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Get ready to catch a wave in Palm Desert: Council OKs surf resort at Desert Willow
A near-$200 million “world-class” surf resort won unanimous approval from the Palm Desert City Council on Thursday, making way for development of a project that includes a 5.5-acre wave lagoon, hotel and residential villas at Desert Willow Golf Resort. The vote came at the end of a two-hour public hearing that prompted comments from about 15 people — all but three in favor of DSRT Surf resort. Opponents were concerned with water usage as well as issues involving traffic, noise and lighting, which officials said were addressed in the plan presented by Desert Wave Ventures LLC, the project’s environmental impact report and Coachella Valley Water District’s approval.
“Palm Desert has long been a leader in environmental sensitivity and when Desert Willow was first constructed the universal use of gray water to sustain the golf course was sufficiently innovative that the golf course appeared on the cover of the Smithsonian magazine,” Councilwoman Kathleen Kelly said.
“This project comes to us with so much thoughtfulness in the plan for water utilization, mitigation of light and noise factors that it truly represents a bold next chapter in Palm Desert’s respect for environmental concerns,” Kelly said.
Proponents said the project brings economic opportunities not only to Palm Desert, but also the Coachella Valley as a whole as a year-round destination. The project is expected to create more than 400 jobs, while also inspiring more development – hotels, restaurants and homes.
It also adds to the active, healthy lifestyle of many valley residents and tourists, many said. “This is an economic game-changer,” Mayor Pro Tem Gina Nestande said.
Among those supporting the project is a group of Desert Mirage High School students from Mecca who are members of a surf club started by Desert Mirage teacher Krysten Gonda. Gonda said she fell in love with the sport four years ago when she surfed for the first time while vacationing in Costa Rica. She wanted her students to experience the same and started East Valley Board Riders, taking them to Huntington Beach to learn to surf.
“The moment we all caught our first wave, it took our breath away,” said Camila Rodriguez, a senior at Desert Mirage and club president, who grew up in Mecca.
“I cannot lie, it was a struggle the first few thousand times,” she joked. “But when I finally caught it, it was like an ‘Oh, my god,’ moment. And after that day, I just kept thinking about how incredible it would be to have that experience close to us. ”The sport has gone from an activity the students knew about but never experienced to a way of life, Rodriguez said.
UNIQUE PROJECT
DSRT Surf is one of at least three such projects planned in the Coachella Valley. The largest is the Thermal Beach Club, which would include a 21-acre surf lagoon with wave-making technology. The project is planned for vacant land between Avenues 64 and 66 by Polk Street in the unincorporated community of Thermal.
The project has been approved by the Riverside County Planning Commission and is expected to be heard by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Developers say DSRT Surf will be the first of its kind not only in the Coachella Valley, but North America, using technology that was developed in Spain. Desert Wave Ventures LLC plans to build a 14.6-acre resort, with a 5.5-acre surf lagoon as its centerpiece, on 17.69 acres of vacant property it will purchase from the city of Palm Desert at the appraised value of just over $2 million. Under the purchase agreement, the developer would have 12 months to close escrow on the land, with options for two six-month extensions to 24 months. The city may agree to a third extension, if developers seek it, but are not obligated, Wayne Olson, senior analyst with the city’s economic development department.
Developers plan to subdivide the property into five parcels. Build-out will be in two phases, starting with the surf lagoon and center and all infrastructure and support facilities necessary for the build-out of the entire project.
“We’re very excited,” said Doug Sheres, a partner of Desert Wave Ventures, who said the project has been more than two years in the making.
- Surf lagoon with restaurants, bars, sand beach area, stage/amphitheater, sports courts for volleyball and other activities, as well as a boardwalk/pier, pools, cabanas and associated amenities.
- Up to two separate hotel operators with no more than 350 hotel rooms total and up to 88 residential villas. Hotel operators have not been named.
