIES AND CALCULATIONS REQUIRED
63. The applicant shall submit a soils report, geological and hydrology studies, and hydraulic calculations, as required by the City Engineer, prior to approval of the Grading Plan.
GRADING & DRAINAGE PLAN
64. The applicant shall be required to submit a grading and drainage plan prepared by a licensed civil engineer to the City Engineer for plan check and approval. The grading and drainage plan shall be consistent with any and all conditions of approval associated with any applicable subdivision map and any Development Permit entitlements issued for the subject project by the City or any other responsible public agency. The grading and drainage plan shall conform to all city policies, standards and regulations applicable to the project. In addition, if the project involves grading and drainage issues related to Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) facilities, written evidence of the District’s 6-42
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approval shall be included with the submittal required by the City of Rancho Mirage.
Finished Floor elevations and all necessary modifications to the existing terrain shall be worked out during the Grading Plan review process to the satisfaction of the City Engineer, Planning Division, and Fire Department. Any grading or modifications outside of the Parcel Map boundaries shall only be allowed if usage agreements are established and recorded with the surrounding owners, to the satisfaction of the City Engineer and City Attorney. Truck Turn Radius Analysis shall also be done during the Grading Plan review process, to account for all expected service or emergency vehicles.
STORMWATER RETENTION
65. The grading of the project shall be designed such that all storm water to the level of a 100 year frequency storm; worst case of the 1, 3, 6, or 24 hour duration, shall be retained on site, or offsite in areas that are included in a drainage and usage easement. Per Municipal Code Section 15.64.140.B, if the project is less than 1 acre or if it is south of the Whitewater Flood Channel, the grading of the project may be designed for the drainage to be conveyed to an “acceptable disposal site as determined by the City Engineer”. Surface streets are not considered “an acceptable disposal site” for common “nuisance water” from sprinklers and cleaning. Therefore, at a minimum, all projects shall make provisions to absorb such “nuisance water” to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.
A Hydrology/Hydraulic Report, in accordance with the Riverside County Hydrology Manual, shall be submitted from a Registered Civil Engineer, showing how this stormwater is handled.
WQMP
66. Whether they are in areas that must retain 100% stormwater or not, all discretionary projects that meet any of the following criteria must submit “Project-Specific Water Quality Management Plans (WQMP)” in accordance with Appendix H of the Whitewater River Region Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) (available
at http://content.rcflood.org/NPDES/WhitewaterWS.aspx)
A.) “single family hillside residences that create 10,000 square feet or more of impervious area where natural slope is 25% or greater;
B.) single-family hillside residences that create 10,000 square feet of impervious area where the natural slope is 10% or greater where erosive soil conditions are known;
C.) Commercial and industrial developments of 100,000 square foot or more; D.) Automotive repair shops [includes Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 5013, 7532, 7333,7534, 7537, 7538, and 7539];
E.) Retail gasoline outlets disturbing greater than 5,000 square feet; F.) Restaurants disturbing greater than 5,000 square feet; G.) Home subdivisions with 10 or more housing units;
H.) Parking lots of 5,000 square feet or more or with 25 or more parking spaces and potentially exposed to Urban Runoff; or
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I.) Discharge into the MS4 (aka Municipal Storm Drain System) and disturb an area of one acre or more, or disturb less than one acre, but are part of a larger common plan of development or sale (referred to as Other Development Projects)
67. If any of the above criteria exist, or at the discretion of the City, a Final WQMP shall be required prior to permit issuance, with Recording of a Covenant, or other approved mechanism, establishing the WQMP as a Public Record that shall apply upon occupancy, and continuing forward, to all future operators/residents of the project. Any approved design modifications that take place during construction shall be documented and incorporated into the Recorded WQMP Covenant prior to occupancy. On the basis of this project meeting the G and H criteria, a WQMP will be required.
STANDARD AGREEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
68. If public infrastructure is to be included in this project, the applicant shall execute and submit the City of Rancho Mirage’s Standard Agreement for Construction of Public Improvements for review and approval by the City Engineer and City Attorney.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
69. Street improvements shall be required as specified below. Paved access in accordance with the City Master Plan of Streets and City Standards shall be provided to the subdivision. Plans for the construction of the required street improvements shall be designed by a California Registered Engineer and approved by the City Engineer prior to Final Map approval. All street construction shall be in conformance with these plans and the City’s General Plan and Standard Details. Plans shall be approved prior to or concurrent with Final Development Plan approval and construction shall occur prior to occupancy. The developer shall furnish proof that any Sewer and Water Improvement Plans have been reviewed and approved by CVWD. The developer shall furnish proof that the Fire Marshal has approved the Water Plans and Street layout for the project.
A.) Public Streets Frank Sinatra Drive
i. Right-of-way along Frank Sinatra Drive at a width to be determined if needed for any entry modifications shall be dedicated to the City of Rancho Mirage. An easement for the curb-adjacent sidewalk shall also be dedicated if needed for any entry modifications.
ii. The design of the entry way shall be subject to the approval of the City Engineer. If any changes are required to the entry from Frank Sinatra Drive, plans shall be created for review and approval by the City Engineer. Encroachment permits will be obtained for any of this work that is within the Public Right of Way.
B.) Private Streets/Parking Lots
i. Private street and/or parking lot paving shall consist of a minimum of 3” A.C. paving over 4” of compacted Class II aggregate base material unless 6-44
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otherwise approved. On private streets and parking lots, and as may be required by a condition of approval, decorative concrete or other surfacing materials shall be reviewed by Public Works for conformance to Public Works standards.
ii. On private streets and parking lots, non-standard curb and gutter maybe acceptable if the City’s standard drainage criteria is satisfied, and the specific non-standard curb and gutter is approved by the Department of Public Works.
iii. The parking lot design and construction shall be completed in accordance with the City of Rancho Mirage standards and codes unless superseded by more stringent requirements from the State or Federal ADA guidelines.
Such design shall include demonstration of adequate fire and delivery truck turning movements.
iv. In accordance with Municipal Code 17.26.070(d), all required off-street parking areas shall be designed so that surface water shall not drain over any sidewalks or adjoining parcels not covered by drainage easements.
v. Private streets within the project shall be constructed with a minimum two- way travel way of 36 feet. Any median islands shall have a minimum of 24 feet clearance on either side of them. Private street paving shall consist of a minimum of 3” A.C. paving over 4” of compacted Class II aggregate base material, unless otherwise approved.
DEDICATION OF DRAINAGE EASEMENTS
63. All easements for drainage facilities necessary to accommodate the final approved Grading and Drainage Plan shall be obtained from the applicable property owners. Preferably, this drainage and usage easement can be negotiated, recorded, and reference to it shall be incorporated on the Final Map or as required by the City Engineer.
DEDICATION OF PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENTS
64. All necessary utilities; sewer, water, electric, phone, fiber optic communications, natural gas, and television cable shall be provided to the lots and along the property frontage, unless otherwise approved. Any utility easements required to obtain these utility installations shall be obtained by the developer as needed, and shown on the subdivision map, if possible.
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES REQUIRED
65. All existing or proposed Southern California Edison, General Telephone, CATV, or other overhead service facilities, shall be installed underground in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.16 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code. The 6-45
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undergrounding installation of all existing or proposed overhead distribution utility lines shall be completed and/or appropriate guarantee arrangements shall be entered into for any structure constructed pursuant to this approval as required by the City Engineer. Such guarantee arrangement shall be approved by the City administrative staff and the City Attorney and shall include the posting of improvement security adequate to secure the periphery of the subject property; and as identified above and as required in Section 12.16 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code.
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM
66. A sanitary sewer system shall be required and shall be installed in accordance with the provisions established and set forth by the regulations of the Coachella Valley Water District, the Riverside County Department of Public Health, and/or the regional Water Quality Control Board. All necessary easements shall be provided.
DOMESTIC WATER SYSTEM
67. A domestic water system shall be required and shall be installed in accordance with the provisions established and set forth by the regulations of the Coachella Valley Water District, the Riverside County Department of Public Health, and/or the regional Water Quality Control Board. All necessary easements shall be provided.
LAQMP
68. The applicant shall prepare a Local Air Quality Management Plan (LAQMP) pursuant to Ordinance No 855, Municipal Code Chapter 7.01. Said LAQMP shall detail the project’s potential impacts upon the air quality of the area and any necessary mitigation measures, and shall be submitted to the Public Works Department for review and approval prior to the issuance of the Grading Permit. For ease of preparing a LAQMP, the applicant may contact the Public Works Department regarding use of the LAQMP worksheet. Projects over 10 acres shall also submit the 8.5x11 format Dust Control Plan Required by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for review by the City. At the time of payment of the permit fees the developer shall submit a “dust control deposit” to be determined from the acreage and the current fee schedule.
SWPPP / NOI
69. Prior to issuance of Grading Permits, the Property Owner shall submit the completed NOI (Notice Of Intent) form and site plan with the appropriate fee, to the State Water Quality Control Board for the General Construction Activity Storm Water Permit. The WDID number issued shall be placed on the cover sheet of the Grading Plans as Proof of Submittal. The SWPPP promised by the NOI is required to be kept on the project site and may be requested for viewing by City or Water Quality Control Board personnel.
CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT
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70. The construction of all required public and private improvements, including but not limited to landscaping, sewer, water, curb and gutters, paving, drainage facilities, and other required improvements shall be completed prior to occupancy of any structure and/or the owner shall enter into an agreement, acceptable to the City, ensuring the construction of such improvements within eighteen (18) months of project approval or City Council approval of the Final Map.
WRITTEN VERIFICATION
71. Prior to release of bonds or financial guarantees, the applicant or his successor shall provide written verification that the improvements have been installed in accordance with the approved plans.
AS-BUILT PLANS
72. A complete set of “As-Built” Grading, Sewer, Water, Landscaping, Street, Storm Drain and all other required improvement plans shall be submitted by the engineer of record for review and approval, prior to any occupancy or release of Subdivision Bonds.
SUBDIVISION MAP
73. A subdivision map shall be processed and recorded prior to any release of permits.
SECURITY
74. In accordance with the request of the Rancho Mirage Police Chief, the site shall be fenced and gated for security purposes. Screening material shall be placed on the fence to help block blowsand and to block views through the fence. If necessary, the applicant shall provide a state licensed private security officer during the time construction workers are not onsite.
PAD CERTIFICATION
75. Prior to release of Building Permits, a Pad Certification submitted from a Licensed Land Surveyor or Civil Engineer, attesting to the elevation matching the rough grade pad elevation shall be submitted to validate the rough grading completion.
COMPACTION REPORT
76. Prior to the release of Building Permits, the Lot (s) for the building(s) shall have a compaction report submitted from a Geotechnical Engineer attesting to the buildable pad being compacted at least 90% of maximum relative density. If any over-excavation, or slopes steeper than 2:1, are needed for the building pad, a Geotechnical Engineer shall submit a document attesting to the acceptability of this non-standard earthwork in accordance with the recommendations of the preliminary soil report.
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ASSESSMENT DISTRICT REAPPORTIONMENT
77. If the property to be subdivided is located within the boundaries of an Assessment District, assessments shall be reapportioned over the property to account for the newly created lots.
PARK FEES
78. Applicant shall pay all applicable parkland fees for the acquisition and/or development of community parks and recreational facilities in those amounts in effect at the time the grading permit is issued.
IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY
79. Prior to occupancy, the construction of all required public improvements, including but not limited to sewer, water, curb and gutters, paving to join, storm water drainage facilities, and other required utility improvements shall be completed.
CVWD LETTER
80. Prior to occupancy, if applicable, a letter from Coachella Valley Water District shall be submitted stating that all the district fees have been paid and all requirements have been met for development.
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FINDINGS:
SPECIFIC PLAN CASE NO. SP22-0002
Pursuant to Section 17.54.100 (Findings and decision) for Specific Plans, a specific plan may be approved only if all of the following findings are made:
1. The proposed specific plan is consistent with the general plan, because the entitlement package includes a General Plan Zoning Map Amendment to change the underlying zoning district of Private-Open Space (OS/PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H) and the proposal complies with applicable General Plan goals and policies.
2. The proposed specific plan would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the city, because the Specific Plan Amendment complies with General Plan goals and policies. Per the Mitigated Negative Declaration there would be less than significant impacts to public services and it would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the city.
Furthermore, a secondary access will be installed to maintain emergency access to the project site. Additionally, the hotel would benefit the City by providing an additional source of revenue, which will help sustain public services;
3. The subject property is physically suitable for the requested zoning district(s) and the anticipated land use development(s), because the 17.2-acre site is being master planned in a comprehensive manner in order to ensure that land uses, circulation patterns, recreational amenities and utilities are compatible with the existing site and surrounding uses;
4. The proposed specific plan ensures development of desirable character which would be harmonious with existing and proposed development in the surrounding neighborhood, because the Desert Island Specific Plan Amendment establishes design criteria that will uphold the standards which have been established throughout the City and on the existing site. The Specific Plan and PDP meet the Community Design Guidelines set forth in the General Plan by utilizing desert appropriate tones and architecture; and
5. The proposed project has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and there would be no potential significant negative effects upon environmental quality and natural resources that would not be properly mitigated and monitored, unless findings are made in compliance with CEQA.
The subject site is current an existing driving range and golf course. The project site has been disturbed since the early 1970s with the development of the Desert Island Country Club. A draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) was prepared based on Environmental Case No. EA22-0012 pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act Section 15168. The document contains mitigation measures pertaining to Biological Resources. Environmental impacts will be less than significant with implementation of the project’s mitigation measures.
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TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP CASE NO. TPM22-0004 (TPM38399)
Pursuant to Section 17.42.060 (Findings and decision) for Preliminary Development Plans, the review authority may approve a development plan permit, only if all of the following findings are made:
1. Allowed within the respective zoning district, The applicant is proposing a zone change from Private Open Space (OS/PV) to an underlying zone of Resort Hotel (Rs-H), OS/PV and Specific Plan Amendment. The proposed Zoning Districts of Rs-H and OS/PV and are in compliance with the Zoning Districts’ development standards. As conditioned, the proposed map is consistent with the City’s General Plan as specified in Section 65341 of the of the California Government Subdivision Map Act.
2. The site is physically suitable for the type of development, which is consistent with the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code as well as in compliance with all the applicable provisions of the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance that are necessary to carry out the purpose and requirements of the respective zoning district, including prescribed development standards and applicable design guidelines; because it will meet the minimum parcel dimensions and size for the respective Zoning Districts of Rs-H and OS/PV. All parcels will have access to streets and the Tentative Parcel Map is in conformance with the Subdivision Map Act.
3. The design of the subdivision or the proposed improvements are not likely to cause substantial environmental damage or sustainably and avoidably injure fish or wildlife or their habitat as the proposed project has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act and there would be no potential significant negative effects upon environmental quality and natural resources with the implementation of the mitigation measures specified in the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
4. Incremental impacts of the project on services system capacities are mitigated by the Conditions of Approval requiring all necessary dedications and public improvements to be in accordance with the City’s adopted General Plan.
5. The design of the proposed subdivision and the proposed improvements are not likely to cause serious public health problems as it is to be developed in accordance with the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code and all proposed improvements related to site preparation and construction would be reviewed and approved by applicable codes, policies, and laws. The proposed project has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act and there would be no potential significant negative effects upon environmental quality and natural resources with the implementation of the mitigation measures specified in the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
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PRELIMINARY PLAN CASE NO. PDP22-0001
Pursuant to Section 17.42.060 (Findings and decision) for Preliminary Development Plans, the review authority may approve a development plan permit, only if all of the following findings are made:
A. The proposed development is:
1. Allowed within the respective zoning district, because the Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan Amendment will become the regulatory zoning document for the project site and identifies the development standards and allowable uses for the development of the property as a hotel with amenities. The PDP is consistent with and will implement the proposed Specific Plan Amendment.
2. Generally, in compliance with all of the applicable provisions of Title 17 of the City’s Municipal Code that are necessary to carry out the purpose and requirements of the respective zoning district, including prescribed development standards and applicable design guidelines, because development of the resort will implement the Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan Amendment and was developed pursuant to the applicable provisions of Title 17 of the City’s Municipal Code; and
3. Consistent with the general plan and specific plan, because development of the resort will implement the Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan Amendment and be consistent to the development standards that are set forth by the Specific Plan Amendment while also addressing and complying with General Plan policies.
4. The proposed project would produce a comprehensive development incorporating a more enhanced environment and architectural excellence (e.g., appropriate variety of structure placement and orientation opportunities, appropriate mix of structure sizes, high quality architectural design, increased amounts of landscaping and open space, improved solutions to the design and placement of parking facilities, etc.) than would normally be possible under more standard district development requirements, because the applicant has created a specific plan amendment which caters to the uniqueness of the country club property for the purpose of developing a hotel project. Under the provisions of the Specific Plan Amendment, the applicant is able to provide the framework for architectural design and high-quality site improvement while limiting overbuilding of the site;
5. The design, location, shape, size, operating characteristics, and the provision of public and emergency vehicle access and public services and utilities (e.g., drainage, fire protection, sewers, water, etc.), would ensure that the proposed development would not endanger, jeopardize, or otherwise constitute a hazard to the public convenience, health, interest, safety, or welfare, or injurious to the property or improvements in the vicinity and the applicable zoning district, because the project will be developed pursuant to the Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan Amendment. The Mitigation Monitoring Program shall be implemented with each development. The development standards set forth in the Specific Plan Amendment limit development to one-story or 24 feet, 6-51
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whichever is lesser. The maximum height for proposed buildings is 23 feet for the ridgeline of the residences, while the hotel itself stands at a maximum of 14’-4”. All proposed buildings within the project site all meet the required setbacks as specified in the Specific Plan Amendment development standards for their respective Planning Areas.
6. The design, location, and proposed uses would be compatible with the character of existing development in the surrounding neighborhood, because the project site is currently developed as a golf course and the forthcoming construction will be greatly setback from the existing adjacent residential towers at approximately 700 feet from the closest northern tower. The Traffic Impact Analysis concluded that very few vehicle trips will be generated from the project, primarily due to the low “key” count and the fact that the hotel’s amenities are only for hotel guests and are not open to the general public; therefore, the project would result in minimal impact to the surrounding uses;
7. The subject site is physically suitable for the type and density/intensity of development being proposed, because the because the site is currently developed, and the forthcoming construction will be greatly removed from existing adjacent residences. Due to the low “34-key” count and the fact that the hotel’s amenities are only for staying guests and are not open to the general public, the project would result in minimal impact to the surrounding uses.
8. The proposed project has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); as the project is considered infill on a vacant pad site within and existing commercial center and there would be no potential significant negative effects upon environmental quality and natural resources that would not be properly mitigated and monitored, unless findings are made in compliance with CEQA. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) was prepared based on Environmental Case No. EA22-0012 pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act Section 15074. The document contains mitigation measures pertaining to Biological Resources. Environmental impacts will be less than significant with implementation of the project’s mitigation measures.
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STAFF REPORT
TO: Planning Commission/City Council DATE: June 22, 2023.
FROM: Steven B. Quintanilla, City Attorney
SUBJECT: City Attorney’s Independent Analysis
SPECIFIC REQUEST OR RECOMMENDATION:
That the Planning Commission receive and file the City Attorney’s Independent Analysis.
BACKGROUND
Since the Proposed Project requires the adoption of ordinances to approve Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002) and Development Agreement (DA22-0003), the City Attorney is required to make determinations which address whether the City has the legal authority to adopt said ordinances.
Rancho Mirage Municipal Code Section 1.04.031 (Review And Approval Of Legal Form Of Ordinances By City Attorney) provides that “[n]o ordinance shall be deemed effective unless the City Attorney determines that the City has the authority to adopt the proposed ordinance, that the proposed ordinance is constitutionally valid under the state and federal constitutions, and that the proposed ordinance is consistent with the general powers and purposes of the City, the City’s Charter, ordinances approved by the voters, and any applicable federal and/or state laws.
Legal Authority
Development Agreement Ordinance
The Development Agreement Statute, as set forth in California Government Code sections 65864 through 65869.5 allows for the vesting of development rights to protect against later changes in planning and zoning regulations. State law permits cities to enter into development agreements with "any person having a legal or equitable interest in real property for the development of the property." See Govt C §65865(a). However, in order to approve the proposed Development Agreement, it must be approved by an ordinance adopted by the City Council.
Development Agreement (DA22-0003) may be approved by the City Council if the City Council finds that the provisions of the Development Agreement are consistent with the General Plan, which in this case will be if the City Council ultimately approves General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002) and Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002). In other words, although development agreements cannot be used to establish land uses not authorized by the zoning ordinance applicable to the property, the subject Development Agreement is contingent upon the City ultimately approving General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002) and Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002), which together with the Development Agreement will
ATTACHMENT 4
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establish the plans, land use regulations, development standards, design guidelines, infrastructure requirements, and implementation programs to guide the development of the Proposed Project.
Notwithstanding the above, because the decision to enter into a development agreement is a legislative act, the decision of the City Council is not otherwise required to be supported by findings, except for those expressly required by state law (such as the general plan consistency finding) and any local development procedures. See Native Sun/Lyon Communities v City of Escondido (1993) 15 CA4th 892, 910.
Pursuant to Chapter 17.56 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, the content of a development agreement must address the following: (1) specify the duration of the agreement; (2) specify the allowed uses for the subject property; (3) specify the density/intensity of the allowed uses; (4) describe the maximum height and size of proposed structures by clearly identifying and referring to the documents and exhibits approved; (5) describe the provisions, if any, for reservation or dedication of land for public purposes; (6) describe the provisions, if any, for the protection from either a future growth control ordinance or a future increase in development and/or effect fees; (7) provide for a tiered amendment review procedure; and (8) provide for the possibility of subsequent discovery of health and safety issues like a compelling public necessity (e.g., a new environmental health hazard is discovered), which would necessitate a reconsideration or amendment of the previously approved development agreement.
It is the independent opinion of the City Attorney that based on the content and findings in the Staff Report and the terms and conditions of the proposed Development Agreement, that Development Agreement (DA22-0003) conforms with and meets all of the above requirements.
In addition, the City Attorney finds and concludes that based on the foregoing, the City Council has the legal authority to adopt Development Agreement (DA22-0003) the proposed ordinance is constitutionally valid under the state and federal constitutions, is consistent with the general powers and purposes of the City, the City’s charter, ordinances approved by the voters, and applicable federal and state laws.
Specific Plan Amendment Ordinance
A specific plan must contain certain specified details relating to land uses, major infrastructure, development and conservation standards, an implementation program, and a statement of relationship to the general plan. See Government Code Section 65451.
Moreover, pursuant to Section 15.54.0202 (Intent) of the Municipal Code, a specific plan adopted by ordinance shall replace the base zoning district for the subject property, and the development standards and guidelines identified in the specific plan shall take precedence over the general standards and guidelines contained in Title 17 “Zoning” of the Municipal Code.
Moreover, as set forth in Section 17.54.100 (Findings and Decision) a specific plan may be approved, provided that certain findings are made. Although it is beyond the scope of this analysis to address any required findings, based on the findings, evidence and conclusions set forth in the Staff Report prepared for the Proposed Project which includes Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002), and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Mitigated Negative Declaration which was prepared for the Proposed Project, there is substantial evidence that the Proposed Project has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and CEQA Guidelines and there would be no potential significant negative effects upon environmental quality and natural resources as mitigated per 6-54
the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Mitigated Negative Declaration regarding the Proposed Project.
It is the independent opinion of the City Attorney that based on the content and findings in the Staff Report, the terms and conditions of Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002), and the contents of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Mitigated Negative Declaration regarding the Proposed Project, the City Attorney finds and concludes that the City Council has the legal authority to adopt Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002), since the proposed ordinance is constitutionally valid under the state and federal constitutions, is consistent with the general powers and purposes of the City, the City’s charter, ordinances approved by the voters, and applicable federal and state laws.
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 10
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023 - 2:00 P.M.
MINUTES
City Hall - Council Chamber
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
CALL TO ORDER - 2:00 P.M.
a)Flag Salute: Led by Commissioner Curran.
b)Roll Call: Agostini, Bryant, Chanter, Curran, Grey.
Present: Agostini, Bryant, Chanter, Curran.
Absent: Grey.
MOVED/SECONDED BY BRYANT/AGOSTINI TO EXCUSE CHAIR GREY’S ABSENCE.
MOTION CARRIED 4/0.
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Vice Chair Agostini greeted the audience and informed the Commission that he would chair the meeting today, as Chair Grey is absent.
Commissioner Chanter welcomed the community, adding that she appreciated the turnout and all the written comments that were submitted.
Commissioner Curran commented that he appreciated everybody showing up to the meeting.
Commissioner Bryant agreed with Commissioner Chanter and Commissioner Curran comments.
NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENTS
Alena Callimanis expressed her concerns about the water and technology that w ould maintain the Cotino Lagoon.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – June 8, 2023, Regular Meeting.
MOVED/SECONDED BY CHANTER/CURRAN TO APPROVE THE JUNE 8, 2023, REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED. MOTION CARRIED 4/0.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 10
1. Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012, General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA22-0002, Specific Plan Amendment Case No. SPA22-0002, Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22-0004 (TPM38399), Development Agreement Case No. DA22- 0003, and Preliminary Development Plan Case No. PDP22 -0001 – Desert Island Hotel.
Applicant: FM 71777, LLC. The Desert Island Specific Plan Amendment will occupy 17.2 acres within the existing Desert Island development. A General Plan/Zoning Map Amendment is to amend the underlying designation of Private Open Space (OS/PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs -H) for
10.5 acres of the existing Desert Island golf course for the development of a new 34 -key boutique hotel and 11 private hotel residences along with passive outdoor gathering areas, tennis, pool, café, and yoga amenities. A new golf training park and new maintenance bui lding will be built to replace the existing driving range and old maintenance building being displaced by the hotel project. Located south of Frank Sinatra Drive and west of Island Drive on a portion of the Desert Island golf course (APNs: 688-040-001; 688-050-005; 688-060-006; -008).
A. Consider the recommendation for the Planning Commission to adopt Resolution No. [next in line] recommending that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Adopt Resolution No. [next in line] approving and adopting the proposed Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Desert Island Hotel Project and approving and certifying the Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023060057) based on Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012;
2) Adopt Resolution No. [next in line] approving General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002), to change the underlying zoning designation of the Subject Property from Open Space-Private (OS/PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H) for 10.5 acres where the proposed hotel and residences will be located; 3) Introduce and adopt Ordinance No. [next in line] approving Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002) to add hotel use to the Desert Island Specific Plan; 4) Introduce and adopt Ordinance No. [next in line] approving the Development Agreement by and between the Developer and the City of Rancho Mirage (DA22- 0003); and
5) Adopt Resolution No. [next in line] approving Tentative Parcel Map (TPM22 -0004) and Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001) regarding the Proposed Project.
Pilar Lopez, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Public Comments
Patrick Bastar, Desert Island resident, spoke in opposition of the proposed project. He expressed his concerns regarding communication between the HOA and the owners , as well as potential traffic issues.
Deborah Page, Desert Island resident, spoke in favor of the proposed project. She added that the developer provided residents the opportunity to view the project plans and had been available to answer questions from the residents.
Mary Dell Barkonras, Desert Island resident, spoke in favor of the proposed project. She noted the revitalization of the Desert Island community and that she was excited to see the project go forward.
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 10 Juan Munoz, a representative of Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters, requested that the Planning Commission add a condition to require the applicant to hire a skilled local workforce.
Noel Curry, Desert Island resident, expressed his concerns about the vote a HOA Board conducted.
Michael Pahlow, Desert Island resident, spoke in favor of the proposed project.
Neil Barr, a resident and the HOA Board President of Desert Island, spoke in favor of the proposed project. He explained that the applicant had been working with the HOA Board and an agreement had been reached related to the entry off Frank Sinatra Drive and the separate resident gate. The HOA Board conducted a survey that showed, of those that participated, 82% were in favor with 101 votes in support of the proposed project and 22 votes in opposition.
Randolph Lenih, Desert Island resident, expressed his concerns about the HOA’s communication with the homeowners, but stated he had no issues with the project or applicant.
Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Chanter asked for clarification on the completion bonds and inquired about the amount of proposed live turf.
Ms. Lopez clarified that the project would be required to adhere to Rancho Mirage Municipal Code (RMMC) Section 16.20.090, which required performance and payment bonds to be in place to ensure site improvements were completed. She stated that the applicant proposed less than 10% live turf for the project, which satisfied the RMMC landscape standards.
Commissioner Curran stated that he had concerns regarding potential traffic, but that his concerns had been addressed after reading the staff report and the presentation.
Vice Chair Agostini welcomed public participation. He stated that, similar to Commissioner Curran, his concerns regarding traffic had been addressed. He requested that the City Attorney address the question regarding the current covenants or restrictions if those were changed .
Commissioner Bryant commented that he was impressed with the project, especially the studies on the site views and the style of the buildings. He asked if the two residential towers that had been approved in 1993 could still be constructed.
Ms. Lopez answered that the proposed Desert Island Hotel Specific Plan Amendment would supersede the 1993 amendment.
Majna Dukic, Development Services Director, added that the Specific Plan would need to be amended again for any future development.
Commissioner Bryant asked about transient occupancy tax (TOT) related to the hotel and condo- hotel units.
Ms. Lopez answered that there a provision in the development agreement concerning TOT.
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 10 Steve Quintanilla, City Attorney, stated that condo-hotel units would be required to pay a minimum of $70,000 in the form of a public benefit fee, which was basically in-lieu TOT. This would be a yearly fee imposed on the condo-hotel units.
Commissioner Bryant asked the City Attorney to clarify if the condo-hotel unit use was considered a short-term rental.
Mr. Quintanilla stated that the City of Rancho Mirage currently had an ordinance banning all short- term rentals. The proposed condo-hotel units did not fall within the category or definition of a short-term rental. This was a unique product, referred to as a condo-hotel unit, and had to be rented through the hotel operator.
Ms. Lopez added that there was also a provision within the development agreement that require d the condo-hotel units to only be rented through the hotel operator.
Commissioner Bryant asked if the condo -hotel units were required to be registered with the Securities Exchange Commission.
Mr. Quintanilla added that the Development Agreement included a provision requiring the condo- hotel units to be registered with the Securities Exchange Commission, if required.
Commissioner Bryant asked for further clarification on the shade structures.
Ms. Lopez answered that the shade structures were being commissioned as an art installation and prior to the approval of the Final Development Plan, the complete plans for the shade structures must be submitted to the Planning Division. The PDP Booklet set s the height and overall dimensions of the structures.
Commissioner Bryant asked if the concerns raised by the Architectural Review Board had been addressed.
Ms. Lopez replied that the Architectural Review Board endorsed the project with a few conditions concerning site circulation. She showed slides of the updated circulation exhibits and stated that the concerns had been addressed and incorporated into the PDP Booklet.
Commissioner Bryant asked if the access driveway off Frank Sinatra Drive would be limited to emergency services.
Ms. Lopez confirmed that the second access driveway would be limited to emergency services only and equipped with a Knox box.
Vice Chair Agostini invited the applicant to come up and make any comments.
Miguel Nelson, project applicant, thanked everybody for their support and commented that the Desert Island community was amazing.
Mr. Quintanilla provided a brief overview of the covenants. He expanded on the obligations that would be required from the developer as part of the development agreement with the City.
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 10 MOVED/SECONDED BY BRYANT/CURRAN TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE
PROPOSED MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE
DESERT ISLAND HOTEL PROJECT AND APPROVING AND CERTIFYING THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (SCH#2023060057) BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CASE NO. EA22-0012;
B. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING GENERAL PLAN ZONING MAP AMENDMENT (GPZMA22-0002), TO CHANGE THE UNDERLYING ZONING
DESIGNATION OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FROM OPEN SPACE-PRIVATE (OS/PV) TO RESORT HOTEL (Rs-H) FOR 10.5 ACRES WHERE THE PROPOSED HOTEL AND CONDO-HOTEL UNITS WILL BE LOCATED;
C. INTRODUCE AND ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT (SP22-0002) TO ADD HOTEL USE TO THE DESERT ISLAND SPECIFIC PLAN;
D. INTRODUCE AND ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING THE
DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE DEVELOPER AND THE CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE (DA22-0003); AND
E. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP (TPM22-0004) AND PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP22-0001) REGARDING THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
MOTION CARRIED 4/0.
NOTE: Commissioner Bryant recuse himself before Item 2 was heard as his residence is within 1,000 feet of the proposed project and left the room.
2. Environmental Assessment Case No. EA23-0004, Zoning Text Amendment Case No.
ZTA23-0002, & General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA23-0001 Applicant:
City of Rancho Mirage. Consideration of an Ordinance to amend Title 17 (Zoning) of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code to implement the goals, policies, and programs of the certified Housing Element by amending Chapters 17.14 (Overlay Districts), 17.22 (Affordable Housing Incentives/Density Bonus Provisions), 17.26 (Parking and Loading Standards) and 17.90 (Definitions). In addition, a General Plan Zoning Map Amendment is proposed to create an affordable housing overlay for two properties (APNs: 685-090-011 & 689-180-012) and to change the land use designation for APN: 689-180-012 from Mobile Home Park (MHP) to High Density Residential (R-H). City-wide & APN’s: 685-090-011 & 689-180-012.
A. Consider the recommendation for the Planning Commission to adopt Resolution No. [next in line] recommending that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Adopt Resolution No. [next in line] approving General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA23-0001), placing an affordable housing overlay onto two properties as required by Policy H9 – Program H9.A, Housing Element Inventory Site B (APN: 685- 090-011) and Site D (APN: 689-180-012) and to change the land use designation for Site D from Mobile Home Park (MHP) to High Density Residential (R-H); and 2) Introduce and adopt Ordinance No. [next in line] approving the Zoning Text Amendment, amending Title 17 (Zoning), including Chapter 17.14 (Overlay Districts) 6-60
Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 10 to introduce an affordable housing overlay, Chapter 17.22 (Affordable Housing Incentives/Density Bonus Provisions) to remain consistent with State density bonus law, Chapter 17.26 (Parking and Loading Standards) to update parking standards for various types of temporary housing, and Chapter 17.90 (Definitions).
Marcus Aleman, Housing Manager presented the staff report.
Public Comments
Michael Danius, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition and asked the Commission to study all the issues very carefully.
Mike Fontana, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to the zone change and density. He asked the Commission to table action on this item and send it to a study session, as it was a very complicated issue.
Brad Anderson, Rancho Mirage Resident, spoke in opposition and mentioned he had spoken about the matter in past meetings.
Greg Lindner, Rancho Mirage Resident, noted he lived close to the mobile home park property.
He spoke in position of the zoning change due to the high density and suggested a study session.
Howard Tabakman, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to the high density being proposed. He proposed tabling the item to address the issues and asked for additional study, so the residents could look at it in more depth.
Jack Swanson, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition to the high density being proposed.
He mentioned more studies needed to be done and requested that the item be tabled.
Adair Fell, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition and mentioned that the higher density with increased heights were not compatible with Rancho Mirage.
Sandra Hodaya, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition and agreed with the prior comments. She stated that the traffic speed on Highway 111 would be impacted with higher densities.
Chris Williamson, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition. He added that there was absolutely no employment within the vicinity in either direction and the area did not seem to be a good fit for a low-income high-density development.
Eric Peterson, Rancho Mirage resident, spoke in opposition and mentioned traffic concerns on Highway 111 and Peterson Road.
Majna Dukic, Director of Development Services, clarified that the policies and programs being considered were the implementation of the Sixth-Cycle Housing Element that was certified and adopted last year, which included the zone change and the affordable overlay implementation.
She stated there was no vertical project being considered. She elaborated that if there was a project proposed, it would need to go through the entitlement process , and all environmental studies would need to be completed, including traffic and site studies.
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 10 Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Chanter commented that affordable housing was needed. She mentioned she heard the community and understood there was a lot of concern.
Vice Chair Agostini agreed with Commissioner Chanter, regarding the importance and the need for affordable housing in Rancho Mirage and throughout the valley.
Ms. Dukic added that the presentation contained a timeline for the Housing Element, which included a joint Planning Commission and City Council study session last year, as well as a public hearing for the Planning Commission, and additional City Council meetings where these policies and programs were introduced, considered and officially adopted.
Mr. Quintanilla, City Attorney, clarified that what was being presented to the Commission was basically going to implement those policies that were adopted by the City Council last year.
MOVED/SECONDED BY AGOSTINI /CURRAN TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING GENERAL PLAN ZONING MAP AMENDMENT (GPZMA23-0001), PLACING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY ONTO TWO PROPERTIES AS REQUIRED BY POLICY H9 – PROGRAM H9.A, HOUSING ELEMENT INVENTORY SITE B (APN: 685 -090-011) AND SITE D (APN: 689- 180-012) AND TO CHANGE THE LAND USE DESIGNATION FOR SITE D FROM MOBILE HOME PARK (MHP) TO HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (R-H); AND
B. INTRODUCE AND ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING THE ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT, AMENDING TITLE 17 (ZONING), INCLUDING CHAPTER 17.14 (OVERLAY DISTRICTS) TO INTRODUCE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY, CHAPTER 17.22 (AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVES/DENSITY BONUS
PROVISIONS) TO REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH STAT E DENSITY BONUS LAW, CHAPTER 17.26 (PARKING AND LOADING STANDARDS) TO UPDATE PARKING
STANDARDS FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF TEMPORARY HOUSING, AND CHAPTER
17.90 (DEFINITIONS).
MOTION CARRIED 3/0 (COMMISSIONER BRYANT RECUSED).
Vice Chair Agostini welcomed Commissioner Bryant back to the meeting.
3. Environmental Assessment Case No. EA23-0001, Conditional Use Permit Case No.
CUP23-0002. Applicant: Smartlink LLC on behalf of AT&T Wireless. Consideration to install an unmanned 60-foot-tall wireless telecommunication facility designed to resemble a palm tree (mono-palm) with an equipment shelter and generator within a 900 square foot block wall enclosure. The subject property is immediately southeast of the Rancho Mirage Fire Station No. 50 located at 70801 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 (APN: 690-182-016, & -017).
The facility and block wall enclosure will be placed in the vacant lot south of the Fire Station.
A. Consider the recommendation for the City Council to approve the filing of a Notice of Exemption based on Environmental Assessment Case EA23-0001 and pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15303 (New 6-62
Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 10 Construction or Conversion of Small Structures); and
B. Consider the recommendation for the City Council to approve Conditional Use Permit Case No. CUP23-0002, subject to the conditions of approval and based on the content and findings in the staff report.
Lezlee Vasquez, Assistant Planner presented the staff report.
Public Comments – None.
Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Curran stated that the facility design was in line with others and the applicants had done a good job in order to improve coverage for residents.
Commissioner Chanter commented that most of the time we heard such positive things about Rancho Mirage and the only negative she hears about was that sometimes people lose their phone connection when they're driving within the City. She commented she was glad the project was being considered and it looked appropriate.
Vice Chair Agostini commented that as a long-time resident there were certain spots within the City that had coverage gaps. He mentioned it was important to continue to move into the next digital age with technology as people moved away from physical phone lines.
Commissioner Bryant asked if any public comments had been received.
Ms. Vasquez answered that two public comments against the project were received and distributed to the Planning Commission prior to the meeting. Both comments were from the Thunderbird community.
Commissioner Bryant asked if the new cell tower would interfere in any way with Fire Department communications.
Ben Torres, Planning Manager, noted that the cell tower was going to be located on City property, and a lease was being negotiated with AT&T, which included extensive interference provisions to ensure that fire station operations were not impacted by the proposed facility.
MOVED/SECONDED BY AGOSTINI /CHANTER TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL:
A. APPROVE THE FILING OF A NOTICE OF EXEMPTION BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CASE EA23-0001 AND PURSUANT TO THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) GUIDELINES SECTION 15303 (NEW CONSTRUCTION OR CONVERSION OF SMALL STRUCTURES); AND B. APPROVE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT CASE NO. CUP23-0002, SUBJECT TO THE
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL AND BASED ON THE CONTENT AND FINDINGS IN THE STAFF REPORT.
MOTION CARRIED 4/0.
4. Rancho Monterey Specific Plan Amendment Environmental Assessment Case No.
EA22-0001, General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA22-0001, Specific 6-63
Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 10 Plan Amendment Case No. SPA22-0001. Applicant: MSA Consulting. The Rancho Monterey Specific Plan Amendment project site occupies approximately 35 acres of vacant undeveloped land west of Monterey Avenue and north of the Dick Kelly Drive/Ginger Rogers Road alignment. The project is within the boundaries of the Monterey Specific Plan which encompasses approximately 320 acres. The project proposes a mixed -use development of up to 400 residential units, up to 150,000 square feet of commercial retail space (including up to 150 hotel keys) and associated improvements. A General Plan/Zoning Map Amendment is also proposed to amend the underlying designation of Community Commercial to a combination of Mixed Use and Community Commercial. Location: The project site is located at the northwest corner of Monterey Avenue and Dick Kelly Drive (APNs: 685 -090-002, -003, -005, -006, and -007) on approximately 35 acres.
A. Consider the recommendation for the Planning Commission to adopt Resolution No. [next in line] recommending that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Adopt Resolution No. [next in line] approving the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023020253) for the Proposed Project based on Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0001; 2) Adopt Resolution No. [next in line] approving General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0001), to change the underlying zoning designation of the approximately 35 - acre Subject Property from Community Commercial to a combination of Mixed Use and Community Commercial; and
3) Introduce and adopt Ordinance No. [next in line] approving Specific Plan Amendment (SPA22-0001).
Ben Torres, Planning Manager, presented the staff report.
Public Comments – None.
Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Bryant asked about the four public comments received.
Mr. Torres explained that the comments received were part of the environmental document comment period, not the typical public hearing noticing that was sent to property owners 15 days before the meeting. The comments were from public agencies like the Imperial Irrigation District and the City of Palm Desert.
Commissioner Bryant asked about the access points and roads to the project site.
Mr. Torres answered that at this time there was no development plan, but as the project site developed, they would have to do half width street improvements to provide access to the site.
Commissioner Curran added that he thought it was a great plan.
Vice Chair Agostini commented that he was encouraged to see the plan move forward with a mix of commercial and residential.
MOVED/SECONDED BY CHANTER /CURRAN TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
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Approved 6/22/2023 Planning Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Page 10 of 10
A. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING THE MITIGATION
MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (SCH#2023020253) FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CASE NO. EA22-0001;
B. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING GENERAL PLAN ZONING MAP AMENDMENT (GPZMA22-0001), TO CHANGE THE UNDERLYING ZONING DESIGNATION OF THE APPROXIMATELY 35-ACRE SUBJECT PROPERTY FROM
COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL TO A COMBINATION OF MIXED USE AND COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL; AND
C. INTRODUCE AND ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. [NEXT IN LINE] APPROVING SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT (SPA22-0001).
MOTION CARRIED 4/0.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business to consider, the Planning Commission meeting was adjourned at 4:13 P.M.
Prepared by: Deanna Mendoza
Development Services Technician
Date Approved by Planning Commission: 7/13/2023
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ATTACHMENT 6
6-66
ATTACHMENT 7
6-67
CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE
69-825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-2898 (760) 324-4511/328-2266
NOTICE OF DETERMINATION AND NEGATIVE DECLARATION
To: Office of Planning and Research Chief Deputy County Clerk Sacramento, CA 95814 Riverside, CA 92501
Project Title/Case Nos.
Applicant:
Project Location:
Project Description:
Desert Island Hotel - Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012, General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA22-0002, Specific Plan Amendment Case No. SP22-0002, Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22-0004, Development Agreement Case No. DA22-0003, and Preliminary Development Plan Case No. PDP22-0001.
FM71777, LLC.
71777 Frank Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA, 92270 Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 688-040-001; 688-050-005; 688-060-006; -008.