- Solar panels, planned to go on the surf center roof, are expected to generate 1.7 million kilowatt hours per year of electricity. The hotels and villas will also be encouraged to include solar panels to further reduce total project electricity use of about 20 million kilowatt hours per year.
- 130 parking spaces are to be created for the surf lagoon, to be shared with Desert Willow, for 1.5 parking spaces per anticipated surf user. For special events, added parking can be accommodated off-site at a city-controlled parcel adjacent to the Ralphs shopping center, about a half-mile south of the project site.
- Waves will be powered by The Wavegarden Cove, an engineering company based near San Sebastian in northern Spain.
“This is a disservice to the residents of Palm Desert and, really, the Coachella Valley,” he said. Middleton said he was also concerned about the environmental impact and doesn’t think the economic benefit to the community will be as great as projected.
As a mitigating factor for water, Desert Wave Ventures LLC will reduce the amount of turf at Desert Willow by about 1 million square feet, Eric Ceja, principal planner for the city.
Anticipated water usage and sources:
The Turf for Surf program will mitigate more than all of the surf lagoon water use. The total project’s net water use when the Turf for Surf program is deducted will be 19.1 million gallons, or 58.5 acre-feet of water per year. In addition, the lagoon will drain into golf course lakes about one-third of its water every year.
Daily backwash from the surf lagoon and resort pools will go into subsurface dry wells that recharge into the aquifer. Annual draining of the lagoon for maintenance will be to golf course detention basins and/or lakes. Sheres said the company is comprised of long-term committed environmentalists, all of whom have worked in Southern California — and around the world — to conserve the oceans, water and other aspects of the environment.
“The core people who started this project are all surfers,” Sheres said.
“We wanted to build something that felt natural, that kind of pays homage to the ocean as much as it could,” he said.
Ian Osur, a Montecito community resident, also questioned the hours of a nightclub planned at the lagoon that would be open until 2 a.m. on weekends, saying the noise would interfere with the quality of life of nearby residents.
Ceja said there would be amplified music at the nightclub but it would be indoors.
“We’ve been able to show there would be no impact to the surrounding area,” Ceja said.
the desert sun
Surf resort developers ride first wave to project approval in Palm Desert
A proposed surf lagoon and resort at Desert Willow is headed to the Palm Desert City Council for final approval as recommended by the planning commissioners who saw the project as unique and something families can do together, while also driving the local economy.“A lot of people wouldn’t have access to this kind of water environment,” Commissioner Nancy DeLuna said. “In a healthy way they’ll learn water sports; they’ll learn water safety; they’ll learn a sport skill surfing. It allows families to do something as a family regardless of their skill level.”DeLuna added, “I think it is an economic driver for the city and I think it’s a unique opportunity.”Eight people spoke during the public hearing – six for and two against. Opponents cited traffic, lighting, noise and water usage as primary concerns.“I believe some of the issues raised tonight are being addressed and are continuing to be addressed,” she said.
A main concern voiced by opponents, including resident David Middleton, is water usage.“We live in the desert and we always have a drought here,” he said. “If suddenly, there is this much extra water here to make this project feasible, I really have to question if this is the wisest use of that water.”DSRT Surf by Solano Beach-based Desert Wave Ventures LLC would include a 5.5-acre surf lagoon along with up to 350 hotel rooms, 88 residential villas and other amenities to be built on a 17.69-acre vacant lot southwest of the Desert Willow clubhouse and parking lot.
The plans also call for restaurants, bars, sand beach area, stage/amphitheater, sports courts for volleyball and other activities, as well as a boardwalk/pier, pools, cabanas and associated amenities around the surf lagoon area – which would be open to the public.The property would be subdivided into five parcels and is proposed to be built in two phases, starting with the surf lagoon and center and all infrastructure and support facilities necessary for full project build-out.
“Desert Willow was designed as an economic development driver for the city,” said Eric Ceja, principal planner for the city, adding that DSRT Surf fits with that plan.The commission voted 3-0 to recommend approval by the City Council with Commissioner John Greenwood and Chairman Ron Gregory recusing themselves due to employment conflicts.
Commissioner Joseph Pradetto initially asked that the project be continued two weeks to address his concerns for lighting and building height – which staff was recommending not exceed 50 feet on the one to two hotels, each of which is proposed at four to five stories – and reduced height in the light poles.Doug Sheres, a partner in Desert Wave Ventures LLC, said having to redo plans, reducing buildings to 40 feet maximum height would “unravel” the project, which has been three years in the making.Reducing the height would mean spreading out the buildings to still accommodate up to 350 hotel rooms and changes the plans drastically.“It’s a complete redo,” Sheres said. “We are well bellow what is allowed on that site.”
Pradetto voted in favor of moving DSRT Surf forward to the City Council, saying “There is more that I favor in the project than not.”Anticipated water usage and sources:DSRT Surf’s lagoon would use 23.8 million gallons, or 73.04 acre-feet of water per year.Total, the surf lagoon, hotels, surf center, restaurants, bars and villas will use an estimated 53.8 million gallons, or 165.2 acre-feet, of water per year.Turf for Surf program: The developer will convert non-play golf turf to desert landscaping at Desert Willow’s golf courses. That will permanently reduce water use at the golf course by 34.8 million gallons a year, or 106.8 acre-feet – 40% more water than the lagoon is estimated to use in a year.The Turf for Surf program will mitigate more than all of the surf lagoon water use.The total project’s net water use when the Turf for Surf program is deducted will be 19.1 million gallons, or 58.5 acre-feet of water per year.In addition, the lagoon will drain into golf course lakes about one-third of its water every year.Daily backwash from the surf lagoon and resort pools will go into subsurface dry wells that recharge back into the aquifer.Annual draining of the lagoon for maintenance will be to golf course detention basins and/or lakes.As a mitigating factor for water, Desert Wave will be reducing the amount of turf at Desert Willow by about 1 million square feet.“I believe the offset of waterings at the golf course for the lagoon, roughly cancels out 100 acre-feet of water a year for the project,” Ceja said. The Coachella Valley Water District approved the project, Ceja added.
the desert sun
Could Palm Desert be site of a new CSU campus? Consultants to visit Cook Street satellite on Friday
Palm Desert is on a short list as the potential site of a new standalone Cal State University campus. City leaders on Friday will host a group of consultants who will visit the CSU San Bernardino satellite campus and talk about the local need for an independent campus. The other four sites being considered are Stockton, Concord, Chula Vista and San Mateo County.
Mike Uhlenkamp, senior director of public affairs for CSU, cautioned people from seeing the feasibility study as a guarantee a new CSU campus will be developed at all. “This is the kickoff and we’re just studying this right now,” he said. Even if it is determined that a new campus is warranted, it could be years down the road before one is built, there is no official timeline, Uhlenkamp said. The consultants, with HOK design, architecture, engineering and planning firm, will look at a variety of criteria, including:
- Enrollment demand for the area.
- Benefit to the workforce in the surrounding area of the proposed campus location.
- Available facilities.
- Relationship to a community college campus.
Palm Desert officials believe the city meets the criteria, starting with a site that is build-ready on nearly 170 acres the city has donated to CSU with the understanding that an independent university would one day be built bearing the name California State University, Palm Desert.
“We have a campus with buildings, with facilities, with infrastructure, with roads, curbs, gutters and parking lots …,” Councilman Sabby Jonathan said during a recent meeting with The Desert Sun’s editorial board.
A standalone CSU campus would mean full development of the site with more buildings and facilities, which means the addition of programs and an ability to expand those that exist now.
The current satellite campus, with three academic buildings and a 300-seat theater, has been built through local funding and donations.
The state would be able to immediately begin building out the campus, should Palm Desert be chosen, at a cost to CSU that's at least 20% less than somewhere else, said Joe Wallace, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership CEO and chief innovation officer.