The project will repurpose approximately 17.2 acres of the existing Desert Island golf course with a new 34-key boutique hotel comprised of four (4), 1-story buildings totaling 33,940 square feet, 11 private residences totaling 56, 844 square feet, hotel grounds for guest use with tennis, pool, 852 square foot café, lounge area and 2,572 square foot yoga pavilion, along with additional 376 parking spaces. A new golf training park, and 7,818 square foot golf maintenance building will replace the existing driving range and old maintenance building that will be eliminated to make room for the new facilities. The proposed residences will be privately owned, but fully managed and maintained by the hotel operator. The proposed hotel and residences will be located west of the existing clubhouse. General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002) will change the underlying zoning designation from “Open Space-Private (OS-PV)” to “Resort Hotel (Rs-H)” for 10.5 acres where the proposed hotel and residences will be located. The Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002) will introduce the hotel use to the Desert Island Specific Plan.
Notice of Determination
Filing of Notice of Determination in compliance with Public Resources Code, Section 21108 or 21152. The City of Rancho Mirage has approved the above described project on ______________ and has determined:
1.The project will will not have a significant effect/impact on the environment.
2. An Environmental Impact Report was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA.
3. A Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA.
4.Mitigation measures were were not made conditions of approval for the project.
5.A mitigation reporting or monitoring plan was was not adopted for this project.
6.A Statement of Overriding Considerations was was not adopted for this project.
7. Findings were were not made pursuant to the provisions of CEQA.
The City Council adopted the following Finding: The proposed project has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This is to certify that the project file and record of project approval are available to the general public at: City of Rancho Mirage, 69-825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.
Mitigated Negative Declaration - Rancho Mirage City Council Date: _____________
Pilar Lopez
Senior Planner
I hereby certify that the City of Rancho Mirage has made the above findings of fact and that based upon the Mitigated Negative Declaration and hearing record the project will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Date: ______________
Pilar Lopez
Lead Agency Responsible Agency Senior Planner
ATTACHMENT 8
6-68
CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, California 92270
Phone: (760) 328-2266
Fax: (760) 324-9851
ENVIRONMENTAL INITIAL STUDY
Project Title:
City Project No:
Lead Agency
Name and Address:
Applicant:
Contact Person:
And Phone Number:
Project Location:
Desert Island Hotel
Preliminary Development Plan Case No. PDP22-0001
Tentative Parcel Map Case No. TPM22-0004
Environmental Assessment Case No. EA22-0012
Specific Plan Amendment Case No. SP22-0002
General Plan Zoning Map Amendment Case No. GPZMA22-0002 Development Agreement Case No. DA22-0003
City of Rancho Mirage
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, California 92270
Phone: (760) 328-2266 Fax: (760) 324-9851
Miguel Nelson
Desert Island Golf Club, LLC
5419 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite C201
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Pilar Lopez, Senior Planner
Phone: (760) 328-2266
71777 Frank Sinatra Drive
Assessor’s Parcel Number 688-040-001; 688-050-005; 688-060-006; 688- 060-008.
General Plan Designation: Private Open Space (OS/PV)
Zoning Designation: Private Open Space (OS/PV)
ATTACHMENT 9
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Desert Island Hotel
Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
May 2023/Page 2
DOCUMENT PREPARERS:
This list includes those who wrote the document, as well as subconsultants utilized for technical reports and special studies.
City of Rancho Mirage
69-825 Highway 111
Rancho Mirage, California 92270
Phone: (760) 328-2266
Ben Torres, Planning Manager
Pilar Lopez, Senior Planner
MSA Consulting, Inc.
34200 Bob Hope Drive
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-320-9811
Michelle Witherspoon, Director of Environmental Services Jesus Herrera-Cortez, Senior Environmental Planner, GIS Analyst Nicole Vann, Planner
Asia Lee, Environmental Planner
Urban Crossroads, Inc.
1197 Los Angeles Avenue, Suite C-256
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Phone: 805-426-4477
William Maddux, Senior Associate (Noise Study)
John Kain, AICP Principal (Traffic Impact Analysis and VMT Evaluation) Marlie Whiteman, Principal Engineer (Traffic Impact Analysis and VMT Evaluation) Janette Cachola (Traffic Impact Analysis)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………….………..3
Project Description……………………………………………………………………………….………7
Evaluation of Environmental Impacts…………………………………………………..….…….……14 Environmental Checklist and Discussion.………………………………………….……..…….....…15
1.Aesthetics……………………………………………………………………..…………….…..15
1.1 Setting …………………………………………………………………..…..………….…..15
1.2 Discussion……………………………………………………….…………..………….…..15
1.3 Mitigation Measures………………………………………………………….………....…33
2. Agricultural and Forestry Resources…………………………………………….……….…..34
2.1 Setting…………………………………………………………………...…………….…... 34
2.2 Discussion………………………………………………………………………….……….35
2.3 Mitigation Measures……………….………………………………..…….……………….36
3. Air Quality…………...………………….……………………………….……..………………...37
3.1 Setting..……………………………………..………………………….…………….……..37
3.2 Discussion………………………………………..………………….………………..……39
3.3 Mitigation Measures…………………………………..………….………………..………44
4. Biological Resources……………………………………………..……………………….….…45
4.1 Setting………………………………………………………………..……….………..…...45
4.2 Discussion…………………………………………………………………..……………...45
4.3 Mitigation Measures……………………………..……………….………………..………46
5. Cultural Resources……………………………………………………………………………....48
5.1 Setting..……………………………..……………..………………………………………..48
5.2 Discussion……………………………….……..…………………………………………..48
5.3 Mitigation Measures………………..………….……………………………………….….49
6. Energy……………………………………………………….…………………………………....50
6.1 Setting……………………………………………………………………………………....50
6.2 Discussion……………………………………………………….………………………….51
6.3 Mitigation Measures……………………………………………………………………… 61
7. Geology and Soils……………………………………………………………….…...………….62
7.1 Setting………………………………………………………………………………..……..62
7.2 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..….. 64
7.3 Mitigation Measures……………………………………………………………………….69
8. Greenhouse Gas Emissions……………………………………………………………………70
8.1 Setting……………………………………………………………………………….…….. 70
8.2 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………….……72
8.3 Mitigation Measure……………………………………………………………..………….73
9. Hazards and Hazardous Materials………………………………………………………..……74
9.1 Setting…………………………………………………………………...……………...…..74
9.2 Discussion…………………………………………………………………..…………..… 75
9.3 Mitigation Measure……………………………………………………………..……….…79
10. Hydrology and Water Quality…………………………………………………………..…..…80
10.1 Setting ………………………………………………………………………...………..…80
10.2 Discussion………………………………………..……………………………….………82
10.3 Mitigation Measure …………………………………..…………………………..………88
11. Land Use and Planning ………………………………………..……………………...………89
11.1 Setting ………………………………………………………….…………………………89
11.2 Discussion ………………………………………………………….………………….…89
11.3 Mitigation Measure …………………………………………………….…….…………..93
12. Mineral Resources ……………………………………………………………….……………94
12.1 Setting …………………………………………………………………………….………94
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12.2 Discussion ……………………………………………………….……….………………94
12.3 Mitigation Measure ………………………………………………………………………95
13. Noise……………………………………………………………………………..………………96
13.1 Setting………………………………………………………………………..……………96
13.2 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………98
13.3 Mitigation Measure………………………………………...……………………………109
14. Population and Housing………………………………………..…………...……………….110
14.1 Setting………………………………………………..…………………………………..110
14.2 Discussion………………………………………..……………………………………...110
14.3 Mitigation Measure…………………………..………………………………………….111
15. Public Services……………………………………..…………………………………………112
15.1 Setting………………………………………….………………………………………...112
15.2 Discussion……………………………………….………………………………………113
15.3 Mitigation Measure……………………………….………………………………..……114
16. Recreation…………………………………………….……………………………………….115
16.1 Setting…………………………………………….…………………………………..….115
16.2 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………….…115
16.3 Mitigation Measure…………………………………………………………………...…115
17. Transportation…………………………………………………………………………………116
17.1 Setting…………………………………………………...…………………………….…116
17.2 Discussion………………………………………………...………………..……………116
17.3 Mitigation Measure………………………………………………...……………………128
18. Tribal Cultural Resources……………………………………………...…....……………….129
18.1 Setting………………………………………………………………...……………….....129
18.2 Discussion………………………………………………………….……………………130
18.3 Mitigation Measure…………………………………………………..…………….……131
19. Utilities and Service Systems…………………………………………..……………………132
19.1 Setting……………………………………………………………..……………….…….132
19.2 Discussion……………………………………………………….………………………133
19.3 Mitigation Measure……………………………………………..…………………….…135
20. Wildfire……………………………………………………………….………..……………….136
20.1 Setting……………………………………………………………………………………136
20.2 Discussion ………………………………………………………………………………137
20.3 Mitigation Measure………………………………………………….……………..……138
21. Mandatory Findings of Significance …………………………………………………..……139
21.1 Setting……………………………………………………………………………………139
21.2 Discussion ………………………………………………………………………………139
21.3 Mitigation Measure…………………………………………………………….…..……140 Tables:
Table 1: Proposed Planning Areas……………………………………………………...……8 Table I-1: Project Consistency with Desert Island Specific Plan Design Guidelines…..…28 Table III-1: SCAQMD’s Air Quality Significance Thresholds …………………………………39 Table III-2: CalEEMod Land Uses and the Proposed Project ……………………..…………40 Table III-3: Short Term Air Pollutant Emissions Associated with Construction of the Proposed Project (Unmitigated) ……………………………………………………40
Table III-4: Long Term Operational Air Pollutant Emissions Associated with Development of the Project (Unmitigated) ………………………………………………………...
41 Table III-5: Localized Significance Thresholds (LSTs) Associated with Construction of the Revised Project with Receptors at 25 Meters ………………………………….… 43 Table IV-1: Construction Petroleum Demand…………………………………………………..52 Table VI-2: Construction Vendor Diesel Demand……………….………………………..……536-72
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Table VI-3: Construction Hauling Diesel Demand ………..…….…………………………….. 53 Table VI-4: Construction Equipment Diesel Demand…………………….……………………53 Table VI-5: Operational Electricity Demand ……………….……………….……….………….54 Table VI-6: Operational Natural Gas Demand ……………….……………………….……….. 55 Table VI-7: Operational Petroleum Demand……………….…………….………..……………56 Table VI-8: Operational Annual Petroleum ……………….…………………………………....56 Table VIII-1: Total Project Greenhouse Gas Emissions ……………….……………………….72 Table XI-1: Hotel and Residences Development Standards….……………….……………...92 Table XI-2: Yoga Pavilion Development Standards……………….…………………………...92 Table XI-3: Maintenance Building Area Development Standards…………………………….92 Table XI-4: Golf Training Area Development Standards……………….…..………………….92 Table XIII-1: Typical Noise Levels……………….…………………………………….….……….97 Table XIII-2: Ambient Noise Level Measurements ……………….……………….…………….100 Table XIII-3: Construction Equipment Noise Level Summary……………….……..…………..101 Table XIII-4: Construction Noise Level Compliance…………….…………………...………….101 Table XIII-5: Off-Site Roadway Parameters ……………….…………………………………….102 Table XIII-6: Reference Noise Level Measurements……………….……………………………105 Table XIII-7: Project Operational Noise Levels ……………….…………………………………106 Table XIII-8: Daytime Project Stationary Source Noise Level Increases……………………...107 Table XIII-9: Evening Project Stationary Source Noise Level Increases……………………...107 Table XIII-10: Nighttime Project Stationary Source Noise Level Increases…………………….107 Table XIII-11: Vibration Source Levels for Construction Equipment…………………………….108 Table XIII-12: Project Construction Vibration Levels……………………………………………...109 Table XVII-1: Level of Service Thresholds………………………………………………………...118 Table XVII-2: Intersection Analysis for Existing (2022) Conditions……………………………..119 Table XVII-3: Project Trip Generation Summary………………………………………………….120 Table XVII-4: Intersection Analysis for EAP (2024) Traffic Conditions…………………………121 Table XVII-5: Intersection Analysis for EAPC (2024) Conditions……………………………….121 Table XVII-6: Rancho Mirage Citywide VMT…………………………………………………..….126 Table 4-8: DWR 4-2R Projected Retail Demands for Water (AFY)………………………….134 Table XXI-1: Desert Island Hotel Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program………………141 Exhibits:
Exhibit 1: Vicinity Map……………………..……………………………………………………..11 Exhibit 2: Project Aerial…..………………………………………………….……………..…….12 Exhibit 3: Project Site Plan….…………………………………………………….……….…….13 Exhibit I-1: Cross Section Locations 1, 2 and 3…………………………………………...…….19 Exhibit I-2: Cross Section Location No. 1………………………………….……….……………20 Exhibit I-3: Viewpoint from Location No. 1……………………………….………………………20 Exhibit I-4: Cross Section Location No. 2………………………………………………………..21 Exhibit I-5: Viewpoint from Location No. 2……………………………………………………….21 Exhibit I-6: Cross Section Location No. 3……………………………………………….……….22 Exhibit I-7: Viewpoint from Location No. 3…………………………………………………........22 Exhibit I-8: Location No. 4……………………………………………………………..…………..23 Exhibit I-9: Cross Section Location No. 4………………………………………………………..23 Exhibit I-10: Viewpoint from Location No. 4……………………………………………………….24 Exhibit I-11: Visual Rendering of Proposed Hotel Building………………………………………27 Exhibit I-12: Visual Rendering of Project…………………………………………...………..........316-73
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Exhibit XIII-1: Noise Measurement Locations ……………………………………………………...99 Exhibit XIII-2: Receiver Locations……………………………………………………………………104 Exhibit XIII-3: Stationary Source Noise Locations…………………………….……………………105 Appendix:
Appendix A - California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod), Version 2020.4.0.
Appendix B - Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis, Urban Crossroads, Inc. May 2022.
Appendix C - Desert Island Hotel Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Evaluation, Urban Crossroads, Inc., May 2022.
Appendix D - Desert Island Hotel Focused Traffic Analysis, Urban Crossroads, Inc. May 2022.
Appendix E - Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Letter, September 2022 Appendix F - Desert Island Hotel Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, May 2023 6-74
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Recirculation
In accordance with Chapter 3, Section 15105 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, the Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (Draft IS/MND) was previously circulated from April 24, 2023 to May 23, 2023. The Draft IS/MND is being recirculated in response to a comment letter received from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) that identified the agency as a Responsible Agency for the Project. This revised Draft IS/MND for recirculation has been revised to include recommended mitigation measures that were received from CDFW on May 23, 2023.
Text that has been striked out will be removed in the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and text that has been underlined will be included in the Final MND. The comment letters received to date (May 30th, 2023) are included in Appendix F.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project site is located on approximately 17.2 acres within the Desert Island Residential Community and Golf Course (“Desert Island”). Desert Island occupies approximately 160 acres of land at the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive. The project proposes the development of a boutique resort hotel within Desert Island to bring hotel guests on site to help maintain golf operations and provide added revenues for enhance viability of clubhouse hospitality/dining facilities.
The boundaries of Desert Island are delineated by Frank Sinatra Drive to the north, Bob Hope Drive to the east, single-family residential to the south, and single family residential to the west. The proposed project occupies areas in the northern portion of Desert Island and is generally surrounded by the existing Desert Island golf course.
History
The Desert Island project was originally approved by the County of Riverside in 1971 with multiple residential towers, a 25-acre lake, and an 18-hole golf course under Conditional Use Permit 1252 and Tract Map 4195. The project was annexed to Rancho Mirage in 1973 when the City was incorporated.
By 1979, three towers containing 226 units, a golf course, lake, clubhouse, and ancillary buildings had all been constructed per the original County approvals. However, reliance on the original County approvals for a fourth tower was denied by the City in 1989. To address this, the Desert Island Specific Plan was approved to facilitate the construction of two additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions. However, the additional towers have not been built.
Proposed Project
The project will repurpose approximately 17.2 acres of the existing Desert Island community with a new 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private residences, hotel grounds for guest use with tennis, pool, café, cabana and yoga amenities, along with additional onsite parking. A new golf training park, and golf maintenance building will replace the existing driving range and old maintenance building that will be eliminated to make room for the new facilities. The proposed hotel is intended for use as a high-end venue with guests booking multi-day overnight stays. The proposed residences will be privately owned, but fully managed and maintained by the hotel operator. The proposed hotel and residences will be located west of the existing clubhouse.
The proposed project is divided into eight planning areas (PA). The planning areas are briefly summarized below:
PA-1A: Hotel – PA-1A will include the 34-key boutique hotel. Each hotel key will be designed as a self-sufficient luxury residence with chef’s kitchen, generous floor plan, private garden, and exclusive exterior entrance.
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PA-1B: Hotel Grounds/Gardens- PA-1B will include the area between the hotel and the existing lake.
This area is planned as an outdoor desert garden for recreation and relaxation. Amenities planned for this area include a hotel pool, pool café, tennis court and shaded cabanas.
PA-1C: Residences – PA-1C would include 11 private residences that, as previously stated, will be managed and maintained by the hotel operator.
PA-1D: Yoga Pavilion/Golf Green – PA-1D provides a private yoga pavilion to be constructed on a small island owned by the golf course.
PA-1E: Access Road – PA-1E would realign and widen the existing golf cart path to 24 feet to provide a secondary gated emergency access to Frank Sinatra Drive.
PA-2A: Maintenance Building – PA-2A would replace the existing maintenance building with a new one west of the main entry. The maintenance building will accommodate handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composting. The building placement allows for separation of maintenance and clubhouse/resort operations.
PA-2B: Clubhouse/Parking – PA-2B contains the Golf Clubhouse and existing parking lots. No new structures are proposed in PA-2B. However, new parking spaces are added voluntarily near the new maintenance building to take advantage of its extended driveway configuration to augment on-site parking capacity.
PA-2C: Golf Practice Facility – PA-2C includes an area reserved for a new golf training park as a replacement for the current driving range that will offer golfers a professionally programmed facility to improve their game. It will consist of an 18-hole tournament putting green, short game training areas, and free-standing virtual golf simulator equipment.
The planning areas, use, and proposed acreages are provided in the table below. Exhibit 3 illustrates the proposed planning areas.
Table 1: Proposed Planning Areas
PA No. PA Use Area
1A Hotel 2.5 ac
1B Desert Gardens/Pool/Tennis 2.2 ac
1C Hotel Residences 4.6 ac
1D Yoga Pavilion 1.0 ac
1E Access Drive 0.2 ac
2A Maintenance Building 0.6 ac
2B Existing Clubhouse & Parking 4.8 ac
2C Golf Practice Facility 1.3 ac
Total 17.2 ac
In order to allow these uses, the project applicant will submit the following entitlements for City approval:
-General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002): The GPZMA will amend the project General Plan and Zoning designation from Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H). -Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0002): The SPA will allow the Desert Island Specific Plan to include hotel uses.
-Tentative Parcel Map 38399 (TPM22-0004): The TPM will create parcels to contain the hotel and residential uses.
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-Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001): The PDP will provide design detail and ensure quality architecture, landscape and site design.
-Development Agreement (DA22-0003): The Development Agreement will allow the development of 11 hotel residences.
Landscape
Landscaping is proposed throughout the project. Drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and accents would be utilized both enhance the property and complement the desert environment. Trees would provide shade along the driveway entrances, pedestrian walkways, building frontages, and parking areas. The landscape design would also include agave plants and ground coverings to enhance the property.
Circulation
The hotel will take primary access from the existing Desert Island main gate on Frank Sinatra Drive.
Currently, the main gate remains closed to the public, however, to eliminate potential vehicle stacking on Frank Sinatra Drive, the project proposes to keep the gates open during operating hours. Additionally, the resident gate and turnaround on Island Drive will be retained in its existing condition without change.
Secondary access to Frank Sinatra Drive will be accommodated by widening the existing gated entry at the northwest corner of the golf course from 12-feet to 24-feet to provide secondary emergency vehicle access.
Onsite Parking
The project will provide sufficient new parking adjacent to the hotel and residences to fully serve those uses. New parking is also provided near the new maintenance building to voluntarily increase on-site capacity.
Phasing
The project will be constructed in four phases. The first phase would develop a portion of the southerly hotel with outdoor recreation amenities, yoga pavilion, golf training facility, maintenance building with parking, and the proposed secondary access to Frank Sinatra Drive (along the west side of Desert Island). Phase two would develop residences 7 and 8, at the western side of the site. Phase three would develop residences 5, 6, 9 and 10¸and the maintenance area to the east. Finally, phase four would develop the northerly hotel, residences 1 through 4, and the owner residence, and the proposed golf training facility. The southern hotel pad will be left undisturbed or reseeded with live turf until constructed.
Phasing is subject to adjustment or reordering in response to market conditions so long as adequate infrastructure is provided to each phase. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 with full buildout by 2024 (subject to market and economic factors).
City Approval
•Specific Plan Amendment (SP22-0001)
•General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002)
•Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001)
•Tentative Parcel Map (TPM22-0004)
•Environmental Assessment (EA22-0012)
•Development Agreement (DA22-0003)
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Land Use and Setting
North: Frank Sinatra Drive, Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated with Desert Island Golf and Country Club
East: Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated with Desert Island Golf and Country Club and Clubhouse South: Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated with Desert Island Golf and Country Club West: Private Open Space (OS/PV) associated with Desert Island Golf and Country Club 6-78
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RANCHO MIRAGERANCHO MIRAGE
PALM DESERTPALM DESERT
CATHEDRAL CITYCATHEDRAL CITY
INDIAN WELLSINDIAN WELLS
PALM SPRINGSPALM SPRINGS
PALM SPRINGSPALM SPRINGS
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VICINITY MAP
EXHIBIT 1
PROJECT SITE
0 5,000
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DESERT ISLAND MND6-79
PROJECT AERIAL
EXHIBIT 2
DESERT ISLAND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION6-80
SITE PLAN
EXHIBIT 3
DESERT ISLAND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION6-81
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Environmental Checklist and Discussion:
The following checklist evaluates the proposed project’s potential adverse impacts. For those environmental topics for which a potential adverse impact may exist, a discussion of the existing site environment related to the topic is presented followed by an analysis of the project’s potential adverse impacts. When the project does not have any potential for adverse impacts for an environmental topic, the reasons why there are no potential adverse impacts are described.
1. AESTHETICS -- Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
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Impact
No
Impact
a) Have a substantial adverse effect on a
scenic vista?
b) Substantially damage scenic resources,
including, but not limited to, trees, rock
outcroppings, and historic buildings within a
state scenic highway?
c) In non-urbanized areas, substantially
degrade the existing visual character or quality
of public views of the site and its surroundings?
(Public views are those that are experienced
from publicly accessible vantage point). If the
project is in an urbanized area, would the
project conflict with applicable zoning or other
regulations governing scenic quality?
d) Create a new source of substantial light or
glare, which would adversely affect day or
nighttime views in the area?
Sources: Rancho Mirage General Plan, 2017; Rancho Mirage Municipal Code; California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), State Scenic Highways, 2022.
1.1 Setting
The perception and uniqueness of scenic vistas and visual character can vary according to location and composition of its surrounding context. The subjective value of views is generally affected by the presence and intensity of neighboring man–made improvements, such as structures, overhead utilities, and landscaping, often in relation to the aesthetic quality offered by a natural background that may include open space, mountain ranges, or a natural landmark feature. The proximity and massing of structures, landscaping and other visual barriers interact with the visibility of surrounding environments to restrict or enhance the value of local scenic views. The evaluation of scenic vistas takes into consideration the physical compatibility of proposed projects in relation to land uses, transportation corridors, or other vantage points, where the enjoyment of unique vistas may exist, such as residential areas or scenic roads.
The Rancho Mirage General Plan outlines the aesthetic qualities that define the City. The Rancho Mirage Municipal Code establishes development standards and guidelines the different zones within the City.
The City’s General Plan and Municipal Code were consulted to determine whether the proposed project would result in impacts to aesthetics, including scenic vistas, scenic quality, and light and glare.
1.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The project site is located on approximately 17.2 acres in the northern portion of the Desert Island Residential Community and Golf Course (“Desert Island”).
Desert Island occupies approximately 160 acres of land at the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra 6-83
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Drive and Bob Hope Drive. Desert Island is fully walled and includes three towers containing 226 units, a golf course, 25-acre lake, clubhouse and ancillary buildings. Currently, the project, which operates as a portion of the golf course associated with Desert Island, is included in the Desert Island Specific Plan, which was approved to facilitate the construction of two additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions. However, the development of the additional residential towers have not been built.
The project proposes to develop a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private residences, and passive outdoor gathering areas, tennis, pool and yoga amenities. A new golf training park and maintenance building with parking will replace the existing driving range and old maintenance building displaced by the proposed project. The proposed hotel will include four (4) one-story buildings. In order to allow these uses, the project applicant will submit the following entitlements for City approval:
- General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002): The GPZMA will amend the project General Plan and Zoning designation from Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H). - Specific Plan Amendment (SPA22-0002): The SPA will allow the Desert Island Specific Plan to include hotel uses.
- Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001): The PDP will provide design detail and ensure quality architecture, landscape and site design.
- Tentative Parcel Map (TPM22-0004): The TPM will create parcels for the hotel and hotel residences.
- Environmental Assessment (EA22-0012): The EA analyzes the proposed project’s impacts to various environmental topics outlined in Appendix G in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 2022 Statues and Guidelines.
- Development Agreement (DA22-0003): The DA will allow 11 hotel residences in the proposed land use.
The SPA provides project-specific information including circulation and development standards proposed for the project. The Specific Plan Amendment is a regulatory document, that serves as zoning for the properties involved. All development on the project site shall adhere to the standards and requirements set forth in the Specific Plan Amendment.
The approximately 17.2-acre project site has been previously developed, and currently operates as a part of the Desert Island golf course and overflow parking area. The site exhibits a predominantly flat topography with parking stalls, landscaped golf features, developed drive aisles, clubhouse, and maintenance building.
From the project site, the Santa Rosa Mountains are visible to the south, however, existing structures, landscaping and manmade features partially obstruct the viewshed. Views of the San Jacinto Mountains to the west are also partially obstructed by existing structures, landscaping and manmade features. To the northeast and east, views of the Little San Bernardino Mountains are distant and largely obstructed by exiting walls, trees, and structures. Additional obstructions associated with the surrounding properties include perimeter walls, hedges, and planted trees of various sizes. The properties to the west, north, east, and south of the project, and their views of the scenic vistas are discussed in further detail below.
Views Observed from West-Lying Properties
As previously stated, the project site is located within Desert Island. Areas east of the project site includes the Desert Island golf course and an existing residential community (not associated with Desert Island). The west-lying residential structures do not have views of the distant mountains to the east because the Desert Island property contains existing perimeter landscaping, which 6-84
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currently obstructs any views the west-lying properties have to the east. Therefore, construction of the proposed project would not impact the existing obstructed views that the west-lying properties have to the east.
Views Observed from North-Lying Properties
Areas north of the project includes a portion of the Desert Island golf course and Frank Sinatra Drive. From Frank Sinatra Drive views of the Santa Rosa Mountains (south) are largely obstructed by existing manmade features, block walls, landscaping, and structures. However, peak views of the mountains are somewhat visible depending on the viewpoint location.
The project proposes the development of four (4), 1-story hotel buildings, and eleven (11) 1-story residential buildings. The hotel building will be low in height and surrounded by mounding and landscape buffers to screen the buildings from public view to the north. The line of sight and viewpoint exhibits below illustrates the views observed from the public areas north of the project (along Frank Sinatra Drive) as a result of the proposed project. For a conservative analysis, the sight line exhibits from section numbers 2 and 3, and the photo simulations from viewpoint numbers 1 and 3, analyze a 2-story hotel building, although only 1-story hotel structures are proposed. The single-story hotel buildings would create a reduced impact compared to the 2-story buildings illustrated.
Cross section location 1 is located northwest of the project on Frank Sinatra Drive (Exhibits I-1, I- 2, and I-3, below). From location 1, pedestrians walking on the southern side of Frank Sinatra Drive would be too close to the existing perimeter wall to get a full view of the property in the background. Views of the one-story hotel would not be viewed by pedestrians or motorists at this location. Hedges and trees on the Desert Island property would continue act as visual barriers to pedestrian view. Currently the hedges vary from 8 feet to 12 feet in height. The project proposes to maintain the hedges at 12 feet and plant additional hedges in areas along the Frank Sinatra Drive frontage for a consistent landscaped frontage. The hedges are proposed behind the existing block wall frontage. Motorists driving eastbound or westbound on Frank Sinatra Drive would also have obstructed views of the Desert Island property and proposed project due to the proposed 12-foot hedge. As illustrated in Exhibit I-3, the buildings will not be visible from public viewsheds.
Additionally, scenic vistas are not visible at this location due to the existing block wall and perimeter landscaping within the Desert Island property. Exhibit I-3 indicates that project development would not result in impacts to the scenic vistas viewed at this location.
Cross section location 2 is situated between location 1 and 3 on Frank Sinatra Drive (Exhibit I-1 and I-4). Note that Exhibit I-4 illustrates a 2-story hotel building, although the project proposes a 1-story building. The 1-story building would result in less impacts compared to the 2-story building analyzed. Similar to location 1, from location 2 pedestrians walking on the southern side of Frank Sinatra Drive would not be able to view the hotel from this location for the same reasons listed above. Additional hedges and trees on the Desert Island property also acts as visual barriers to pedestrian view. The proposed 12-foot hedge along the Desert Island frontage would continue to obstruct the public’s view of the private property (Exhibit I-5). Currently existing landscaping (8- to 12-foot hedges, and dense mature trees) obstruct views of scenic vistas. As illustrated in Exhibit I-5, project development would not result in impacts to scenic vistas at this location. Less than significant impacts anticipated.
Location 3 (Exhibit I-1, I-6, and I-7, below) is located west of the Island Drive entrance. Note that Exhibit I-4 illustrates a 2-story hotel building, although the project proposes a 1-story building. The 1-story building would result in less impacts compared to the 2-story building analyzed. From this location, pedestrians walking on the southern side of Frank Sinatra Drive would be walking too closely to the existing perimeter wall to get a full view of the property, including the proposed hotel 6-85
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or the Santa Rosa Mountains in the background. Additional hedges and trees on the Desert Island property also acts as visual barriers to pedestrian view. Motorists driving eastbound on Frank Sinatra Drive would have similar views as the pedestrians because of their proximity to the perimeter wall. Additionally, westbound motorists would not be able to see the hotel and areas above and past the hotel, as indicated in Section 3 (Exhibit I-6, below). Exhibit I-7 illustrates what the public would observe from this viewpoint. From this location, the public would see the 12-foot hedge along the frontage of Frank Sinatra Drive. The proposed hedge would act as a visual barrier, screening the hotel from the public traveling along Frank Sinatra Drive. Peak views of the Santa Rosa Mountains are partially visible from this location. Currently, the existing landscaping within Desert Island (i.e., hedges and trees) obstruct the buildings within the property and the Santa Rosa Mountains in the background. Development of the project, including landscaping, would result in less than significant impacts to the scenic vistas since views of scenic vistas are not currently visible at this location.
Cross section location 4 is situated east of Island Drive on Frank Sinatra Drive (Exhibit I-8). Similar to locations 1, 2 and 3, from location 4 pedestrians walking on the southern side of Frank Sinatra Drive would not be able to view the hotel from this location for the same reasons listed above (Exhibit I-9). The proposed 12-foot hedge would also act as a visual barrier, screening the public view from the proposed buildings (Exhibit I-10). However, this obstruction is not significant since the existing landscaping (i.e., hedges and trees) currently act as visual barriers to scenic vistas from public viewsheds. Overall, less than significant impacts are expected.
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Exhibit I-1 Cross Section Locations 1, 2 and 3
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Exhibit I-2 Cross Section Location No. 1
Exhibit I-3 Viewpoint from Location No. 1*
* Viewpoint 1 reflects 2-story hotel buildings. Single-story hotel buildings would be lower. 6-88
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Exhibit I-4 Cross Section Location No. 2*
* Viewpoint 2 reflects 2-story hotel buildings. Single-story hotel buildings would be lower.
Exhibit I-5 Viewpoint from Location No. 2
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Exhibit I-6 Cross Section Location No. 3*
* Viewpoint 3 reflects 2-story hotel buildings. Single-story hotel buildings would be lower.
Exhibit I-7 Viewpoint from Location No. 3*
* Viewpoint 3 reflects 2-story hotel buildings. Single-story hotel buildings would be lower. 6-90
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Exhibit I-8 Cross Section Location No. 4
Exhibit I-9 Cross Section Location No. 4
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Exhibit I-10 Viewpoint from Location No. 4
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Overall, as indicated above, the proposed project buildings will be screened from public view by both the existing landscaping associated with the Desert Island property, and the proposed 12- foot hedge along the street frontage. From the viewpoint locations along Frank Sinatra Drive, views of the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south are distant and largely obstructed by the existing buildings and landscaping associated with the Desert Island property. Base and midrange views of the Mountain are not visible at the viewpoint locations. However, peak views are somewhat visible at viewpoint locations 3 and 4 (Exhibits I-7 and I-10). The hedges proposed along the frontage of Frank Sinatra Drive would partially obstruct the views of the Mountain, however, peak views would remain somewhat visible. The Desert Island property currently obstructs the views of the scenic resource (the Santa Rosa Mountains), and the development of the proposed project would not significantly impact the current views of the Mountain. Additionally, any project-related obstructions would be brief, as motorists and pedestrians travelling along Frank Sinatra Drive do not typically stop to observe the views of the Santa Rosa Mountains (to the south) at this location.
Views Observed from East-Lying Properties
As previously stated, the project site is located within Desert Island. Areas east of the project site includes the Desert Island golf course and Desert Island roadways and facilities. Currently, views of the San Jacinto Mountains (west) are partially obstructed by existing vegetation and manmade structures onsite. However, mid-range and peak views of the Mountain can be observed throughout the property, depending on viewpoint location. Development of the proposed project, which includes a hotel building and 11 residences, would partially obstruct the Mountain depending on onsite viewpoint location. However, the project is proposed to be developed in conjunction with the Desert Island community and clubhouse to reinforce clubhouse viability for hosting indoor events/activities and providing convenient and elevated dining experiences for golfers, Desert Island residents and the general public. Therefore, although the project buildings may partially obstruct the views of the Mountain, they are proposed to enhance the Desert Island property.
Views Observed from South-Lying Properties
Lands south of the proposed project includes the Desert Island golf course. From the south-lying areas within Desert Island the viewsheds includes landscaped areas associated with the Desert Island golf course. Views of the mountains north of the project are distant and not visible from the project site due to existing landscaping and manmade infrastructure. Development of the project would not result in impacts to public viewsheds since the project would develop well maintained hotel and residential structures, as well as a golf training facility.
Overall, the project will not result in significant impacts to scenic vistas when viewed from public viewpoint locations due to the project’s location within the developed Desert Island community.
The project may obstruct views when observed from within Desert Island, such as from the golf course or clubhouse, however, the project will provide additional amenities to the property and will be designed to enhance the property (see discussion c, below). Therefore, impacts to scenic vistas will be less than significant.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The purpose of the State Scenic Highway Program is to preserve and protect scenic State highway corridors from change that would diminish the aesthetic value of lands adjacent to highways. State highways can be officially designated as Scenic Highways or be determined to be eligible for designation. The status of a state scenic highway changes from eligible to “officially designated” when a local jurisdiction adopts a scenic corridor protection program, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) approves the designation as a Scenic Highway. Based on the Caltrans status map of scenic highway designations, Highway 111 is considered an Eligible State Scenic Highway, but is not officially designated. Highway 111 is located approximately 1.50 miles southwest of the proposed project. Based on the Circulation 6-93
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Element of the Riverside County General Plan, the project is not located within close proximity to any designated state or county scenic highway. Therefore, no impacts to those resources are anticipated.
According to the Rancho Mirage General Plan, Frank Sinatra Drive is a City-designated scenic roadway. Currently, motorists and pedestrians traveling west on Frank Sinatra Drive have generally unobstructed views of the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, apart from the existing landscaping, infrastructure, and buildings. The project is located south of Frank Sinatra Drive; therefore, development of the project would not result in impacts to views of the San Jacinto Mountains. The Santa Rosa Mountains, to the south, can also be viewed from Frank Sinatra Drive. However, these views are distant and largely obstructed by existing buildings, landscaping (trees), walls, and manmade features. The proposed project would obstruct the limited views of the Santa Rosa Mountains from motorists and pedestrians traveling on Frank Sinatra Drive briefly, until they are able to pass the hotel building. Therefore, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
Additionally, the property does not contain any landmarks such as trees or historic buildings, and based on historical maps, the project property has maintained a developed condition, and as such, is absent of any historic buildings, structures or other former permanent improvements that would hold any aesthetic value. Furthermore, the project is not located within close proximity to any designated scenic highways as identified by Caltrans or the County of Riverside General Plan. Therefore, the proposed project would not result in adverse impacts to scenic resources adjacent to, or in close proximity to state scenic highway or other local transportation corridors.
Less than significant impacts are expected.
c) Less than Significant Impact. The proposed project is located in an urbanized area within the City of Rancho Mirage. As previously stated, the project site is located on approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island. Desert Island occupies approximately 160 acres of land at the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive. Desert Island includes three towers containing 226 units, a golf course, 25-acre lake, clubhouse and ancillary buildings. Currently, the operates as a portion of the golf course and maintenance facility associated with Desert Island.
Areas surrounding the project site are developed and include the Desert Island golf course, lake, and clubhouse building. Desert Island include well-maintained landscaping, building frontages, public and pedestrian areas, and internal driveways. The existing land uses contribute to the scenic quality of the area.
In its existing condition, the project property operates as a portion of Desert Island’s golf course.
The site exhibits a predominantly flat topography. The landscape in the golf course consists of tall trees and grass fairways. Frank Sinatra Drive is located north of the project and delineates Desert Island’s northern boundary. The street frontage is developed with curb and gutter improvements, pedestrian sidewalks, and landscaping.
The scenic/design quality in the project area, and areas within Desert Island is currently governed by the Desert Island Specific Plan (approved in 1991). The Desert Island Specific Plan was established to facilitate the construction of two additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions. However, the additional towers have not been built. The Desert Island Specific Plan includes a set of illustrative plans and design guidelines that establish continuity with the buildings proposed in 1991. The project is proposing a Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) to include the development of a boutique hotel, residential dwellings, a golf training facility, maintenance building, and overflow/valet parking area. The proposed uses and their contribution to the scenic quality, as described by the SPA, is provided below.
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Boutique Hotel:
The proposed 34-key hotel will include the development of four, 1-story hotel buildings. The hotel will be developed parallel to Frank Sinatra Drive. This orientation is proposed so that all hotel rooms have unobstructed panoramic views of the Santa Rosa Mountains south across the golf course. The hotel frontages will be lined with artwork, shade structures, and landscaping. The hotel buildings will be low in height and surrounded by mounting and generous landscape buffers to create a sense of privacy and screen the buildings from public views to the north and west. A visual rendering of the proposed hotel buildings is provided below.
Exhibit I-11 Visual Rendering of Proposed Hotel Building
Residences:
The 11 private condominium residences will be managed and maintained by the hotel operator.
The residences will be similar in design to the hotel to maintain continuity and avoid contrasting design aesthetics.
Golf Course:
The golf course will continue to operate as an 18-hole facility with minor routing adjustments to 1st and 9th fairways to accommodate the hotel. The hotel is expected to benefit the golf course by providing a supplemental income source so deterioration due to underfunding does not occur. A well-maintained course benefits the hotel as an attractive guest experience and wedding backdrop, and it benefits the existing residents of Desert Island by maintaining the existing scenic views.
Golf Practice Facility:
A golf training facility is proposed to not only compensate for the removal of the current driving range, but to offer golfers of all skill levels a world class, professionally programmed facility to improve their game. It will consist of an 18-hole tournament putting green, short game training areas and virtual golf simulator stations that provide golfers with digital feedback to improve the mechanics of their golfing technique. The practice facility is situated north of the hotel near the relocated Hole 1 Tee box.
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Maintenance Building:
The existing maintenance structure will be replaced by a new maintenance building east of the main entry. The maintenance building will accommodate handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composting. The building placement allows for separation of maintenance and clubhouse/resort operations.
Outdoor Spaces:
The area between the hotel and the existing lake is planned as an outdoor desert garden and gathering space. Various complementary amenities adjoin the garden that will benefit from the aesthetic created by the enhanced desert landscaping, the lake and the spectacular mountain views to the south. These amenities include a hotel pool, a small pool café, and a tennis court for hotel guests. Finally, a yoga pavilion is planned on the island south of the lake.
The Desert Island Specific Plan outlines design guidelines governing the scenic quality of the proposed developments. As previously stated, the Desert Island Specific Plan focused on the development of two residential towers (4 and 5), the extension of tennis facilities, the extension of the clubhouse, and the remodeling of the gate house. The Specific Plan also included guidelines for landscaping, parking, and drive aisles.
Design guidelines and development standards specific to the proposed hotel, hotel residential, and golf training facility uses are not included in the Desert Island Specific Plan. However, to determine the project’s consistency with some of the comprehensive design guidelines of the Desert Island Specific Plan the following table provides an analysis that compares the proposed buildings with the design guidelines for the residential towers proposed in 1991. Table I-1 outlines the design guidelines considerations outlined in Section 3, and the project’s consistency with the design considerations.
Table I-1
Project Consistency with Desert Island Specific Plan Design Guidelines Design Guidelines Project Consistency
The architectural style of each building shall
provide visual interest created through the
cohesive quality of the architectural
elements, including windows, doors, patios
and balconies, and roof lines.
Consistent: The project proposes a high-quality boutique hotel, hotel and outdoor amenities, hotel residential units, a golf training facility, and a new maintenance building on approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island. The project will include architecture and a color-scheme to maintain consistency with the existing community design and the
natural environment. Project design will be reviewed by the City of Rancho Mirage to ensure consistency.
Scale: The scale of the project would result in the most efficient use of the parcel size and shape. The scale of the additional infrastructure, i.e., lighting features,
landscaping, etc., will be consistent with the surrounding area.
Height: The maximum building height of the proposed
hotel will be 24 feet or 1-story, whichever is less.
Residential buildings 4 and 5 shall be sited
to assure the provision of a minimum 25-
foot setback from the lake where
emergency vehicle access is required, and
a minimum set back of 45 feet from new
auxiliary parking areas.
Not Applicable: This guideline refers to the residential towers 4 and 5. However, the project proposes the
secondary access to Frank Sinatra to be accommodated
by widening the existing gated entry at the northwest
corner of the golf course from 12-feet to 24-feet to provide secondary emergency vehicle access.
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Residential buildings 4 and 5 shall be
restricted to a height limit of 65 feet above
elevation of pad to assure full exploitation of
the lake as stormwater retention, to assure
compatibility with Building No. 3 and to
provide adequate clearance for
underground parking approaches.
Not Applicable: The tallest building proposed for the
project will be 24 feet or 1-story. Regarding stormwater retention, the project-specific preliminary hydrology report confirms that the minimal additional flows generated from the proposed development, the 100-year 3-hour storm
event will have a minimal impact on the on-site
lake/retention (2’ free board). Therefore, meet the
hydrologic requirements established by the City of Rancho Mirage.
The design, height, and massing of
residential buildings 4 and 5 shall
subsequently conform to the spirit of the
architectural style of the plans and
elevations presented in the Specific Plan,
and shall complement and enhance to
architectural styles developed at Desert
Island. Architectural detail may diverge to a
limited extent from established
relationships to allow the use of more
current floor/space plans and window
treatments.
Consistent: The project proposes a high-quality boutique hotel, hotel and outdoor amenities, hotel residential units, a golf training facility, and a new maintenance building on approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island. Although the architecture and color-scheme proposed for the project diverges from the existing buildings on the Desert Island site, the project proposes mid-century modern design,
consistent with the existing buildings onsite. The project proposes simple, lightweight steel frame structures
organized linearly with a metal clad gable roof. The project architecture will incorporate natural materials and textures such as wood and stone, concrete, gravel, and crushed
granite, and painted metal panels and structural steel
using a color palette consisting of earth-tones. Large
expanses of glass doors will maximize the natural light exposure and provide generous views of the landscape.