Local officials also say that compared to those who live in other cities on the list, potential Coachella Valley students currently face the longest commute to independent campuses.
Palm Desert City Manager Lauri Aylaian said residents of the other cities can get to “a host of other four-year opportunities inside of a 50-mile drive.”
The closest independent campuses to the Coachella Valley are UC Redlands – a private university – and CSU San Bernardino’s home campus in San Bernardino – a minimum 40 miles away for area residents.
“The truth of the matter is that the Coachella Valley is woefully underserved for higher education,” Aylaian said. “We’re isolated from the rest of the state. We have intelligent, well-educated high school graduates who do not go to college because they cannot afford to leave home to pay for room and board, as well as their college education."
Gov. Gavin Newsom initially sought $2 million in the 2019-20 budget for a feasibility study of just Stockton as a potential site for a new campus. But legislators then began speaking out for their communities and another $2 million was allocated to study more sites with the possibility of building one or two new campuses, said Uhlenkamp.
Like Palm Desert, Uhlenkamp said representatives at each site are passionate that they have an unmet need, making their community the best place for a four-year campus.
For example, Stockton – which some say is Newsom’s favored location – has a variety of four-year colleges and universities nearby, and is home to a satellite campus for CSU Stanislaus, which has its main campus about 45 miles away in Turlock.
Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, who served on Newsom’s transition team after he was elected governor, told the Stockton Record, “San Joaquin County is one of the fastest-growing regions in the state of California. And we know that we are undereducated … How do you change that picture? You get us a four-year public university.”
Not just about the name
Beyond the land, infrastructure and existing facilities, Palm Desert officials want the consultants to see the need for a standalone four-year campus in the Coachella Valley.
“Particularly, if you look at the east end of the valley, these folks don’t have the opportunity to go to a four-year school because there isn’t one here,” Aylaian said.
Current enrollment Palm Desert’s satellite campus is 1,609 students, said Cal State spokesman Michael Singer, with 93% undergraduate students and the remaining 7% post baccalaureate and graduate students.
In 2015, the Palm Desert campus had about 1,100 students enrolled. Sharon Brown-Welty, dean of the campus at that time, expected enrollment to grow to 6,000 to 8,000 students over the next 10 to 15 years.
Nearly 20 bachelor’s degree level programs can be completed at the Palm Desert campus, including a new hospitality program which works in conjunction with College of the Desert’s program, nursing, psychology and administration programs. About 10 graduate programs and a doctorate program can be completed either in part at the Palm Desert campus or online, Singer said.
Councilmember Jan Harnik pointed out that the nursing program has room for just 22 students per year. As an independent campus, the program could be expanded.
As an example, a lot of the nursing students at COD want to go to CSUSB Palm Desert and get their bachelor of science in nursing degree – but they can’t get in, Harnik said.
“We need to expand that program,” Harnik said. “The need is there and, unfortunately, the will to create the capacity doesn’t seem to be there.”
The Coachella Valley has invested about $52 million into the Cook Street campus, through contributions from each of the nine cities, philanthropists, various corporations, and organizations, Aylaian said.
About $17 million of that is from Palm Desert, she said.
“Half of the young people who apply to our campus are turned down, either because the program that they want doesn’t exist there or the facilities and faculty needed to train them doesn’t exist there,” Wallace said.
“If you just double that we’d be at 3,200 (enrollment) right now, if the investments had been made in the facilities to take care of educating these kids,” he said.
The city, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and CSUSB have also partnered to create an iHub, expected to open on Cook Street, across from the college, this spring, through which the university is expected to create a cybersecurity program. The city has budgeted $1.4 million to design and construct tenant improvements to a suite at 37-023 Cook St.
Working with COD
College of the Desert and CSUSB have been working together since the satellite campus first opened on the COD campus in 1986.
“When the College and our community came together 30 years ago to bring CSUSB to our campus, and later to establish the first facilities and programs for a satellite campus, our goals were simple – to increase educational services and degrees not currently available, to address gaps in the educational pipeline, to increase access to higher education, and to help students pursue their dreams of higher education and a better life for themselves and their families,” said COD Superintendent/President Joel Kinnamon.