The over-arching roof structures of all the buildings will provide shade and reduce glare. Additionally, the
proposed building and roof structure will complement the existing clubhouse building, which also includes a gable roof.
Project design will be reviewed by the City of Rancho
Mirage to ensure consistency.
Scale: The scale of the project would result in the most efficient use of the parcel size and shape. The scale of the additional infrastructure, i.e., lighting features,
landscaping, etc., will be consistent with the surrounding area.
Height: The maximum building height of the proposed
hotel will be one-story or 24 feet.
Each residential building shall provide two
underground parking spaces for each unit
planned in the building. One additional
outdoor space shall be required for each
unit.
Not Applicable. The project does not propose underground parking for the 34-key hotel guests, or 11 residential
dwellings. The project proposes hotel parking, residence parking, golf, and overflow/valet parking. The total parking proposed is 380 spaces.
The mansard-style roof-line used on the
other residential buildings shall be
incorporated in to the two residential
buildings to assure that all mechanical
equipment is screened from ground view or
from other buildings on the site.
Not Applicable: The project does not propose mansard-
style roof lines. Mechanical equipment is not proposed on the roofs of the project buildings.
Site planning for each residential building
shall provide a design which integrates the
Consistent: The project will be designed to be cohesive with the existing Desert Island buildings. As previously 6-97
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building with the established character of
the site and the similar treatments utilized
with the first three (residential) buildings,
and shall be in substantial conformance
with the SP.
stated, the project proposes mid-century modern design
consistent with the existing buildings onsite. The project will include simple, lightweight steel frame structures organized linearly with a metal clad gable roof. The project architecture will incorporate natural materials and textures such as wood and stone, concrete, gravel, and crushed
granite, and painted metal panels and structural steel
using a color palette consisting of earth-tones. Large
expanses of glass doors will maximize the natural light exposure and provide generous views of the landscape.
The over-arching roof structures of all the buildings will provide shade and reduce glare. Additionally, the
proposed building and roof structure will complement the existing clubhouse building, which also includes a gable roof. Project design will be reviewed by the City of Rancho Mirage to ensure consistency.
Site planning of the proposed residential
buildings shall respect and preserve views
from existing buildings to the greatest
extent practical.
Consistent: The proposed buildings will not exceed two
stories. The proposed 34-key hotel will include the
development of four, 1-story hotel buildings. The hotel buildings will be developed parallel to Frank Sinatra Drive.
This orientation is proposed so that all hotel rooms have unobstructed panoramic views of the Santa Rosa
Mountains south across the golf course.
Site planning activities shall take into
account existing major landscape
elements, and shall attempt to conserve
these elements where they currently exist,
or to move and reintegrate these into the
project landscape plan. Every effort should
be made to integrate drought tolerant plants
into the planting plan.
Consistent: The project landscape plan was submitted as part of the Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001),
and includes a landscape plan proposed for the project.
Per the landscape plan, trees include Palo Verde, shrubs include crown of thorns, yellow spurge, California fan palm, and ground coverings include century plant, agave, golden barrel cactus, and fig. The proposed landscape will
incorporate drought tolerant plantings. The landscape
design will be reviewed by the City of Rancho Mirage.
Pools and spas shall be developed in
conjunction with covered pavilions, with
pool facilities to be placed as to maximize
the southern exposure and minimize
shading from adjacent structures.
Consistent: the proposed pool is oriented south of the hotel buildings, minimizing shading from the proposed
structures. Structures are not proposed south of the pool.
A building-specific homeowner’s
association (HOA) shall be established to
assure the maintenance and parking, pool
and other facilities specific to each building.
Each building HOA shall be a member of
the umbrella HOA which together are
responsible for the maintenance of all
common areas and facilities for all Desert
Island residents.
Consistent: Although the project does not include the use of a HOA, the hotel operator will be responsible for the proposed grounds. Along with the proposed hotel, the 11 residences will be fully managed and maintained by the
hotel operator. This will ensure that the project will be maintained.
Prior to the issuance of building permits, the
developer shall secure approval of required
plans and applications from the City,
including detailed site plans and project
architecture and landscape architecture.
Consistent: As a part of the project entitlement, the project will submit a Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) to allow the Desert Island Specific Plan to include hotel uses. The SPA includes the development standards. A Preliminary
Development Plan (PDP) will also be submitted to provide design detail and ensure quality architecture, landscape 6-98
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and site design. Project architecture, landscape design, and additional associated improvements will be subject to review and approval by the City of Rancho Mirage.
Exhibit I-12 Visual Rendering of Project
The project site, located within Desert Island, currently operates as a golf course, parking and maintenance area. The project proposes the development of a hotel, hotel residences, golf training facility, new maintenance building, and adjustments to overflow/valet parking. The conversion of the golf course to a hotel/residence will provide the City with a resort facility to provide a supplemental revenue source to help maintain the golf operations and enhance hospitality and dining opportunities for the residents of Desert Island and the general community.
The project’s architecture is designed to be consistent and complimentary to the existing Desert Island buildings, and will include varying heights, and setbacks. The maximum building height is proposed to be two stories. The overall height of the project complies because it is less than the existing buildings. Per project design, building frontages and drive aisles will include desert landscaping consisting of drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, ground covers, and accent plants.
The development of the project will be consistent with the design guidelines established in the Specific Plan. Project architecture, landscape design, and additional associated improvements will be subject to review and approval by the City of Rancho Mirage. Therefore, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
d) Less than Significant Impact. The project property, located within Desert Island, currently operates as a part of Desert Island’s golf course. Desert Island is a 160-acre property located at the southwest corner of Bob Hope Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive. Desert Island is fully developed and consists of three residential towers (226 units), a clubhouse, 18-hole golf course, 25-acre lake, and associated improvements. The project is proposing to develop approximately 17.2 acres of the site to include a 34-key hotel, hotel amenities, 11 residential dwellings, a golf training facility, 6-99
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a maintenance building and overflow parking. The project property is located in an urban and developed context within the City of Rancho Mirage. The developed nature of the project site and surrounding areas largely contributes to the ambient lighting in the area. On the project property, existing post-mounted, downward-oriented light poles, and landscape lighting contribute to the ambient light onsite. These fixtures are also located throughout the existing property and parking lot area within Desert Island, to provide nighttime illumination for pedestrians.
Existing sources of light and glare surrounding the project are primarily attributed to the existing residential buildings southeast of the project and the clubhouse east of the project. The lighting utilized for the residential buildings typically consists of low-intensity, wall-mounted or post- mounted, downward-oriented fixtures illuminating sidewalks, doorways, outdoor areas, signs, landscaping, and parking lots.
Vehicular traffic on Frank Sinatra Drive and associated traffic infrastructure also contributes to existing daytime and nighttime ambient lighting in the area. Additional lighting includes lighting fixtures along pedestrian pathways, and lighting for existing landscape features along Frank Sinatra Drive.
Project development includes a 34-key hotel with supporting amenities, 11 residential units, a golf training facility, a maintenance building, overflow parking area, and associated infrastructure.
These proposed uses will not have highly reflective construction materials or other conditions that would cause substantial daytime or nighttime glare. The proposed building finishes, which primarily consist of exterior plaster and other complimentary materials, are expected to have low solar reflectivity. High performance building materials may be utilized as part of the design of the project building, and will be non-reflective, and glare would be less than significant. The proposed hotel is expected to have natural and earth-tone finishes which do not have highly reflective properties or other conditions that would cause substantial daytime or nighttime glare. The proposed landscaping and building setbacks will function as a visual screen to soften the visibility of buildings from the streets.
The project’s lighting is expected to implement low intensity nighttime illumination to highlight elements of the project and contribute to an enhanced community. The project will provide various forms of lighting to adequately illuminate the parking areas, entrances, signage, walkways, and other project features for security purposes. The use of exterior light fixtures will be made compatible with the architectural style and materials of the buildings. In compliance with the Chapter 17.18.050 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, the proposed lighting must be situated to prevent emissions of glare or light beyond the property line. Moreover, the proposed lighting is not permitted to blink, flash, or be of unusually high intensity or brightness. All fixtures shall be appropriate in scale, intensity, and height to the uses they are serving. All exterior lighting at the project site will be conditioned to be Dark-Sky compliant, in order to reduce the amount of light emitted at the project site at night. This will keep the night skies in the City of Rancho Mirage visible to residents and visitors. Riverside County Ordinance Number 655 regulates light pollution in the County. Ordinance No. 655 restricts the permitted use of certain light fixtures emitting into the night sky undesirable light rays which have a detrimental effect on astronomical observation and research. The project will be required to comply to the County standards. The project shall follow the standards outlined in the Municipal Code.
The project proposes the use of solar panels on the roofs of the proposed hotel. Pertaining to potential solar panel-related glare, a Solar and Glare report, provided by the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, states that solar panels do not create a substantial amount of glint (a momentary flash of bright light) and glare (a reflection of bright light for a longer duration).
Solar panels are constructed of dark-colored (usually blue or black) materials and are covered 6-100
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with anti-reflective coatings, and are designed to absorb, rather than reflect, solar radiation.
Modern panels reflect as little as two percent of incoming sunlight, about the same as water and less than soil or wood shingles (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy). The proposed project would not install highly reflective building materials that would result in a substantial increase in light or glare that would adversely affect the surrounding area or that would produce reflective light that would create discomfort.
Overall, project impacts to lighting and glare are anticipated to be less than significant.
1.3 Mitigation Measures
Mitigation: None
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2. AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
RESOURCES –
In determining whether impacts to agricultural
resources are significant environmental effects,
lead agencies may refer to the California
Agricultural Land Evaluation and Site
Assessment Model (1997) prepared by the
California Dept. of Conservation as an optional
model to use in assessing impacts on agriculture
and farmland. In determining whether impacts to
forest resources, including timberland, are
significant environmental effects, lead agencies
may refer to information compiled by the
California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection regarding the state’s inventory of
forest land, including the Forest and Range
Assessment project; and forest carbon
measurement methodology provided in Forest
Protocols adopted by the California Air
Resources Board. Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Convert Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, or
Farmland of Statewide Importance (Farmland),
as shown on the maps prepared pursuant to the
Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program of
the California Resources Agency, to non-
agricultural use?
b) Conflict with existing zoning for agricultural
use, or a Williamson Act contract?
c) Conflict with existing zoning for, or cause
rezoning of forest land, timberland, or timberland
zoned Timberland Production?
d) Result in the loss of forest land or conversion
of forest land to non-forest use?
e) Involve other changes in the existing
environment which, due to their location or
nature, could result in conversion of Farmland, to
non-agricultural use or conversion of forest land
to non-forest use?
Source: Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program, California Department of Conservation, accessed March 2022. Rancho Mirage General Plan 2017.
2.1 Setting
California Land Conservation Act of 1965
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (the “Williamson Act”) encourages the preservation of agricultural lands through tax incentives due to the increasing trend toward the conversion of agricultural lands and urban uses. The act enables counties and cities to designate agricultural preserves (Williamson Act lands) and within these preserves, offer preferential taxation to agricultural landowners based on the agricultural income producing value of the property. There are no active or permitted quarries identified within the City of La Quinta’s General Plan area; however, approximately 582 acres of land in the City’s Sphere of Influence, have been set aside for farmland conversion under the Williamson Act provisions.
State Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program
The California Department of Conservation (DOC) established the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP) in 1982 as a non-regulatory program that provides a consistent and impartial analysis of agricultural land use and land use changes throughout California. The FMMP produces maps and 6-102
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statistical data used for analyzing impacts on California’s agricultural resources. Prime agricultural land is rated according to soil quality and irrigation status and identified by the following categories: Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance, Farmland of Local Importance, Urban and Built-Up Land, and Other Land. Each category is described as follows:
Prime Farmland: areas with both good physical and chemical attributes able to sustain long- term agricultural production.
Farmland of Statewide Importance: areas that have a good combination of physical and biological characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops, and is available for these uses.
Unique Farmland: areas that produce crops of statewide importance; however, contain lower quality soils than those within Prime Farmland.
Farmland of Local Importance: lands generally without irrigation, and which produce dry crops that may be important locally but are not important for statewide agriculture production. Urban Built-Up Land: areas occupied by structures with a building density of at least 1 unit to
1.5 acres, or approximately 6 structures to a 10-acre parcel. Other Land: areas of land not included in any other mapping category.
The project site and the City of Rancho Mirage area is characterized by the urban context, primarily consisting of residential and commercial developments.
2.1 Discussion
a-e) No Impact. The proposed project will not disturb or convert any designated farmland or other form of agricultural resources. According to the 2016 California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program the proposed project is located in a portion of Rancho Mirage designated as Urban and Built-Up Land. Urban and Built-Up Land is occupied by structures with a building density of at least 1 unit to 1.5 acres, or approximately 6 structures to a 10-acre parcel. Common examples include residential, industrial, commercial, institutional facilities, cemeteries, airports, golf courses, sanitary landfills, sewage treatment, and water control structures. The subject site and the properties on all sides of the project are classified as Urban and Built-Up Land. The City of Rancho Mirage is primarily defined by Urban and Built-Up Land and land designated as Other.
The project site is not located in an existing zoning for agricultural use or classified as farmland.
The City General Plan designates the subject property with a zoning of Private Open Space (OS/PV), which is applied to areas assigned to golf course, lakes and water features, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities and landscaping that occur in private residential developments. The project site currently operates as a golf course associated with the Desert Island community.
According to the Williamson Act 2015-16 Status Report, no portion of the land within or near a one-mile radius is recognized as a Williamson Act Contract area. Furthermore, no forest land, timberland, or Timberland Production zone occurs on the project site or in the surrounding areas.
The proposed project will not impact or remove land from the City or the County’s agricultural reserve. No impacts are expected.
The project is proposing a boutique hotel, hotel residences, outdoor facilities, a new golf training park and updated maintenance facilities within the existing Desert Island community. A Specific Plan Amendment will be submitted concurrently with this environmental document in order to allow these uses. Section 3.0 of the SPA outlines development standards and permitted uses for the proposed project area. Within this section, indoor vegetable harvesting and small batch distilleries are permitted and conditionally permitted (respectively). The indoor vegetable harvesting would occur in a room in the maintenance building not exceeding 2,500 square feet to 6-103
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be used for harvesting edible vegetables in a controlled growth environment using soil, artificial or natural light, water and organic fertilizer. This is a benign indoor use not requiring special permitting. The small batch distillery would also occur in a room in the maintenance building (not exceeding 1,200 square feet) to be used in processing agave plants grown on the golf course on a very small scale. The proposed products would be consumed by the guests of Desert Island’s restaurants. Although harvesting and a distillery are proposed at the site, the project would remain classified as Urban and Built-Up Land and Other and no impacts are expected.
2.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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3. AIR QUALITY – Where available, the
significance criteria established by the
applicable air quality management district or
air pollution control district may be relied upon
to make the following determinations. Would
the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Conflict with or obstruct implementation of
the applicable air quality plan?
b) Result in a cumulatively considerable net
increase of any criteria pollutant for which the
project region is non-attainment under an
applicable federal or state ambient air quality
standard?
c) Expose sensitive receptors to substantial
pollutant concentrations?
d) Result in other emissions (such as those
leading to odors adversely affecting a
substantial number of people?
Sources: Final 2016 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), by SCAQMD, March 2017; Final 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (CVSIP), by SCAQMD, August 2003; Analysis of the Coachella Valley PM10 Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan, by the California Air Resources Board, February 2010; South Coast AQMD Rule Book; Appendix A (California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod) Version 2020.4.0), California Air Pollution Officers Association (CAPCOA) and California Air Districts.
3.1 Setting
Summary of Existing Air Quality Regulatory Framework:
The project site and Coachella Valley regional context are situated within the Riverside County portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin (SSAB), under the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the adopted 2016 Air Quality Management Plan (2016 AQMP). The 2016 AQMP serves as a regional blueprint toward achieving the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) with the most current strategies to effectively reduce emissions, accommodate growth, and minimize any negative fiscal impacts of air pollution control on the economy. The 2016 AQMP also accounts for information and assumptions from the 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) to support the integration of land use and transportation toward meeting the federal Clean Air Act requirements. Local air quality in relation to the applicable standards for criteria air pollutants is measured at three established Coachella Valley monitoring stations that are part of the SCAQMD Monitoring Network Plan: Palm Springs (AQS ID 060655001), Indio (AQS ID 060652002), and Mecca (Saul Martinez - AQS ID 060652005). The 2016 AQMP also provides guidance for the State Implementation Plans (SIP) for attainment of the applicable ambient air quality standards.
Particulate Matter (PM10):
As indicated in the 2016 AQMP, the Coachella Valley is currently designated as a serious nonattainment area for PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns or less). In the Coachella Valley, the man-made sources of PM10 are attributed to direct emissions, industrial facilities, and fugitive dust resulting from unpaved roads and construction operations. High-wind natural events are also known contributors of PM10. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires those states with nonattainment areas to prepare and submit the corresponding State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to demonstrate how these areas will attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The implementation strategies include modeling, rules, regulations, and programs designed to provide the necessary air pollutant emissions reductions.
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Pertaining to PM10 attainment, the Final 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (CVSIP) was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 14, 2005. It incorporated updated planning assumptions, fugitive dust source emissions estimates, mobile source emissions estimates, and attainment modeling with control strategies and measure commitments. Some of those measures are reflected in SCAQMD Rules 403 and 403.1, which are enacted to reduce or prevent man-made fugitive dust sources with their associated PM10 emissions. The CVSIP established the controls needed to demonstrate expeditious attainment of the standards such those listed below:
Additional stabilizing or paving of unpaved surfaces, including parking lots; A prohibition on building new unpaved roads;
Requiring more detailed dust control plans from builders in the valley that specify the use of more aggressive and frequent watering, soil stabilization, wind screens, and phased development (as opposed to mass grading) to minimize fugitive dust;
Designating a worker to monitor dust control at construction sites; and Testing requirements for soil and road surfaces.
On February 25, 2010, the ARB approved the 2010 Coachella Valley PM10 Maintenance Plan and transmitted it to the U.S. EPA for approval. With the recent data being collected at the Coachella Valley monitoring stations, consideration of high-wind exceptional events, and submittal of a PM10 Re- designation Request and Maintenance Plan, a re-designation to attainment status of the PM10 NAAQS is deemed feasible in the near future according to the 2016 AQMP.
Ozone and Ozone Precursors:
The Coachella Valley portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin (SSAB) is deemed to be in nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. Coachella Valley is unique in its geography due to its location downwind from the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB). As such, when high levels of ozone are formed in the South Coast Air Basin, they are transported to the Coachella Valley. Similarly, when ozone precursors such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from mobile sources and stationary sources located in the South Coast Air Basin, they are also transported to the Coachella Valley.
It is worth noting that SCAQMD has found that local sources of air pollution generated in the Coachella Valley have a limited impact on ozone levels compared to the transport of ozone precursors generated upwind in SCAB.
The U.S. EPA classifies areas of ozone nonattainment (i.e., Extreme, Severe, Serious, Moderate or Marginal) based on the extent to which an area exceeds the air quality standard for that pollutant. The higher the exceedance level, the more time is allowed to demonstrate attainment in recognition of the greater challenge involved. However, nonattainment areas with the higher classifications are also subject to more stringent requirements. In the 2016 AQMP, the attainment target date for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard was listed as June 15, 2019. However, based on recent data for higher levels of ozone experienced in 2017 and 2018, it was determined that the Coachella Valley region could not practically attain the said standard by the established deadline. Given that additional time is needed to bring the Coachella Valley into attainment of the ozone standard, SCAQMD submitted a formal request to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to reclassify the Coachella Valley from Severe-15 to Extreme nonattainment, with a new attainment date of June 15, 2024. The reclassification ensures that the Coachella Valley will be given the needed extension to make attainment feasible and prevent the imposition of the non-attainment fees on major stationary sources. This process would also require SCAQMD to develop or update the State Implementation Plan (SIP) documentation to demonstrate how the area will meet the standard on or before June 15, 2024.
SCAQMD continues to reduce ozone and improve air quality in the Coachella Valley, in part by providing more than $50 million in grant funding towards paving dirt roads and parking lots, clean energy projects and cleaner vehicles. Future emission reductions anticipated to occur in the South Coast Air Basin 6-106
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associated with current and planned regulations on mobile and stationary sources are expected to contribute to improvements in ozone air quality in the Coachella Valley and lead to attainment of the standard.
3.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. This analysis relies in part on the quantitative results of running the most current California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod, Version 2020.4.0, Appendix A), which is computer software developed in conjunction with the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) and California Air Districts to calculate criteria air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from land use projects using widely accepted methodologies. Sources of these methodologies and data include, but are not limited to, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) AP-42 emission factors, California Air Resources Board (CARB) vehicle emission models, studies commissioned by California agencies such as the California Energy Commission (CEC) and CalRecycle. In addition, some local air districts provided customized values for their data and existing regulation methodologies for use for projects located in their jurisdictions.
Air quality impacts can be deemed significant if the estimated project emissions demonstrate a potential to contribute or cause regional and/or localized exceedances of the federal and/or state ambient air quality standards, such as the NAAQS and CAAQS. To assist lead agencies in determining the significance of air quality impacts from land development projects, SCAQMD established quantitative short-term construction-related and long-term operational impact thresholds (South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds). Table III-1 below displays these numeric thresholds applicable to construction and operational activities to which the project- specific air emissions results will be compared.
Table III-1
SCAQMD’s Air Quality Significance Thresholds (Pounds/Day) Emission Source CO VOC NOx SOx PM10 PM2.5
Construction or Operation 550 75 100 150 150 55
Source: Air Quality Analysis Guidance Handbook and SCAQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds, April 2019
The CalEEMod 2020.4.0 air emissions modeling analysis involved a reasonable accounting of the project’s construction activities, land uses, facilities and operations as allowed in the proposed Specific Plan Amendment and evaluated in the Traffic Analysis for this project. The project characteristics that served as input parameters in CalEEMod for evaluating the emissions included a hotel (42 keys), single family residence (11 dwelling units), golf course (golf training facility of approximately 1.3 acres), parking lot (228 new parking spaces), general light industrial (golf course maintenance building of approximately 8,077 square feet), a desert gardens landscaped area of approximately 2.2 acres, recreational swimming pool (swimming pool of approximately 13,100 square feet), and health club (pool café, yoga pavilion, and restroom structures with a combined area of approximately 6,000 square feet). Note that the CalEEMod analysis evaluated a 42-key hotel, which generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys). The table below indicates the CalEEMod land uses and their associated project land uses, to clarify the CalEEMod categories in relation to the proposed project uses.
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Table III-2 CalEEMod Land Uses and the Proposed Project CalEEMod Land Uses Associated Project Uses
Hotel Hotel (42 keys)**
Recreational Swimming Pool Hotel Pool
Health Club Pool café, yoga pavilion, restroom
Single Family Housing 11 residential dwellings
Golf Course Golf practice/training facility
General Light Industry Maintenance building
Parking Lot Parking Lot*
*Number of parking lot analyzed in CalEEMod included 228 parking spaces, however, this number does not include the 6 existing parking lot spaces that are currently not being used as parking spaces, they are used as storage. The project will use these spaces as parking, therefore, the SPA and throughout this environmental document indicates that the project would include the development of 209 new parking spaces.
** The project will include the development of a 34-key hotel. The 42-key hotel analysis provides a conservative approach since the project is proposing 8 keys less than evaluated.
Pertaining to construction, the CalEEMod Analysis also accounted for the demolition phase of existing facilities with an estimated production of 2,700 cubic yards of hardscape and building debris that would be exported from the site.
The results summarized in Table III-3 display the potential criteria air pollutant emission levels resulting from construction-related site preparation, grading, utilities/building construction, paving, and architectural coating phases. The emission levels from project construction are not shown to exceed the applicable SCAQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds for criteria pollutants, including PM10 and Ozone precursors. As a standard requirement, dust control measures will be implemented during construction as part of a City-approved fugitive dust control plan in accordance with SCAQMD Rule 403/403.1 and Section 15.64.630 (Dust Control Requirements) of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code. Thus, a less than significant impact would occur for the construction-related emissions in relation to the applicable South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds.
Table III-3
Short Term Air Pollutant Emissions
Associated With Construction of the Proposed Project (Unmitigated) (Pounds/Day)
Construction Source ROG/VOC NOx CO SO2 PM10 PM2.5
Peak Emissions Resulting
from Site Preparation,
Grading, Building
Construction, Paving, and
Architectural Coating
25.1755 34.5517 28.6229 0.0636 8.0778 4.5317
SCAQMD Air Quality
Significance Threshold 75 100 550 150 150 55
Threshold Exceeded No No No No No No
Note: The PM10 and PM2.5 emissions account for required compliance with SCAQMD Rules 403/403.1 and Rancho Mirage Requirements.
CalEEMod 2020.4.0 was also used to calculate the long-term operational air pollutant emissions that would occur during the life of the project. These operations include area, energy and mobile sources. As shown in Table III-4 below, the project-related operational emissions of criteria pollutants are also not expected to exceed any of the South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance 6-108
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Thresholds. Therefore, a less than significant impact is expected for operational emissions from the project.
Table III-4
Long Term Operational Air Pollutant Emissions
Associated With Development of the Project (Unmitigated) (Pounds/Day)
Emission Source ROG/VOC NOx CO SO2 PM10 PM2.5
Peak Area Sources,
Energy Use, Mobile
Sources
3.5759
2.4141
10.5343
0.0267
1.8957
0.6908
SCAQMD Air Quality
Significance Threshold 75 100 550 150 150 55
Threshold Exceeded No No No No No No
In addition to the emission levels discussed above, another measure of determining consistency with the governing AQMP is outlined in Chapter 12, Section 12.2 and Section 12.3 of SCAQMD’s CEQA Air Quality Handbook (1993), as provided and evaluated below:
Consistency Criterion No. 1: The proposed project will not result in an increase in the frequency or severity of existing air quality violations or cause or contribute to new violations or delay the timely attainment of air quality standards or the interim emissions reductions specified in the AQMP.
The relevant emission standards are compiled in the South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds and also provided in Table III-1 pertaining to construction and operation. As demonstrated by the CalEEMod results in Tables III-3 and III-4, project construction and operation would not result in emission levels exceeding the AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds for any criteria air pollutant category, including PM10 and ozone precursors, and therefore would not conflict with the AQMP according to this criterion.
Consistency Criterion No. 2: The project will not exceed the assumptions in the AQMP based on the years of project build-out phase.
Implementation of the Specific Plan will guide development consistent with the Rancho Mirage General Plan and therefore is not expected to exceed the locally adopted land development assumptions and other growth projections factored into the 2016 AQMP.
In summary, the project is not expected to result in emission levels, growth or land use changes that would interfere with the City or region’s ability to comply with the most current air quality plans including the 2016 AQMP and State Implementation Plan strategies for PM10 and ozone level attainment efforts. Moreover, the project’s short-term construction and long-term operational emissions would not exceed the established regional thresholds for criteria air pollutant emissions. Pertaining to the obstruction of an applicable air quality plan, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The Coachella Valley portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin (SSAB) was formerly classified as “Severe-15” nonattainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard with an attainment deadline of June 15, 2019. Over the past 15 years, the air quality in the Coachella Valley has steadily improved because of the implementation of emission control measures by SCAQMD and California Air Resources Board (CARB). However, in 2017 and 2018, higher ozone levels were experienced throughout the State of California due to 6-109
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changes in meteorology, biogenic emissions, and/or anthropogenic emissions. As a result of the higher ozone experienced in 2017 and 2018, it was determined that the Coachella Valley could not practically attain the 1997 8-hour ozone standard by the 2019 deadline. The inability to attain the standard is largely due to weather conditions that are impacting not only the Coachella Valley and the South Coast Air Basin, but the entire State of California and Western United States. As a result, SCAQMD requested a reclassification that would extend the attainment deadline to June of 2024. The reclassification has allowed South Coast AQMD up to five years to reach attainment.
SCAQMD has prepared additional documentation and will be implementing additional measures to comply with the June 2024 deadline. Current and planned regulations on mobile and stationary sources are expected to contribute to improvements to ozone air quality in the Coachella Valley.
As demonstrated in tables III-3 and III-4, project-related short-term construction and long-term operational emissions would not exceed the applicable South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds for ozone precursors, such as NOx and ROG/VOC. By complying with the adopted thresholds, the proposed development is also complying with the overall attainment strategies reflected in the currently adopted 2016 AQMP.
Furthermore, the Coachella Valley is currently designated as a serious nonattainment area for PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns or less). The U.S. EPA- approved Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan is in place with an attainment strategy for meeting the PM10 standard. Some of the existing measures include the requirement of detailed dust control plans from builders that specify the use of more aggressive and frequent watering, soil stabilization, wind screens, and phased development to minimize fugitive dust.
Per Section 15.64.630 (Fugitive Dust Requirements) of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, a Fugitive Dust Control Plan must be prepared and approved prior to any earth-moving operations.
Implementation of the Fugitive Dust Control Plan is required to occur under the supervision of an individual with training on Dust Control in the Coachella Valley. The plan will include methods to prevent sediment track-out onto public roads, prevent visible dust emissions from exceeding a 20-percent opacity, and prevent visible dust emissions from extending more than 100 feet (vertically or horizontally from the origin of a source) or crossing any property line. The most widely used measures include proper construction phasing, proper maintenance/cleaning of construction equipment, soil stabilization, installation of track-out prevention devices, and wind fencing. As shown in tables III-3 and III-4, project-related short-term construction and long-term operational emissions are not expected to exceed the SCAQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds for PM10 or PM2.5.
Since project-related emissions would be consistent with the Air Quality Management Plan, the Coachella Valley PM10 and Ozone SIP, and the applicable SCAQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds, short-term construction and long-term operational emission levels associated with the project would not be considered cumulatively considerable. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
c) Less than Significant Impact. A sensitive receptor is a person or group in the population particularly susceptible (i.e. more susceptible than the population at large) to health effects due to exposure to an air contaminant. Sensitive receptors and the facilities that house them are of particular concern if they are located in close proximity to localized sources of carbon monoxide, toxic air contaminants, or odors. Residences, long-term health care facilities, schools, rehabilitation centers, playgrounds, convalescent centers, childcare centers, retirement homes, and athletic facilities are generally considered sensitive receptors.
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The SCAQMD has developed and published the Final Localized Significance Threshold (LST) Methodology to help identify potential impacts that could contribute or cause localized exceedances of the federal and/or state ambient air quality standards (NAAQS/CAAQS). LST methodology was developed in response to environmental justice and health concerns raised by the public regarding exposure of individuals to criteria pollutants in local communities. The purpose of analyzing LSTs is to determine whether a project may generate significant adverse localized air quality impacts in relation to the nearest exposed sensitive receptors, such as those listed above. LSTs represent the maximum emission levels that comply with the most stringent applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard at the nearest sensitive receptor, taking into consideration ambient concentrations in each source receptor area (SRA), project, size, and distance to the sensitive receptor. Therefore, meeting the lowest allowable emissions thresholds translates to meeting the most stringent air quality standards for a project locality in consideration of sensitive receptors. As part of the LST methodology, SCAQMD has divided its jurisdiction into 37 source receptor areas (SRAs) which can be used to determine whether a project may generate significant adverse localized air quality impacts. The proposed development is located in SRA 30, which covers the Coachella Valley and City of Rancho Mirage. LSTs only apply to certain criteria pollutants: carbon dioxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) particulate matter equal to or less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), and particulate matter equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5).
The project site in a developed setting within Desert Island. In this context, the nearest existing facilities include the club house and homeowners’ association office, located adjacent or within close proximity to the project footprint. The nearest residential buildings within the country club occur approximately 450 feet southeast of the project limits, separated by golf course facilities.
Outside of the country club, the nearest dwelling units to the project are located immediately to the west with a solid wall separation. As a result of these distances and to utilize the most conservative measures, the LST analysis will utilize the shortest separation interval (25 meters/82 feet) as the basis for analysis. This will ensure that the lowest emissions threshold is used as a standard for determining significance.
Table III-5
Localized Significance Thresholds (LSTs) Associated
with Construction of the Project with
Receptors at 25 Meters (82 Feet), (In Pounds/Day)
Emission Source NOx CO PM10 PM2.5
Maximum Unmitigated Emissions Resulting from
Site Preparation, Grading, Building Construction,
Paving and Architectural Coating
34.5517 28.6229 8.0778 4.5317
SCAQMD LST Threshold for SRA 30 304 2,292 14 8
LST Threshold Exceeded? No No No No
Sources: Appendix A and AQMD LST Look-Up Tables
Note: The PM10 and PM2.5 emissions factor dust control compliance with SCAQMD Rule 403 and 403.1 and Rancho Mirage Municipal Code requirements.
The results provided in Table III-5 resulting from the Localized Significance Thresholds methodology demonstrate that the construction-related emission levels would occur below the established thresholds, taking into account the source receptor area and nearest sensitive receptor location to the project. Therefore, the project would not result in emissions capable of exposing sensitive receptors to localized substantial pollutant concentrations. Moreover, the 6-111
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proposed project would not situate new housing in a location known to be exposed to existing or planned sources of substantial emissions. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
d) Less than Significant Impact. Objectionable odors can be associated with toxic or non-toxic emissions. While offensive odors seldom cause physical harm, they can be unpleasant and lead to considerable annoyance and distress among the public. Examples of facilities commonly known to generate considerable odors include wastewater treatment plants, sanitary landfills, composting/green waste facilities, recycling facilities, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, painting/coating operations, rendering plants, and food packaging facilities, none of which are located in the project vicinity. The land uses and populations considered more likely to experience concern over odors include residences, retirement homes, schools, playgrounds, and athletic facilities, among others.
As demonstrated in the discussions above, construction-related and operational emissions resulting from development of the Specific Plan within the existing Desert Island community would occur below the applicable South Coast AQMD Air Quality Significance Thresholds. The project would also comply with the numeric Localized Significance Thresholds relevant to the localized project setting.
The project will result in potential short-term odor emissions associated with the temporary operation of construction equipment, handling of petroleum-based products, and application of certain materials, such as asphalt pavement. These temporary odors would be perceptible within close proximity to the active construction areas dissipate with distance, to the point of becoming undetectable.
Project implementation involves demolition of the existing golf course maintenance area and its reconstruction at a different location within the project extent. This golf course maintenance facility is known to accommodate the storage and maintenance of mechanical equipment and materials associated with the on-site facility operations. Stored materials can include petroleum products, fertilizers, and temporary holding of organic waste prior to off-site disposal. The existing facility may generate detectable odors within the facility and at close distances. Presently, the golf course maintenance facility is located approximately 175 from the nearest residential dwelling unit. The proposed replacement facility is expected to be a structure of approximately 8,000 square feet with current construction methods and practices that would allow for this portion of the project to operate with improved containment and operational efficiency compared to the existing operations. In terms of location, the new maintenance facility would be situated approximately 700 feet from the nearest residential structure, therefore increasing the separation of such activities from occupied uses.
As such, the short-term construction activities and on-site operations during the life of the project are not expected to generate other emissions, including those leading to odors, capable of affecting a substantial number of people. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
3.3 Mitigation Measures
Mitigation: None
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4. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES -- Would the
project:
Potentiall
y
Significan
t Impact
Less Than
Significant
with Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Have a substantial adverse effect, either directly
or through habitat modifications, on any species
identified as a candidate, sensitive, or special
status species in local or regional plans, policies, or regulations, or by the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?
b) Have a substantial adverse effect on any riparian
habitat or other sensitive natural community
identified in local or regional plans, policies, and
regulations or by the California Department of Fish
and Wildlife or US Fish and Wildlife Service?
c) Have a substantial adverse effect on state or
federally protected wetlands (including, but not
limited to, marsh, vernal pool, coastal, etc.) through
direct removal, filling, hydrological interruption, or
other means?
d) Interfere substantially with the movement of any
native resident or migratory fish or wildlife species
or with established native resident or migratory
wildlife corridors, or impede the use of native
wildlife nursery sites?
e) Conflict with any local policies or ordinances
protecting biological resources, such as a tree
preservation policy or ordinance?
f) Conflict with the provisions of an adopted Habitat
Conservation Plan, Natural Community
Conservation Plan, or other approved local,
regional, or state habitat conservation plan?
Sources: Rancho Mirage General Plan, 2017.
4.1 Setting
The project site is located within a developed area associated with the Desert Island golf course and residential property south of Frank Sinatra Drive and west of Bob Hope Drive. The project property and City of Rancho Mirage is located within the boundaries of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP). However, the project site is not located within a Conservation Area designated by the CVMSHCP. The discussion below evaluates the previously disturbed and developed property’s potential impact on biological resources.
4.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant with Mitigation. The project site has been previously disturbed and developed since the early 1970s and is currently part of the Desert Island golf course. The site is surrounded by developed single family residential development and resorts. The site is also adjacent to Frank Sinatra Drive, a high-volume roadway. As a result of the site’s surroundings, the project site does not provide the conditions that would support sensitive species of plants or animals given special status by government agencies. The property is within the CVMSHCP, which outlines policies for conservation of habitats and natural communities. The project site is not located within a CVMSHCP Conservation Area and there are no known significant biological resources on the project site. However, the potential for burrowing owls to occur on the project site and move into disturbed or graded sites when construction is paused between phases of project construction. Therefore, the project could impact burrowing owls. To reduce these 6-113
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impacts, burrowing owl surveys will take place as required by mitigation measures BIO-1. Less than significant impacts with mitigation are expected to species identified as a candidate, sensitive, or special status species in local or regional plans, policies, or regulations, or by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) or USFWS.
b) No Impact. As discussed throughout this document, the project site has been developed and previously graded as part of the original development. The property does not contain nor is it adjacent to any riparian habitat or other sensitive natural community identified in local or regional plans, policies, and regulations or by the CDFW or the USFWS. No blue-line stream corridors or desert washes are found within the project boundaries. Therefore, no impacts are expected.
c) No Impact. The project site is developed and does not contain federally protected wetlands, marshes, or other drainage features. As a result, implementation of the project would not result in the direct removal, filling, or other hydrological interruption to any of these resources. The project is designed with a stormwater system that drains to the existing onsite facilities during the life of the project will comply with the City’s drainage requirements by preventing the discharge and transport of untreated runoff associated with the project. A project Specific Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) is expected to be prepared to ensure that the project does not contribute pollutants of concern in any project storm runoff. No impacts are expected.
d) Less than Significant Impact with Mitigation. Given the project sites current use as a golf course, and its proximity to other existing development, the project site would not be expected to be a part of or contain migratory wildlife corridors or native wildlife nursery sites. The project is site not located near any existing drainages that would support wildlife corridors nor is it located in a known wildlife corridor. However, the potential for nesting birds to occur on the project site when construction is paused between phases of project construction. Therefore, the proposed project could impact nesting birds. To reduce these impacts, avoidance of nesting birds is required by mitigation measures BIO-2. With the implementation of mitigation measure BIO-2, less than significant impacts to the movement of any native resident or migratory fish or wildlife species are expected.
e) No Impact. As mentioned previously, the project site has been disturbed for a number of years and has been utilized as part of the Desert Island golf course. Project implementation would not result in demolition or tree removal. The proposed project will be consistent with the Goals and Policies set forth in the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan Open Space and Conservation Element. There are no other unique local policies or ordinances protecting biological resources that would cause a conflict nor does the site support high value biological resources that could be affected. Therefore, no impacts are expected.
f) No Impact. As previously mentioned, the project lies within the boundary of the CVMSHCP, which outlines policies for conservation of habitats and natural communities and is implemented by the City of Rancho Mirage. The project site is not located within a Conservation Area under plan. The CVMSHCP implements a habitat mitigation fee for new development to support the acquisition of conservation lands, to be paid to the City. Therefore, the proposed project will comply with all required plan provisions and pay the required mitigation fee in conformance with the CVMSHCP and City Ordinance, if the Desert Island property has not already paid the fee during previous development of the site. No impacts are anticipated.
4.3 Mitigation Measures
BIO-1: No less than 60 days prior to the start of Project-related activities, a burrowing owl habitat assessment shall be conducted by a qualified biologist according to the specifications of 6-114
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the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (Department of Fish and Game, March 2012 or most recent version).
If the habitat assessment demonstrates suitable burrowing owl habitat, then focused burrowing owl surveys shall be conducted by a qualified biologist according to the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation. If burrowing owls are detected during the focused surveys, the qualified biologist and Project Applicant shall prepare a Burrowing Owl Plan that shall be submitted to CDFW for review and approval prior to commencing Project activities. The Burrowing Owl Plan shall describe proposed avoidance, minimization, and monitoring actions. The Burrowing Owl Plan shall include the number and location of occupied burrow sites, acres of burrowing owl habitat that will be impacted, details of site monitoring, and details on proposed buffers and other avoidance measures if avoidance is proposed. If impacts to occupied burrowing owl habitat or burrow cannot be avoided, the Burrowing Owl Plan shall also describe relocation actions that will be implemented.
Proposed implementation of burrow exclusion and closure should only be considered as a last resort, after all other options have been evaluated as exclusion is not in itself an avoidance, minimization, or mitigation method and has the possibility to result in take. If impacts to occupied burrows cannot be avoided, information shall be provided regarding adjacent or nearby suitable habitat available to owls along with proposed relocation actions. The Permittee shall implement the Burrowing Owl Plan following CDFW review and approval.
Preconstruction burrowing owl surveys shall be conducted no less than 14 days prior to the start of Project-related activities and within 24 hours prior to ground disturbance, in accordance with the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (2012 or most recent version). Preconstruction surveys should be performed by a qualified biologist following the recommendations and guidelines provided in the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation. If the preconstruction surveys confirm occupied burrowing owl habitat, Project activities shall be immediately halted. The qualified biologist shall coordinate with CDFW and prepare a Burrowing Owl Plan that shall be submitted to CDFW for review and approval prior to commencing Project activities.
BIO-2: Nesting bird surveys shall be performed by a qualified avian biologist no more than (3) days prior to vegetation removal or ground-disturbing activities. Pre-construction surveys shall focus on both direct and indirect evidence of nesting, including nest locations and nesting behavior. The qualified avian biologist will make every effort to avoid potential nest predation as a result of survey and monitoring efforts. If active nests are found during the pre-construction nesting bird surveys, a qualified biologist shall establish an appropriate nest buffer to be marked on the ground. Nest buffers are species specific and shall be at least 300 feet for passerines and 500 feet for raptors. A smaller or larger buffer may be determined by the qualified biologist familiar with the nesting phenology of the nesting species and based on nest and buffer monitoring results. Established buffers shall remain on-site until a qualified biologist determines the young have fledged or the nest is no longer active. Active nests and adequacy of the established buffer distance shall be monitored daily by the qualified biologist until the qualified biologist has determined the young have fledged or the Project has been completed. The qualified biologist has the authority to stop work if nesting pairs exhibit signs of disturbance.
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5. CULTURAL RESOURCES -- Would the
project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Cause a substantial adverse change in the
significance of a historical resource pursuant
to §15064.5?
b) Cause a substantial adverse change in the
significance of an archaeological resource
pursuant to § 15064.5?
c) Disturb any human remains, including those
interred outside of dedicated cemeteries?
Sources: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15064.5 (b), Determining the Significance of Impacts to Archaeological and Historical Resources; California Health and Safety Code Section 7050.5, Human Remains; Rancho Mirage General Plan, 2017; Rancho Mirage General Plan Environmental Impact Report.
5.1 Setting
The Coachella Valley is a historical center of Native American settlement, where U.S. surveyors noted large numbers of Indian villages and rancherías occupied by the Cahuilla people in the mid-19th century.
The origin of the name “Cahuilla” is unclear, but it may have originated from their own word káwiya, meaning master or boss (Bean 1978). The Takic-speaking Cahuilla are generally divided by anthropologists into three groups, according to their geographic setting: the Pass Cahuilla of the San Gorgonio Pass-Palm Springs area, the Mountain Cahuilla of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains and the Cahuilla Valley, and the Desert Cahuilla of the eastern Coachella Valley.
Cahuilla subsistence was defined by the surrounding landscape and primarily based on the hunting and gathering of wild and cultivated foods, exploiting nearly all of the resources available in a highly developed seasonal mobility system. They were adapted to the arid conditions of the desert floor, the lacustral cycles of Holocene Lake Cahuilla, and the environments of the nearby mountains. When the lake was full or nearly full, the Cahuilla would take advantage of the resources presented by the body of fresh water, building elaborate stone fish traps. Once the lake had desiccated, they relied on the available terrestrial resources. Walk-in wells were dug by hand to utilize groundwater. The cooler temperatures and resources available at higher elevations in the nearby mountains were also taken advantage of.
Historical and
Today, Native Americans of Pass or Desert Cahuilla heritage are mostly affiliated with one or more of the Indian reservations in and near the Coachella Valley, including Torres Martinez, Augustine, Cabazon, Agua Caliente, and Morongo. There has been a resurgence of traditional ceremonies, and the language, songs, and stories are now being taught to the younger generations.
The project site is located within a developed area associated with the Desert Island golf course and residential property south of Frank Sinatra Drive and west of Bob Hope Drive. The discussion below evaluates the previously disturbed and developed property’s potential impact on cultural resources.
5.2 Discussion
a) No Impact. The project site has been cleared and graded and developed since the early 1970’s.
The proposed project site is a part of the Desert Island golf course located at the northeast portion of developed community. No known historically or culturally significant resources, structures, buildings, or objects are located on the project site. Therefore, the project site is not expected to cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource as defined by CEQA §15064.5 (b) and no impacts are expected.
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b) Less than Significant Impact. Per the Rancho Mirage, General Plan EIR, the entire City of Rancho Mirage and Sphere of Influence (Sol) are located within the tribal “Traditional Use Area” as identified by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The mountains and foothills of the City may have sensitive areas from approximately 600 feet of elevation down to the base of the mountains. Likewise, the Whitewater River was an area where the tribe gathered to fish and prepare food. The tribe identifies an approximately 100-foot-wide area on either side of the river as a potentially sensitive zone where cultural resources may be uncovered during redevelopment.
The proposed project site is fully developed in an urbanized area of the City and is not near the more culturally sensitive areas of the mountains and foothills. No known archaeological sites are found within the project site. The potential for uncovering any significant resources during construction activities is unlikely, since the site has already been cleared, graded, and significantly disturbed from the construction of the existing development. Moreover, the project is not expected to excavate beyond what has already been disturbed by the existing golf course. Therefore, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
c) Less than Significant Impact. The project site is not likely to uncover human remains during grading operations, since the site was previously disturbed during the construction of Desert Island. However, the California Health and Safety Code Section 7050.5, and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5 requires that in the event of discovery or recognition of any human remains in any location other than a dedicated cemetery, there shall be no further excavation or disturbance of the site, or any nearby area reasonably suspected to overlay adjacent remains, until the County Coroner has examined the remains. If the coroner determines the remains to be Native American or has reason to believe that they are those of Native American, the coroner shall contact by telephone within 24-hours of the Native American Heritage Commission.
Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52) requires lead agencies to notify their local tribes about development projects. It also mandates lead agencies consult with Tribes if requested and sets the principals for conducting and concluding the required consultation process. Per the requirements of AB 52, the agreements shall provide protection to Native American human burials and skeletal remains from vandalism and inadvertent destruction and provide for sensitive treatment and disposition of Native American burials, skeletal remains, and associated grave goods consistent with the planned use of, or the approved project on, the land.
Pursuant to the mentioned California Health and Safety Code and AB 52, proper actions shall take place in the event of a discovery or recognition of any human remains during project construction activities and less than significant impacts are expected.
5.3 Mitigation Measures
Mitigation: None
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6. ENERGY – Would the project: Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Result in potentially significant
environmental impact due to wasteful,
inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of
energy resources, during project construction
or operation?
b) Conflict with or obstruct a state or local
plan for renewable energy of energy
efficiency?
Sources: Appendix A (CalEEMod Version 2020.4.0); Rancho Mirage General Plan Update; Rancho Mirage Sustainability Plan, 2012; Rancho Mirage Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 2012; Rancho Mirage Municipal Code; Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR May, 2005.
6.1 Setting
Energy sources are made available to the Coachella Valley by private and public agencies. Major energy providers include Southern California Edison (SCE), Imperial Irrigation District (IID), and the Southern California Gas Company (The Gas Company or SoCalGas). Electricity and natural gas are the primary sources of energy in the City of Rancho Mirage and are provided by SCE, IID and The Gas Company.
The project property lies within SCE’s and The Gas Company’s service areas. Natural gas is the primary source of energy used in the City for space and water heating, as well as cooking. The Gas Company has major supply lines in Highway 111.
The Rancho Mirage City Council started the Rancho Mirage Energy Authority (RMEA) for the purpose of helping to reduce the community’s SCE electricity bills. Pursuant to CCA law, RMEA is an all-new, locally- run, not-for-profit power program created by the City of Rancho Mirage. RMEA purchases power directly from power providers, pays consultants for compliance functions, and sets electricity rates based on costs. RMEA power is delivered through SCE poles and wires. SCE is still the utility and will continue to bill and collect from customers but using RMEA’s lower electricity rates will allow businesses and residents to save 5 percent. RMEA also allows customers to choose 100 percent renewable energy through their Premium Renewable Choice rate plan. This plan offers customers the option of “opting-up” to 100 percent renewable energy at an affordable price. Residential and commercial accounts will see an incremental increase from the Base Choice rate of $0.009 or 0.9 cents per kWh.
There are more than 27 million registered vehicles in California, and those vehicles consumed an estimated 18.5 billion gallons of petroleum and diesel in 2014, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC). Gasoline and other vehicle fuels are commercially provided commodities and would be available to the project via commercial outlets. According to the CEC, transportation accounts for nearly 37 percent of California’s total energy consumption. Petroleum-based fuels account for approximately 92 percent of California’s transportation energy sources.
Technological advances, market trends, consumer behavior, and government policies could result in significant changes to fuel consumption by type and total. Various policies, rules, and regulations have been enacted to improve vehicle fuel efficiency, promote the development and use of alternative fuels, reduce transportation-source air pollutants and GHG emissions, and reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), at the federal and State levels. Technological advances have made use of other energy resources or alternative transportation modes increasingly feasible, as market forces have driven the price of petroleum products steadily upward.
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6.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The project proposes a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private residences, a golf training facility with 18-hole tournament putting green, short game training areas, and virtual golf simulator stations, a maintenance building, and passive outdoor gathering areas, tennis, pool and yoga amenities, and expanded onsite parking areas. The project is located on approximately 17.2 acres within the Desert Island property in the City of Rancho Mirage.
Electricity and natural gas are the primary sources of energy in the City of Rancho Mirage.
Electricity is provided primarily by Southern California Edison (SCE) and the Rancho Mirage Energy Authority (RMEA), with a limited portion of the northeast quadrant of Rancho Mirage in Imperial Irrigation District’s (IID) service area. The Rancho Mirage City Council started RMEA for the purpose of helping to reduce the community’s SCE electricity bills. Pursuant to CCA law, RMEA is an all-new, locally-run, not-for-profit power program created by the City of Rancho Mirage. RMEA purchases power directly from power providers, pays consultants for compliance functions, and sets electricity rates based on costs. RMEA power is delivered through SCE poles and wires. SCE is still the utility and will continue to bill and collect from customers but using RMEA’s lower electricity rates will allow businesses and residents to save 5 percent. SCE facilities include 12 kV transmission lines for local distribution. High voltage lines for more distant transmission range up to 115 kV and 230 kV. Substations step down voltage for local distribution and use. Three substations serve the City of Rancho Mirage: one on Highway 111, east of Thunderbird Cove, one on Clancy Lane at Monterey Avenue, and one on Plumley Road south of 35th Avenue.
The Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas or the Gas Company) provides natural gas to the City of Rancho Mirage, serving residential, commercial, and industrial markets. Natural gas is the primary source of energy used in the City for space and water heating, as well as cooking.
The Gas Company has major supply lines along Highway 111.
Petroleum accounts for approximately 92 percent of California’s transportation energy sources.
In 2015, California consumed 23.2 billion gallons of petroleum, including 15.5 billion gallons of finished gasoline and 3.7 billion gallons of diesel. Gasoline and other vehicle fuels are commercially provided commodities and would be available to the project via commercial outlets.
Technological advances, market trends, consumer behavior and government policies could result in significant changes to fuel consumption by type and total. Various policies, rules and regulations have been enacted to improve vehicle fuel efficiency, promote the development and use of alternative fuels, reduce transportation-source air pollutants and GHG emissions, and reduce VMT, at the Federal and State levels. Technological advances have made use of other energy resources or alternative transportation modes increasingly feasible, as market forces have driven the price of petroleum products steadily upward.
The project is expected to consume energy in the form of electricity, natural gas and petroleum during project construction and operation. The purpose of this analysis is to provide an assessment of the impacts resulting from the development and operation of the proposed project and to identify measures that may be necessary to reduce potentially significant impacts. Project- related energy consumption was calculated and analyzed using the latest version of CalEEMod V2020.4.0. CalEEMod was used to calculate project-related construction equipment demands, transportation energy demands, and facility energy demands (operational). Project-related construction and operational energy demands are discussed further below.
Construction Energy Demands
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Temporary electrical power for lighting and electronic equipment, such as computers inside interim construction trailers, would be provided by SCE. Electricity consumed for onsite construction trailers, which are used by managerial staff during the hours of construction activities, as well as electrically powered hand tools are expected to use a minimal amount of electricity.
However, the electricity used for such activities would be temporary and negligible. Most energy used during construction would be from petroleum consumption (discussed further in following subsection).
Natural Gas
Natural gas is not anticipated to be required during construction of the project. Fuels used for construction would primarily consist of diesel and gasoline, which are discussed under the following petroleum subsection. Any minor amounts of natural gas that may be consumed because of project construction would be temporary and negligible and would not have an adverse effect.
Petroleum
Petroleum would be consumed throughout construction of the project. Fuel consumed by construction equipment would be the primarily energy resource expended over the course of construction, while VMT associated with the transportation of construction materials and construction worker commutes would also result in petroleum consumption. Heavy-duty equipment used for project construction would rely on diesel fuel, as would haul trucks involved in off-hauling materials from excavation. Construction workers are expected to travel to and from the project site in gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. There are no unusual project characteristics or construction processes that would require the use of equipment that would be more energy intensive that is used for comparable activities or use of equipment that would not conform to current emission standards (and related fuel efficiencies).
Heavy-duty construction equipment of various types would be used during each phase of construction. CalEEMod was used to estimate construction equipment usage. In the analysis of the project the mitigated construction figures were used, based on the assumption that the project will implement applicable mitigation measures. Fuel consumption from construction equipment was estimated by converting the total CO2 emissions from each construction phase to gallons using the conversion factors shown in the tables included subsequently.
Table VI-1, Construction Worker Gasoline Demand, illustrates the demand of gasoline fuel for construction worker trips to and from the site during each construction phase, and phase of development. Construction worker gasoline demand during each phase of development equals a total of 15,994.8 gallons of gasoline fuel.
Table VI-1 Construction Petroleum Demand
Const. Phase Days Trips Miles VMT KgCO2e Kg/CO2/Gallon Gallons Demolition 20 15 11 3,300 965.3 8.89* 108.6
Site Prep. 10 18 11 1,980 579.2 8.89 65.2
Grading 30 20 11 6,600 1,930.5 8.89 217.2
Building
Const. 300 143 11 471,900 135,956 8.89 15,293.1
Paving 20 15 11 3,300 941.7 8.89 105.9
Arch. Coating 20 29 11 6,380 1,820.7 8.89 204.8
Total Construction Gasoline Demand 15,994.8
Sources: Appendix A (CalEEMod Version 2020.4.0); * https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases- equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references
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Table VI-2, Construction Vendor Diesel Demand, illustrates the demand of diesel fuel for construction vendor trips to and from the site during each construction phase, and phase of development. These trips are associated with the delivery of construction materials during the building construction phase. Construction vendor demand during each phase of development equals a total of 11,549.6 gallons of diesel fuel.
Table VI-2 Construction Vendor Diesel Demand
Const. Phase Days Trips Miles VMT KgCO2e Kg/CO2/Gallon Gallons Demolition 20 0 0 0 0 10.18 0
Site Prep. 10 0 0 0 0 10.18 0
Grading 30 0 0 0 0 10.18 0
Building
Const. 300 56 5.40 90,720 117,575.2 10.18 11,549.6
Paving 20 0 0 0 0 10.18 0
Arch. Coating 20 0 0 0 0 10.18 0
Total Construction Diesel Demand 11,549.6
Table VI-3, Construction Hauling Diesel Demand, illustrates the demand of diesel fuel for construction hauling during demolition and site preparation phases. These trips are associated with the hauling of material from the demolished maintenance building. Construction hauling demand during demolition and site preparation equals a total of 2,389.4 gallons of diesel fuel.
Table VI-3 Construction Hauling Diesel Demand
Const. Phase Days Trips Miles VMT KgCO2e Kg/CO2/Gallon Gallons Demolition 20 534 20 213,600 14,895.5 10.18 1,463.2
Site Prep. 10 338 20 67,600 9,428.2 10.18 926.2
Total Construction Diesel Demand 2,389.4
Table VI-4, Construction Equipment Diesel Fuel Demand, displays the demand of diesel fuel for construction vehicles on-site during the various construction phases. Construction equipment diesel demands for each phase of project development equals a total of 49,715.9 gallons of diesel fuel.
Table VI-4 Construction Equipment Diesel Demand
Const. Phase Days Equipment
Units KgCO2e Kg/CO2/Gallon Gallons
Demolition 20 6 34,230 10.18* 3,362.5
Site Prep. 10 7 16,860.6 10.18 1,656.2
Grading 30 8 82,464.1 10.18 8,100.6
Building
Const. 300 9 349,808.3 10.18 34,362.3
Paving 20 6 20,188.4 10.18 1,983.1
Arch. Coating 20 1 2,556.8 10.18 251.2
Total Construction Equipment Diesel Demand 49,715.9
Overall, the project is estimated to consume approximately 15,994.8 gallons of gasoline and 63,654.9 gallons of diesel fuel during the project’s construction phases, for a total of 79,649.7 gallons of petroleum consumed during construction of the project. The US EPA applied a Tier 3 program in order to reduce the impacts of motor vehicles on air quality and public health. The vehicle emissions standards will reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger 6-121
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cars, light-duty trucks, medium duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles. The construction equipment will utilize Tier 3 engines or higher, therefore would be newer off-road equipment units.
The energy used during the construction of the project would be limited to the development of the project and would not require long-term petroleum use. Additionally, there are no unusual project characteristics or construction processes that would require the use of equipment that would be more energy intensive that is used for comparable activities or use of equipment that would not conform to current emissions standards (and related fuel efficiencies). Thus, project construction would not consume petroleum in a wasteful or inefficient manner and impacts will be less than significant.
Operational Energy Demands
Energy consumption in support of or related to project operations would include facilities energy demands (energy consumed by building operations and site maintenance activities), and transportation energy demands (energy consumed by employee and patron vehicles accessing the project site).
Electricity
The project proposes to develop a 34-key hotel, hotel amenities, 11 single family dwellings, golf practice facility, and maintenance facility on approximately 17.2 acres. These proposed uses are typical of existing developments within the City. The project would not result in the use of excessive amounts of fuel or electricity and would not result in the need to develop additional sources of energy. Although energy use at the project would not be excessive, the project would incorporate several measures directed at minimizing energy use. These measures include applying energy efficient design features, including using high efficiency lighting, such as LEDs, to meet the most current Title 24 Standards in place at the time of construction, and therefore, reducing electricity consumption during project operation. According to the CalEEMod calculations, the project is expected to generate approximately 1,257,834.7 kWh of annual electricity. This is depicted in Table VI-5, Operational Electricity Demand.
Table VI-5 Operational Electricity Demand
Land Use Electricity Demand
(kWh/yr)
General Light Industry*75,609.6
Golf Course 0
Health Club 59,542.6
Hotel** 1,011,090
Parking Lot 26,812.8
Recreational Swimming Pool 0
Single Family Housing 84,779.7
Total 1,257,834.7
* General Light Industry is a CalEEMod land use category that is the closest in use (according to CalEEMod user manual) to the maintenance building use proposed for the project.
operations of the maintenance building will accommodate handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composing. ** CalEEMod analysis evaluated a 42-key hotel, which
generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys)
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It is anticipated that the project will use electricity during operation of the proposed project. As indicated in the table above, it is estimated that the project would consume approximately 1,257,834.7Wh of electricity annually. The SCE planning area used approximately 38,498.8 gigawatt hours (GWh) in the residential sector, and 3,959.5 GWh of electricity in the commercial sector in 2020. According to the CEC’s Demand Analysis Office, SCE estimates that electricity consumption within SCE’s planning area will be approximately 129,000 GWh (which equates to 129,000,000 MWh) annually by 2030. Based on the project’s estimated annual electrical consumption of 1,257,834.7 kWh (1,257.8347 MWh), the project would account for approximately
0.001 percent of SCE’s total estimated demand in 2030.
The project proposes the installation of high efficiency lighting and appliances onsite and water efficient irrigation systems. The project will also comply with California Building Code and Energy Code standards to ensure energy efficient technologies and practices are used at the project site.
Therefore, the project will not consume an unnecessary amount of electricity during operation.
Natural Gas
The consumption of natural gas typically is consumed during building heating, water heating and cooking, which will occur during project operation. The project’s expected natural gas consumption was calculated using the CalEEMod default values. Based on the CalEEMod calculations, the project is expected to consume approximately 4,399,585 kBTU of natural gas annually during operation of the entire project. This is displayed in Table VI-6, Operational Natural Gas Demand.
Table VI-6 Operational Natural Gas Demand
Land Use Natural Gas Demand
(kBTU/yr)
General Light Industry*258,640
Golf Course 0
Health Club 203,679
Hotel** 3,626,110
Parking Lot 0
Recreational Swimming Pool 0
Single Family Housing 311,156
Total 4,399,585
Note: 4,399,585 kBTU/yr is approximately 11,623.6 cf/day per the 1 cf to 1.037 kBTU conversion and 365 days year.
* General Light Industry is a CalEEMod land use category that is the closest in use (according to CalEEMod user manual) to the maintenance building use proposed for the project. operations of the maintenance building will accommodate handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composing.
** CalEEMod analysis evaluated a 42-key hotel, which generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys)
With the aforementioned calculations, the project would result in a long-term increase in demand for natural gas. The project would consume approximately 4,399,585 kBTU of natural gas annually. This equates to 11,623.6 cf of natural gas per day. The project would be designed to comply with Title 24, Part 6, of the CCR, and the City’s Sustainability Plan. Based on the 2018 California Gas Report, the California Energy and Electric Utilities estimates natural gas consumption within SoCalGas’s planning area will be 2,310 million cf per day in 2030 (California Public Utilities Commission, 2018 California Gas Report, pg. 103). Therefore, the project would account for approximately 0.0005 percent of the 2030 forecasted consumption in SoCalGas’s 6-123
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planning area (11,623.6 cf/day divided by 2,310 million cf/day) and would use the existing infrastructure. Natural gas consumption would be appropriate and not place a significant burden on SoCalGas services. Further, submittal, review, and approval of project plans through City and SoCalGas would ensure future natural gas demands to be manageable.
The project would be required to comply with the most recent California Building Code and Energy Code standards to ensure energy efficient technologies and practices are used at the project site.
Therefore, the project will not result in the inefficient, wasteful, or unnecessary consumption of natural gas during project operation. Additionally, natural gas consumption would be appropriate and not place a significant burden on SoCal Gas services.
Petroleum
According to the figures provided by the CalEEMod calculations, the project would result in 743,037 VMTs annually. The proposed maintenance structures, clubhouse and recreational swimming pool is not anticipated to generate VMTs, since they will be utilized by hotel guests or residents onsite and existing employees. Per the CalEEMod calculations, the average daily trip (ADT) rate will total 468.05 on the weekdays, 462.01 on Saturdays, and 357.04 on Sundays. Total mobile source CO2e is 255.3884 MT per year, or 255,388.4 kg per year. CalEEMod assumes
92.5 percent of VMT burns gasoline, while the remaining 7.5 percent burn diesel. Thus, of the 255,388.4 kg of mobile emissions, 236,234.3 kg is generated by gasoline combustion, and 19,154.1 kg is generated by diesel combustion. Project operation would have an annual gasoline demand of 26,573.0 gallons and an annual diesel demand of 1,881.5 gallons, as displayed in Table VI-8.
Table VI-7, Operational Petroleum Demand
Annual VMT
Land Use Project Buildout
General Light Industry*--
Golf Course 21,130
Health Club --
Hotel** 498,439
Parking Lot --
Recreational Swimming Pool --
Single Family Housing 229,505
Total Annual VMT 749,074
* General Light Industry is a CalEEMod land use category that is the closest in use (according to CalEEMod user manual) to the maintenance building use proposed for the project. operations of the maintenance building will accommodate handling of trash, recycling, food waste, and composing.
**CalEEMod analysis evaluated a 42-key hotel, which generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys)
Table VI-8 Operational Annual Petroleum
Annual VMT KgCO2e Kg/CO2/Gallon Annual Gallons
Gasoline 692,893.5 236,234.34 8.89 26,573.0
Diesel 56,180.6 19,154.1 10.18 1,881.5
Total Annual Petroleum 28,454.5
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Over the lifetime of the project, the fuel efficiency of vehicles in use is expected to increase, as older vehicles are replaced with newer more efficient models. Therefore, it is expected that the amount of petroleum consumed due to the vehicle trips to and from the project site during operation would decrease over time. Additional advancement of technology includes the use of plug-in hybrid and zero emission vehicles in California, which will also decrease the amount of future petroleum consumed in the state. With the foregoing, operation of the project is expected to use decreasing amounts of petroleum over time, due to advances in fuel economy.
The project would provide for, and promote, energy efficiencies required under other applicable federal and State of California standards and regulations, and in doing so, would meet California Building Standards Code Title 24 standards. Moreover, energy consumed by the project’s operation is modeled to be comparable to energy consumed by other residential and commercial uses of similar scale and intensity that are constructed and operating in California. On this basis, the project would not result in the inefficient, wasteful, or unnecessary consumption of energy.
Further, the project would not cause or result in the need for additional energy producing facilities or energy delivery systems.
In conclusion, the project would result in an increase in energy use during construction and operation compared to the existing conditions. However, based on the findings described above, project construction and operation are not anticipated to result in potentially significant impacts due to wasteful, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy resources, during project construction or operation. Additionally, the project would implement measures required under the City’s General Plan, City Municipal Code, the California Building Code, and the California Energy Code. Given these considerations, energy consumption associated with the project operation would not be considered excessive.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The project proposes to develop and operate a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private residences, a golf training facility with 18-hole tournament putting green, short game training areas, and virtual golf simulator stations, a maintenance building, and passive outdoor gathering areas, tennis, pool and yoga amenities, and expanded onsite parking areas.
The project is located on approximately 17.2 acres within the Desert Island property in the City of Rancho Mirage. As stated in the previous discussion, project development and operation are not anticipated to use an unnecessary amount of energy resources. To ensure the conservation of energy, the State of California and the City of Rancho Mirage implements various regulations in order to be more energy efficient and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Some of the State-wide and local regulations are listed below.
Federal Regulations
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) promoted the development of intermodal transportation systems to maximize mobility as well as address national and local interests in air quality and energy. ISTEA contained factors that Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) were to address in developing transportation plans and programs, including some energy-related factors. To meet the new ISTEA requirements, MPOs adopted explicit policies defining the social, economic, energy, and environmental values guiding transportation decisions.
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State Regulations
Assembly Bill 32
Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32) was signed in 2006 to establish and reduce the amounts of greenhouse gases being emitted on a state-wide level. Specifically, AB 32 requires a reduction of emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. It plans to do this by establishing an annual reporting program for significant sources. Energy efficiency goals listed in AB 32 includes maximizing energy efficiency building and appliance standards, and pursuing additional efficiency efforts including new technologies, and new policy and implementation mechanisms.
CARB Scoping Plan
A specific requirement of AB 32 was to prepare a Climate Change Scoping Plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective GHG emission reduction by 2020 (Health and Safety Code section 38561(h)). The California Air Resources Board (CARB) developed an AB 32 Scoping Plan that contains strategies to achieve the 2020 emissions cap. The initial Scoping Plan was approved in 2008, and contains a mix of recommended strategies that combined direct regulations, market-based approaches, voluntary measures, policies, and other emission reduction programs calculated to meet the 2020 statewide GHG emission limit and initiate the transformations needed to achieve the State’s long-range climate objectives. Updates to the Scoping Plan occurred in 2014 and in 2017.
Assembly Bill 1493/Pavley Regulations
California Assembly Bill 1493 (AB 1493), enacted on July 22, 2002, required CARB to develop and adopt regulations that reduce GHGs emitted by passenger vehicles and light duty trucks. In 2005, the CARB submitted a “waiver” request to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from a portion of the federal Clean Air Act in order to allow the State to set more stringent tailpipe emission standards for CO2 and other GHG emissions from passenger vehicles and light duty trucks. On December 19, 2007, the EPA announced that it denied the “waiver” request. On January 21, 2009, CARB submitted a letter to the EPA administrator regarding the State’s request to reconsider the waiver denial. The EPA approved the waiver on June 30, 2009.
Executive Order S-3-05
Executive Order (EO) S-3-05, passed in 2005, established reduction targets of an 80 percent of 1990 levels reduction by 2050, and created agencies to achieve these targets. The passage of this regulation requires the use of more energy efficient practices regarding building development and operation in order to reduce the amount of GHGs produced.
State of California Energy Plan
The California Energy Commission (CEC) is responsible for preparing the State Energy Plan, which identifies emerging trends related to energy supply, demand, conservation, public health and safety, and the maintenance of a healthy economy. The Plan calls for the state to assist in the transformation of the transportation system to improve air quality, reduce congestion, and increase the efficient use of fuel supplies with the least environmental and energy costs. To further this policy, the plan identifies a number of strategies, including assistance to public agencies and fleet operators and encouragement of urban designs that reduce vehicle miles traveled and accommodate pedestrian and bicycle access.
Title 20: Appliance Efficiency Standards
The California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 20: Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 4, Sections 1601-1608 (Appliance Efficiency Regulations) regulates the sale of appliances in California. The Appliance Efficiency Regulations include standards for both federally regulated appliances and non-federally regulated appliances. 23 categories of appliances are included in the scope of these 6-126
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regulations. The standards within these regulations apply to appliances that are sold or offered for sale in California, except those sold wholesale in California for final retail sale outside the state and those designed and sold exclusively for use in recreational vehicles or other mobile equipment.
Title 24: Building Energy Efficiency Standards and CALGreen Building Standards Code In addition to Title 20 (Sections 1601-1608) of the CCR, Title 24, parts 6 and 11, also outlines energy efficient building designs for new development. The CCR’s 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6), and the CALGreen Building Standards Code (Title 24, Part 11), establish mandatory guidelines and standards requiring more energy efficient new and existing developments. The California Energy Commission adopted the Building Energy Efficient Standards for all new residential and nonresidential construction to reduce greenhouse gases, as a part of the California Building Code, Title 24. This requires new homes to include at least 50 percent of kitchen lighting to be LED, compact fluorescent or similar high efficiency fixtures, double pane windows, cool roofs, and other design techniques to reduce heat loss. Title 24, Part 11, establishes design and development methods that include environmentally responsible site selection, building design, building siting and development to protect, restore and enhance the environmental quality of the site and respect the integrity of adjacent properties. The proposed project will be required to comply with the state implemented standards for energy efficient new developments.
Local and City Regulations
Sustainable Communities Strategy
The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008, or Senate Bill 375, coordinates land use planning, regional transportation plans, and funding priorities to help California meet the GHG reduction Mandates of AB 32. The project is located within the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) jurisdiction, which has the authority to develop the sustainable communities strategy (SCS) or alternative planning strategy (APS). For the SCAG region, the targets set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are at eight percent below 2005 per capita GHG emissions levels by 2020 and 19 percent below 2005 per capita GHG emissions by 2035. These reduction targets became effective October 2018.
Desert Cities Energy Partnership and Green for Life Project Rancho Mirage is an active member of the Desert Cities Energy Partnership (DCEP), a partnership of Southern California Edison (SCE), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), Imperial Irrigation District (IID), the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and the cities of Blythe, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs, managed by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG). Green for Life is an energy-saving program funded by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) through SCE and administered by CVAG.
Rancho Mirage Sustainability Plan
The City of Rancho Mirage established their Sustainability Plan in 2012 as a framework for the development and implementation of policies and programs that will reduce the City’s GHG emissions. State-wide regulations, including previously mentioned AB 32, act as policy guides for the City of Rancho Mirage to achieve GHG reduction goals. Through the Sustainability Plan, the City is determined to reduce energy use and waste, create local jobs, improve air quality, and preserve the local landscape and history in order to benefit the City in the future.
The Sustainability Plan addresses the major sources of emissions in seven spheres of daily life:
Where We Live, Where We Work, How We Build, How We Get Around, How We Govern, Where 6-127
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We Visit and Play, and How We Teach and Learn. For each sphere, the Sustainability Plan suggests a number of programs or policies that can be implemented by Rancho Mirage to meet its goals by the year 2020.
Rancho Mirage Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The Rancho Mirage Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHG Inventory) was published by the City in September 2012 to inform residents and businesses of its ecological footprint in significant detail.
The GHG Inventory establishes a 2010 baseline of emissions from which reductions will be measured to be aligned with State of California law. The GHG Inventory, the City of Rancho Mirage can assess its GHG emissions and strategically implement policies that specifically target GHG emissions by sector or source. Thus creating the most mitigating impact while introducing programs and initiatives.
Rancho Mirage General Plan 2017
The City of Rancho Mirage is committed to encouraging the conscious use of energy resources by encouraging the development and use of alternative and renewable reducing energy demand and consumption within their City. Energy efficiency is emphasized in the Conservation and Open Space (COS), Air Quality (AQ), and Community Design Elements (CD) of the Rancho Mirage General Plan. Some goals and policies encouraging energy efficiency are provided as follows:
Goal COS 4 – The conservation, efficient use, and thoughtful management of energy sources and mineral deposits.
Goal COS 5 – The long-term viability of limited and non-renewable resources. Policy COS 5.1 – The City shall promote energy efficiency and conservation in all areas of community development, including transportation, development planning, and public and private sector construction and operation, as well as in the full range of residential and non- residential projects.
Policy CD 8.2 – The City shall encourage new development to incorporate “green building” practices to maximize resource conservation and be compatible with the surrounding desert environment.
Program CD 8.2A – Encourage architects, developers and designers to implement all of the 2016 California Green Building Standards Code, as opposed to just the mandatory measures.
Rancho Mirage Municipal Code
Similar to the Sustainability Plan and the 2017 General Plan, the City’s Municipal Code also includes provisions that encourage the use of alternative transportation means that reduce the use of non-renewable energy and the use of energy efficient appliances and building design standards. The following list includes some of these provisions:
Chapter 10.80, Transportation Demand Management, which is intended to protect the public health, safety and welfare by reducing air pollution, traffic congestion and energy consumption attributable to vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled. Chapter 15.02.010, Codes of 2019 Edition of the California Building Standards Code adopted without local amendments, which states that the 2019 California Energy Code (Part 6 of Title 24 of the CCR), and the 2019 California Green Building Standards Code (Part 11 of Title 24 of the CCR) are applicable within the City, without local amendments.
Regarding federal transportation regulations, the project site is located in a developed area.
Access to and from the project site is proposed to occur on existing roads. These roads are already in place so the project would not interfere with, nor otherwise obstruct intermodal 6-128
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transportation plans or projects that may be proposed pursuant to the ISTEA because SCAG is not planning for intermodal facilities in the project area.
Regarding the State’s Energy Plan and compliance with Title 24 CCR energy efficiency standards, the applicant is required to comply with the California Green Building Standard Code requirements for energy efficient buildings and appliances as well as utility energy efficiency programs implemented by Southern California Edison and the Southern California Gas Company.
Regarding Pavley (AB 1493) regulations, an individual project does not have the ability to comply or conflict with these regulations because they are intended for agencies and their adoption of procedures and protocols for reporting and certifying GHG emission reductions from mobile sources.
Regarding the State’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards, the project would be required to meet or exceed the energy standards established in the California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24, Part 11 (CALGreen). CALGreen Standards require that new buildings reduce water consumption, employ building commissioning to increase building system efficiencies, divert construction waste from landfills, and install low pollutant-emitting finish materials.
Additionally, the project is consistent with the applicable strategies of the City of Rancho Mirage’s Sustainability Plan and Energy Action Plan, as well as CARB’s Scoping Plan. The project property will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local guidelines and regulations regarding energy-efficient building design and standards. Therefore, the proposed project is not anticipated to conflict or obstruct a state or local plan for renewable energy or energy efficiency. The project proposes transient and permanent lodging uses and will not have any long-term effects on an energy provider’s future energy development or future energy conservation strategies. Less than significant impacts are expected.
6.3 Mitigation Measures
Mitigation: None
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7. GEOLOGY AND SOILS -- Would the
project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Directly or indirectly cause potential
substantial adverse effects, including the risk
of loss, injury, or death involving:
i) Rupture of a known earthquake fault, as
delineated on the most recent Alquist-Priolo
Earthquake Fault Zoning Map issued by the
State Geologist for the area or based on other
substantial evidence of a known fault? Refer
to Division of Mines and Geology Special
Publication 42.
ii) Strong seismic ground shaking?
iii) Seismic-related ground failure, including
liquefaction?
iv) Landslides?
b) Result in substantial soil erosion or the loss
of topsoil?
c) Be located on a geologic unit or soil that is
unstable, or that would become unstable as a
result of the project, and potentially result in
on- or off-site landslide, lateral spreading,
subsidence, liquefaction or collapse?
d) Be located on expansive soil, as defined in
Table 18-1-B of the Uniform Building Code
(1994), creating direct or indirect substantial
risks to life or property?
e) Have soils incapable of adequately
supporting the use of septic tanks or
alternative wastewater disposal systems
where sewers are not available for the
disposal of wastewater?
f) Directly or indirectly destroy a unique
paleontological resource of site or unique
geologic feature?
Source: The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning (AP) Act, California Department of Conservation; 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan Update; Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR May, 2005; Riverside County General Plan, Safety Element, 2016; Riverside County General Plan Geotechnical Report 2000.
7.1 Setting
Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act
The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act was enacted in 1972 to prohibit the location of developments and structures for human occupancy across the trace of active faults. To assist with this, the State Geologist delineates appropriately wide earthquake fault zones (Alquist-Priolo Zones) to encompass potentially and recently active traces, which are submitted to city and county agencies to be incorporated into their land use planning and construction policies. A trace is a line on the earth’s surface defining a fault, and an active fault is defined as one that has ruptured in the last 11,000 years. The minimum distance a structure for human occupancy can be placed from an active fault is generally fifty feet.
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Seismic Hazard Mapping Act
The Seismic Hazards Mapping Act (SHMA) of 1990 directs the Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey to identify and map areas prone to earthquake hazards of liquefaction, earthquake- induced landslides and amplified ground shaking. The purpose of the SHMA is to reduce the threat to public safety and to minimize the loss of life and property by identifying and mitigating these seismic hazards.
The SHMA requires the State Geologist to establish regulatory zones (Zones of Required Investigation) and to issue appropriate maps (Seismic Hazard Zone maps). These maps are distributed to all affected cities, counties, and state agencies for their use in planning and controlling construction and development. Single family frame dwellings up to two stories not part of a development of four or more units are exempt from the state requirements. However, local agencies can be more restrictive than state law requires.
California Code of Regulations, Title 24 (California Building Standard Code) The California Building Standards Commission operates within the Department of General Services and is charged with the responsibility to administer the process of approving and adopting building standards for publication in the California Building Standards Code (Cal. Code Regs., Title 24). These regulations include provisions for site work, demolition, and construction, which include excavation and grading, as well as provisions for foundations, retaining walls, and expansive and compressible soils. The California Building Code also provides guidelines for building design to protect occupants from seismic hazards.
South Coast Air Quality Management District
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMP) is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for Orange County and portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, including the Coachella Valley. SCAQMD is responsible for controlling emissions primarily from stationary sources of air pollution, including grading and construction sites. The main source of pollution from grading and construction activities is fugitive dust, which is particulate matter that is suspended in the air by direct or indirect human activities. Two South Coast AQMD rules were adopted with the purpose of reducing the amount of fugitive dust entrained as a result of human activities. Rule 403 applies to any activity capable of generating fugitive dust. Rule 403.1 is supplemental to Rule 403 and applies only to fugitive dust sources in Coachella Valley.
Rule 403 (Fugitive Dust) requires the implementation of best available dust control measures (BACM) during active operations capable of generating fugitive dust. This rule also requires activities defined as “large operations” to notify the South Coast AQMD by submitting specific forms. A large operation is defined as any active operation on property containing 50 or more acres of disturbed surface area; or any earth moving operation with a daily earth-moving or throughput volume of 5,000 cubic yards, three times during the most recent 365 day period.
Rule 403.1 (Supplemental Fugitive Dust Control Requirements for Coachella Valley Sources) is a supplemental rule to Rule 403 and is applicable to man-made sources of fugitive dust in Coachella Valley.
The purpose of this rule is to reduce fugitive dust and resulting PM10 emissions from man-made sources in the Coachella Valley. Rule 403.1 requires a Fugitive Dust Control Plan approved by South Coast AQMD or an authorized local government agency prior to initiating any construction/earth-moving activity.
These requirements are only applicable to construction projects with 5,000 or more square feet of surface area disturbance.
Paleontological Resources
Paleontological resources are the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals. They occur in older soils which have been deposited in the Valley over millions of years. Figure 4.9.3, Paleontological Sensitivity, in the Riverside County General Plan, recognized the property as having low potential for 6-131
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Paleontological Sensitivity. Areas recognized for having a “low” potential have a reduced likelihood of containing significant non-renewable paleontological resources, including vertebrate or significant invertebrate fossils.
7.2 Discussion
a) i. Less than Significant Impact. The City of Rancho Mirage, similar to most of Southern California, is susceptible to earthquakes due to the active faults that traverse the region. The Rancho Mirage General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) states that classifying an active fault helps gauge the surface rupture potential of a fault and prevents development from being sited directly on an active fault. Additionally, the ability to identify and locate faults makes ground rupture the easiest seismic hazard to avoid.
According Exhibit 21 in the City’s General Plan Safety Element and the Rancho Mirage General Plan ArcGIS Public Web Application, there are four faults withing relative proximity to Rancho Mirage. However, per these maps, no know active or inactive faults traverse through or near the project site. The closest fault to the project site is the Santa Ana Thrust Fault, located approximately 1.75 miles southwest of the project; however, this fault is considered concealed.
In order to reduce the losses from surface fault rupture on a statewide basis, the Alquist-Priolo (AP) Earthquake Fault Zone Act was passed in 1972 after the San Fernando earthquake a year prior. The AP Earthquake Fault Zone Act is intended to ensure public safety by prohibiting the siting of most structures for human occupancy across traces of active faults that constitute a potential hazard to structures from surface faulting or fault creep. After consulting the most recent Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Map, issued by the State Geologist, it can be determined that the closest AP Earthquake Fault Zone to the project site is at the San Andreas Fault, approximately 5.20 miles northeast. Therefore, due to the distance of the fault zone, it can be concluded that risks associated with primary surface ground rupture are low.
Per the AP Earthquake Fault Zone Map and the 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan Update, rupture from an earthquake fault is not anticipated on the project property and no known active faults traverse through or are found near the project site, although seismically induced ground shaking is expected in the City of Rancho Mirage. The project site is not located in an AP Earthquake Fault Zone; therefore, impacts are less than significant.
ii. Less than Significant Impact. Seismically induced ground shaking is anticipated in the entire Coachella Valley, due to the multiple northwest-southeast trending faults in the region. Although these faults produced the unique topography in the Coachella Valley (high mountain ranges and a low valley floor), the major faults, such as the San Andreas Fault, have the potential to produce strong shaking during a seismic event. The strength of ground shaking is accredited to the distance from the fault; where the intensity of the seismic shaking decreases the further it is from the causative fault. The Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update Safety Element indicates that ground shaking during an earthquake is the most significant seismic hazard that will impact Rancho Mirage.
The approximately 17.2-acre project property proposes the development of a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private duplex-style residences, outdoor gathering areas and amenities, expanded onsite parking, a golf training park, a new maintenance building, and associated improvements.
To ensure the safety of the project site against strong seismic ground shaking, structures shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the most current edition of the California Building Code (CBC). The project shall comply with the most current seismic design coefficients and ground motion parameters and all applicable provisions of the CBC.
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Following the regulations provided by the City and the California Building Code, the proposed development will be constructed in a manner that reduces the risk of seismic hazards (Title 24, California Code of Regulations). The project site is currently developed and operates as a parking lot; however, remedial grading and construction will work to reduce exposure of people or structures to adverse effects to the greatest extent possible against seismic hazards. Site work shall also be conducted in accordance with the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, and all grading and construction plans will be reviewed and approved by the City. These requirements are designed to reduce impacts related to strong ground shaking; therefore, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
iii. Less than Significant Impact. The Rancho Mirage General Plan Update states that liquefaction may occur when loose, unconsolidated, saturated, sandy soils are subject to ground vibrations during a seismic event. This occurs in areas where the ground water table is within 50 feet of the ground surface and when seismic events occur that generate a Modified Mercalli Intensity value of VII or greater. Significant ground shaking can suddenly increase water pressure in the pores between soil particles and cause soils to lose cohesion and “liquefy.” This loss of soil strength can cause a building to sink, tilt and suffer structural damage. Other effects of liquefied soils include a loss of bearing strength, ground oscillations, lateral spreading, and ground lurching and slumping.
Three conditions must be met in order for liquefaction to occur. There must be (1) a relatively long duration of strong ground shaking, (2) the presence of unconsolidated sediments consisting primarily of silty sand and sand, and (3) the presence of groundwater within 50 feet of the ground surface. The Areas Susceptible to Liquefaction Map, in the 2017 General Plan Update, Rancho Mirage identifies the project location to be in an area of moderate liquefaction susceptibility, primarily due to the liquefaction susceptible soils present at the project site (Exhibit 22). However, the deep groundwater in Rancho Mirage does not allow the saturation of the sediments; therefore, the potential for liquefaction to occur at the project site is less than significant.
Windblown sand and other recently deposited sediments are typically loose and, therefore, potentially subject to seismically induced settlement. The City’s 2017 General Plan Update categorizes the project area as having a high susceptibility to seismically induced settlement (Exhibit 23). Strong seismic shaking, the 2017 General Plan states, can cause densification or compaction of soils resulting in local or regional settlement of the ground surface, which can cause damage to foundations and structures. The project site currently operates as a private golf course associated with Desert Island. The project shall implement proper excavation, compaction, and foundation design for the proposed hotel, residences, and outdoor and maintenance facilities as measures to avoid effects caused by seismically induced settlement.