He echoed the comments of others that leaving the desert for higher education is not affordable for many.
“Knowing they can start here and stay here will be a game-changer for thousands of local students,” said Kinnamon.
He and officials from throughout the valley, as well as at the state and national level, are expected to participate in Friday’s assessment by HOK.
The city has been told the meeting is three-fold: to look at the potential site, including what infrastructure might be there; look at higher educational needs throughout the valley; and examine workforce development needs for employers in the area, Aylaian said. The consultants were still confirming details, she said, but the day is expected to include a couple of small group meetings in the morning and a three-hour meeting in the afternoon that could include 50 or more people.
Among representatives who plan to participate is Assemblyman Chad Mayes.
“From day one, both Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and I have been committed to making CSUSB Palm Desert a fully independent standalone campus,” said Mayes.
In 2017, they secured $3 million for the campus which helped expand its nursing program and create a new hospitality management program, he said...
the desert sun
Want to live in a
Disney house? New development in Rancho Mirage promises 'magic'
Disney is putting its name on a 618-acre, mixed-use development in Rancho Mirage, the company announced Wednesday morning as it unveiled a new line of business called Storyliving by Disney.
The Cotino community near Sunnylands will be the first Storyliving by Disney development, and the location was selected in part due to the personal connection Walt Disney had to the Coachella Valley.
The corporate entertainment giant says its Storyliving communities will be “infused with the company’s special brand of magic,” with Disney Imagineers playing a key role in developing the creative concept for the communities, working with respected developers and homebuilders.
Disney employees, called cast members, will be part of each community’s membership clubs.
“These master-planned communities are intended to inspire residents to foster new friendships, pursue their interests and write the next exciting chapter in their lives — all while enjoying the attention to detail, unique amenities and special touches that are Disney hallmarks,” the company said in a press release.
Cotino will be part of the development called Section 31, a project led by Scottsdale, Arizona-based DMB Development. The project is planned to include about 1,700 homes, 400 hotel rooms, some commercial buildings and a 24-acre swimmable lagoon that will be open to the public.
It will be the “largest project in the history” of Rancho Mirage, Mayor Ted Weill has said.
The vacant land that was once part of the Annenberg estate is bordered by Bob Hope Drive and Monterey Avenue on the east and west, and Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford drives on the north and south.
The name Cotino stems from cotinus, which means smoke tree. That ties back to the days when Walt Disney owned homes at Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs, a Disney spokesperson said.
He sold the first home to help finance the building of Disneyland and once the theme park was up and running, he bought a second home, which served as a retreat away from Los Angeles for himself and his wife, Lillian Disney.
“For nearly 100 years, Disney has shared stories that have touched the hearts and minds of people all around the world,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
“As we prepare to enter our second century, we are developing new and exciting ways to bring the magic of Disney to people wherever they are, expanding storytelling to storyliving,” he said. “We can’t wait to welcome residents to these beautiful and unique Disney communities where they can live their lives to the fullest.”
A projected construction start date for Storyliving by Disney was not given.
Project will include 24-acre lagoon
Cotino will be developed for homeowners of all ages and will include at least one section expressly for residents 55 and older. Homebuyers will have a range of home types to choose from, including estates, single-family homes and condominiums, DMB Development CEO Brent Herrington said in a press release.
The companies did not release details on pricing.
Per the specific plan approved by the city council in 2019, the community is designed to surround an approximately 24-acre water feature. It is supposed to use Crystal Lagoons technology, which proponents say reduces water, energy and chemical consumption.
Club membership — which will be optional for Cotino homeowners — will offer access to a waterfront clubhouse, a club-only beach area and recreational water activities, as well as Disney programming, entertainment and activities throughout the year.