To ensure the safety of the project against seismically induced hazards, the project site shall adhere to the standard design requirements stated in the most recent California Building Code (CBC), and the City’s building standards. Overall, impacts from seismically induced ground failure such as liquefaction and settlement are anticipated to be less than significant at the project site.
iv. No Impact. As discussed throughout this Geology and Soils Section, the City of Rancho Mirage, like most of Southern California, is susceptible to seismic ground shaking due to the multiple faults in the region. As a result of seismic ground shaking, slope failure, such as rockfalls and landslides, may occur, especially throughout elevated areas in the City.
According to the Safety Element in the Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update, seismically induced landslides and rock falls can be expected primarily in the southern portion of the City including areas near the Santa Rosa Mountains (where the bedrock is intensely fractured or 6-133
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jointed), the Indio Hills area, and some sections of Highway 111. The Seismically Induced Rock Falls and Landslide Susceptibility Map (Exhibit 24), in the 2017 General Plan Update, classifies the project location in an area of low susceptibility of being impacted by rock falls and seismically induced landsliding, due to the relatively flat topography found onsite and in the surrounding area.
Therefore, impacts associated with landslides and rockfalls are not anticipated in the project area.
No impact.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update states that most of the City is highly susceptible to wind erosion. The geomorphology of the Coachella Valley, its extreme aridity, and the marine air masses funneled from the west through the San Gorgonio Pass create strong and persistent winds in the valley. These strong winds have been blowing and redistributing sand deposits in the area for thousands of years. Additionally, lands disturbed by flooding, grading or agricultural activities are subject to significant erosive forces that suspend fine dust and transport sand over great distances. This is a concern for the City of Rancho Mirage because the eroded particles have the ability to damage vehicles, structures, and other improvements due to windblown sand.
The approximately 17.2-acre project site currently operates as a developed golf course within Desert Island at the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive. According to the City’s Wind Erosion Hazard Map (Exhibit 25 of the Rancho Mirage General Plan), the site is characterized as being within an area exposed to “very severe” wind erosive hazards. The very severe wind erosive hazard is defined as areas exposed to erosive winds where the soils show distinct evidence of wind removal and/or accumulation forming dunes more than 48 inches high.
The project site is currently fully walled and developed, and operates as a part of an 18-hole golf course. The project site proposes the development of a 34-key hotel, hotel and outdoor amenities, 11 residences, a golf training facility, a new maintenance building, and onsite parking areas on the property. Construction of the project will result in ground disturbing activities such as the demolition of pavement, clearing and grubbing of trees and vegetation, and grading, which may increase the potential of soil erosion.
Blowing sand and fugitive dust (discussed previously in the Air Quality section of this document) constitutes a significant local environmental and health hazard. Control of this hazard, as required by the City, includes a submittal of a Fugitive Dust Control Plan prior to development. Per South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 403.1, the project will be required to submit a Local Air Quality Management Plan (LAQMP) to be reviewed as part of the grading permit process to minimize potential impacts caused by blowing dust and sand during construction. Procedures, and best management practices (BMPs) set forth in the Plan will ensure that potential erosion is controlled during the construction process. These BMPs may include watering of the site during construction, the installation of retaining walls and landscaping materials, or the application of chemical soil stabilizers. As a standard condition, any ground surface area adjacent to the proposed development that is temporarily disturbed by construction activities must be entirely covered by the LAQMP and must be properly re-stabilized to satisfy the City, SCAQMD, and NPDES requirements. The adjoining areas disturbed during construction due to temporary staging or soil movement must be treated with an effective long-term soil stabilizer or an equivalent cover method, subject to review and approval by the City of Rancho Mirage.
These actions will be regulated by the plan review process prior to obtaining a grading permit and will be enforced as part of the agency site inspection protocols during construction. See the Air Quality Section of this document for further discussion.
Along with the implementation of the LAQMP, to further avoid erosion at the project site, the developer must comply with the State’s most current Construction General Permit (CGP) (Order 6-134
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No. 2009-0009-DWQ as amended by 2010-0014-DWQ and 2012-0006-DWQ). Compliance with the CGP involves the development and implementation of a project-specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) designed to reduce potential adverse impacts to surface water quality during the period of construction. The required plan will identify the locations and types of construction activities requiring BMPs and other necessary compliance measures to prevent soil erosion and stormwater runoff pollution. The plan will also identify the limits of allowable construction-related disturbance to prevent any exceedances or violations. Waterborne erosion and the City’s Standard Conditions associated with it are thoroughly discussed in the Hydrology and Water Quality Section of the document.
In addition to the LAQMP and the SWPPP, development of project will include the use of both pervious and impervious surfaces. Per project design, the project site and its surroundings will largely consist of impervious surfaces, including paved surfaces and the proposed building.
Pervious surfaces on the site will include landscaped areas and the golf training facility.
Landscaping of the project will contain trees, shrubs, and ground covers. The permanent stabilization methods of paving and landscaping at the project site will decrease the amount of erosion created at the property during project operation.
With the implementation of the LAQMP, and SWPPP (outlined above and in the Air Quality and Hydrology Sections of this document), along with the paved and landscaped surfaces on the property, impacts regarding erosion from the project site are expected to be less than significant.
c) Less than Significant Impact. The approximately 17.2-acre project will include the development of a 34-key hotel, 11 residences, hotel and outdoor amenities, a golf training facility, and a maintenance building. The project site, which currently operates as a portion of a golf course, was analyzed for the likelihood of potential hazards such as landslides, liquefaction, and subsidence. The findings are discussed as follows:
As identified in portion a) iii. of this Geology and Soils Section, liquefaction occurs when loose, unconsolidated, saturated, sandy soils are subjected to ground vibrations during a seismic event.
This occurs in areas where the ground water table is within 50 feet of the ground surface and when seismic events occur the sudden increase in water pressure in the pores between soil particles and the loss of cohesion with the soils causes them to act like a liquid. Per the City General Plan Update, the depth to groundwater in most of Rancho Mirage, including the project property, is more than 50 feet below ground surface. Therefore, the potential for liquefaction at the project is considered negligible. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
Lateral spreading is the lateral displacement of gently sloping ground as a result of pore pressure build-up or liquefaction in a shallow underlying deposit during an earthquake. As discussed in a) iii, the risk of liquefaction at the project site is considered moderate due to the underlying soil type, however because of the presumed lack of shallow groundwater below the site, the potential for liquefaction is considered negligible; therefore, the potential for lateral spreading is low. Impacts are anticipated to be less than significant.
As discussed in portion a) iv. of this Geology and Soils Section, the City of Rancho Mirage indicates that the project is located in an area of low susceptibility of being impacted by rock falls and landslides. The existing project site is characterized by relatively flat topography, with existing development in the form of parking areas, and various landscaped areas throughout the site. Due to the absence of steep slopes and the central location of the project site, impacts of landslides are not expected.
The Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update defines subsidence as gradual settling or sinking of the ground surface with little or no horizontal movement. Several regions of subsidence have 6-135
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been documented in Riverside County, all of them in deep, alluvium-filled valleys. Subsidence can be caused by both human activities and natural causes, such as earthquakes. In most cases, the cause of ground subsidence in the Coachella Valley is typically due to declining groundwater levels. Figure S-7, in the Riverside County General Plan, indicates that the subject site is situated in an area susceptible for ground subsidence due to withdrawal of fluids. The recognition that ground subsidence is an environmental restraint has forced agencies, such as the U.S Geological Survey and the Coachella Valley Water District, to devote resources to the study and mitigation of this potential hazard.
The City is proactively mitigating subsidence by supporting the proper management of groundwater supplies, creating water conservation programs, encouraging water recycling, and educating the public. In addition, building and seismic code requirements assure that potential impacts associated with ground subsidence is reduced to less than significant levels.
According to the Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR, strong ground shaking can cause densification or compaction of soils resulting in local or regional settlement of the ground surface.
During strong shaking, soil grains become more tightly packed due to the collapse of voids and pore spaces, resulting in a reduction of the thickness of the soil column. This type of ground failure typically occurs in loose granular, cohesionless soils, and can occur in either wet or dry conditions.
This can result in local differential settlement and damage to foundations and structures, as well as damage to water and sewer lines. According to Exhibit 23 in the City’s 2017 General Plan Update, the project site is displayed as having high susceptibility to seismically induced settlement. The land has previously been graded and developed. The City recommends proper excavation, compaction, and foundation design to reduce the potential for seismic settlement.
Grading plans and structural engineering plans will be reviewed and approved by the City.
The project will be conditioned to comply with the recommendations within the Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update and EIR, the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, and the most recent California Building Code (CBC). Overall, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
d) Less than Significant Impact. Expansive soils, as defined in the Riverside County General Plan, have a significant amount of clay particles which can give up water (shrink) or take on water (swell). The change in volume exerts stress on buildings and other loads placed on these soils, which is why they are a potential hazard. These soils can also be widely dispersed, occurring in both hillside areas and low-lying alluvial basins. According to the Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR, impacts of expansive soils are not anticipated to be significant.
The site has already been cleared, graded, and significantly disturbed from the construction of the existing development. Problems caused by expansive soils can be alleviated by engineering designs, such as including the use of reinforcing steel foundations, drainage control devices, over- excavation and backfilling with non-expansive soil. The project site is currently developed and operates as a private golf course associated with Desert Island. During development of the Desert Island community, if expansive soils were encountered, they were likely amended to ensure proper foundation design for the operation of the country club. Therefore, it is unlikely that expansive soils occur at the project site. However, the project will be required to remove expansive soils during grading activities to ensure proper foundation design. Impacts are less than significant.
e) No Impact. The project property is located within Desert Island residential community. The project site is surrounded by developed land on all sides. According to the Sewer Service Exhibit in the Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update, the project site is classified as a neighborhood served with sewers. The closest sewer line is located along Island Drive (2017 General Plan Update, Exhibit 30). The existing infrastructure near the site will provide the project access to wastewater 6-136
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treatment infrastructure (further discussed within the Utilities Section of this document). The proposed project will be required to connect to sanitary sewer lines and no septic systems will be permitted. No impacts are expected.
f) Less than Significant Impact. Paleontological resources provide evidence of past life forms and their biota, which is valued for the information they yield about the history of earth and its past ecological settings. Per Figure 4.9.3, Paleontological Sensitivity, in the Riverside County General Plan, the property is recognized for having low potential for Paleontological Sensitivity. Areas recognized for having a “low” potential have a reduced likelihood of containing significant non- renewable paleontological resources, including vertebrate or significant invertebrate fossils.
Moreover, the site is currently developed as a paved parking lot, golf course and maintenance center and is not recognized as a unique paleontological or a unique geologic feature.
Additionally, the project property lies in a developed context within the City, surrounded by private open space and residential uses.
No known paleontological sites are found within the project site. The potential for uncovering any significant resources during construction activities is unlikely, since the site has already been cleared, graded, and significantly disturbed from the construction of the existing development.
Therefore, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
7.3 Mitigation Measures
Mitigation: None
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8. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS --
Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Generate greenhouse gas emissions, either
directly or indirectly, that may have a
significant impact on the environment?
b) Conflict with an applicable plan, policy or
regulation adopted for the purpose of reducing
the emissions of greenhouse gases?
Sources: Final 2016 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), by SCAQMD, March 2017; Final 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (CVSIP), by SCAQMD, August 2003; Analysis of the Coachella Valley PM10 Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan, by the California Air Resources Board, February 2010; Appendix A (California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod), Version 2020.4.0); California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2019, Trends of Emissions and Other Indicators, 2021 Edition, California Air Resources Board; Release No. 18-37 & 19-35, California Air Resources Board Press Release, July 2018 and August 2019.
8.1 Setting
Summary of Local and Statewide Greenhouse Gas Regulations and Trends:
Greenhouse gases (GHG) are a group of gases that trap solar energy in the Earth’s atmosphere, preventing it from becoming too cold and uninhabitable. Common greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons to a lesser extent. Carbon dioxide is the main GHG thought to contribute to climate change. Carbon dioxide reflects solar radiation back to Earth, thereby trapping solar energy and heat within the lower atmosphere. Human activities (such as burning carbon-based fossil fuels) create water vapor and CO2 as byproducts, thereby impacting the levels of GHG in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a metric used to compare emissions of various greenhouse gases. It is the mass of carbon dioxide that would produce the same estimated radiative forcing as a given mass of another greenhouse gas.
To address the long-term adverse impacts associated with global climate change, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) requires California Air Resource Board (CARB) to reduce statewide emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. In 2016, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 32 (SB32) that requires California to reduce GHG emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. With the passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32) in California, environmental documents for projects pursuant to CEQA are required to analyze greenhouse gases and assess the potential significance and impacts of GHG emissions.
California's annual statewide GHG emission inventory is an important tool for determining historical emission trends and tracking California's progress in reducing GHGs. In concert with data collected through various California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) programs, the GHG inventory has been considered critical in demonstrating the state's progress in achieving the statewide GHG target. The inventory provides estimates of anthropogenic GHG emissions within California. CARB is responsible for maintaining and updating California's GHG Inventory.
On July 11, 2018, CARB announced in a press release (No. 18-37) that greenhouse gas pollution in California fell below 1990 levels for the first time since emissions peaked in 2004, an achievement roughly equal to taking 12 million cars off the road or saving 6 billion gallons of gasoline a year. Moreover, according to the CARB report on California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2017 (published in 2019), which tracks the trends of GHG emissions, California’s GHG emissions have followed a declining trend between 2007 and 2017. In 2017, emissions from GHG emitting activities statewide were 424 6-138
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million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MMTCO2e), 5 MMTCO2e lower than 2016 levels and 7 MMTCO2e below the 2020 GHG Limit of 431 MMTCO2e. The largest reductions are attributed to the electricity sector, which continues to see decreases as a result of the state’s climate policies. The transportation sector remains the largest source of GHG emissions in the state, but saw a 1 percent increase in emissions in 2017, the lowest growth rate over the previous 4 years.
On August 12, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in a press release (No. 19-35) that GHG emissions in California continued to fall ahead of schedule in 2017 as the state’s economy grew ahead of the national average, according to the California Air Resources Board’s latest state inventory of climate-changing emissions. The data also shows that for the first time since California started to track GHG emissions, the state power grid used more energy from zero-GHG sources like solar and wind power than from electrical generation powered by fossil fuels. The press release also included the following highlights:
Electricity: Emissions from electricity generation made up about 15 percent of 2017 statewide greenhouse gas emissions. In 2017, those emissions fell nine percent from 2016, the largest decline of any economic sector. A large increase in zero-emission energy resources drove the reduction. Those clean sources powered 52 percent of all California’s electricity consumed in 2017.
Transportation: Vehicle tailpipe emissions accounted for 37 percent of California’s 2017 GHG emissions.
Those emissions rose but showed signs of leveling off. The 2017 increase was 0.7 percent, down from two percent the preceding year. Most of the greenhouse gas emissions increase came from passenger vehicles.
Industry: Industrial emissions over multiple sectors showed a slight reduction or remained flat. California’s industrial sectors generated 21 percent of state GHGs in 2017. Oil & gas refineries and hydrogen production were responsible for one-third of those emissions. The rest came mostly from oil & gas extraction, cement plants, glass manufacturers and large food processors.
The CARB report on California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2019 (2021 Edition) indicates that in 2019, emissions from GHG emitting activities statewide were 418.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), 7.1 MMTCO2e lower than 2018 levels and almost 13 MMTCO2e below the 2020 GHG Limit of 431 MMTCO2e. The 2021 report also indicates that transportation emissions have continued to decline in 2019 as they had done in 2018, with even more substantial reductions due to a significant increase in renewable diesel (up 61 percent from 2018), making diesel fuel bio-components (biodiesel and renewable diesel) 27 percent of total on-road diesel sold in California. Total electric power emissions decreased by almost 7 percent in 2019, due to a continuing increase in renewable energy, including a 46 percent increase in available hydropower in 2019.
South Coast Air Quality Management District: On December 5, 2008, the SCAQMD Governing Board adopted the staff proposal for an interim GHG significance threshold for projects where the SCAQMD is lead agency. The board letter, resolution, interim GHG significance threshold, draft guidance document and attachments can be found below or under the Board Agenda Item 31 on the December 5, 2008, Governing Board meeting agenda. Based on this source, the relevant threshold for the proposed project is 3,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per year.
Rancho Mirage Sustainability Plan: The City of Rancho Mirage completed the 2013 Sustainability Plan:
Leadership in Energy Efficiency (Sustainability Plan) in May 2013. The Sustainability Plan is a framework for the development and implementation of policies and programs that will reduce the City’s emissions, working towards the Statewide target of 1990 levels by 2020, set by AB 32. For the City to achieve the Statewide target of 1990 levels by 2020, it will have to reduce emissions by 54,272 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e), a 19.8 percent reduction. The set of measures presented in the 6-139
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Sustainability Plan will reduce the City’s GHG emissions by 60,411 MTCO2e, which exceeds the reduction target by 6,139 MTCO2e (compared with the target amount of 54,272 MTCO2e).
8.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The CalEEMod 2020.4.0 air emissions modeling for GHG analysis purposes involved a reasonable accounting of the project’s construction activities, land uses, facilities and operations as allowed in the proposed Specific Plan Amendment and evaluated in the Traffic Analysis for this project. As previously stated, the project characteristics that served as input parameters in CalEEMod for evaluating the emissions included a hotel (42 keys), single family residence (11 dwelling units), golf course (golf training facility of approximately
1.3 acres), new parking spaces (228), general light industrial (golf course maintenance building of approximately 8,077 square feet), a desert gardens landscaped area of approximately 2.2 acres, recreational swimming pool (swimming pool of approximately 13,100 square feet), and health club (pool café, yoga pavilion, and restroom structures with a combined area of approximately 6,000 square feet). Note that the CalEEMod analysis evaluated a 42-key hotel, which generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys).
Table III-2 indicates the CalEEMod land uses and their associated project land uses, to clarify the CalEEMod categories in relation to the proposed project uses. Pertaining to construction, the CalEEMod input also accounted for the demolition phase of existing facilities with an estimated production of 2,700 cubic yards of hardscape and building debris that would exported from the site.
As a standard method, construction-related GHG emissions for each land use scenario were amortized over a 30-year period and added to the project’s annual operational GHG emissions.
The operational GHG emissions are attributed to area sources, mobile sources, solid wastes and water supply, treatment and distribution of the proposed operations. The currently applicable GHG thresholds for local lead agency consideration are referenced from the SCAQMD Working Group Threshold supporting documentation, which establishes an interim tiered approach. Under this guidance, a screening threshold of 3,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per year is appliable to the project.
Table VIII-1
Total Project Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emission Sources
Emissions
(metric tons per year)
Total MTCO2E
Annual Construction
Emissions Amortized Over 30 Years 13.2117
Area, Energy, Mobile Sources, Waste, and Water Usage 842.3100 Total CO2E (All Sources) 855.5217
SCAQMD Threshold for Industrial Projects 3,000
Threshold Exceeded? NO
As shown in Table VIII-1, implementation of the Specific Plan is expected to result in 855.5217 MTCO2e per year from construction and land use operations, in comparison to the threshold of significance set at 3,000 MTCO2e per year. Project emissions are therefore compliant with the applicable GHG thresholds that have been established in response to AB 32 as part of the Statewide regulations and targets aimed at addressing climate change. Such efforts have allowed the state to achieve its 2020 GHG emissions reductions target of returning to 1990 levels 4 years 6-140
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earlier than mandated by AB 32. Therefore, as measured by the project GHG emissions in relation to the threshold, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
b) Less than Significant Impact: As previously mentioned in discussion a), under Assembly Bill 32 passed in 2006, California must reduce its emissions to 1990 levels (431 million metric tons) by 2020. Senate Bill 32, signed in 2016, requires the state to go even further than AB 32 and cut emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030—the most ambitious carbon goal in North America. California’s primary programs for reducing greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020 are the Renewables Portfolio Standard, the Advanced Clean Cars Program, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the Cap-and-Trade Program. Additional programs address a variety of greenhouse gas sources. These include the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Strategy, the Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Sustainable Freight Action Plan. The 2030 Scoping Plan, adopted by CARB, lays out how these initiatives work together to reduce greenhouse gases to achieve California’s 2030 target of 260 million metric tons and also to reduce smog-causing pollutants. This target will require California to more than double the rate at which it has been cutting climate-changing gases. Future reductions will occur against a backdrop of natural sources of GHGs which are increasingly variable because of the climate change California is already witnessing. The SCAQMD adopted the interim GHG significance threshold for stationary/industrial sources on December 5, 2008 which applies to Projects where the SCAQMD is the lead agency.
CARB has announced that California statewide GHG emissions have dropped below the 2020 GHG Limit in 2016 and have remained below the 2020 GHG Limit since then, generally dropping since 2004. In 2019, emissions from GHG emitting activities statewide were 418.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), 7.1 MMTCO2e lower than 2018 levels and almost 13 MMTCO2e below the 2020 GHG Limit of 431 MMTCO2e. The 2021 report also indicates that transportation emissions have continued to decline in 2019 as they had done in 2018, with even more substantial reductions due to a significant increase in renewable diesel (up 61 percent from 2018), making diesel fuel bio-components (biodiesel and renewable diesel) 27 percent of total on- road diesel sold in California. Total electric power emissions decreased by almost 7 percent in 2019, due to a continuing increase in renewable energy, including a 46 percent increase in available hydropower in 2019.
In summary, the land use configurations evaluated within the scope of the Specific Plan are expected to result in GHG emissions estimated at 855.5217 MTCO2e per year in comparison to the threshold set at 3,000 MTCO2e per year. As a result, the project is not expected to conflict with any applicable plan, policy or regulation for the purpose of reducing GHG emissions. This includes the Rancho Mirage Sustainability Plan, which works in accordance with the AB 32 framework and strategies. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
8.3 Mitigation Measures
Mitigation: None
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9. HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS --
Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Create a significant hazard to the public or the
environment through the routine transport, use, or
disposal of hazardous materials?
b) Create a significant hazard to the public or the
environment through reasonably foreseeable
upset and accident conditions involving the
release of hazardous materials into the
environment?
c) Emit hazardous emissions or handle hazardous
or acutely hazardous materials, substances, or
waste within one-quarter mile of an existing or
proposed school?
d) Be located on a site which is included on a list
of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to
Government Code Section 65962.5 and, as a
result, would it create a significant hazard to the
public or the environment?
e) For a project located within an airport land use
plan or, where such a plan has not been adopted,
within two miles of a public airport or public use
airport, would the project result in a safety hazard
or excessive noise for people residing or working
in the project area?
f) Impair implementation of or physically interfere
with an adopted emergency response plan or
emergency evacuation plan?
g) Expose people or structures, either directly or
indirectly, to a significant risk of loss, injury or
death involving wildland fires?
Source: Enforcement and Compliance Fault Zoning Act, California Department of Conservation; Enforcement and Compliance History Online, EPA, 2022; EnviroStor, Department of Toxic Substances Control, 2022; GeoTracker, State Water Resources Control Board, 2022; Rancho Mirage General Plan 2017.
9.1 Setting
Hazardous Materials
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR Title 40, Part 261) defines hazardous materials based on ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, and/or toxicity properties. The State of California defines hazardous materials as substances that are toxic, ignitable, or flammable, reactive and/or corrosive, which have the capacity of causing harm or a health hazard during normal exposure or an accidental release. As a result, the use and management of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances is regulated under existing federal, state, and local laws.
Hazardous Waste
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) simply defines hazardous waste as a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. Hazardous waste is generated from sources ranging from industrial manufacturing process wastes to batteries and may come in many forms, including liquids, solids, gases, and sludges. These can include everyday commercial products, such as pesticides, cleaning fluids, and household sprays, as well as byproducts of manufacturing processes. The EPA has classified hazardous waste into four categories: 6-142
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• Listed wastes – wastes from common manufacturing and industrial processes, waste from specific industries such as petroleum refining or pesticide manufacturing, and discarded commercial products;
• Characteristic wastes – non-listed wastes that exhibit ignitability, corrosively, reactivity, and toxicity;
• Universal wastes – batteries, mercury-containing equipment, and fluorescent lamps and bulbs; and
• Mixed wastes – radioactive and hazardous waste components.
A hazardous material may become hazardous waste upon its accidental release into the environment.
All hazardous wastes must be discharged into a Class I landfill. No Class I landfill is currently operated within Riverside County. Hazardous Waste generated within Riverside County and disposed of in Kern County or Santa Barbra County, where active Class I landfills are located. Some waste is also transported out of the State.
Many types of businesses can be producers of hazardous waste. Small businesses such as dry cleaners, auto repair shops, medical facilities or hospitals, photo processing centers, and metal plating shops are usually generators of small quantities of hazardous wastes. Generators of large quantities of hazardous waste include chemical manufacturers, large electroplating facilities, and petroleum refineries. All significant spills, releases or threatened releases of hazardous materials must be immediately reported.
Local Schools
The project site is located within the boundary of the Palm Springs Unified School District. The closest school is the Palm Valley School and Rancho Mirage Elementary School, located approximately 1.90 miles northwest and southwest of the project, respectively.
Public Airports/Private Airstrips
The Palm Springs International Airport is located approximately 5.44 miles to the northwest of the project, and the Bermuda Dunes Airport is located approximately 7.50 miles southeast of the project.
9.2 Discussion
a-b) Less than Significant Impact. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR Title 40, Part 261) defines hazardous materials based on ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, and/or toxicity properties. The State of California defines hazardous materials as substances that are toxic, ignitable, or flammable, reactive and/or corrosive, which have the capacity of causing harm or a health hazard during normal exposure or an accidental release. As a result, the use and management of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances is regulated under existing federal, state and local laws. Hazardous wastes require special handling and disposal methods to reduce their potential to damage public health and the environment. Manufacturer’s specifications dictate the proper use, handling, and disposal methods for the specific substances. In most cases, it is a violation of federal or state law to improperly store, apply, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials and waste.
Construction of the proposed project is expected to involve the temporary management and use of oils, fuels and other potentially flammable substances. The nature and quantities of these products would be limited to what is necessary to carry out construction of the project. Some of these materials would be transported to the site periodically by vehicle and would be stored in designated controlled areas on a short-term basis. When handled properly by trained individuals and consistent with the manufacturer’s instructions and industry standards, the risk involved with handling these materials is considerably reduced. The contractor will be required to identify a controlled staging area within the project limits for storing materials and equipment and will be 6-143
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required to implement best management practices to assure that impacts are minimized and that any minor spills are immediately and properly remediated.
Furthermore, to prevent a threat to the environment during construction, the management of potentially hazardous materials and other potential pollutant sources will be regulated, in part, through the implementation of measures required in the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for the project. The SWPPP requires a list of potential pollutant sources and the identification of construction areas where additional control measures are necessary to prevent pollutants from being released on-site or into the surroundings. Best management practices (BMPs) are necessary for proper material delivery and storage; material use; and spill prevention and control. These temporary measures outline the required physical improvements and procedures to prevent impacts of pollutants and hazardous materials to workers and the environment during construction. For example, all construction materials, including paints, solvents, and petroleum products, must be stored in controlled areas and according to the manufacturer’s specifications. In addition, perimeter controls (fencing with wind screen), linear sediment barriers (gravel bags, fiber rolls, or silt fencing), and access restrictions (gates) would help prevent temporary impacts. With such standard measures in place, less than significant impacts are anticipated during construction.
The operation of hotel, residences, golf training facility, and outdoor areas, does not typically involve the routine transport, use, or disposal of hazardous materials in quantities or a manner that would pose a threat to the project and surroundings. Typical operational uses would involve the handling and application of cleaning agents, building maintenance products, paints and solvents, and similar items would be stored on-site. These potentially hazardous materials would not be present in significant quantities to pose a significant hazard to public health and safety or the environment.
The project proposes the construction of an onsite pool associated with the hotel. The California Department of Public Health is authorized to establish standards for public swimming facilities.
According to Section 65529, Public Pool Disinfection, of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), it is required that public pools, when open or in use, be disinfected continuously by a chemical that imparts a disinfectant consistent with minimum and maximum concentrations, also determined in Section 65529. If halogens other than chlorine are used, residuals of equivalent strength shall be maintained. Records of the routine maintenance and repairs are also required per the CCR. Additionally, the pool operator shall maintain a test kit for measuring the disinfectant residual, pH, and, if uses, cyanuric acid concentration in the public pool. The hotel pool shall be required to adhere to all applicable standards and regulations within the California Health and Safety Code, the CCR, the California Building Code, and the California Electrical Code regarding public swimming pools. The enforcing agency that would evaluate the plans for the project prior to construction would be the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health.
According to Riverside County Municipal Code Chapter 8.64, Disclosure of Hazardous Materials and Formulation of Business Emergency Plans, the County established a system for permitting businesses that handle hazardous materials in order to enforce minimum standards respecting such materials. According to Chapter 8.64, chlorine and muriatic acid stored in combined aggregate qualities greater than or equal to fifty-five (55) gallons, and/or greater than or equal to five hundred (500) pounds for pools are considered hazardous materials. Under the administration of the County of Riverside Department of Environmental Health (DEH), and in compliance with the Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory Law, Chapter
6.95 of the California Health and Safety Code (HSC), any business handling and/or storing a hazardous material shall obtain a permit from the DEH and electronically submit a business plan 6-144
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in the Statewide Informational Management System. The proposed project will require storage or handling of hazardous materials, as defined in Chapter 8.64 of the Riverside County Municipal Code including pool disinfecting and cleaning supplies, and shall be required to follow the procedures established in the Municipal Code and Chapter 6.95 of the HSC. Adherence to federal, state, and regional regulatory standards will ensure impacts related to the release of hazardous materials associated with the project and public pools are anticipated to be less than significant. Compliance of these procedures will ensure that impacts due to the use, transport, and disposal of hazardous materials would be less than significant during project operation.
Additionally, the handling, application, and storage of cleaning agents, building maintenance products, paints, solvents and other related substances is expected to occur within the project in order to carry out the necessary operations in each facility or use. However, these materials would not be present in sufficient quantities to pose a significant hazard to public health and safety, or the environment.
By following the appropriate federal, state, and regional regulatory standards, less than significant impacts are expected pertaining to significant hazards to the public or the environment through the routine transport, use, or disposal of hazardous materials, and accident conditions involving the release of hazardous materials into the environment. Less than significant impacts are expected.
c) No Impact. The project site is not located within ¼ mile of an existing or proposed school. The closest schools to the project site are Palm Valley School and Rancho Mirage Elementary School, located approximately 1.90 miles northwest and southwest of the project, respectively. Therefore, the project is not expected to emit hazardous emissions, or handle hazardous or acutely hazardous materials, substances, or waste within one-quarter mile of an existing or proposed school.
d) Less than Significant Impact. The project proposes the construction of a 34-key hotel, 11 residences, golf training facility, outdoor amenities, and a maintenance building on approximately
17.2 acres within Desert Island. In order to comply with Government Code 65962.5 and its subsections, record searches on the project property were performed within multiple database platforms. The resources consulted included GeoTracker, EnviroStor and the EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO).
GeoTracker is a database maintained by the State of California Water Resources Control Board that provides online access to environmental data. It serves as the management system for tracking regulatory data on sites that can potentially impact groundwater, particularly those requiring groundwater cleanup and permitted facilities, such as operating underground storage tanks and land disposal sites.
EnviroStor is a database maintained by the State of California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The EnviroStor database identifies sites with known contamination or sites for which there may be reasons to investigate further. It includes the identification of formerly contaminated properties that have been released for reuse; properties where environmental deed restrictions have been recorded to prevent inappropriate land uses; and risk characterization information that is used to assess potential impacts to public health and the environment at contaminated sites.
Moreover, the ECHO database focuses on inspection, violation, and enforcement data for the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 6-145
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(RCRA) and also includes Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data.
In March 2022, a search was performed on all three database platforms. The GeoTracker, EnviroStor, and ECHO database results did not identify any Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Cleanup Sites, Land Disposal Sites, Military Sites, DTSC Hazardous Waste Permits, DTSC Cleanup Sites, or Permitted Underground Storage Tanks on or in connection with the project property. However, the site was listed as an active “other” facility.
The GeoTracker database identified two LUST sites within a half-mile radius of the project property. One facility includes Eisenhower Medical Center at 39000 Bob Hope Drive, approximately 0.50 miles southeast of the project. This site was listed as completed case closed as of September 1999. The second site includes Tamarisk Country Club at 70968 La Paz, approximately 0.50 miles northwest of the project. This site was listed completed case closed as of June 1996. Due to the distance of these facilities to the project site, they are not anticipated to impact the proposed project.
The ECHO database listed 5 facilities within a half-mile radius of the project site. The facilities are listed as follows:
Desert Island at 71777 Frank Sinatra Drive.
The S at Rancho Mirage at 71777 Frank Sinatra Drive, within Desert Island. Barry Watcher, at 1 Whittier Court, is located approximately 0.35 miles south of the project. Springs Club Inc at 58 Princeton Drive, approximately 0.45 miles southwest of the project. Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands at 37977 Bob Hope Drive, approximately 0.50 miles north of the project site.
The registered sites within Desert Island include the clubhouse building and the golf course.
These facilities are registered as “all other waste management services” and are likely to involve the operations of the golf course onsite. Each of the registered facilities listed within the ECHO database were registered by the RCRA as an active “other” facility. The registered facilities do not currently have any violations (as indicated on the ECHO database).
The EnviroStor database did not reveal any registered facilities on the project property or within a half-mile radius of the project.
Per the records search pursuant of Government Code 65962.5, the project site was not registered as having any Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Cleanup Sites, Land Disposal Sites, Military Sites, DTSC Hazardous Waste Permits, DTSC Cleanup Sites, or Permitted Underground Storage Tanks onsite. However, the site was listed as an active “other” facility in the ECHO database. However, no violations were recorded with the associated site. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
e) No Impact. The project is not located within an airport land use plan or private airstrip. The Palm Springs International Airport is located approximately 5.44 miles northwest of the project site. The Bermuda Dunes Airport is located approximately 7.50 miles southeast of the project. As a result, the project is located outside both of the airport facilities’ influence and planning area. Flights approaching and departing the Palm Springs International Airport and the Bermuda Dunes Airport may fly over the City and the project site with an intermittent frequency, however, no impacts are anticipated.
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f) Less than Significant Impact. The Emergency Preparedness Element of the City’s General Plan provides information on the critical facilities necessary to effectively respond in the event of an emergency. The City has also adopted a Multi-Hazard Functional Plan, which is continually updated, addresses the planned response to extraordinary emergency situations associated with natural or human caused disasters, technical incidents and nuclear defense operations.
Additionally, the City participates in the Riverside County Multi-Jurisdictional and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). Based on these resources, the two main evacuation routes in the City and region include I-10 and Highway 111, while the City’s primary and minor arterial streets serve as secondary routes. At project build-out and operation, roadways and emergency evacuation routes will not be altered or reconfigured.
Development of the 17.2-acre project would result in a minimal increase in demand for fire services, however based on the project site’s proximity to Fire Station 69, and the existing infrastructure in place, the proposed project could be adequately served by fire protection services within the 5-minute response time and no new or expanded facilities would be required. Fire Station 69, located at 71-751 Gerald Ford Drive, is approximately 2 driving miles from the project.
The project will be reviewed by City and Fire officials to ensure adequate fire service and safety as a result of project implementation.
As stated previously, any applicable plans prepared in accordance with California Health and Safety Code Section 25505, including, but not limited to, the Hazardous Material Business Plan (HMBP), or the Hazardous Material Management Plan (HMMP). These plans provide basic information necessary for use by first responders in order to prevent or mitigate damage to the public health and safety and to the environment from a release or threatened release of a hazardous material. Consult discussion a-b) in this Hazards Section.
By implementing the appropriate federal, state, and local regulatory standards, the project is not expected to interfere with the critical facilities, emergency transportation and circulation, or emergency preparedness coordination. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
g) No Impact. The project property is located on approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island at the southwest corner of the intersection of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive. The project site is surrounded by developed land on all sides of the property. The project site currently operates as a part of the golf course associated with Desert Island. Lands immediately east, south and west of the project consists of the private golf course, while areas north of the project consist of Frank Sinatra Drive and the private golf course.
The proposed site lies within the Private Open Space land use designation and intends to develop a 34-key hotel, 11 residences, golf training facility, a maintenance building, and parking. Based on the 2017 General Plan Fire Threat Map (Exhibit 27), the project property is identified as having no fuel (no hazard). Areas identified as having moderate, high or very high fire threats are areas in the northern part of the City, between Ramon Road and the Interstate 10 Freeway, and the south part of the City, south of Highway 111 at the hillside of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Consult the Wildfires Section of this environmental document for further discussion. Conclusively, the project site is located in an area with no fire threat to the City; therefore, impacts regarding wildland fires are not expected.
9.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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10. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY --
Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Violate any water quality standards or waste
discharge requirements or otherwise substantially
degrade surface or ground water quality?
b) Substantially decrease groundwater supplies
or interfere substantially with groundwater
recharge such that the project may impede
sustainable groundwater management of the
basin?
c) Substantially alter the existing drainage pattern
of the site or area, including through the alteration
of the course of a stream or river or through the
addition of impervious surfaces, in a manner,
which would result in substantial erosion or
siltation on- or off-site?
i) result in substantial erosion or siltation on- or
off-site;
ii) substantially increase the rate or amount of
surface runoff in a manner which would result in
flooding on- or off-site;
iii) create or contribute runoff water which would
exceed the capacity of existing or planned
stormwater drainage systems or provide
substantial additional sources of polluted runoff;
or
iv) impede or redirect flood flows?
d) In flood hazard, tsunami, or seiche zones, risk
release of pollutants due to project inundation?
e) Conflict with or obstruct implementation of a
water quality control plan or sustainable
groundwater management plan?
Sources: Flood Insurance Rate Map # 06065C1595G, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Effective August 28, 2008; Water Quality Control Plan for the Colorado River Basin Region, January 2019; 2020 Coachella Valley Regional Urban Water Management Plan, June 2021.
10.1 Setting
Summary of Regulatory Framework Relevant to Hydrology and Water Quality:
Hydrology refers to the occurrence, distribution, and movement of surface water, including water found in rivers and stormwater drainage systems. Stormwater particularly refers to the surface runoff and drainage resulting from rain events. Stormwater runoff and surface drainage patterns are determined by the soil conditions, topography, and associated gradients of the land. Surface water quality refers to selected physical, chemical, or biological characteristics found in stormwater in relation to existing standards. Groundwater is the water found underground in the voids in soil, sand, and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through aquifers. Groundwater supplies are naturally replenished, or recharged, by precipitation that seeps into the land’s surface and by replenishment efforts made by local water agencies.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 was enacted to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters by regulating the discharge of pollutants to waters of the U.S. from point sources. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was enacted as a 6-148
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program under the CWA to regulate non-point source discharges from urban land runoff and other diffused sources that were also found to contribute to runoff pollution. Under CWA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delegated the NPDES program responsibility to various state, tribal, and territorial governments, enabling them to perform many of the permitting, administrative, and enforcement aspects of the program. California is a delegated NPDES state and has authority to administer the NPDES program within its limits.
The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (California Water Code section 13000 et seq.) is the principal law governing water quality regulation for surface waters in California, thus effectuating the delegated provisions of the federal CWA and its NPDES program. It has set forth a comprehensive program to protect water quality and the beneficial uses applicable to surface waters, wetlands, and ground water and to point and nonpoint sources of pollution. The Porter-Cologne Act establishes that, as a matter of policy, all the waters of the State shall be protected; all activities and factors affecting the quality of water shall be regulated to attain the highest water quality within reason; and that the state must be prepared to exercise its full power and jurisdiction to protect the quality of water in the state from degradation. The Porter-Cologne Act established the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and nine California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCBs), including Region 7, Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board, which has jurisdiction in the City of Rancho Mirage and project site.
Under this framework, the Colorado River Basin Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) serves as the guiding document prepared, adopted, and maintained to identify the existing and potential beneficial uses of waters of the State and establish water quality objectives to protect these uses. It is worth noting that as defined in Section 13374 of the California Water Code (CWC), the term "Waste Discharge Requirements” (WDRs) is equivalent of the term "permits” and is therefore attained through a regulatory compliance process. Compliance with WDRs is achieved through the appropriate permit registration process under the applicable National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) programs described in this section.
At the regional level, the project is located within the Whitewater River Watershed, which is an arid desert region encompassing approximately 1,645 square miles. Within this watershed, an area of approximately 367 square miles (22 percent) encompassing most of the existing development in the Coachella Valley region, is regulated under the established Whitewater River Region Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4 Permit). The Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (RCFC&WCD), Mission Springs Water District, and the incorporated Coachella Valley cities, including Rancho Mirage have joint permittee responsibility for coordinating the regional MS4 Permit compliance programs and other activities aimed at reducing potential pollutants in urban runoff from land development construction, municipal, commercial, and industrial areas to the maximum extent possible.
These public entities are generally in charge of stormwater management within their jurisdiction.
At the City level, stormwater management and on-site stormwater retention are codified in Rancho Mirage Municipal Code Chapter 7.03 and Section 13.05.010 respectively. Chapter 7.03 encompasses a broad range of stormwater management and discharge control requirements, including regulatory consistency with the federal Clean Water Act and NPDES programs. Section 13.05.010 requires new development of one acre or greater in size to provide sufficient on-site stormwater retention for the volume of runoff resulting from the controlling 100-year storm event, to the satisfaction of the city engineer.
The analysis and findings provided in this section relied on the regulatory compliance and site hydrology conditions that were factored into the Preliminary Hydrology Report, Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP), and Preliminary Grading Plan that have been prepared as part of the entitlement process. A Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) will also be prepared in 6-149
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conjunction with the construction documents as a compliance plan and requirement for obtaining a grading permit.
10.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The project site involves an area of approximately 17.2 acres within the existing approximately 160-acre Desert Island. This site is developed with an existing driving range, golf course maintenance facility, and portions of open space amenities associated with the golf course setting. Based on historic and current U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Topographic Maps, 7.5-Minute Series, the project site and its surroundings are absent of any mapped naturally occurring drainage courses, washes, or rivers. Historic and current USGS maps identify the artificial lakes associated with the golf course, but these are not considered or hydrologically connected to any naturally occurring features. Moreover, based on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panel 06065C1595G, the project site occurs within a Zone X designation, corresponding to an “area of reduced flood risk due to levee”, which is not considered a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), designated floodway, or flood prone area.
Desert Island includes an artificial lake configuration with a surface area of approximately 27 acres that serves as the retention system for stormwater runoff generated by the country club facilities, including the project site, during storm events. As found in the Preliminary Hydrology Report for this project, the existing retention capacity is provided by approximately two (2) feet of freeboard across the lake system. For context, two feet of freeboard across a lake area of approximately 27 acres is equivalent to approximately 2.3 million cubic feet of available stormwater volume capacity. Runoff from the project site and other portions of the Country Club property are conveyed to the lake retention system primarily via surface flows. The existing storm drain system is not hydrologically connected or conditioned to discharge into off-site public facilities or natural drainage resources.
The proposed development will comply with the City’s retention requirements by continuing to rely on the existing lake retention system. Conveyance of stormwater runoff from the project site will occur primarily via surface flows with some instances of piped conveyances, as determined by the final grading plan and hydrology plans. The preliminary hydrology report estimates that the project would produce approximately 25,938 cubic feet in response to the controlling (worst-case) 100-year storm event. Although the final runoff quantity will be confirmed in the final plans, the preliminary drainage analysis has found that the project runoff would not impair the available retention capacity provided by the lake freeboard (approximately 2.3 million cubic feet across the 27-acre system).
Project implementation will require compliance with the applicable CWA, NPDES, state, and local regulations inherently designed to prevent violations or impacts to surface water quality standards and waste discharge requirements pertinent to surface or ground water quality. This form of compliance must be demonstrated to the City and other regulatory entities prior to issuance of a grading permit by the City and any form of site disturbance.
During the period of site preparation, ground disturbance, grading, and construction, the project proponent is required to comply with the State’s most current NPDES Construction General Permit (CGP), Order No. 2009-0009-DWQ, as amended by 2010-0014-DWQ and 2012-006- DWQ. Compliance with the CGP requires the preparation of a Notice of Intent (NOI) and a project- specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), designed to prevent potential adverse impacts to surface water quality, including erosion and siltation, during the period of construction- related activities. The NOI and SWPPP are submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) for approval and permit coverage. The SWPPP a site-specific compliance plan 6-150
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required to identify a strategy of storm water Best Management Practices (BMPs) in accordance with Section XIV (SWPPP Requirements) of the CGP. Storm water BMPs refer to a schedule of activities, prohibitions, practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to avoid, eliminate, or reduce the pollution of the receiving waters, primarily focused on preventing erosion, siltation, illicit discharge, and contamination. The SWPPP will include such measures as erosion control, sediment control, storm drain inlet protection, proper waste management and pollution prevention. The SWPPP must be prepared concurrently with final engineering design and must meet all NPDES plan review elements for acceptance by the City of Rancho Mirage.
Compliance of this plan during construction will be regulated and enforced as part of the local agency site inspection protocols.
In order to obtain a grading permit, the project proponent is also required to submit and obtain approval for a Final Project-Specific Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) in accordance with the current standards of the Whitewater River Region Water Quality Management Plan for Urban Runoff, the Whitewater River Watershed MS4 Permit, and the City’s on-site stormwater retention requirements (Municipal Code Section 13.05.010). The WQMP is a compliance plan required to account for the stormwater management facilities and conditions that are to be followed by the site operator(s) during the life of the project (post-construction). The scope and content of the WQMP is determined by the Whitewater River Region Water Quality Management Plan Document Guidance.
A preliminary WQMP prepared for this project has identified the non-structural and structural pollution source control measures that work toward the water quality objectives as applicable to the site and in consideration of the existing lake retention system. Non-structural source control measures consist of site operations, activities, and/or programs to prevent potential pollutants from being produced and coming into contact with the storm drain system. These measures include: 1) Education for property owners, operators, or employees about stormwater pollution prevention via resources from the Riverside County Watershed Protection. 2) Activity restrictions, such as prohibiting littering, debris discharge into storm drain facilities. 3) Irrigation system and landscape maintenance to upkeep the system effectiveness and minimize the amount of irrigation-related runoff. 4) Common area litter control to prevent trash accumulation or improper disposal. 5) Drainage facility inspection and maintenance to ensure the proper operation of the storm drain system. Source control measures will be required from all project-related operations, including those associated with the hotel, residential, recreational, and maintenance facilities.
Structural source control measures work to prevent contact between potential pollutants and stormwater runoff through the proper facility and storm drainage design. Structural source controls will also be installed to provide adequate containment and separation at the new golf course maintenance facility.
The preliminary hydrology report estimates that the project would produce approximately 25,938 cubic feet in response to the controlling (worst-case) 100-year storm event and that such volume would be adequately contained within the available retention capacity provided by the lake freeboard. Based on these conditions, the project would not require stand-alone or additional retention facilities to comply with the City’s Municipal Code Section 13.05.010 (required on-site retention) and Chapter 7.03 (stormwater management and discharge control).
As currently written, the scope of the WQMP and associated preliminary hydrology plan are focused on the project extent and are not intended to interfere with the existing operations and maintenance on the rest of Desert Island. The final location and level of design information for stormwater management will be detailed in the final engineering plans subject to City review and approval. Furthermore, as a standard requirement for Final WQMP approval will involve an agreement between the developer and the City to ensure that the responsible parties are properly 6-151
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informed of the stormwater measures and facilities and to allow City access and enforcement on this matter during the life of the project.
In summary, during construction and operation, project implementation will require plan- and permit-based compliance with CWA, NPDES, and local regulations to prevent impacts to water quality standards and the beneficial uses assigned to local receiving waters. Following City engineering review and approval, the stormwater capture and management strategy for on- and off-site runoff will avoid waste discharge violations through the implementation of properly sized retention facilities. Less than significant impacts are expected.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The project site and a majority of the City of Rancho Mirage are located within the domestic water service area of Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), which covers approximately 1,000 square miles and serves approximately 110,000 homes and businesses. The Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin is the primary groundwater source for the project region’s domestic water purveyors, including CVWD. Based on the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin has an approximate storage capacity of 39.2 million acre-feet (AF) of water within the upper 1,000 feet and is divided into four subbasins: Indio, Mission Creek, Desert Hot Springs, and San Gorgonio. The project site is specifically underlain by the Indio Subbasin, which is also known as the Whitewater River Subbasin. DWR has estimated that the Indio Subbasin contains approximately 29.8 million AF of water in the first 1,000 feet below the ground surface, representing approximately 76 percent of the total groundwater in the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin. Local groundwater management is currently taking place under the framework of the 2020 Coachella Valley Regional Urban Water Management Plan (2020 RUWMP), the preparation of which involved the collaboration of the six urban water suppliers in the Coachella Valley, including CVWD. The 2020 RUWMP describes the region’s water supplies and anticipated demands through 2045, along with each agency’s programs to encourage efficient water use.
In 2002, CVWD developed the 2002 Coachella Valley Groundwater Management Plan in collaboration with other local stakeholders with a focus on reducing overdraft, preventing groundwater level decline, protecting groundwater quality, and preventing land subsidence. In 2010, the 2010 Coachella Valley Groundwater Management Plan Update was prepared to document the accomplishments in reducing overdraft and address changed conditions since 2002.
In 2014, the California Legislature signed a three-bill legislative package into law, collectively known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), allowing local agencies to manage groundwater resources in a sustainable manner. SGMA required that a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) or Alternative Plan to a GSP (Alternative Plan) be adopted for basins and subbasins designated by the DWR as medium- and high-priority basins. Basin prioritization is based on a variety of factors such as population, number of wells, and other information determined to be relevant by DWR. The Indio Subbasin was designated as a medium-priority subbasin by DWR.
CVWD, Coachella Water Authority (CWA), Desert Water Agency (DWA), and Indio Water Authority (IWA) collectively represent the Indio Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). In January 2017, the GSAs submitted to DWR the 2010 Coachella Valley Water Management Plan (2010 CVWMP), accompanied by an Indio Subbasin Bridge Document, as a SGMA-compliant Alternative Plan. On July 17, 2019, DWR approved the Alternative Plan with a requirement to submit an Alternative Plan Update by January 1, 2022 and every five years thereafter. Based on the Indio Subbasin SGMA documentation, the combined strategies have 6-152
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resulted in significant groundwater storage increases across the subbasin, thus allowing the region to comply with the framework for sustainable management.
In 2019, the six urban water suppliers in the Coachella Valley, including CVWD, agreed to collaborate on the preparation of the 2020 RUWMP with regional and individual agency content.
In June of 2021 CVWD’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) was prepared to outline each agency’s actions that could be taken during a water shortage to reduce demands. According to the WSCP, drought conditions are not expected to affect CVWD’s Colorado River water supply due to the agency’s high priority allocation. Colorado River water is not a direct source of urban water supply. Rather, it is used for groundwater replenishment and non-potable uses. If a reduction in Colorado River water supply occurred, CVWD would initially reduce deliveries to groundwater replenishment projects. Drought conditions in the Sierra Nevada would have an effect on the SWP water allocation, thus reducing the SWP Exchange water received by CVWD and DWA. This water is used for replenishment of the groundwater basin and is not a direct source of urban water supply. Consequently, water use restrictions due to drought involving the SWP water supply would likely be implemented only as a result of a prolonged drought. During dry periods when less imported water is available, groundwater production is expected to exceed the amount of recharge, and the volume in storage will be reduced. However, these reductions can be reversed in years when additional imported water is available. The Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin is deemed to be a large basin which provides a buffer during dry periods, thus allowing the agencies to develop long-term plans and programs to manage regional water supplies.
On March 28, 2022, the California Governor called on all water agencies to consider moving to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans and take conservation actions to reduce water- use by all domestic water customers. On April 12, 2022, CVWD's Board of Directors voted at a public board meeting to adopt several actions from the District’s WSCP, including the expansion of rebate program for turf conversions; prohibition of outdoor water use between 10 a.m. and sunset for spray irrigation; discouragement of overseeding; allowing restaurants to serve water only upon request; boosting of public information campaign; and encouragement for enforcement agencies and HOAs to suspend code enforcement and fines for brown turf grass areas. In its drought updates, CVWD has also indicated that the Valley’s water supplies remain stable despite the statewide drought conditions. Therefore, the WSCP and associated measures are assumed to be working as designed under the 2020 RUWMP and WSCP.
CVWD collaborates with the operation and maintenance of three replenishment facilities serving the Indio Subbasin: Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility, the Thomas E. Levy Groundwater Replenishment Facility, and the Palm Desert Groundwater Replenishment Facility.
Artificial replenishment, or recharge, is recognized by the water districts as one of the most effective methods available for preserving local groundwater supplies, reversing aquifer overdraft and meeting demand by domestic consumers. According to the CVWD web site on Groundwater Replenishment and Imported Water, local agencies have percolated over 650 billion gallons of water back into the aquifer. In the central part of the Coachella Valley, groundwater recharge is provided by the recently constructed first phase of the Palm Desert Groundwater Replenishment Facility, operated by CVWD. According to the CVWD web site, this facility is expected to add up to 25,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually into the aquifer. Combined with water conservation and efficiency requirements, individual development projects can contribute to groundwater sustainability by implementing the required stormwater runoff retention and infiltration facilities. The established groundwater replenishment facilities described above for the Indio Subbasin are not located on or near the project. Therefore, from the aspect of land use and location, project implementation is not deemed to be in conflict with any existing or planned groundwater recharge facility or associated infrastructure. 6-153
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The proposed improvements are expected to incorporate water conservation measures, including the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures, drought-tolerant (native) outdoor landscaping, and water- efficient irrigation systems. As a standard condition for service connections, the project operators will be expected to furnish the appropriate rate payment to CVWD based on the meter size, ongoing flow charges, agency fees, and groundwater recharge fees.
Furthermore, the project will continue to rely on the existing private retention facilities to ensure that stormwater runoff is adequately intercepted, conveyed, and retained within the private setting instead of being discharged off-site as urban runoff. As a function of the WQMP, operation of the development will include the required source control measures that work toward the protection of groundwater quality during the life of the project and under the project owner’s responsibility. The existing storm drain system will continue to be maintained during the life of the. The proposed facilities are therefore not expected to violate or interfere with the groundwater quality. Regarding ground water quality, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
c) i) Less than Significant Impact. The project site of approximately 17.2 acres occurs within the existing Desert Island setting. This site is particularly occupied an existing driving range, golf course maintenance facility, and portions of open space amenities associated with the golf course setting and operations. An artificial lake system covering approximately 27 acres presently serves as the private retention system to accept stormwater runoff generated by the country club facilities, including the project site, during storm events. The Preliminary Hydrology Report for this project indicates the stormwater retention capacity is provided by approximately two (2) feet of freeboard across the artificial lake system. The artificial water features include an aeration and filtration system as a standard method of treatment for these types of facilities. Stormwater runoff conveyance into the retention lake system occurs primarily via surface flows across stabilized surfaces (grass and hardscape) that are actively maintained. As a result, the site conditions are not deemed to have an existing concern over erosion and siltation.
As a standard practice, erosion and siltation conditions will be prevented during construction and operation through the required compliance plans. The required Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) will include best management practices for proper soil stabilization and perimeter controls to prevent erosion and siltation from being generated by the site preparation, grading, and construction activities. Upon completion, all construction related soil disturbance will be properly restored to a stabilized condition consisting of permanent project improvements (buildings, hardscape, pavement, and landscaping). During the life of the project, the ongoing maintenance and operation of facilities will ensure that all permanently improved ground surfaces and stormwater conveyance are adequately maintained in a manner consistent with the existing country club and residential operations. The existing function and capacity of the private retention system serving the site and rest of the country club facility will not be affected by the incremental increase in runoff generated by the proposed improvements, as found by the Preliminary Hydrology Report. Less than significant impacts are anticipated regarding substantial erosion or siltation, on- or off-site.
ii) Less than Significant Impact. Based on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Panel 06065C1595G, the project site occurs within a Zone X designation, corresponding to an “area of reduced flood risk due to levee”, which is not considered a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), designated floodway, or flood prone area. The project site occurs within a developed country club setting privately operated and maintained served by an artificial lake system with freeboard as the form of stormwater retention. The project will introduce a combination of pervious (golf course practice area and landscaped open space) and imperious surfaces (buildings, hardscape, asphalt, etc.) to a developed setting. As determined in the 6-154
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Preliminary Hydrology Report, the project will continue to rely on the existing artificial lake system for the retention of runoff resulting from the controlling 100-year storm event from the site. The private lake system currently includes approximately two (2) feet of freeboard across the 27-acre feature. In adhering to the City’s engineering and retention requirements, the proposed development is not expected to substantially increase the rate or amount of surface runoff in a manner which would result in flooding on- or off-site. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
iii) Less than Significant Impact. The City of Rancho Mirage is a Permittee of the Whitewater River Watershed Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit area. Within the City limits, MS4 facilities include a system of conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains) designed to collect and convey stormwater. Storm drain facilities can be public or private. Examples of public facilities include pipes, gutters, channels, and basins occurring on the public right-of-way and/or maintained by a public agency. Private facilities are distinguished by being maintained separately by a private entity.
As discussed previously, the project site occurs in a developed context with private stormwater containment serving the entire Desert Island community. This system is designed to convey stormwater runoff toward the retention lake system in a manner that is hydrologically disconnected from public MS4 facilities and naturally occurring resources. The artificial lake system is understood to include water aeration and filtration systems, along with routine maintenance undertaken by the facility operators.
The project scope is covered by a preliminary WQMP that serves as a compliance plan in accordance with the current standards of the Whitewater River Region Water Quality Management Plan for Urban Runoff, the Whitewater River Watershed MS4 Permit, and the City’s on-site stormwater retention requirements (Municipal Code Section 13.05.010). The WQMP scope accounts for non-structural measures applicable to site operations that will prevent potential pollutants from being produced and coming into contact with the storm drain system.
Source control measures will be required from all project-related operations, including those associated with the hotel, residential, recreational, and maintenance facilities. Structural source control measures associated with the WQMP include physical improvements to prevent contact between potential pollutants and stormwater runoff through the proper facility and storm drainage design. Structural source controls will also be installed to provide adequate containment and separation at the new golf course maintenance facility.
Through the available retention facilities and compliance plans, the project is not expected to result in stormwater discharge in a manner that would exceed the capacity of public stormwater facilities or contribute substantial additional sources of polluted runoff. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
iv) Less than Significant Impact. The project site is located outside of any designated SFHA, floodway, or naturally occurring drainage flow line as determined by FEMA and USGS maps.
Therefore, the project will not impede or redirect any discernable drainage course, floodplain, or flood prone area. The proposed development will continue to rely on the existing retention system serving the site and rest of the country club setting. As a result, the project will not result in a condition capable of impeding or redirecting flood flows. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
d) No Impact. The project is not located near any coastal areas and therefore is not prone to tsunami hazards. The artificial lake feature within Desert Island is not deemed to pose a seiche risk in part 6-155
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due to its available freeboard of two (2) feet. The project site is not located in a floodplain or special flood hazard area.
The project scope will involve the demolition of an existing golf course maintenance facility and its construction at a different location within the project property. All associated storage and handling of potential pollutants (petroleum products) for golf course maintenance operations at the new facility will primarily take place within enclosed structures and will be adequately accounted for and contained per the industry standards to reduce the risk of spills and releases.
With these required improvements subject to City review and approval, less than significant impacts are anticipated pertaining to flood hazard.
e) Less than Significant Impact. As discussed previously, the project proponent is required to implement a City-approved project-specific Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) to comply with the most current standards of the Whitewater River Region Water Quality Management Plan for Urban Runoff, Whitewater River Watershed MS4 Permit. The WQMP will incorporate grading, hydrology, and other plans to document the site design and source controls with a required operation and maintenance program to comply with the aspect of surface water quality. The proposed design will continue to utilize the existing retention system available to the country club property. Golf course maintenance operations will occur in a new building with improved containment and separation measures compared to the existing facilities. The best management practices to be implemented at the project site will be considered an improvement to the existing operations, which are not guided by such plan. Pertaining to groundwater sustainability, project implementation will not impair the site’s ability to contribute the appropriate water service and associated groundwater recharge fees. The project would also not prevent the adherence to water conservation and restriction rules that may become applicable as a function of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan by CVWD. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
10.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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11. LAND USE AND PLANNING - Would
the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Physically divide an established
community?
b) Cause a significant environmental impact
due to a conflict with any land use plan,
policy, or regulation adopted for the
purpose of avoiding or mitigating an
environmental effect?
Source: Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update; Rancho Mirage Municipal Code.
11.1 Setting
The project is located within the Desert Island and Desert Island Specific Plan area. The project is also located within the City of Rancho Mirage’s Private Open Space (OS/PV) land use and zoning designation, which is applied to areas assigned to golf courses, lakes and water features, tennis courts and other recreational facilities and landscaping that occur in planned residential developments.
The project is proposing the development of develop a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private duplex-style residences, passive outdoor gathering areas, tennis, pool and yoga amenities, expanded onsite parking, a golf training park, and a maintenance building. To allow for these uses, the project applicant is submitting a Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) and a General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA) which will amend the project General Plan and Zoning designation from Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H) to allow the proposed uses. The project will also submit a Development Agreement to allow for the development of the 11 hotel residences, a Tentative Parcel Map, and a Preliminary Development Plan. The proposed project, associated entitlements, and their impacts to land use and planning are discussed below.
11.2 Discussion
a) No Impact. The proposed project site occupies approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island.
Currently, the project operates as part of the golf course withing Desert Island. The project site is surrounded by golf course uses to the north, east, south, and west, associated with Desert Island.
With the foregoing context, the project site will not divide an established community, therefore, no impacts are expected.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The project site is located on approximately 17.2 acres within the Desert Island. Desert Island occupies approximately 160 acres of land at the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive. The boundaries of Desert Island are delineated by Frank Sinatra Drive to the north, Bob Hope Drive to the east, multifamily residential to the south, and single family residential to the west. The proposed project is generally surrounded by the existing golf course within Desert Island.
The Desert Island project was originally approved by the County of Riverside in 1971 with multiple residential towers, a 25-acre lake and an 18-hole golf course under Conditional Use Permit 1252 and Tract Map 4195. The project was annexed to Rancho Mirage in 1973 when the City incorporated. By 1979, three towers containing 226 units, a golf course, lake, clubhouse and ancillary buildings had all been constructed as per the original County approvals. However, reliance on the original County approvals for a fourth tower was denied by the City in 1989. To address this, the Desert Island Specific Plan was approved to facilitate the construction of two 6-157
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additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions. However, the additional towers have not been built.
The project will develop a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 private duplex-style residences, passive outdoor gathering areas, tennis, pool and yoga amenities, expanded onsite parking, a golf training park, and a maintenance building. The existing driving range and maintenance building will be removed to make room for the new facilities. The new hotel, in conjunction with the existing clubhouse, are intended to be used as a high-end wedding venue with guests booking overnight stays. In addition to hosting indoor wedding activities, the clubhouse will continue to provide a convenient and elevated dining experience to golfers, Desert Island residents and the general public. The purpose of the development is to build a boutique resort hotel within Desert Island that can serve as a supplemental revenue source to help maintain golf operations and enhance hospitality and dining opportunities for the residents of Desert Island and the general community.
In order to allow these uses, the project applicant will submit the following entitlements for City approval:
General Plan Zoning Map Amendment (GPZMA22-0002): The GPZMA will amend the project General Plan and Zoning designation from Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H). - Specific Plan Amendment (SPA22-0002): The SPA will allow the Desert Island Specific Plan to include hotel uses.
- Preliminary Development Plan (PDP22-0001): The PDP will provide design detail and ensure quality architecture, landscape and site design.
- Tentative Parcel Map (TPM22-0004): The TPM will create parcels for the hotel and hotel residences.
- Environmental Assessment (EA22-0012): The EA analyzes the proposed project’s impacts to various environmental topics outlined in Appendix G in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 2022 Statues and Guidelines.
- Development Agreement (DA22-0003): The DA will allow 11 hotel residences in the proposed land use.
A previously stated, the project site is located within the Desert Island Specific Plan which was prepared in 1991 in order to facilitate the construction of two additional residential towers along with tennis and clubhouse expansions. The residential towers proposed in the Desert Island Specific Plan were not developed. The Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) proposed along with the project is intended to facilitate development of a boutique resort hotel within Desert Island. The SPA provides project-specific information including circulation and development standards proposed for the project. The Specific Plan Amendment is a regulatory document, that serves as zoning for the properties involved.
The project is also located within the City of Rancho Mirage’s Private Open Space (OS/PV) land use and zoning designation, which is applied to areas assigned to golf courses, lakes and water features, tennis courts and other recreational facilities and landscaping that occur in planned residential developments.
Proposed Project Consistency with General Plan
As previously stated, the existing General Plan land use designation at the project site include Private Open Space (OS/PV), which is applied to areas assigned to golf courses, lakes and water features, tennis courts and other recreational facilities and landscaping that occur in planned residential developments.
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The project proposes a GPZMA to amend the project General Plan and Zoning designation from Open Space (OS-PV) to Resort Hotel (Rs-H). Rs-H designations allows for the development of hotels and destination resorts with limited, ancillary commercial uses, such as spas, recreational facilities, restaurants, lounges, and small retail shops that directly support the primary use. The Rs-H land use proposed for the project do not represent a substantial change to the character of the area as envisioned in the General Plan. An analysis of applicable goals, policies and programs contained in the General Plan was conducted. The findings of that analysis are summarized below.
Land Use
Goal LU 1: A resort residential community of desirable neighborhoods, a variety of community facilities, and high-quality development.
Goal LU 2: A balanced mix of functionally integrated land uses, meeting the general social and economic needs of the community through simplified, compatible, and consistent land use and zoning designations.
Policy LU 2.1: Specific Plans shall be required, where appropriate, to ensure new development achieves high-quality building, design, and development standards and provides amenities above those expected in conventional development.
Consistency: The project proposes an amendment to the existing Desert Island Specific Plan in order to facilitate the development of a boutique resort hotel within Desert Island that can serve as a supplemental revenue source to help maintain golf operations and enhance hospitality and dining opportunities for the residents of Desert Island and the general community. Currently, the project site operates as part of the Desert Island golf course. The Desert Island community, along with the 18-hole golf course, includes three residential towers (226 units), a 25-acre lake, clubhouse, and ancillary buildings. The project proposes to develop a 34-key hotel, hotel amenities, 11 residential dwellings, golf training facility, outdoor amenities, a new maintenance building, and additional overflow and valet parking. These uses are consistent with the resort residential community that currently exists within Desert Island.
Proposed Project Consistency with Zoning Code
Project consistency with the Rancho Mirage zoning code is discussed in further detail below.
The existing zoning designation for the project site is Private Open Space (OS/PV). The project is proposing a GPZMA to change the zone from OS/PV to Rs-H. According to Chapter 17.10, Commercial and Industrial Districts, in the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, the Rs-H zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for hotels and destination resorts, including condo-hotel projects, with limited ancillary commercial uses, including restaurants and health spas that directly support the primary use. The Rs-H zoning district is consistent with the resort hotel land use designation of the general plan. Additionally, per Section 17.30.095 (Condo-Hotel Project) of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code, the number of units of a condo-hotel project that may be condo- hotel units shall be limited to no more than 10% of the projects total sum of condo-hotel units and hotel rooms combined unless otherwise permitted pursuant to a Development Agreement.
Therefore, the project will submit a Development Agreement to allow for the 11 hotel residences.
All development on the project site shall adhere to the standards and requirements set forth in the Specific Plan. The Specific Plan’s development standards vary from the standards of the Zoning Ordinance, as shown below in the table below. However, as shown in the tables, the variations are not substantial, when compared to the existing standards within the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code. The Rancho Mirage Municipal Code was consulted in order to compare the development standards proposed for the proposed project with the existing standards established 6-159
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for the City of Rancho Mirage. The development standards associated with Residential Districts, Nonresidential Districts, and Special Purpose Districts (which include open space zones) were utilized to determine whether project development would result in significant impacts.
Table XI-1 Hotel and Residences Development Standards
Development feature Proposed Project Municipal Code
Max. building coverage 40%25%
Min. setbacks from property line 10 ft.Front/Side/Street/Rear –50 ft.
Min. building separations 10 ft.RsH –20 ft.
Accessory structures Hotel – Per RMMC Section 17.30.090 Residence –Per RMMC Section 17.30.190
Max. building height Hotel – 24 ft or 1 story
Residence –24 ft or 1 story
20 feet or 1 story
Shade Canopies/Artwork 16 ft --
Required parking Hotel – 1.1 spaces per guest room
Residence –2-car garage plus ½ guest space
Table XI-2 Yoga Pavilion Development Standards
Yoga Pavilion (PA 1-D)
Max building coverage 20%
Min. building setbacks & separations 10 ft
Max. building height 20 ft or 1 story whichever is less Required Parking None, ancillary to hotel
Table XI-3 Maintenance Building Development Standards
Maintenance Building (PA 2A)
Max bldg. coverage N/A1
Min. bldg. setback from property line 10’
Max. bldg. height 20 ft or 1 story whichever is less
Required parking 22 spaces, ancillary to golf course
1. Part of the large golf course parcel and coverage is not relevant.
Table XI-4 Golf Training Area Development Standards
Golf Training Area (PA-2C)
Max bldg. coverage N/A1
Min. bldg. setback from property line 10’
Max. bldg. height 20 ft or 1 story whichever is less
Required parking None, ancillary to golf course
1. Part of the large golf course parcel and coverage is not relevant.
According to the tables above, the project is consistent with the Municipal Code development standards for Rs-H zones. The building heights proposed for the hotel will differ from the Municipal Code. However, according to the SPA, the hotel building will be low in height and surrounded by mounding and generous landscape buffers to create a sense of privacy and screen buildings from public views to the north and west. The hotel buildings will be oriented parallel to Frank Sinatra Drive. This will allow all hotel rooms to have unobstructed panoramic views of the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, across the golf course. All development on the project site shall adhere to the standards and requirements set forth in the Specific Plan Amendment, and as demonstrated above, those standards will not substantially differ from the Zoning Ordinance. 6-160
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Proposed Project Consistency with Surrounding Areas
The project site is located within Desert Island, which includes 226 residential units, an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, maintenance building, 25-acre lake, and associated infrastructure. The project occupies approximately 17.2 acres of Desert Island’s golf course and is surrounded by the golf course. The General Plan land use and zoning designation surrounding the project includes Private Open Space (OS/PV). The developed properties within Desert Island are zoned and designated for residential and open space uses. The project components (boutique hotel, 11 residential dwellings, golf training facility, maintenance building, and recreational amenities) are compatible with the surrounding residential and open space land uses and designations.
Based on the consistency analysis presented in this discussion, the project will be consistent with the land use goals and policies of the Rancho Mirage General Plan. The Specific Plan Amendment will result in changes to development standards, but as demonstrated above, those changes will not be substantial. Impacts will be less than significant.
11.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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12. MINERAL RESOURCES -- Would the
project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Result in the loss of availability of a known
mineral resource that would be of value to the
region and the residents of the state?
b) Result in the loss of availability of a locally
important mineral resource recovery site
delineated on a local general plan, specific
plan or other land use plan?
Source: Mineral Land Classification Map, Riverside County, 2007; Rancho Mirage General Plan 2017; Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR, May 2005.
12.1 Setting
The State of California has recognized the importance of mineral resources for construction materials and other economic purposes. Mining and extraction of mineral resources continues to be threatened by urbanization and development in areas where important mineral resources exist. The California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) addresses the loss of regionally significant mineral deposits to urban development.
The Act requires the Department of Conservation to create Production-Consumption Regions which are areas where significant mineral resources of statewide importance and regional significance are produced and consumed, and a classification system that identifies lands where significant mineral resource deposits are located. La Quinta is located in the Palm Springs Production-Consumption Region.
The Palm Springs Production-Consumption Region covers approximately 631 square miles of the Coachella Valley, from near Cabazon to Thermal. Small portions of southern La Quinta, including lands south of Avenue 60, are located outside the Palm Springs Production-Consumption Region. Lands within the Production-Consumption Region are classified according to the presence of valuable mineral resources. La Quinta has two Mineral Resource Zones, MRZ-1 and MRZ-3. MRZ-1 are areas where adequate information indicates that no significant mineral deposits are present, or where it is judged that little likelihood exists for their presence. MRZ-3 are areas containing known or inferred mineral deposits, the significance of which cannot be evaluated from available data.
12.2 Discussion
a,b) No Impact. The mineral resources that are attributed to the Coachella Valley desert floor primarily consists of sand, gravel (aggregate) and other important mineral deposits that have eroded from the surrounding mountains and hills. To ensure the protection of important mineral resources, the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) developed Mineral Land Classification Maps and reports to identify the presence or absence of suitable sources of aggregate (sand, gravel or stone deposits) into Mineral Resource Zones. According to this Classification Map, the project site, located within Desert Island, is located within the Mineral Resource Zone 1 (MRZ-1).
This specific zone identifies areas where adequate information indicates that no significant mineral deposits are present or likely to be present.
Similar to the Mineral Resources Land Classification Map, the Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR also acknowledges the lack of significant mineral resources in their Mineral Resource Zones Map (Figure 5.9-1, 2005). According to this map, no significant mineral deposits are present at the project site.
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Conclusively, per the Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR, and the Mineral Resources Land Classification Map, adequate information indicates that no significant mineral deposits are present or likely to be present at the project site. Additionally, the site has been disturbed previously and currently operates as a private golf course. Mining activities are not permitted within this land use designation. Due to the project’s developed condition, land use as a golf course within Desert Island, no impacts to mineral resources are anticipated.
12.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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13. NOISE -- Would the project result in:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
Impact with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Generation of a substantial temporary or
permanent increase in ambient noise levels in
the vicinity of the project in excess of
standards established in the local general plan
or noise ordinance, or applicable standards of
other agencies?
b) Generation of excessive groundborne
vibration or groundborne noise levels?
c) For a project located within the vicinity of a
private airstrip or an airport land use plan or,
where such a plan has not been adopted,
within two miles of a public airport or public
use airport, would the project expose people
residing or working in the project area to
excessive noise levels?
Source: Appendix B (Desert Island Hotel Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis, Urban Crossroads, Inc., May 2022); Rancho Mirage General Plan 2017; Rancho Mirage Municipal Code; Rancho Mirage General Plan Environmental Impact Report, 2005.
13.1 Setting
Noise is defined as “unwanted sound.” Sound becomes unwanted when it interferes with normal activities, when it causes actual physical harm or when it has adverse effects on health. Noise is measured on a logarithmic scale of sound pressure level known as decibel (dB) A-weighted decibels (dBA) approximate the subjective response of the human ear to broad frequency noise source by discriminating against very low and very high frequencies of the audible spectrum. They are adjusted to reflect only those frequencies which are audible to the human ear. The exhibit below presents a summary of the typical noise levels and their subjective loudness and effects.
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Table XIII-1 Typical Noise Levels
Environmental noise descriptors are generally based on averages, rather than instantaneous, noise levels. The most used metric is the equivalent level (Leq). Equivalent sound levels are not measured directly but are calculated from sound pressure levels typically measured in A-weighted decibels. The Leq represents a steady state sound level containing the same total energy as a time varying signal over a given sample period and is commonly used to describe the “average” noise levels within the environment.
Peak hour or average noise levels, while useful, do not completely describe a given noise environment. Noise levels lower than peak hour may be disturbing if they occur during times when quiet is most desirable, namely evening and nighttime (sleeping) hours. To account for this, the Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL), representing a composite 24-hour noise level is utilized. The CNEL is the weighted average of the intensity of a sound, with corrections for time of day, and averaged over 24 hours. The time-of-day corrections require the addition of 5 decibels to dBA Leq sound levels in the evening from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and the addition of 10 decibels to dBA Leq sound levels at night between 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. These additions are made to account for the noise sensitive time periods during the evening and night hours when noise can become more intrusive. CNEL does not represent the actual sound level heard at any time, but rather represents the total sound exposure. The city of Rancho Mirage relies on the 24- hour CNEL level to assess land use compatibility with transportation related noise sources.
Noise transmission is affected by a variety of factors such as temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and the type of ground surface. Sound intensity reduced by surfaces, walls, vegetation or other material is called attenuation. Soft ground surfaces tend to reduce sound levels better than hard surfaces. A drop-off rate of 4.5 dBA per doubling of distance is typical across soft ground. In comparison, hard ground, such as concrete, stone, and hard packed earth reduce 6-165
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sound by 3.0 dBA per doubling distance. Effective noise barriers, such as walls or berms, can help reduce noise levels by 10-15 decibels. These types of barriers can provide relief from traffic noise. Vegetation, on the other hand, is less effective for reducing noise levels. In general, walls need to be high enough and long enough to block the view of a road to function as a noise barrier.
Some land uses are more tolerant of noise than others. For example, schools, hospitals, churches, and residences are more sensitive to noise intrusion that are commercial or industrial developments and related activities. As ambient noise level affects the perceived amenity or livability of a development, so too can the mismanagement of noise impacts impair the economic health and growth potential of a community by reducing the area’s desirability as a place to live, shop and work. For this reason, land use compatibility with the noise environment is an important consideration in the planning and design process. The FHWA encourages State and local government to regulate land development in such a way that noise-sensitive land uses are either prohibited from being located adjacent to a highway, or that the developments are planned, designed, and constructed in such a way that noise impacts are minimized.
13.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. Urban Crossroads, Inc. has prepared a Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis (referred to herein as “noise study”) to determine the noise exposure and the necessary noise mitigation measures, if any, for the proposed project. The project’s noise study evaluated the project-generated noise from the construction and operation of a 42-key boutique hotel (with tennis, pool, and yoga amenities), 11 private residences, and a golf training facility. Note that the noise study evaluated a 42-key hotel, which generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys).
To assess the existing noise level environment, 24-hour noise level measurements were taken at six locations in the project study area by Urban Crossroads, Inc. on April 5, 2022. The locations are indicated in the exhibit below.
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Exhibit XIII-1 Noise Measurement Locations
The noise measurements focus on the equivalent or the hourly energy average sound levels (Leq). The equivalent sound level represents a steady state sound level containing the same total energy as a time varying signal over a given sample period. The table below identifies the hourly daytime (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), evening (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.), and nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) noise levels at each noise level measurement location.
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Table XIII-2 Ambient Noise Level Measurements
Location Description
Energy Average Noise Level
(dBA Leq)2
Daytime Evening Nighttime
L1
Located northwest of the project site near
single-family residence at 1 Von Dehn
Road
70.9 66.3 63.7
L2 Located south of the project site near multi-
family residence at 910 Island Drive.54.8 48.8 48.9
L3 Located south of the project site near multi-
family residence at 900 Island Drive 53.5 47.5 47.9
L4 Located south of the project site near multi-
family residence at 899 Island Drive 49.4 46.3 45.0
L5
Located southwest of the project site near
single-family residence at 3 Von Dehn
Road
53.1 49.6 51.0
L6
Located west of the project site near
single-family residence at 1 Von Dehn
Road
54.1 51.6 51.9
1. See Exhibit XIII-X for the noise level measurement locations
2. Energy (logarithmic) average levels. The long-term 24-hour measurement worksheets are included in Appendix 5.2 in the Noise Report.
“Daytime” = 7:00 am to 6:00 pm; “Evening” = 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm; “Nighttime” = 10:00 pm to 7:00 am.
Construction Noise
Construction of the project site is expected to generate short-term noise increases compared to the existing levels. A temporary incremental increase in noise levels along local roadways is expected to occur during the transport of workers and equipment to and from the site. Noise increases will also be generated by the actual on-site construction activities. Equipment used during the construction phases would generate both steady state and episodic noise that would be heard both on and off the project site.
The FTA Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual recognizes that construction projects are accomplished in several different stages and outlines the procedures for assessing noise impacts during construction. Each stage has a specific equipment mix, depending on the work to be completed during that stage. As a result of the equipment mix, each stage has its own noise characteristics; some stages have higher continuous noise levels than others, and some have higher impact noise levels than others. The project construction activities are expected to occur in the following stages: site preparation; grading; building construction; paving; and architectural coating.
To describe construction noise activities, reference construction equipment noise levels from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published the Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM), which includes a national database of construction equipment reference noise emission levels. The RCNM equipment database, provides a comprehensive list of the noise generating characteristics for specific types of construction equipment. In addition, the database provides an acoustical usage factor estimate the fraction of time each piece of construction equipment is operating at full power (i.e., its loudest condition) during a construction operation.
Calculations of the project construction equipment noise level impacts at the nearby sensitive receiver locations were completed using the reference construction equipment noise levels and 6-168
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the CadnaA noise prediction model. Consistent with FTA guidance for general construction noise assessment, the noise study analyzed the combined noise levels for the loudest construction equipment, assuming they operate at the same time. As indicated in the table below, noise levels are expected to range from 46.7 to 60.4 dBA Leq at the nearby receiver locations.
Table XIII-3 Construction Equipment Noise Level Summary Receiver
Location1
Construction Noise Levels (dBA Leq)
Site
Preparation Grading Building
Construction Paving Architectural
Coating
Highest
Levels2
R1 55.9 58.9 56.9 58.9 52.9 58.9
R2 49.8 52.8 50.8 52.8 46.8 52.8
R3 49.7 52.7 50.7 52.7 46.7 52.7
R4 55.6 58.6 56.6 58.6 52.6 58.6
R5 57.2 60.2 58.2 60.2 54.2 60.2
R6 57.4 60.4 58.4 60.4 54.4 60.4
1. See Exhibit XIII-X for the noise receiver locations
2. Construction noise level calculations based on distance from the construction activity, which is measured from the project site boundary to the nearest receiver locations. CadnaA construction noise model inputs are included in Appendix 10.1 in the Noise Report
To evaluate whether the project will generate potentially significant short-term noise levels at nearest receiver locations, a construction-related daytime noise level threshold of 80 dBA Leq is used as a reasonable threshold to assess the daytime construction noise level impacts. The construction noise analysis shows that the nearest receiver locations will satisfy the reasonable daytime 80 dBA Leq significance threshold during project construction activities. Therefore, the noise impacts due to project construction noise are considered less than significant at all receiver locations.
Table XIII-4 Construction Noise Level Compliance
Receiver
Location1
Construction Noise Levels (dBA Leq)
Highest
Construction
Noise Levels2
Threshold3 Threshold
Exceeded?
R1 58.9 80 No
R2 52.8 80 No
R3 52.7 80 No
R4 58.6 80 No
R5 60.2 80 No
R6 60.4 80 No
1. See Exhibit XIII-X for the noise receiver locations
2. Highest construction noise level calculations based on distance from the construction noise source activity to the nearest receiver locations.
3. Construction noise level thresholds as shown on Table 4-1 in the Noise Report
4. Do the estimated project construction noise levels exceed the construction noise level threshold?
To control noise impacts associated with the construction of the proposed project, the City has established limits to the construction hours of operation. The RMMC Section 15.04.030 [A][11] indicates that construction, shall be limited to the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. with no activity on Sundays and holidays. The project shall adhere to these construction hours established in the City Municipal Code. Impacts are less than significant.
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Operational Noise
To analyze noise impacts originating from a designated fixed location or private property such as the proposed project, stationary-source (operational) noise, including the expected outdoor recreational and training activities, trash enclosure activities, roof-top air conditioning units, ground mounted air conditioning units, packaged terminal air conditioning units, swimming pools, and parking lot activities, are typically evaluated against standards established under a jurisdiction’s Municipal Code. The City of Rancho Mirage Municipal Code (RMMC), Chapter 8.45 establishes the noise level standards for stationary noise sources. The project’s land use will potentially impact nearby noise-sensitive uses in the project area. For nearby noise-sensitive residential land uses in the project study area, Section 8.45.030 identifies the base exterior noise level standard of 55 dBA Leq during the daytime hours (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), 50 dBA Leq during the evening hours (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.), and 45 dBA Leq during the nighttime hours (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.).
Off-Site Traffic Noise Levels
The noise study presents the roadway parameter used to assess the project’s off-site transportation noise impacts. The noise study identified six off-site study area roadway segments.
The table below indicates these six roadway segments, the distance from the centerline to adjacent land use based on the functional roadway classifications per the City of Rancho Mirage Circulation Element, and the posted vehicle speeds. The average daily trip (ADT) volumes are consistent with the Desert Island Hotel Focused Traffic Analysis, also conducted by Urban Crossroads, Inc., the offsite traffic noise analysis includes the following traffic scenarios:
‐ Existing Without Project Conditions
‐ Existing With Project Conditions
‐ Existing Plus Ambient Growth (EA) Without Project Conditions (EA) ‐ EA With Project Conditions (with a proposed roadway connection completed) (EA with Project)
‐ Existing Plus Ambient Growth Plus Cumulative (EAC) Without Project Conditions (EAC) ‐ EAC with Project Conditions (with a proposed roadway connection completed) (EAC with Project)
Table XIII-5 Off-Site Roadway Parameters
ID Roadway Segment Classification1
Distance from
Centerline to
Receiving Land Use
(Feet)3
Vehicle
Speed
(mph)
1 Frank Sinatra Dr w/o Island Dr Minor Arterial 55’ 45
2 Frank Sinatra Dr e/o Island Dr Minor Arterial 55’ 45
3 Frank Sinatra Dr e/o Bob Hope Dr Minor Arterial 55’ 45 4 Bob Hope Dr n/o Frank Sinatra Dr Major Arterial 60’ 45 5 Bob Hope Dr s/o Frank Sinatra Dr Minor Arterial 55’ 45 6 Island Dr s/o Frank Sinatra Dr Local 30’ 25
1. City of Rancho Mirage General Plan Circulation Element
2. Distance to receiving land use is based upon the right-of-way distances
The following discussion summarizes the off-site traffic noise levels and increases with and without the project, based on the calculations provided in the noise study (see Tables 7-1 through 7-9 in the noise study).
Existing:
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This scenario indicates existing traffic noise conditions on the six segments. The existing without project exterior noise levels range from 53.7 to 70.3 dBA CNEL, without accounting for any noise attenuation features such as noise barriers or topography (see Table 7-1 in the noise study).
Existing With Project
The Existing with Project contours will range from 54.1 to 70.4 dBA CNEL, and the off-site traffic noise level impacts will range from 0.0 to 0.4 dBA CNEL (see Tables 7-2 and 7-7 in the noise study). However, the analysis of existing off-site traffic noise levels plus traffic noise generated by the proposed project scenario will not actually occur since the project would not be fully constructed and operational until 2024 (subject to market and economic factors) conditions.
EA Without/With Project:
EA Without Project contours is expected to range from 56.5 to 70.5 dBA CNEL, without accounting for any noise attenuation features such as noise barriers or topography (see Table 7-3 in noise study). The EA With Project will range from 56.7 to 70.5 dBA CNEL (Table 7-4), and off-site traffic noise level increases will range from 0.0 to 0.2 dBA CNEL (Table 7-8). Based on the significance criteria for off-site traffic noise presented in Table 4-1 of the noise study, land uses adjacent to the study area roadway segments would experience less than significant noise level increases on receiving land uses due to project-related traffic.
EAC Without/With Project
EAC Without Project conditions are expected to range from 56.5 to 71.2 dBA CNEL, without accounting for any noise attenuation features such as noise barriers or topography (see Table 7- 5). The EAC with Project conditions will range from 56.7 to 71.2 dBA CNEL (Table 7-6), and off- site traffic noise level increases will range from 0.0 to 0.2 dBA CNEL (Table 7-9). Based on the significance criteria for off-site traffic noise presented in Table 4-1 of the noise study, land uses adjacent to the study area roadway segments would experience less than significant noise level impacts due to unmitigated project-related traffic noise levels.