Under the Section 31 specific plan, Cotino will also offer a mixed-use district featuring a range of shopping, dining and entertainment, a beachfront hotel, and a professionally managed beach park with recreational water activities that can be accessed by the public through the purchase of a day pass.
City approval needed on portions of the project
City officials said they first learned of Disney’s involvement with the Section 31 project Tuesday afternoon during a meeting with the developers.
The mayor said he believes Storyliving by Disney is a good fit for Rancho Mirage and the Coachella Valley, and that with DMB Development, Section 31 will be an economic boost.
“I think it will be a fabulous fit,” Weill said. “The product mix is going to be terrific.”
He knows not all will agree with him and expects there will be some pushback from residents.
“I think that’s indigenous with any new development. You’re going to get the normal pushback” related to concerns about traffic, noise, crime, water usage and other elements, Weill said.
Weill said many of those concerns were addressed with an environmental impact report and considered when the council approved the project and specific plan in 2019.
Regarding water usage, the EIR found that the project’s “potential to substantially decrease groundwater supplies … will be substantially reduced” with a dual piping system to deliver recycled water for outdoor irrigation, “as well as a variety of other features to promote water use efficiency.”
To handle the added traffic, the environmental impact report outlined the need for improvements by the projected 2040 build-out, including added or modified turn lanes at major intersections including Bob Hope Drive and Ramon Road; Bob Hope and Country Club drives; Portola Avenue and Country Club; and Monterey Avenue and Fred Waring Drive.
The environmental impact report estimated that at build-out, the project would have a net economic impact for the city of about $8.4 million dollars annually — most of that from hotel and sales tax revenues.
The city projected about $28.8 million in general fund revenue for the current fiscal year, which started July 1. The top three revenue earners for the city are hotel, sales and property taxes. Hotel taxes for this year are estimated at $9.1 million — 31% of the city's revenue. The budget estimates just under $6 million will come from sales taxes and $3.9 million from property taxes.
Mass grading of the project site is expected to start in the coming weeks, said Jeremy Gleim, development services director for Rancho Mirage.
While the proposed Storyliving by Disney development fits with the project’s specific plan, there will still be a need for review and approval by the city’s architectural review board, planning commission and the city council, Gleim said.
Construction plans will need planning commission and city council approval, as this is where setbacks, property lines and other details are analyzed, Gleim said.
“The land use is approved (with the specific plan), but the building plans will be routed through the city’s standard approval process,” he said.
National spotlight on Rancho Mirage
Katie Stice, president and CEO of the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, said she had started receiving calls and messages from people in the business community celebrating the news.
“We knew Section 31 would be a very special addition to the valley but when we heard the news of Storyliving by Disney, we were amazed,” Stice told The Desert Sun.
The announcement of the new Disney development on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday put Rancho Mirage in the national spotlight, she said.
“This is a remarkable addition to our business community, and we welcome Cotino,” Stice said. “The Cotino brand represents the creativity and operational excellence of Disney combined with the extensive community development expertise of DMB Development.”
Experiences to be curated by Disney cast members
At each Storyliving by Disney location, Disney cast members trained in the company’s guest service standards will operate the community association.
Through a club membership, Disney will also provide access to curated experiences, such as wellness programming; entertainment ranging from live performances to cooking classes; philanthropic endeavors; seminars and more, the company said.
Additional locations of Storyliving by Disney communities are being explored but none have been announced.
“Disney Imagineers are exploring the richness of each local region to inspire the theme of Storyliving by Disney communities,” said Michael Hundgen, executive producer of Walt Disney Imagineering.
“Distinctively designed indoor and outdoor spaces will offer residents new opportunities to explore, engage and create the next incredible chapter of their story,” Hundgen said.
Storyliving by Disney is a new business division for the company, though Disney has been involved with some residential developments before, including the Golden Oak luxury single-family home community at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Desert Sun reporter Sherry Barkas covers the cities of La Quinta, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert. She can be reached at sherry.barkas@thedesertsun.com. Follow her on Twitter @TDSsherryBarkas