Operational Activities
To assess the potential for long-term stationary source and short-term construction noise impacts, Urban Crossroads provided six receiver locations for the analysis. Sensitive receivers are generally defined as locations where people reside or where the presence of unwanted sound could otherwise adversely affect the use of the land. Noise-sensitive land uses are generally considered to include schools, hospitals, single-family dwellings, mobile home parks, churches, libraries, and recreation areas. The six receiver locations, and their distances from the project site, are illustrated in the exhibit below.
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Exhibit XIII-2 Receiver Locations
The on-site project-related noise sources are expected to include: outdoor recreational and training activities, trash enclosure activities, roof-top air conditioning units, ground mounted air conditioning units, packaged terminal air conditioning units, swimming pools, and parking lot activities. The noise study assumes the worst-case noise environment with these operational uses all operating at the same time. However, it is likely that these activities will vary throughout the day. The exhibit below identifies the noise source locations used to assess the operational noise levels.
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Exhibit XIII-3 Stationary Source Noise Locations
To estimate the project operational noise impacts, reference noise level measurements were collected from similar types of activities to represent the noise levels expected with the development of the proposed project. Collection methodologies are described in Section 9 of the noise study. The table below shows the reference noise level measurements used to estimate the project operational noise impacts.
Table XIII-6 Reference Noise Level Measurements
Noise Source
Noise
Source
Height
(Feet)
Min./Hour1
Reference
Noise
Level @
50 feet
(dBA Leq)
Sound
Power
Level
(dBA)2 Day Eve. Night
Outdoor Recreational Activities 5’ 60’ 60’ 0’ 59.8 91.5 Trash Enclosure Activities 8’ 10’ 10’ 10’ 56.8 89.0
Roof-Top Air Conditioning Units 5’ 39’ 39’ 28’ 57.2 88.9 Ground Air Conditioning Units 4’ 60’ 60’ 60’ 43.4 75.0
Packaged Terminal Air Conditioning Units 4’ 60’ 60’ 60’ 29.6 61.2 Swimming Pool Activities 5’ 60’ 60’ 0’ 57.7 89.3
Parking Lot Activities 5’ 60’ 60’ 30’ 56.1 87.8
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1. Anticipated duration (minutes within the hour) of noise activity during typical hourly conditions expected at the project site.
2. Sound power level represents the total amount of acoustical energy (noise level) produced by a sound source independent of distance or surroundings. Sound power levels calculated using the CadnaA noise model at the reference distance to the noise source. “Day” = 7:00 am to 6:00 pm; “Eve” = 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm; “Night” = 10:00 pm to 7:00 am.
Using the reference noise levels to represent the proposed project operations, Urban Crossroads calculated the operational source noise levels that are expected to be generated at the project site and the operational source noise levels that are expected to be generated at the project site and the project-related noise level increases that would be experienced at each of the sensitive receiver locations. The table below shows the project operational noise levels during the daytime, evening, and nighttime hours. The daytime hourly noise levels at the offsite receiver locations are expected to range from 26.0.4 to 43.3 dBA Leq.
Table XIII-7 Project Operational Noise Levels
Receiver
Location1
Project Operational
Noise Levels (dBA
Leq)2
Noise Level
Standards (dBA
Leq)3
Threshold Exceeded?4
Day Eve Night Day Eve Night Day Eve Night
R1 43.3 43.3 34.6 55 50 45 No No No
R2 37.0 43.3 27.6 55 50 45 No No No
R3 36.8 37.0 26.0 55 50 45 No No No
R4 39.4 36.8 28.8 55 50 45 No No No
R5 40.9 40.9 30.3 55 50 45 No No No
R6 40.6 40.6 30.6 55 50 45 No No No
1. See Exhibit XIII-X for the receiver locations
2. Proposed project operational noise level calculations included in Appendix 9.1 of the Noise Report.
3. City of Rancho Mirage exterior noise level standards by land use, as shown in Table 3-1 of the Noise Report.
4. Do the estimated project operational noise source activities exceed the noise level standards? “Day” = 7:00 am to 6:00 pm; “Eve” = 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm; “Night” = 10:00 pm to 7:00 am.
To demonstrate compliance with the local noise regulations, the project-only operational noise levels are evaluated against exterior noise level thresholds based on the City of Rancho Mirage exterior noise level standards at nearby noise-sensitive receiver locations. The table above shows that the operational noise levels associated with the project will not exceed the thresholds at the receiver locations. Therefore, the operational noise impacts are considered less than significant at the nearby noise-sensitive receiver locations.
To describe the project operational noise level increases, the project operational noise levels are combined with the existing ambient noise levels measurements for the nearby receiver locations potentially impacted by project operational sources. The tables below show that the project will generate an unmitigated operational noise level increases ranging from 0.0 to 0.8 dBA Leq at the nearby receiver locations. These noise level increases satisfy the operational noise level increase significance criteria. Therefore, the project related operational noise level increases at all sensitive receiver locations will be less than significant.
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Table XIII-8 Daytime Project Stationary Source Noise Level Increases Receiver
Location1
Total
Project
Operational
Noise
Level2
Measurement
Location3
Reference
Ambient
Noise
Levels4
Combined
Project
and
Ambient5
Project
Increase6
Increase
Criteria7
Increase
Criteria
Exceeded?7
R1 43.3 L1 70.9 70.9 0.0 1.5 No
R2 37.0 L2 54.8 54.9 0.1 5.0 No
R3 36.8 L3 53.5 53.6 0.1 5.0 No
R4 39.4 L4 49.4 49.8 0.4 5.0 No
R5 40.9 L5 53.1 53.4 0.3 5.0 No
1. See Exhibit 8-A in the Noise Report for the receiver locations
2. Total project operational noise levels as shown on Table 9-2 in the Noise Report
3. Reference noise level measurement locations as shown on Exhibit 5-A in the Noise Report
4. Observed daytime ambient noise levels as shown on Table 5-1 in the Noise Report
5. Represents the combined ambient conditions plus the project activities.
6. The noise level increase expected with the addition of the proposed project activities.
7. Significance criteria as defined in Section 4 in the Noise Report.
Table XIII-9 Evening Project Stationary Source Noise Level Increases Receiver
Location1
Total
Project
Operational
Noise
Level2
Measurement
Location3
Reference
Ambient
Noise
Levels4
Combined
Project
and
Ambient5
Project
Increase6
Increase
Criteria7
Increase
Criteria
Exceeded?7
R1 43.3 L1 66.3 66.3 0.0 1.5 No
R2 37.0 L2 48.8 49.1 0.3 5.0 No
R3 36.8 L3 47.5 47.9 0.4 5.0 No
R4 39.4 L4 46.3 47.1 0.8 5.0 No
R5 40.9 L5 49.6 50.1 0.5 5.0 No
1. See Exhibit 8-A in the Noise Report for the receiver locations
2. Total project operational noise levels as shown on Table 9-2 in the Noise Report
3. Reference noise level measurement locations as shown on Exhibit 5-A in the Noise Report
4. Observed daytime ambient noise levels as shown on Table 5-1 in the Noise Report
5. Represents the combined ambient conditions plus the project activities.
6. The noise level increase expected with the addition of the proposed project activities.
7. Significance criteria as defined in Section 4 in the Noise Report.
Table XIII-10 Nighttime Project Stationary Source Noise Level Increases Receiver
Location1
Total
Project
Operational
Noise
Level2
Measurement
Location3
Reference
Ambient
Noise
Levels4
Combined
Project
and
Ambient5
Project
Increase6
Increase
Criteria7
Increase
Criteria
Exceeded?7
R1 34.6 L1 63.7 63.7 0.0 3.0 No
R2 27.6 L2 48.9 48.9 0.0 5.0 No
R3 26.0 L3 47.9 47.9 0.0 5.0 No
R4 28.8 L4 45.0 45.1 0.1 5.0 No
R5 30.3 L5 51.0 51.0 0.0 5.0 No
1. See Exhibit 8-A in the Noise Report for the receiver locations
2. Total project operational noise levels as shown on Table 9-2 in the Noise Report
3. Reference noise level measurement locations as shown on Exhibit 5-A in the Noise Report
4. Observed daytime ambient noise levels as shown on Table 5-1 in the Noise Report
5. Represents the combined ambient conditions plus the project activities.
6. The noise level increase expected with the addition of the proposed project activities. 6-175
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7. Significance criteria as defined in Section 4 in the Noise Report.
Overall, the project will result in less than significant impacts regarding short-term construction and long-term operational noise.
b) Less than Significant Impact. Per the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Transit Noise Impact and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, vibration is the periodic oscillation of a medium or object. The rumbling sound caused by the vibration of room surfaces is called structure-borne noise. Sources of ground-borne vibrations include natural phenomena (e.g., explosions, machinery, traffic, trains, construction equipment). Vibration sources may be continuous, such as factory machinery, or transient, such as explosions. As is the case with airborne sound, ground- borne vibrations may be described by amplitude and frequency.
There are several different methods that are used to quantify vibration. The peak particle velocity (PPV) is defined as the maximum instantaneous peak of the vibration signal. The PPV is most frequently used to describe vibration impacts to buildings but is not always suitable for evaluating human response (annoyance) because it takes some time for the human body to respond to vibration signals. Instead, the human body responds to average vibration amplitude often described as the root mean square (RMS). The RMS amplitude is defined as the average of the squared amplitude of the signal and is most frequently used to describe the effect of vibration on the human body. Decibel notation (VdB) is commonly used to measure RMS. Decibel notation (VdB) serves to reduce the range of numbers used to describe human response to vibration.
Typically, ground-borne vibration generated by man-made activities attenuates rapidly with distance from the source of the vibration. Sensitive receivers for vibration include structures (especially older masonry structures), people (especially residents, the elderly, and sick), and vibration-sensitive equipment and/or activities.
Construction activity can result in varying degrees of ground vibration, depending on the equipment and methods employed. Operation of construction equipment causes ground vibrations that spread through the ground and diminish in strength with distance. Construction vibration is generally associated with pile driving and rock blasting (pile drivers and rock blasting operations are not proposed to occur at the project site). Other construction equipment such as air compressors, light trucks, hydraulic loaders, etc. generate little or no ground vibration. Ground vibration levels associated with various types of construction equipment are summarized on the table below. Based on representative vibration levels presented for various construction equipment types, it is possible to estimate the potential for human response (annoyance) and building damage using the following vibration assessment methods defined by the FTA.
Table XIII-11 Vibration Source Levels for Construction Equipment Equipment PPV (in/sec)
at 25 feet
Small bulldozer 0.003
Jackhammer 0.035
Loaded Trucks 0.076
Large bulldozer 0.089
Vibratory Roller 0.210
Federal Transit Administration, Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual
To analyze vibration impacts associated with the project, vibration-generating activities are appropriately evaluated against standards established under a City’s Municipal Code, if such standards exist. While Section 17.18.080 of the RMMC requires that no vibration associated with any use shall be allowed which is discernable beyond the boundary line of the subject property, 6-176
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the City of Rancho Mirage does not identify specific construction vibration level limits. Therefore, the Caltrans Transportation and Construction Vibration Guidance Manual vibration damage are used to assess potential temporary construction-related impacts at adjacent building locations.
The nearest noise sensitive buildings adjacent to the project site can best be described as “older residential structures” with a maximum acceptable continuous vibration threshold of 0.3 PPV (in/sec).
Per the noise study, at distances ranging from 193 to 1,114 feet from the building façade to the project construction activities, construction vibration velocity levels are estimated to range from
0.00 to 0.01 in/sec PPV. Based on maximum acceptable continuous vibration threshold of 0.3 PPV (in/sec), the typical project construction vibration levels will fall below the building damage thresholds at all the noise sensitive receiver locations. Therefore, the project-related vibration impacts are considered less than significant during typical construction activities at the project site. Moreover, the vibration levels reported at the sensitive receiver locations are unlikely to be sustained during the entire construction period but will occur rather only during the times that heavy construction equipment is operating adjacent to the project site perimeter.
Table XIII-12 Project Construction Vibration Levels
Location1
Distance
to
Const.
Activity
(Feet)2
Typical Construction Vibration Levels PPV (in/sec)3 Thresholds PPV
(in/sec)4
Exceeded
Thresholds5 Small
Bulldozer Jackhammer Loaded
Trucks
Large
Bulldozer
Vibratory
Roller
Highest
Vibration
Level
R1 244’ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.30 No
R2 395’ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 No
R3 1,114’ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 No
R4 961 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 No
R5 193’ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.30 No
R6 231’ 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.30 No
1. Receiver location are shown on Exhibit 8-A in the Noise Report.
2. Distance from receiver building façade to project construction boundary (project site boundary)
3. Based on the vibration source levels of construction equipment.
4. Caltrans transportation and construction vibration guidance manual, April 2020, Table 19, pg. 38.
5. Does the peak vibration exceed the acceptable vibration thresholds? “PPV” = Peak Particle Velocity
Overall, impacts will be less than significant.
c) No Impact. The project is not located within an airport land use plan or private airstrip. The project is located approximately 5.44 miles from the closest airport, the Palm Springs International Airport. The project is also located outside of the 70, 65 and 60 CNEL noise contours associated with this facility. Furthermore, the Palm Springs Airport Land Use Plan does not identify the project as being located within its planning area. No impacts are expected.
11.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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14. POPULATION AND HOUSING –
Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Induce substantial unplanned population
growth in an area, either directly (for example,
by proposing new homes and businesses) or
indirectly (for example, through extension of
roads or other infrastructure)?
b) Displace substantial numbers of existing
people or housing, necessitating the
construction of replacement housing
elsewhere?
Source: Department of Finance E-5 City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 2022.
14.1 Setting
According to the Department of Finance (DOF), the City of Rancho Mirage had a population of 18,799 people in 2010. The City’s population increased approximately 10.1 percent in 2021, for a population of 18,799 people. The City of Rancho Mirage’s population accounts for approximately 1.66 percent of the County of Riverside’s total population. The median age in the City was 45.6 in 2010 (US Census data).
The most recent Census data (2019) shows the median age in the City to be 48, compared to the median age in Riverside County (35) and the Nation (38). Additionally, the number of jobs in 2017 in La Quinta was 16,848; an approximately 101 percent increase in jobs since 2010 (SCAG).
14.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The approximately 17.2-acre project is located within Desert Island, on the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive in the City of Rancho Mirage. The project site currently operates as a private golf course for Desert Island. Areas north, east, south, and west of the project also operate as a private golf course.
Currently, the City of Rancho Mirage in 2021 had a population of 18,799 people and an average of 2 persons per household according to the Department of Finance City/County Population and Housing Estimates. According to the General Plan EIR, the City’s projected buildout population is 32,393 people. Project implementation will include the development of a 34-key boutique hotel, 11 residences, golf training facility, outdoor amenities, and a maintenance building. The development of the 11 residences could increase the population of the City by 22 people (2 persons per unit). This is not a substantial increase, and this increase results in a population under the City’s anticipated buildout population of 32,393 people. Additionally, the residences will be available for purchase by individuals, and when not in use by the owner, the units will be made available for rental by the hotel operator. The proposed hotel will not generate permanent residents as a result of project implementation.
Additionally, it is anticipated that development of the project would require additional employees at the site. However, the employees would primarily come from the existing local labor workforce and are not likely to relocate to the area. Therefore, the project would not induce substantial unplanned population growth in the area.
Moreover, development of the project will not result in any major extensions of roads and other infrastructure that would directly or indirectly attract additional population to the area. Access to the project site will continue to occur from Frank Sinatra Drive. New roads or extensions are not proposed. Less than significant impacts are anticipated. 6-178
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b) No Impact. The proposed site currently operates as a golf course. The proposed action will not displace existing housing or people. No impact.
14.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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15. PUBLIC SERVICES –
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Would the project result in substantial
adverse physical impacts associated with the
provision of new or physically altered
governmental facilities, need for new or
physically altered governmental facilities, the
construction of which could cause significant
environmental impacts, in order to maintain
acceptable service ratios, response times or
other performance objectives for any of the
public services:
Fire protection?
Police protection?
Schools?
Parks?
Other public facilities?
Department of Finance E-5 City/County Population and Housing Estimates, 2022; City of Rancho Mirage Fire and Police Department Website, City of Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update, 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR Addendum, PSUSD Fee Justification Study, 2022; Police Officer Kyle Albenesius, 2022.
15.1 Setting
Fire: The Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD), under contract with the City of Rancho Mirage, provides a full range of 24-hour fire protection and emergency medical services to the City. The City’s Fire Department is made up of 27 sworn, 2 full time non-sworn and 1 part time non-sworn personnel, serving 24.7 square miles with an estimated population of 18,799. RCFD maintains two fire stations within the City of Rancho Mirage, Fire Station 50, and Fire Station 69.
Police: Law enforcement services are provided to the City of Rancho Mirage through a contractual agreement with Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s department provides 24-hour municipal police services associated with a City police department. The Rancho Mirage police department has a small police substation at the Rancho Mirage Public Library; deputies assigned to work in Rancho Mirage primarily operate out of the Palm Desert station located at 73-705 Gerald Ford Drive.
This station is approximately 3 miles from the project site. The City’s police department patrols 7 days a week, 365 days a year and 24-hours a day. The department serves over 18,000 residents, patrolling 25 square miles of City streets.
The City also employs volunteers that assist the Sheriff’s Department, through a program known as “Citizens on Patrol” (COPS). They are trained by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and assist in the reduction of crime by providing high visibility, direct communication and random daily patrols.
School: The project site is within the boundary of the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD). The School District provides education to students in grades transitional kindergarten through 12 residing within portion of the cities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and a portion of the unincorporated County of Riverside.
Parks: The City of Rancho Mirage provides both public and private parks, open space and multi-city recreational facilities with various amenities. See Section 16, Recreation, below for further background. 6-180
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Other Facilities: Other facilities within the City of Rancho Mirage includes, City Hall, hospitals, and the public library and observatory. These facilities provides services and amenities for the residents of the City.
15.2 Discussion
a) Fire
Less than Significant Impact. Currently there are two fire stations within the City of Rancho Mirage. Fire Station 50 is located at 70-801 Highway 111 and is approximately 2.8 driving miles from the proposed project site. This station covers the southern portion of the City and is equipped with a Medic Engine and Paramedic Ambulance. Five firefighters are staffed at this station daily and three of the five firefighters are paramedics.
Fire Station 69 is located at 71-751 Gerald Ford Drive and is approximately 1.5 driving miles from the project site. This station covers the northern portion of Rancho Mirage and is also staffed with five firefighters daily, with three of the five fire fighters being paramedics. The Riverside County Fire Department operates under a Regional Fire Protection Program, which allows all of its fire stations to provide support as needed regardless of jurisdictional boundaries.
Development of the proposed project would result in a minimal increase in demand for fire services. Service calls could place an additional demand on fire personnel, fire apparatus and equipment. However, the project site is located in a developed urban area of the City, and approximately 1.5 miles away from Fire Station No. 69. Therefore, the project would not necessitate the construction or alternation of a fire station in order to continue to serve the site at its current level, nor would it impact the current response times. Additionally, the project complies with the 2017 General Plan Public Service and Facilities Policy PS&F 6.1 in that all new development is reviewed for their impacts on safety and the provision of police and fire protection services. The project would be required to implement all applicable fire safety requirements, including the installation of fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, and sprinkler systems.
The City enacts a development fee on all new development within the City to finance public facilities which goes towards the funding of fire services. The project would be required to comply with Development Impact Fees in place at the time of construction. The project will be required to annex into the City’s Community Facilities District No.1, which is a special tax used to pay for public services. Payment of these fees helps offset impacts by providing sufficient revenue for necessary improvements to ensure acceptable fire facilities, response times, equipment and personnel are maintained. Less than significant impacts to fire services are anticipated with project implementation.
Police
Less than Significant Impact. The Department has a staff of 29 full time officers (24 sworn and 5 non-sworn). The officers have a daily staffing of 7 officers that work in two, 12-hour shifts. Four deputy patrol officers work the day shift, and 3 deputy patrol officers work the night shift. The City currently provides 1.77 officers per 1,000 residents, which is well above the commonly used and accepted ratio of one officer per 1,000 residents. Police response times vary and are dependent on the location of patrol cars. The average response times for priority 1 calls in the City of Rancho Mirage was 5 to 6 minutes.
The project site is approximately 17.2 acre of developed land located within Desert Island. The project proposes to develop a 34-key hotel, 11 residences, golf training facility, outdoor amenities, and a maintenance building on the property, along with other associated improvements. Project development is expected to have an incremental increase to the number of calls for police 6-181
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services. The proposed project would accommodate guests for a limited stay that would not increase the permanent population, and residents associated with the 11 proposed residences.
The project site is in an existing urban area and is currently serviced by the Sheriff’s Department.
Therefore, the proposed project would not substantially increase the need for new or expanded police facilities and response times are not expected to be impacted. Additionally, all new construction in the City will be required to pay Development Impact Fees to assist in offsetting impacts to police services. These development fees on new development allow the City to continue to finance public facilities which goes towards the funding of various public services to include police. The project will be required to annex into the City’s Community Facilities District No.1, which is a special tax used to pay for public services. Payment of these fees helps offset impacts by providing sufficient revenue for necessary improvements to ensure acceptable response times, equipment and personnel are maintained. Development of the proposed project will result in less than significant impacts to police services. Impacts to police services are less than significant.
Schools
Less than Significant Impact. As previously stated, the project site is within the boundary of the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD). Development of the project would not create a substantial demand on school services. The development of the proposed project could generate school age children requiring public education. The project would be required to pay School Impact Fees to PSUSD. Current impact fees at the time of writing are $4.79 per square foot of residential and $.78 a square foot for commercial development. Payment of these fees would assist in offsetting impacts from the increased demand on school services and impacts would be less than significant.
Parks
No Impact. The City of Rancho Mirage provides both public and private parks, open space and multi-city recreational facilities with various amenities. As discussed below in the Recreation Section of this document, the proposed project would not create additional demand for public park facilities, nor result in the need to modify existing or construct new park facilities. Therefore, no impacts are expected.
Other Public Facilities
No Impact. No increase in demand for government services or other public facilities is expected beyond those discussed in this section.
15.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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16. RECREATION –
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Would the project increase the use of
existing neighborhood and regional parks or
other recreational facilities such that
substantial physical deterioration of the facility
would occur or be accelerated?
b) Does the project include recreational
facilities or require the construction or
expansion of recreational facilities, which
might have an adverse physical effect on the
environment?
Source: 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan
16.1 Setting
The City oversees parks that are a mix of mini and local parks. The 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR, indicates that the existing and planned parks are sufficient to meet the forecast demand in the City’s 2017 General Plan. Mini parks are generally less than one acre in size and are intended to complement adjacent uses, while local parks are intended to provide for the active and passive recreation needs of nearby residents in the vicinity of the park. The City of Rancho Mirage also provides a variety of hiking trails and equestrian trails within the City.
16.2 Discussion
a-b) Less than Significant Impact. The project proposes a 34-key hotel, 11 residences, a golf training facility, outdoor amenities, a maintenance building, and onsite parking areas on approximately
17.2 acres in Desert Island. The hotel will include recreational facilities such as gathering areas, tennis courts, hotel pool, small pool café, and yoga area as a part of project development.
Although the project proposes recreational amenities for the guests and residents, some visitors of the project may attend events and participate in activities at local parks in the City; however, such visits are expected to be minimal. The project will comply with the City’s parkland in-lieu fee (Quimby) and other development impact fees. The future guests generated by project implementation may lead to an incremental increase in physical deterioration of City public recreational facilities. However, this increase is reduced, since the project proposes various recreational amenities for guests and residents. The operation of the proposed project will not substantially increase the use of existing parks as to accelerate their physical deterioration since the project will provide various recreational amenities. Additionally, the project will be required to comply with the City’s development impact fees. Impacts will be less than significant.
16.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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17. TRANSPORTATION – Would the project: Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Conflict with a program plan, ordinance or
policy addressing the circulation system,
including transit, roadway, bicycle and pedestrian
facilities?
b) Would the project conflict or be inconsistent
with CEQA guidelines section 15064.3,
subdivision (b)?
c) Substantially increase hazards due to a
geometric design feature (e.g., sharp curves or
dangerous intersections) or incompatible uses
(e.g., farm equipment)?
d) Result in inadequate emergency access?
Sources: Appendix D (Desert Island Hotel, Focused Traffic Analysis, Urban Crossroads, May 16, 2022); Appendix C (Desert Island Hotel Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Evaluation, Urban Crossroads, May 16, 2022); Rancho Mirage General Plan, 2017.City of Rancho Mirage Active Transportation Guidelines and Best Practices, July 15, 2019
17.1 Setting
According to the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan, the City’s character is described as a premier residential resort community. The Circulation Element of the City General Plan aims to preserve the City’s character whole providing the safest and most efficient roadway system possible, by documenting the road system’s current status, identifying problems, and proposing solutions.
The project site is located south of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive, within Desert Island.
Currently, access to the site is located on Frank Sinatra Drive. To analyze the project’s impact to transportation within Rancho Mirage, Urban Crossroads, Inc. provided a project-specific Traffic Analysis and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Evaluation. Urban Crossroad’s reports and analysis of project traffic are evaluated in the discussions below.
17.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The proposed project includes the repurposing of a northern portion of Desert Island located at the southwest corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive in the City of Rancho Mirage. Approximately 17.2 acres of existing golf driving range, maintenance area and a portion of an existing golf course will be repurposed with new facilities to accommodate a 34-key boutique hotel (with tennis, pool, and yoga amenities), 11 private residences and a golf training facility.
The existing driving range and maintenance area will be demolished and repurposed. The existing clubhouse will remain and continue to provide services to golfers, Desert Island residents, and the general public with occasional events for up to 300 persons. It is anticipated that events with more than 300 persons in the existing clubhouse building would require a Temporary Use Permit, accompanied by a parking and traffic management plan if necessary. The existing golf course will continue to operate as an 18-hole facility with minor routing adjustments to the 9th and 18th fairways to accommodate the hotel.
The proposed private duplex style condominium residences (11 units) will be managed by the hotel operator. These units will be made available for rent through the hotel operator when not in use by individual owners.
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The existing driving range will be replaced by a proposed golf training park. The training park will consist of an 18-hole tournament putting green, short game training areas and virtual golf simulator stations. The employment associated with the golf training park is estimated to increase onsite employees by 10.
Primary access to the proposed hotel will be provided by the existing Desert Island main gate on Frank Sinatra Drive. No revisions are anticipated for the existing entry gatehouse other than revising operations to keep the entry gates open during operating hours to eliminate any vehicle stacking on Frank Sinatra Drive. A second resident gate and turnaround on Island Drive will be maintained in its existing condition. Secondary access to Frank Sinatra Drive will be provided by widening the existing gated entry at the northwest corner of the golf course. This drive will be widened from 12-feet to 24-feet to provide secondary emergency vehicle access.
It is anticipated that the project will be fully developed by the year 2024.
TA Methodology
The Desert Island Hotel Focused Traffic Analysis (TA) was prepared for the proposed project by Urban Crossroads in May 2022. Intersection operations analysis was based on the procedures contained in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 6th Edition. The traffic modeling and signal timing optimization software package Synchro (Version 11) was utilized to analyze signalized intersections. The level of service and capacity analysis performed by Synchro takes into consideration optimization of signalized intersections within a network. Unsignalized intersections are also evaluated using methodology described in the HCM. The LOS rating is based on the weighted average control delay expressed in seconds per vehicle.
Existing peak hour intersection turning movement volumes are based upon AM peak period and PM peak period intersection turning movement counts obtained in May 2022 during typical weekday conditions. The following peak hours were selected for analysis:
Weekday AM Peak Hour period was counted between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM Weekday PM Peak Hour period was counted between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM
The potential impacts to traffic and circulation were evaluated for each of the following conditions:
Existing (2022) Conditions
Existing plus Ambient plus Project (EAP) 2024 Conditions o Existing (2022) volumes
o Ambient growth traffic (4.04% over 2 years)
o Project Traffic
Existing plus Ambient plus Project Plus Cumulative (EAPC) 2024 Conditions o Existing (2022) volumes
o Ambient growth traffic (4.04% over 2 years)
o Project Traffic
o Cumulative Development traffic
Based on the City-approved scoping agreement, the study area consists of the following 2 study intersections within the City of Rancho Mirage Jurisdiction:
1. Island Drive / Frank Sinatra Drive
2. Bob Hope Drive / Frank Sinatra Drive
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Level of Service Standard (LOS)
With the implementation of SB 743, intersection Level of Service (LOS) is not calculated to determine transportation impacts, however it provides information regarding intersection capacity and General Plan consistency for the City. The transportation assessment of LOS was conducted for consistency with the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan and to evaluate the proposed project’s effect on the surrounding transportation network.
Average Daily Trips (ADT) refers to the total number of vehicles that travel a defined segment of roadway over a twenty-four-hour period. The standard most often used to evaluate the operating conditions of the transportation system is called level of service (LOS). LOS is a qualitative assessment of the quantitative effect of factors such as: speed and travel time, traffic volume, geometric features, traffic interruptions, delays, and freedom to maneuver, driver comfort and convenience, and vehicle operating costs. LOS allows operating conditions to be categorized as LOS “A” through LOS “F”, where LOS “A” represents the most favorable free flow condition and LOS “F” the least favorable forced flow driving condition. The LOS categories are based on relative levels of driver acceptability of various delays. A given lane or roadway may provide a wide range of service levels, depending upon traffic volumes and speeds.
Roadway capacity has been defined as the maximum number of vehicles that can pass over a given roadway during a given time period under prevailing roadway and traffic conditions. The capacity of a roadway used for design purposes (generally defined as LOS D) is the level at which the facility is handling the maximum traffic volume that it can accommodate while maintaining an acceptable level of driver satisfaction. The City of Rancho Mirage has defined Level of Service "D" as the minimum adequate intersection service level during peak hours for planning and design purposes.
The methodology considers the traffic volume and distribution of movements, traffic composition, geometric characteristics, and signalization details to calculate the average control delay attributed to the intersection traffic control (such as a traffic signal or stop sign) and includes deceleration, queue move-up time, stopped delay, and final acceleration delay. The intersection control delay is correlated to LOS based on the following thresholds for Signalized and Unsignalized Intersections:
Table XVII-1
Level of Service Thresholds
Level of
Service
Intersection Control Delay (Seconds / Vehicle)
Signalized
Intersection
Unsignalized
Intersection
A ≤ 10.0 ≤ 10.0
B > 10.0 to ≤ 20.0 > 10.0 to ≤ 15.0
C > 20.0 to ≤ 35.0 > 15.0 to ≤ 25.0
D > 35.0 to ≤ 55.0 > 25.0 to ≤ 35.0
E > 55.0 to ≤ 80.0 > 35.0 to ≤ 50.0
F > 80.0 > 50.0
Source: Transportation Research Board, Highway Capacity Manual (6th Edition.)
Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis
The term “signal warrants” refers to the list of established criteria used by Caltrans and other public agencies to quantitatively justify of determine the potential need for installation of a traffic signal at an otherwise unsignalized intersection. The TA used the signal warrant criteria presented in the latest edition of the Caltrans California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD). A signal warrant defines the minimum condition under which the installation of a traffic 6-186
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signal might be warranted. Meeting the threshold condition does not require that a traffic control signal be installed, but rather, that other traffic factors and conditions be evaluated in order to determine whether the signal is truly justified.
Existing Roadway System
Regional access to the site vicinity is provided by the Interstate 10 Highway. Local access is provided by a multitude of roadways including Bob Hope Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive.
Bob Hope Drive (north of Dinah Shore Drive) is a five (5) lane divided roadway trending in a north-south direction. Bob Hope Drive is classified as a Major Arterial (120 feet of right-of-way) in this location. The curb-to-curb measurement is 106-feet. Major Arterials include three lanes of travel in each direction and a 16-feet curbed and/or landscaped median. On-street parking is prohibited; bicycle lanes are not currently provided.
Bob Hope Drive (south of Dinah Shore Drive) is a four (4) lane divided roadway trending in a north-south direction. It is classified as a Minor Arterial (110 feet of right-of-way) in this location.
The curb-to-curb measurement is 86 feet. Minor Arterials include two lanes of travel in each direction and a 16-foot curbed and/or landscaped median. On-street parking is prohibited in the project vicinity; bicycle lanes are currently provided.
Frank Sinatra Drive is a four (4) lane divided roadway trending in an east-west direction at the northern boundary of the project. It is classified as a Minor Arterial (110 feet of right-of-way) in this location. The curb-to-curb measurement is 86 feet. Minor Arterials include two lanes of travel in each direction and a 16-foot curbed and/or landscaped median. On-street parking is prohibited in the project vicinity; bicycle lanes are currently provided.
Project Trip Distribution and Assignment
The assignment of traffic from the project area to the adjoining roadway system is based upon the project trip generation, trip distribution, and the arterial highway and local street system improvements that would be in place by the time of initial occupancy of the project.
Cumulative Development Traffic
A cumulative project list was developed for the purposes of the TA through consultation with the City. The 28 cumulative projects are listed in Table 4-2 of the TA. If applicable, the traffic generated by individual cumulative projects was added to the Opening Year Cumulative forecasts to ensure that traffic generated by the listed cumulative development projects are reflected at part of the background traffic.
The following table illustrates the existing (2022) conditions for the two Study Intersections. All intersections currently operate within acceptable LOS (D or better). All study intersections currently operate at acceptable Levels of Service.
Table XVII-2
Intersection Analysis for Existing (2022) Conditions
ID - Study Intersection Traffic
Control
(note 1)
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Delay
(note 2)
LOS Delay
(note 2)
LOS
1. Island Dr. / Frank Sinatra Dr. CSS 23.7 C 18.6 C
2. Bob Hope Dr. / Frank Sinatra Dr. TS 31.2 C 27.2 C
(1) TS = Traffic Signal; CSS = Cross Street Stop;
(2) When a right turn is designated, the lane can be striped or unstriped. To function as a right turn lane there must be sufficient width for right turning vehicles to travel outside the through lanes 6-187
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(3) Per the Highway Capacity Manual (6th Edition), overall average intersection delay and level of service are shown for intersections with a traffic signal, or all way stop control. For intersections with cross street stop control, the delay and level of service for the worst individual movement (or movements sharing a single lane) are shown.
Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis
The unsignalized intersection of Island Drive / Frank Sinatra Drive (#1) does not currently warrant a traffic signal for Existing traffic conditions.
Project Impacts:
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual (11th Edition, 2021) trip generation rates were utilized to determine trip generation for the proposed project. Based on the proposed project description the following ITE land use Codes were utilized: 330 – Resort Hotel; 210 – Single Family Residential; 432 – Golf Practice. These rates were determined to represent the proposed project most closely. Although the project proposes condo hotel units, Single Family ITE values were utilized in the Traffic Analysis because it generates more trips, and are therefore, more conservative. The analysis calculates that, upon buildout, the project will generate approximately 991 new daily vehicle trips or average daily trips (ADT), with 39 ADT expected to be generated in the morning peak hour and 83 ADT in the evening peak hour.
Table XVII-3
Project Trip Generation Summary
Trip Generation Rates
Land Use
(ITE Code)
Unit AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Daily
Trip RateIn:Out
Split
Trip
Rate
In:Out
Split
Trip
Rate
Resort Hotel (330)* Occ Room 0.27:0.10 0.37 0.20:0.27 0.47 7.87 Single Family Units (210) DU 0.18:0.52 0.70 0.59:0.35 0.94 9.43 Golf Practice (432) Employee 1.00:0.64 1.64 2.74:2.74 5.48 55.57
1. Source ITE = Institute of Transportation Engineers, Trip Generation Manual, 11th, 2021
2. Occ Rm = Occupied Room; DU = Dwelling Unit; EMP = Employee Additional Note: The renovation of the maintenance building will not generate new trips since the maintenance workers currently generate trips for the existing maintenance building. The pool café will be utilized by hotel guests, which is accounted for in the Resort Hotel daily trip.
The ITE analysis evaluated a 42-key hotel, which generates a conservative analysis since the project proposes 8-keys less (34 total keys). Trips would be less for the proposed 34-key hotel.
Project Trip Distribution and Assignment
Approximately 25 percent of the traffic from the Frank Sinatra Drive and Island Drive access point exits the project and continues west. Approximately 75 percent of traffic from this access point continues east. When eastbound traffic reaches the Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive intersection, 20 percent of the traffic continues east, 30 percent of the traffic turns north, and 25 percent of the traffic turns south.
Trips Generation Results
Land Use
(ITE Code)
Quantity
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Daily In Out Total In Out Total
Resort Hotel (330)* 42 Occ Rm 11 4 15 8 11 19 331
Single Family Units (210) 11 DU 2 6 8 6 4 10 104
Golf Practice (432) 10 Emp 10 6 16 27 27 54 556
Total 23 16 39 41 42 83 991
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EAP (2024) Traffic Conditions
The lane configurations and traffic controls assumed to be in place for this scenario are consistent with the existing (2022) conditions except for the following:
Project driveways and those facilities assumed to be constructed by the project to provide site access are also assumed to be in place for EAP (2024) conditions only (e.g., intersection and roadway improvements at the project’s frontage and driveways.)
The Table XVII-4 below illustrates that at the EAP (2024) Conditions, all intersections are expected to operate at LOS D or better.
Table XVII-4
Intersection Analysis for EAP (2024) Traffic Conditions ID - Study Intersection Traffic
Control
(note 1)
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Delay
(note 2)
LOS Delay
(note 2)
LOS
1. Island Dr. / Frank Sinatra Dr. CSS 27.9 D 22.5 C
2. Bob Hope Dr. / Frank Sinatra Dr. TS 31.8 C 28.1 C
1. TS = Traffic Signal; CSS = Cross Street Stop;
2. When a right turn is designated, the lane can be striped or unstriped. To function as a right turn lane there must be sufficient width for right turning vehicles to travel outside the through lanes
3. Per the Highway Capacity Manual (6th Edition), overall average intersection delay and level of service are shown for intersections with a traffic signal, or all way stop control. For intersections with cross street stop control, the delay and level of service for the worst individual movement (or movements sharing a single lane) are shown.
Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis
The unsignalized intersection of Island Drive / Frank Sinatra Drive (#1) does not warrant a traffic signal for EAP (2024) traffic conditions.
EAPC (2024) Traffic Conditions
The lane configurations and traffic controls assumed to be in place for this scenario are consistent with the existing (2022) conditions except for the following:
Project driveways and those facilities assumed to be constructed by the project to provide site access are also assumed to be in place for Opening Year Cumulative conditions only (e.g., intersection and roadway improvements at the project’s frontage and driveways. If applicable, driveways and those facilities assumed to be constructed by cumulative developments to provide site access are also assumed to be in place for Opening year cumulative conditions only.
The Table XVII-5 below illustrates that at EAPC (2024) Traffic Conditions, all intersections are expected to operate at LOS D or better.
Table XVII-5
Intersection Analysis for EAPC (2024) Traffic Conditions ID - Study Intersection Traffic
Control
(note 1)
AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour
Delay
(note 2)
LOS Delay
(note 2)
LOS
1. Island Dr. / Frank Sinatra Dr. CSS 34.2 D 30.7 D
2. Bob Hope Dr. / Frank Sinatra Dr. TS 34.8 C 30.4 C 6-189
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1. TS = Traffic Signal; CSS = Cross Street Stop;
2. When a right turn is designated, the lane can be striped or unstriped. To function as a right turn lane there must be sufficient width for right turning vehicles to travel outside the through lanes
3. Per the Highway Capacity Manual (6th Edition), overall average intersection delay and level of service are shown for intersections with a traffic signal, or all way stop control. For intersections with cross street stop control, the delay and level of service for the worst individual movement (or movements sharing a single lane) are shown.
Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis
The unsignalized intersection of Island Drive / Frank Sinatra Drive (#1) is anticipated to meet peak hour volume-based warrants for EAPC (2024) traffic conditions.
As mentioned previously, meeting the condition of a signal warrant does not require that a traffic control signal be installed at a particular location. Other traffic factors and conditions must be evaluated in order to determine whether the signal is truly justified.
LOS Conclusion
The proposed project is not expected to have a significant adverse impact on the area transportation network over those analyzed in the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR.
The study intersections are forecast to operate within acceptable Levels of Service (D or better) during the peak hours for EAPC (2024) conditions. Therefore, development of the proposed project would maintain General Plan consistency with respect to Levels of Service with implementation of the recommended improvements.
This analysis also assumes the project shall comply with the following conditions as part of the City of Rancho Mirage standard development review process to ensure adequate geometric design and emergency access:
A construction work site traffic control plan shall comply with State standards set forth in the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and shall be submitted to the City for review and approval prior to the issuance of a grading permit or start of construction.
The plan shall identify any roadway, sidewalk, bike route, or bus stop closures and detours as well as haul routes and hours of operation. All construction related trips shall be restricted to off-peak hours to the extent possible.
All on-site and off-site roadway design traffic signing and striping, and traffic control improvements relating to the proposed project shall be constructed in accordance with applicable State/Federal engineering standards and to the satisfaction of the City of Rancho Mirage.
Site-adjacent roadways shall be constructed or repaired at their ultimate half-section width, including landscaping and parkway improvements in conjunction with development, or as otherwise required by the City of Rancho Mirage.
Adequate off-street parking shall be provided to the satisfaction of the City of Rancho Mirage based on supporting parking and density analysis prepared for the project. Prior to project entitlement, the grading, landscaping, and street improvement plans shall demonstrate that sight distance requirements are met in accordance with the applicable City of Rancho Mirage/California Department of Transportation sight distance standards.
Project Driveway Queueing Analysis
A queuing analysis was performed along the project driveway, intersection of Island Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive for EAPC (2024) traffic conditions to determine the turn pocket lengths and lane geometries necessary to accommodate near term 95th percentile queues and recommend storage lengths for the turning movements. The queuing analysis was conducted for the weekday 6-190
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AM and PM peak hours using the SimTraffic modeling software. Results are provided in the TA in Appendix E. Adequate queue length is an industry standard for determining turning lane storage and intersection spacing requirements.
Review of SimTraffic simulation results indicate that the turn lane queue is anticipated to clear in a timely manner and that the provided pocket length is adequate to accommodate the 95th percentile queue.
Prior to approval, the proposed site circulation, including offsite street design standards and the Project’s fair share portion of any offsite street improvements will be reviewed by the City as part of the site and conditional use analysis. As a Standard Condition, the applicant shall complete or repair adjacent roadway improvements as designated by the General Plan or according to updated City Standards.
Alternative Transportation
SunLine Transit Agency (STA) provides bus services to the City of Rancho Mirage and other various jurisdictions throughout the Coachella Valley. Route 4 runs along Bob Hope Drive within the study area. One bus stop is located near the Project, at the intersection Bob Hope Drive and Columbia Drive. The bus stop is approximately less than one mile walking distance to the southeast.
SunLine Transit Agency buses are wheelchair accessible and include bicycle racks accommodating two or three bicycles. The potential use of local bus services by future Project guests or employees is not expected to conflict with or substantially increase the demand for this transit service. Project implementation is not anticipated to interfere with the existing service or performance at bus stop facilities. Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
If future demand warrants, expansion of available services may be appropriate. Transit services are monitored by both the City and SunLine. Additional services are periodically considered in response to anticipated increase in use.
Existing on-street bike lanes are located on both sides of Bob Hope Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive.
Sidewalks are found on the south side of Frank Sinatra Drive and the east side of Bob Hope Drive, south of Frank Sinatra Drive. The proposed project is not anticipated to impact these existing facilities. Less than significant impacts are expected.
The City’s Active Transportation Guidelines and Best Practices (ATP) indicates that a meandering sidewalk exists adjacent to Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive. One Pedestrian System Issue was identified near the project property between 2006 and 2017. A Pedestrian Crash occurred at the intersection of Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope Drive. Two Bicycle System Issues are identified near this intersection. A Bicycle Crash is noted at this location during the same time period as well as Missing Bikelane Striping. This intersection is identified under the Critical Intersection Improvements for Future Developments listing. The improvement recommendations are to install CA MUTCD R117 “Pass Bicycle 3 ft Min” sign and to consider new roadway design and ROW take to better accommodate Class II or Class III facilities.
The project will contribute to alternative transportation improvements through the payment of DIF.
Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
Congestion Management Plan
The County Congestion Management Plan (CMP) requires a LOS E or better for regional roadways. As noted previously and in the Traffic Analysis prepared for this project, the generation, distribution, and management of project traffic is not expected to conflict with the CMP; no CMP 6-191
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roadways were identified in the vicinity of the project in the TIA. The project and background traffic will not exceed City level of service standards or travel demand measures, or other standards established by the City or Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) for designated roads or highways.
The Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees (TUMF) program identifies network backbone and local roadways that are needed to accommodate growth. The regional program was put into place to ensure that developments pay their fair share and that funding is in place for the construction of facilities needed to maintain an acceptable level of service for the transportation system. The TUMF is a regional mitigation fee program and is imposed and implemented in every jurisdiction in Western Riverside County.
According to the Coachella Valley Association of Governments TUMF Handbook, effective July 1, 2012, the following are provisions from the TUMF Ordinance and provided as background information:
The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply only to new development yet to receive final discretionary approval and or issuance of a building permit or other development right and to any reconstruction or new use of existing buildings that results in a change of use and generates additional vehicular trips.
No tract map, parcel map, conditional use permit, land use permit or other entitlement shall be approved unless payment of the mitigation fee is a condition of approval for any such entitlement. The mitigation fee shall be paid to the applicable jurisdiction.
No building or similar permit, certificate of occupancy or business license reflecting a change of use shall be issued unless the applicant has paid the mitigation fee. Mitigation fees shall be imposed and collected by the applicable jurisdiction and shall be transmitted to CVAG to be placed in the Coachella Valley Transportation Mitigation Trust Fund. All interest or other earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund.
Following the payment of required fees such as TUMF and DIF, less than significand impacts are anticipated relative to the CMP.
The following Standard Conditions are anticipated to be implemented by the proposed project.
Standard Conditions
1. Clear unobstructed sight distances shall be provided at the site access and internal intersections. Sight distances shall be reviewed at the time of preparation of final grading, landscape and street improvement plans.
2. The project shall accommodate the largest service and delivery vehicles expected to negotiate the site access and internal circulation system. Landscaping, monuments, and other objects shall be avoided in the off-tracking area at the site access connections.
3. Off-street parking shall be provided to meet the anticipated parking demand as required by the parking standards in Section 17.26 of the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards.
4. All off-street parking areas shall be adequately illuminated without glare or light beyond the property.
5. The project proponent shall provide accessible routes of travel in accordance with current ADA guidelines and standards.
6. Project layout and site access design shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Traffic Engineer prior to project entitlement. 6-192
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7. Emergency police, fire and paramedic vehicle access shall be provided for all new development to the satisfaction of the City of Rancho Mirage.
8. A traffic signing and striping plan shall be developed in conjunction with detailed construction plans for the project site and submitted to the City of Rancho Mirage for review and approval.
9. The applicant shall coordinate with the SunLine Transit Agency regarding the need for public transit facilities.
10. The project proponent shall contribute development impact fees, as required by the City of Rancho Mirage.
11. The project proponent shall contribute traffic impact mitigation fees, by participating in the Traffic Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) program.
12. A Construction Traffic Control Plan shall be prepared for use during construction activities. Construction includes onsite and offsite improvements.
Following implementation of Standard Conditions, Project Design Features and the Mitigation Measure listed below, the project is expected to result in less than significant impacts.
b) Less than Significant Impact.
Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT)
Urban Crossroads prepared a project specific Desert Island Hotel Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Evaluation (May 2022). Changes to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines were adopted in December 2018, which require all lead agencies to adopt VMT as a replacement for automobile delay-based level of service (LOS) as the new measure for identifying transportation impacts for land use projects. This statewide mandate went into effect July 1, 2020. To aid in this transition, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released a Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (December of 2018) (Technical Advisory).
City of Rancho Mirage Resolution 2021-06 aligns the City’s VMT analysis policy (City Guidelines) with SB 743 and the City’s goals as set forth in the General Plan Update (2017). The purpose of the policy is to comply with State laws while maintaining the resort residential character of the community. The City’s VMT policy establishes VMT as the metric to measure transportation impacts in conformance with. This VMT analysis has been developed based on the adopted City Guidelines.
Exhibit A of Resolution 2021-06 sets forth screening criteria under which Projects are not required to submit detailed VMT analysis. This guidance for determination of non-significant VMT impact is primarily intended to avoid unnecessary analysis and findings that would be inconsistent with the intent of SB 743. VMT screening criteria for development projects include the following:
Small Local Serving Projects (Project Type Screening) with low trip generation per existing CEQA exemptions or resulting in a 3,000 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent per year screening level threshold. Specific examples include retail buildings with area less than or equal to 60,000 sf. The combination of land uses on-site that includes golf, tennis facilities with hotel uses could potentially serve travelers from other areas rather than being locally serving.
The small project screening threshold is not met.
Projects Near High-Quality Transit within ½ mile of an existing major transit stop and main a service interval frequency of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods. The area is served by Sunline Transit Agency, but the nearest bus stop is not considered a major transit stop with an interval frequency of 15 minutes or less. The high- quality transit screening is not met. 6-193
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Map-Based Screening eliminates the need for complex analyses by allowing existing VMT data to serve as a basis for screening smaller residential developments. This screening is performed per the County Guidelines. A project is presumed to have a less than significant impact is the area of development is under the threshold as shown on the screening map. This screening eliminates the need for complex analyses by allowing existing VMT data to serve as a basis for the screening of smaller residential projects.
For the residential portion of the project, the Riverside County screening map for residential land uses indicates that the project is in a low VMT area. Therefore, further VMT analysis of the Residential portion of the project is not necessary. The nature of the non-residential project land uses excludes the Golf Practice Facility and Hotel land uses from low VMT area screening. Low VMT Area Screening criteria is met for residential land uses.
Project VMT Assessment for Retail Uses (Includes Hotel) The City Guidelines identifies RIVTAM as the appropriate tool for conducting VMT analysis for land use projects. Project VMT was calculated using the most current version of RIVTAM.
Adjustments in socioeconomic data (SED) (i.e., employment) have been made to a separate Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) within the model to reflect the project’s proposed employment uses.
The Project is comprised of residential and none-residential uses. The project non-residential uses were converted to the SED. Approximately 220 employees represent the non-residential portion of the project.
Adjustments to employment factors for the project TAZ were made to the RIVTAM base year model (2012) and the cumulative year model (2040). City guidelines state that a threshold of significance for VMT impacts related to a retail project (including hotel) is a net increase in total existing VMT for the area. Citywide VMT was extracted from the RIVTAM model for both “without project” and “with project” model runs. This procedure is commonly referred to as the “boundary method”. The boundary method includes all trips, including those trips that do not begin or end at the designated boundary.
Table XVII-6 compares the total citywide VMT without and with the land use changes proposed by the project. The proposed project is forecast to result in a net decrease in citywide VMT of approximately 0.28%
Table XVII-6 Rancho Mirage Citywide VMT
Scenario Without Project With Project Variance
2012 VMT 758,238 751,843 -6,395
2040 VMT 874,210 879,428 +5,218
2022 Interpolated VMT 799,657 797,409 -2,248
2022 Project % Change -0.28%
To determine whether or not there is a significant impact using the boundary method, Rancho Mirage VMT with the project employment is compared to without project conditions. Because the project results in a cumulative Citywide VMT decrease under the plus project condition compared to the no project condition, the project’s effect on VMT is not considered a significant impact. In summary, travel demand modeling of VMT for the Project based upon City of Rancho Mirage guidelines indicates there is no Project VMT impact. 6-194
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Additional description of the VMT concept is provided in the Greenhouse Gas and Energy sections of this Initial Study. Following implementation of the project design features, TUMF, DIF and standard conditions, the project is expected to result in less than significant impacts.
c) Less than Significant Impact. A queuing analysis was performed along the project driveway, intersection of Island Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive for EAPC (2024) traffic conditions to determine the turn pocket lengths and lane geometries necessary to accommodate near term 95th percentile queues and recommend storage lengths for the turning movements. The queuing analysis was conducted for the weekday AM and PM peak hours using the SimTraffic modeling software. Results are provided in Appendix D (the project-specific Traffic Analysis). Adequate queue length is an industry standard for determining turning lane storage and intersection spacing requirements.
Review of Sim Traffic simulation results indicate that the turn lane queue is anticipated to clear in a timely manner and that the provided pocket length is adequate to accommodate the 95th percentile queue.
The project will be developed in accordance with City of Rancho Mirage design guidelines and will not create a substantial increase in hazards due to a design feature. The project’s access points will be located with adequate sight distances, and project-generated traffic will be consistent with existing traffic in the area. The internal circulation system would be designated in accordance with the City of Rancho Mirage guidelines and would provide adequate fire department access and widths as required. Sharp curves are avoided by design guidelines.
A Traffic Control Plan may be required as a condition of approval to be implemented throughout all construction activities. This plan will work to reduce potential impacts that may arise due to conflicts with construction traffic. Impacts will be less than significant. The project’s access points will be located with adequate sight distances, and project-generated traffic will be consistent with existing traffic in the area.
The project is not anticipated to increase hazards due to geometric design feature or incompatible uses. Following implementation of the recommendations within Appendix D (TA), as well as the review and approval process at the City of Rancho Mirage, impacts are less than significant without mitigation.
d) Less than Significant Impact. The proposed Project will provide adequate access to emergency response vehicles, as required by the City of Rancho Mirage and in accordance with the Fire Department review and requirements. Site plan review would include in-depth analysis of emergency access to the site to ensure proper access to facilities. As mentioned previously, the proposed site plan provides one primary proposed vehicular access point and one secondary access point. The design details of the vehicular driveways will be reviewed and approved by the Fire Department and the City.
The Project is anticipated to provide proper premises identification with legible site name, address numbers, and clear signage indicating the site access points. Operational fire hydrants and extinguishers are also required in accordance with the Rancho Mirage Municipal Code.
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Prior to construction, both the Fire Department and Police Department will review the project site plan to ensure safety measures are addressed, including emergency access. The project is not anticipated to result in inadequate emergency access. Therefore, impacts are less than significant relative to inadequate emergency access.
17.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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18. TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES –
Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Would the project cause a substantial
Adverse change in the significance of a
Tribal cultural resource, defined in Public
Resource Code Section 21074 as either
a site, feature, place, cultural landscape that
is geographically defined in terms of the size
scope of the landscape, sacred place, or
object
with cultural value to a California Native
American tribe, and that is:
i)Listed or eligible for listing in the California
Register of Historical Resources, or in a local
Register of historical resources as defined
in Public Resource Code Section 5020.1(k),
or;
ii)A resource determined by the lead agency,
in its discretion and supported by substantial
evidence, to be significant pursuant to criteria
set forth in subdivision (c) of Public Resources
Code Section 5024.1. In applying the criteria
set forth in subdivision (c) of Public Resources
Code Section 5024.1, the lead agency shall
consider the significance of the resource to a
California Native American Tribe.
Source: Public Resource Code §21074; Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan. Appendix E, ACBCI Tribal Consultation Letter, September 2022
18.1 Setting
The Coachella Valley is a historical center of Native American settlement, where U.S. surveyors noted large numbers of Indian villages and rancherías occupied by the Cahuilla people in the mid-19th century.
The origin of the name “Cahuilla” is unclear, but it may have originated from their own word káwiya, meaning master or boss (Bean 1978). The Takic-speaking Cahuilla are generally divided by anthropologists into three groups, according to their geographic setting: the Pass Cahuilla of the San Gorgonio Pass-Palm Springs area, the Mountain Cahuilla of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains and the Cahuilla Valley, and the Desert Cahuilla of the eastern Coachella Valley.
The Cahuilla did not have a single name that referred to an all-inclusive tribal affiliation. Instead, membership was in terms of lineages or clans. Each lineage or clan belonged to one of two main divisions of the people, known as moieties, which were named for the Wildcat, or Tuktum, and the Coyote, or Istam. Members of clans in one moiety had to marry into clans from the other moiety. Individual clans had villages, or central places, and territories they called their own for purposes of hunting game and gathering raw materials for food, medicine, ritual, or tool use. They interacted with other clans through trade, intermarriage, and ceremonies.
Cahuilla subsistence was defined by the surrounding landscape and primarily based on the hunting and gathering of wild and cultivated foods, exploiting nearly all of the resources available in a highly developed seasonal mobility system. They were adapted to the arid conditions of the desert floor, the lacustral cycles of Holocene Lake Cahuilla, and the environments of the nearby mountains. When the lake was full or nearly full, the Cahuilla would take advantage of the resources presented by the body of fresh water, building elaborate stone fish traps. Once the lake had desiccated, they relied on the available 6-197
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terrestrial resources. Walk-in wells were dug by hand to utilize groundwater. The cooler temperatures and resources available at higher elevations in the nearby mountains were also taken advantage of.
Today, Native Americans of Pass or Desert Cahuilla heritage are mostly affiliated with one or more of the Indian reservations in and near the Coachella Valley, including Torres Martinez, Augustine, Cabazon, Agua Caliente, and Morongo. There has been a resurgence of traditional ceremonies, and the language, songs, and stories are now being taught to the younger generations.
18.2 Discussion
a) i. No Impact. As previously discussed, the site is located in the existing Desert Island residential and golf community and currently used as a portion of the golf course in an urbanized and developed area of the City. There are no known historical structures or features located on the project site and the site is not identified in the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan as having Historic Resource Sensitivity. Sunnylands, located north of the project is listed as a Historic Resource per the City’s Historic Preservation Program. Sunnylands is located north of and separated from the project site by Frank Sinatra Drive. Therefore, the project site is not expected to cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a Tribal cultural resource as defined by Public Resource Code §21074 and no impacts are expected.
b) ii. Less than Significant Impact. Public Resource Code 21074 identifies “Tribal Cultural Resources” as “sites, features, places, cultural landscapes, sacred places, and objects with culture value to California Native American Tribe” and that are either included or determined to be eligible for inclusion on the national, state, or local register of historic resources or that are determined by the lead agency, in its discretion, to be significant when taking into consideration the significance of the resource to a California Native American Tribe.
California Government Code Section 65352.3 (adopted pursuant to the requirements of Senate Bill 18 [SB 18]) requires local governments to contact, refer plans to, and consult with tribal organizations prior to making a decision to adopt or amend a general or specific plan. The tribal organizations eligible to consult have traditional lands in a local government’s jurisdiction, and are identified, upon request, by the NAHC. As noted in the California Office of Planning and Research’s Tribal Consultation Guidelines (2005), “The intent of SB 18 is to provide California Native American tribes an opportunity to participate in local land use decisions at an early planning stage, for the purpose of protecting, or mitigating impacts to, cultural places.”.
Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52) requires lead agencies to notify their local tribes about development projects. It also mandates lead agencies consult with Tribes if requested and sets the principals for conducting and concluding the required consultation process. Pursuant to AB 52 and SB 18 consultation requirements, the City of Rancho Mirage initiated a SB18 and AB52 consultation process. The City contacted g 21 tribes and representatives provided by the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC). During the consultation period, the City received one comment letter from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI). The Tribe responded that the project area is not located within the boundaries of the ACBCI Reservation but it is within the Tribe’s Traditional Use Area. The Tribe requested any copies of cultural resource documentation generated in connection with the proposed Project be provided. No additional correspondence or requests for formal consultation were received and the SB 18 and AB 52 noticing period was concluded. Given the sites past disturbance with the development of the Desert Island community and golf course, the potential for uncovering any significant resources during construction activities is unlikely, since the site has already been cleared, graded, and significantly disturbed.
As such, the proposed project does not have the potential to adversely impact Tribal Cultural Resources and impacts would be less than significant.
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18.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation Measure: None
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19. UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS –
Would the project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Require or result in the relocation or
construction of new or expanded water,
wastewater treatment or storm water
drainage, electric power, natural gas, or
telecommunications facilities, the construction
or relocation of which could cause significant
environmental effects?
b) Have sufficient water supplies available to
serve the project and reasonable foreseeable
future development during normal, dry and
multiple dry years?
c) Result in a determination by wastewater
treatment provider which serves or may serve
the project that it has adequate capacity to
serve the project’s projected demand in
addition to the provider’s existing
commitments?
d) Generate solid waste in excess of State or
local standards, or in excess of the capacity of
local infrastructure, or otherwise impair the
attainment of solid waste reduction goals?
e) Comply with federal, state, and local
management and reduction statutes and
regulations related to solid waste?
Sources: Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update; CVWD; 2020 Regional Urban Water Management Plan.
19.1 Setting
CVWD provides domestic and wastewater service to the project vicinity and is largest provider of potable water in the Coachella Valley. It operates more than 100 wells and serves a population of 283,000 in its service areas. CVWD’s adopted 2020 Coachella Valley Regional Urban Water Management Plan has been developed to assist the agency in reliably meeting current and future water demands in a cost- effective manner. Additionally, CVWD treats nearly 6.3 billion gallons of wastewater a year. CVWD operates six water reclamation plants and maintains more than 1,000 miles of sewer pipeline and more than 30 lift stations that transport wastewater to the nearest treatment facility. No new water or wastewater treatment facilities are required as a result of the projects development.
The site is under the jurisdiction for power from SCE, natural gas from Southern California Gas Company, and Frontier and Charter Communications for telecommunications. The site is currently connected to utility services located on Washington Street.
Groundwater is the primary source of domestic water supply in the Coachella Valley. CVWD is the largest provider of potable water in the Coachella Valley and currently provides potable water to the City of Rancho Mirage. CVWD’s 2020 Regional Urban Water Management Plan and 2022 Indio Subbasin Water Management Plan have been developed to assist the agency in reliably meeting current and future water demands in a cost-effective manner. The comprehensive Water Management Plan guides efforts to eliminate overdraft, prevent groundwater level decline, protect water quality, and prevent land subsidence. The 2020 UWMP serves as a planning tool that documents actions in support of long-term 6-200
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water resources planning and ensures adequate water supplies are available to meet the existing and future urban water demands.
CVWD has developed a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) pursuant to the State Water Resources Control Board Order No. 2006-0003, Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) for Sanitary Sewer Systems. The primary goal of the SSMP is to minimize frequency and severity of Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs). The SSMP will cover the management, planning, design, and operation and maintenance of the District's sanitary sewer system. The wastewater system serves approximately 265,000 customers. The system collects municipal waste from residential and commercial users, delivering the collected wastewater to one of six Wastewater Reclamation Plants. The system includes approximately 1,100 miles of sewer, 34 lift stations and approximately 17,000 manholes.
Solid waste disposal and recycling services for the City of Rancho Mirage is provided by Burrtec. Solid waste and recycling collected from the proposed project will be hauled to the Edom Hill Transfer Station.
Waste from this transfer station is then sent to a permitted landfill or recycling facility outside of the Coachella Valley. These include Badlands Disposal Site, El Sobrante Sanitary Landfill and Lamb Canyon Disposal Site. Cal-Recycle data indicates the Badlands Disposal site has 15,748.799 cubic yards of remaining capacity, the El Sobrante Landfill has a remaining capacity of 145,530,000 tons of solid waste, and Lamb Canyon Disposal has a remaining solid waste capacity of 19,242,950 cubic yards. As part of its long-range planning and management activities, the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources (RCDWR) ensures that Riverside County has a minimum of 15 years of capacity, at any time, for future landfill disposal. The 15-year projection of disposal capacity is prepared each year by as part of the annual reporting requirements for the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan. The most recent 15-year projection by the RCDWR indicates that no additional capacity is needed to dispose of countywide waste through 2024, with a remaining disposal capacity of 28,561,626 tons in the year 2024.
19.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact. The project site is in an urban setting currently served by existing utilities. Domestic water and wastewater services are provided to the site by the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). The project would connect to the existing water and sewer mains along Frank Sinatra Drive. Southern California Edison would continue to provide electric power to the site and SoCal Gas would continue natural gas services, telecommunication connections are provided by Spectrum, all connections of these utilities are located within the project’s boundary.
Desert Island includes an artificial lake configuration with a surface area of approximately 27 acres that serves as the retention system for stormwater runoff generated by the country club facilities, including the project site, during storm events. Runoff from the project site and other portions of the Country Club property are conveyed to the lake retention system primarily via surface flows.
The existing storm drain system is not hydrologically connected or conditioned to discharge into off-site public facilities or natural drainage resources. The proposed storm drain system includes facilities which have been preliminarily sized to provide enough storage for the 100-year controlling storm event. The extension of all onsite utilities will occur within the projects existing footprint and no new construction of public water, wastewater, electric power, natural gas, or telecommunications facilities will need to be constructed or relocated. Therefore, less than significant impacts are expected.
b) Less than Significant Impact. Groundwater is the primary source of domestic water supply in the Coachella Valley. CVWD is the largest provider of potable water in the Coachella Valley and currently provides potable water to the City of Rancho Mirage. CVWD’s domestic water system has 64 pressure zones and consists of approximately 97 groundwater production wells, 2,000 miles of pipe, and 133 million gallons of storage in 65 enclosed reservoirs. CVWD’s 2020 Regional Urban Water Management Plan (RUWMP) has been developed to assist the agency in reliably meeting current and future water demands in a cost-effective manner. The comprehensive Water 6-201
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Management Plan guides efforts to eliminate overdraft, prevent groundwater level decline, protect water quality, and prevent land subsidence.
Per CVWD’s 2020 RUWMP, the district had a 2020 target water use demand of 473 gpcd. The District’s 2015 actual per capita daily water use of 383 gpcd is currently 19 percent below the 2020 target of 473 gpcd. CVWD has currently achieved its 2020 water use target but continues to implement demand management measures to reduce per capita water use. Per the 2020 RUWMP, CVWD anticipates that future single family residences are expected to use less water than existing properties due to the mandated use of high efficiency plumbing fixtures under the CalGreen building standards and reduced landscape water use mandated by CVWD’s Landscape Ordinance.
The project site is developed and currently connected to domestic water services provided by CVWD. The proposed project would connect into the existing infrastructure on Frank Sinatra Drive through on-site improvements of 4” water lines and will comply with the existing water management program in place. The addition of the boutique hotel and 11 private residences will result in an increase to water supplies. It is estimated that a project of this size could use 28,200 gallons per day (gpd) or 31.58 AFY.
CVWD’s 2020 RUWMP projected demands are shown in Table 4-8. The demand projections in Table 4-8 are for future municipal demands within CVWD’s jurisdictional boundary. Some of these areas are currently served by private domestic wells and are not yet connected to the CVWD system. CVWD plans to consolidate and provide service to these areas, but the timing will depend on the availability of grant funding. For planning purposes, all municipal demands within the jurisdictional boundary are included beginning in 2025. The estimated 31.58 AFY is below the total projected water use of 123,461 AFY projected for 2025. Additionally, new development is accounted for in CVWD’s projected water use.
Moreover, commercial water use makes up about 6 percent of water use and 1 percent of water connections. Future commercial use is expected to be lower in response to CalGreen requirements. The proposed development will be expected to follow water conservation guidelines to mitigate impacts to public water supplies. Examples of these water conservation methods include water conserving plumbing fixtures, drought tolerant landscaping, and drip irrigation systems as well as on-site stormwater infiltration. Additional domestic water improvements necessary to serve this development will be identified by CVWD and included as 6-202
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conditions of approval by the City of Rancho Mirage during the City’s standard review process.
Therefore, less than significant impacts relative to water supply are expected.
c) Less than Significant Impact. CVWD’s wastewater reclamation system collects and treats approximately 17 million gallons per day (MGD) from approximately 95,000 user accounts. The system consists of approximately 1,100 miles of collection piping and five wastewater reclamation plants (WRPs). Some areas within the CVWD service area remain on septic systems.
Additionally, CVWD treats nearly 6.3 billion gallons of wastewater a year. The District operates six (6) water reclamation plants and maintains more than 1,000 miles of sewer pipeline and more than thirty (30) lift stations that transport wastewater to the nearest treatment facility. CVWD maintains 5 sewer lift stations within the City’s boundaries. Wastewater from the City is conveyed to CVWD’s Cook Street Water Reclamation Plant No.10 (WRP-10), which treats an average of 10 mgd and has a capacity of 18 mgd.
The proposed project would connect into the existing sewer main on Frank Sinatra Drive and provide waste water services to the site through a series of 8” private sewer laterals. The estimated sewer demand project for the project is 19,800 gpd or 0.02 mgd (million gallons per day). This increase would be treated by WRP-10 and is within the treatment capacity of this plant.
The project will undergo review by CVWD and City staff to ensure wastewater capacity and compliance with the current wastewater treatment requirements. Additionally, sewer and water installation and connection fees in place at the time of development will be collected by CVWD.
No new or expanded treatment facilities are expected as a result of project implementation, or is the project expected to exceed wastewater capacity. Less than significant impacts are expected.
d) Less than Significant Impact. Solid waste disposal and recycling services for the City of Rancho Mirage is provided by Burrtec. Solid waste and recycling collected from the proposed project will be hauled to the Edom Hill Transfer Station. Waste from this transfer station is then sent to a permitted landfill or recycling facility outside of the Coachella Valley. These include Badlands Disposal Site, El Sobrante Sanitary Landfill and Lamb Canyon Disposal Site. Cal-Recycle data indicates the Bandlands Disposal site has 7,800,000 cubic yards of remaining capacity, the El Sobrante Landfill has a remaining capacity of 3,884,470 tons of solid waste, and Lamb Canyon Disposal has a remaining solid waste capacity of 19,242,950 cubic yards.
As part of its long-range planning and management activities, the Riverside County Waste Management Department (RCWMD) ensures that Riverside County has a minimum of 15 years of capacity, at any time, for future landfill disposal. The 15-year projection of disposal capacity is prepared each year by as part of the annual reporting requirements for the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan. The most recent 15-year projection by the RCWMD indicates that no additional capacity is needed to dispose of countywide waste through 2024, with a remaining disposal capacity of 28,561,626 tons in the year 2024 (County of Riverside 2015b). Less than significant impacts are anticipated.
e) Less than Significant Impact. The project will comply with all applicable solid waste statutes and guidelines. All development is required to comply with the mandatory commercial and multi- family recycling requirements of Assembly Bill 341. The project will also comply with the recycling requirements of Cal Green and develop a waste management plan that will include diverting at least 50% of construction and demolition material fill from landfills. No impacts are expected relative to applicable solid waste statues and regulations.
19.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None 6-203
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20. WILDFIRE – If located in or near state
responsibility areas or lands classified as
very high fire hazard severity zones, would
the Project:
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Substantially impair an adopted
emergency response plan or emergency
evacuation plan?
b) Due to slope, prevailing winds, and other
factors, exacerbate wildfire risks, and thereby
expose project occupants to, pollutant
concentrations from a wildfire or the
uncontrolled spread of a wildfire?
c) Require the installation or maintenance of
associated infrastructure (such as roads, fuel
breaks, emergency water resources, power
lines or other utilities) that may exacerbate
fire risk or that may result in temporary or
ongoing impacts to the environment?
d) Expose people or structures to significant
risks, including downslope or downstream
flooding or landslides, as a result of runoff
post-fire slope instability, or drainage
changes?
Source: Rancho Mirage General Plan, 2017; Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR May, 2005; CAL FIRE High Fire Severity Zone Maps.
20.1 Setting
A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. Wildfires are often caused by humans or lighting and are exacerbated by steep slopes, dense vegetation (fuel), and dry and windy weather conditions. When these conditions are present, a wildfire can burn quickly and over a vast area, damaging hillsides, essential infrastructure, and homes and buildings.
The City of Rancho Mirage is primarily comprised of urban and developed uses. The western and southern boundaries of the City is defined by the Santa Rosa Mountains. The undeveloped Santa Rosa Mountains are characterized by steep topographic gradients that are typically conducive to spreading wildfires. Furthermore, the region’s hot, dry summer and autumn weather is considered ideal for generating the dry vegetation that fuel most wildfires. However, wildfires in the undeveloped local mountains adjacent to the Coachella Valley cities are not common due to the mountain’s natural terrain, which is steep, rocky, and dry soil. Furthermore, the Santa Rosa Mountains are made up primarily of Granitic rock and sparse desert vegetation. The topographic character of the Santa Rosa Mountains is not conducive for the growth of dense vegetation; and as a result, the amount of fuel available for wildland fires is limited. Additionally, the distance between the existing vegetation does not allow wildfires to spread easily.
A Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) is the line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetation fuels. People and man-made structures in WUI areas are more susceptible to the impacts of wildfires due to their adjacency to areas that provide fuel to wildfires, such as forests with dense vegetation.
The City of Rancho Mirage is situated at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, introducing an urban- wildland interface to the western and southern portions of the City. The project site is located in the southern portion of the City, adjacent to the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains. As stated previously, the Santa Rosa Mountains are made up primarily of Granitic rock and sparse desert vegetation. These 6-204
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limited vegetative conditions in the City’s western portion, are unlikely to cause a major wildfire.
Additionally, the flat urban areas of the City are considered low wildfire areas, as indicated in the Rancho Mirage General Plan.
20.2 Discussion
a-d) Less than Significant Impact. The project site currently resides in an urban and developed area within the City of Rancho Mirage. The project site has been graded and developed for a number of years and currently serves as part of an 18-hole golf course associated with Desert Island. The proposed project occupies approximately 17.2 acres within Desert Island. Buildings associated with Desert Island includes the clubhouse located east of the proposed hotel.
According to CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) Map, the project site is not located in an SRA or located in an area classified as very high fire hazard severity zone. Per CAL FIRE’s map, the project property is located in a (incorporated) Local Responsibility Area (LRA). The project is not located in or near state responsibility areas or lands classified as very high, high or moderate fire hazard severity zones, therefore, no impacts are anticipated.
Wildfire risk is related to a number of parameters, including fuel loading (vegetation), fire weather (winds, temperatures, humidity levels and fuel moisture contents), and topography (degree of slope). Steep slopes contribute to fire hazards by intensifying the effects of wind and making fire suppression difficult. Fuels such as grass are highly flammable because they have a high surface area to mass ratio and require less heat to reach the ignition point. According to the Riverside County General Plan, wildfire susceptibility is moderate to low in the valley and desert regions on the western and eastern sides of the Salton Sea. Methods in which developments address wildland fires hazards includes establishing setbacks that buffer development from hazard areas, maintaining brush clearance to reduce potential fuel, use of low fuel landscaping, and use of fire- resistant building techniques.
As previously stated, the project property is located in a developed area of the City. Thick vegetation, which acts as wildfire fuel, does not occur in areas adjacent to the project. Additionally, the project is not located adjacent to steep slopes. The closest slope to the project is occurs approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the project, at the Santa Rosa Mountains. However, the Santa Rosa Mountains, as determined by the Rancho Mirage General Plan and EIR, does not provide an environment conducive to wildfires because of the rocky terrain and sparce vegetation that occurs on the Mountain. The project site will be developed to the most current California building standards and fire code. Therefore, a wildfire is not expected to occur in the City and at the project site. As a result, the project site is not expected to expose project occupants to pollutant concentrations from a wildfire or the uncontrolled spread of a wildfire.
The project will connect to existing water and sewer infrastructure provided in Desert Island. The proposed infrastructure would allow for a decrease of fire risk during operation of the project. The development of this infrastructure will not exacerbate fire risk or result in short- or long-term impacts to the environment. The project site will be connecting to an existing network of streets.
The project would not impair implementation of or physically interfere with an adopted emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan. The project is not expected to require the installation or maintenance of associated infrastructure that may exacerbate fire risk or that may result in temporary or ongoing impacts to the environment.
Landslides include rockfalls, deep slope failure, and shallow slope failure. Factors such as the geological conditions, drainage, slope, vegetation, and others affect the potential for landslides.
One of the most common causes of landslides is construction activity that is associated with road 6-205
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building. The site is located on flat ground, therefore, risks associated with slope instability are not significant. As a result, the project is not expected to expose people or structures to significant risks including downslope or downstream flooding or landslides, due to runoff, post-fire slope instability, or drainage changes. No impact is expected to result from the project. Overall, less than significant impacts are anticipated.
20.3 Mitigation Measure
Mitigation: None
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21. MANDATORY FINDINGS OF
SIGNIFICANCE
Potentially
Significant
Impact
Less Than
Significant
with
Mitigation
Incorporation
Less Than
Significant
Impact
No
Impact
a) Does the project have the potential to
substantially degrade the quality of the
environment, substantially reduce the habitat
of a fish or wildlife species, cause a fish or
wildlife population to drop below self-
sustaining levels, threaten to eliminate a plant
or animal community, substantially reduce the
number or restrict the range of a rare or
endangered plant or animal or eliminate
important examples of the major periods of
California history or prehistory?
b) Does the project have impacts that are
individually limited, but cumulatively
considerable? ("Cumulatively considerable"
means that the incremental effects of a project
are considerable when viewed in connection
with the effects of past projects, the effects of
other current projects, and the effects of
probable future projects)?
c) Does the project have environmental
effects, which will cause substantial adverse
effects on human beings, either directly or
indirectly?
21.1 Setting
Environmental topics 1 through 20 analyzed the proposed project’s impacts to the local and regional area. Due to the developed character of the project within the Desert Island community, this environmental document determined that impacts would be less than significant. Further determinations regarding the project’s impacts to biological and cultural resources, and well as its cumulative impact is discussed below.
21.2 Discussion
a) Less than Significant Impact with Mitigation. As concluded in the Cultural and Tribal Cultural Resources sections of this document, the proposed project would result in no impacts or less than significant impacts to these resources without the implementation of mitigation. The project has the potential to have an impact to biological resources, to mitigate these potential impacts Mitigation Measures BIO-1 and BIO-2 are proposed to reduce impacts to less than significant levels. The project is compatible with the City of Rancho Mirage General Plan and Zoning and its surroundings. The project will not significantly degrade the overall quality of the region’s environment, or substantially reduce the habitat of a wildlife species, case a fish or wildlife population to drop below self-sustaining levels, threaten to eliminate a plant or animal community, reduce the number or restrict the range of a rare of endangered plant or animal or eliminate important examples of the major periods or California history or prehistory. Based upon the information provided within this Initial Study, approval and implementation of the project is not expected to substantially alter or degrade the quality of the environment with the incorporation of mitigation.
b) Less than Significant Impact. The proposed project and its location is found to be adequate and consistent with existing and federal, state, and local policies and is consistent with the City of 6-207
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Rancho Mirage General Plan and surrounding land use. As stated throughout, the proposed project is located in an area of Rancho Mirage that is developed. Future development in the vicinity of the project is anticipated to occur, however, developments would be consistent with the surrounding land uses, which includes residential communities. The cumulative impact of project development, future development and the existing uses are anticipated to be less than significant.
Approval and implementation of the proposed project would result in less than significant impacts related to cumulatively considerable impacts.
c) Less than Significant Impact. The proposed project will not result in impacts related to environmental effects that will cause substantial adverse effects on human beings. The project has been designed to comply with established design guidelines and current building standards.
The City’s review process will ensure that applicable guidelines are being followed. Based upon the findings provided in this document, and mitigation measures and standard conditions incorporated into the project, less than significant impacts are expected.
21.3 Mitigation Measures:
BIO-1: No less than 60 days prior to the start of Project-related activities, a burrowing owl habitat assessment shall be conducted by a qualified biologist according to the specifications of the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (Department of Fish and Game, March 2012 or most recent version).
If the habitat assessment demonstrates suitable burrowing owl habitat, then focused burrowing owl surveys shall be conducted by a qualified biologist according to the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation. If burrowing owls are detected during the focused surveys, the qualified biologist and Project Applicant shall prepare a Burrowing Owl Plan that shall be submitted to CDFW for review and approval prior to commencing Project activities. The Burrowing Owl Plan shall describe proposed avoidance, minimization, and monitoring actions. The Burrowing Owl Plan shall include the number and location of occupied burrow sites, acres of burrowing owl habitat that will be impacted, details of site monitoring, and details on proposed buffers and other avoidance measures if avoidance is proposed. If impacts to occupied burrowing owl habitat or burrow cannot be avoided, the Burrowing Owl Plan shall also describe relocation actions that will be implemented.
Proposed implementation of burrow exclusion and closure should only be considered as a last resort, after all other options have been evaluated as exclusion is not in itself an avoidance, minimization, or mitigation method and has the possibility to result in take. If impacts to occupied burrows cannot be avoided, information shall be provided regarding adjacent or nearby suitable habitat available to owls along with proposed relocation actions. The Permittee shall implement the Burrowing Owl Plan following CDFW review and approval.
Preconstruction burrowing owl surveys shall be conducted no less than 14 days prior to the start of Project-related activities and within 24 hours prior to ground disturbance, in accordance with the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation (2012 or most recent version). Preconstruction surveys should be performed by a qualified biologist following the recommendations and guidelines provided in the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl Mitigation. If the preconstruction surveys confirm occupied burrowing owl habitat, Project activities shall be immediately halted. The qualified biologist shall coordinate with CDFW and prepare a Burrowing Owl Plan that shall be submitted to CDFW for review and approval prior to commencing Project activities.
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BIO-2: Nesting bird surveys shall be performed by a qualified avian biologist no more than (3) days prior to vegetation removal or ground-disturbing activities. Pre-construction surveys shall focus on both direct and indirect evidence of nesting, including nest locations and nesting behavior. The qualified avian biologist will make every effort to avoid potential nest predation as a result of survey and monitoring efforts. If active nests are found during the pre-construction nesting bird surveys, a qualified biologist shall establish an appropriate nest buffer to be marked on the ground. Nest buffers are species specific and shall be at least 300 feet for passerines and 500 feet for raptors. A smaller or larger buffer may be determined by the qualified biologist familiar with the nesting phenology of the nesting species and based on nest and buffer monitoring results. Established buffers shall remain on-site until a qualified biologist determines the young have fledged or the nest is no longer active. Active nests and adequacy of the established buffer distance shall be monitored daily by the qualified biologist until the qualified biologist has determined the young have fledged or the Project has been completed. The qualified biologist has the authority to stop work if nesting pairs exhibit signs of disturbance.
Table XXI-1 Desert Island Hotel Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program Mitigation Measure
Responsible
for
Monitoring
Timing
Verification
(Date and
Initials)
BIO-1: Burrowing Owl Surveys
No less than 60 days prior to the start of
Project-related activities, a burrowing owl
habitat assessment shall be conducted by
a qualified biologist according to the
specifications of the Staff Report on
Burrowing Owl Mitigation (Department of
Fish and Game, March 2012 or most
recent version).
If the habitat assessment demonstrates
suitable burrowing owl habitat, then
focused burrowing owl surveys shall be
conducted by a qualified biologist
according to the Staff Report on
Burrowing Owl Mitigation. If burrowing
owls are detected during the focused
surveys, the qualified biologist and
Project Applicant shall prepare a
Burrowing Owl Plan that shall be
submitted to CDFW for review and
approval prior to commencing Project
activities. The Burrowing Owl Plan shall
describe proposed avoidance,
minimization, and monitoring actions. The
Burrowing Owl Plan shall include the
number and location of occupied burrow
sites, acres of burrowing owl habitat that
will be impacted, details of site
monitoring, and details on proposed
buffers and other avoidance measures if
avoidance is proposed. If impacts to
Planning
Division
Qualified
Biologist
Project
Applicant
Habitat assessment
and focused
surveys: No less
than 60 days prior to
the start of project-
related activities
Pre-construction
surveys: No less
than 14 days prior to
start of project-
related activities and
within 24 hours prior
to ground
disturbance
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occupied burrowing owl habitat or burrow
cannot be avoided, the Burrowing Owl
Plan shall also describe relocation actions
that will be implemented. Proposed
implementation of burrow exclusion and
closure should only be considered as a
last resort, after all other options have
been evaluated as exclusion is not in itself
an avoidance, minimization, or mitigation
method and has the possibility to result in
take. If impacts to occupied burrows
cannot be avoided, information shall be
provided regarding adjacent or nearby
suitable habitat available to owls along
with proposed relocation actions. The
Permittee shall implement the Burrowing
Owl Plan following CDFW review and
approval.
Preconstruction burrowing owl surveys
shall be conducted no less than 14 days
prior to the start of Project-related
activities and within 24 hours prior to
ground disturbance, in accordance with
the Staff Report on Burrowing Owl
Mitigation (2012 or most recent version).
Preconstruction surveys should be
performed by a qualified biologist
following the recommendations and
guidelines provided in the Staff Report on
Burrowing Owl Mitigation. If the
preconstruction surveys confirm occupied
burrowing owl habitat, Project activities
shall be immediately halted. The qualified
biologist shall coordinate with CDFW and
prepare a Burrowing Owl Plan that shall
be submitted to CDFW for review and
approval prior to commencing Project
activities.
BIO-2: Avoidance of Nesting Birds
Nesting bird surveys shall be performed
by a qualified avian biologist no more than
(3) days prior to vegetation removal or
ground-disturbing activities. Pre-
construction surveys shall focus on both
direct and indirect evidence of nesting,
including nest locations and nesting
behavior. The qualified avian biologist will
make every effort to avoid potential nest
predation as a result of survey and
monitoring efforts. If active nests are
found during the pre-construction nesting
Planning
Division
Qualified
Avian
Biologist
Project
Applicant
No more than 3
days prior to
vegetation clearing
or ground-disturbing
activities
=
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bird surveys, a qualified biologist shall
establish an appropriate nest buffer to be
marked on the ground. Nest buffers are
species specific and shall be at least 300
feet for passerines and 500 feet for
raptors. A smaller or larger buffer may be
determined by the qualified biologist
familiar with the nesting phenology of the
nesting species and based on nest and
buffer monitoring results. Established
buffers shall remain on-site until a
qualified biologist determines the young
have fledged or the nest is no longer
active. Active nests and adequacy of the
established buffer distance shall be
monitored daily by the qualified biologist
until the qualified biologist has determined
the young have fledged or the Project has
been completed. The qualified biologist
has the authority to stop work if nesting
pairs exhibit signs of disturbance.
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REFERENCES
Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning (AP) Act, California Department of Conservation.
Analysis of the Coachella Valley PM10 Redesignation Request and Maintenance Plan, by the California Air Resources Board, February 2010.
CAL FIRE High Fire Severity Zone Maps.
California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod), Version 2020.4.0.
California Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2000 to 2017, Trends of Emissions and Other Indicators, 2019 Edition, California Air Resources Board.
City of Rancho Mirage Fire and Police Department Website.
City of Rancho Mirage 2017 General Plan Update.
City of Rancho Mirage Municipal Code.
Coachella Valley Water District, 2015 Urban Water Management Plan, Final Report, July 2016 PSUSD Fee Justification Study, 2022.
Enforcement and Compliance Fault Zoning Act, California Department of Conservation.
Enforcement and Compliance History Online, EPA, 2022.
EnviroStor, Department of Toxic Substances Control, 2022.
Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program, California Department of Conservation.
Final 2016 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), by SCAQMD, March 2017.
Final 2003 Coachella Valley PM10 State Implementation Plan (CVSIP), by SCAQMD, August 2003.
Flood Insurance Rate Map # 06065C2206G, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Effective August 28, 2008.
GeoTracker, State Water Resources Control Board, 2022.
Mineral Land Classification Map, Riverside County, 2007.
Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis, Urban Crossroads, Inc. May 2022. 2017 Rancho Mirage General Plan EIR
Release No. 18-37 & 19-35, California Air Resources Board Press Release, July 2018 and August 2019.
Riverside County General Plan, Safety Element, 2016; Riverside County General Plan Geotechnical Report 2000.
Water Quality Control Plan for the Colorado River Basin Region, January 2019.
APPENDICES
Appendix A - California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod), Version 2020.4.0, July 20, 2022 Appendix B - Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis, Urban Crossroads, Inc. May 26, 2022.