The construction of a 332-home development in Palm Desert has sparked outrage among residents, many of whom are concerned about the project’s impact on air quality, flood control and, in particular, the 11-foot-high sandhill that now runs along some of their properties.
But the project, known as the Refuge development, has already received approval from City Hall, so it's unlikely neighbors will be able to change much about the roughly 38-acre site, located south of Gerald Ford Drive and east of Marriott's Shadow Ridge Golf Club.
The Refuge Palm Desert LLC development initially received city approval in the fall of 2022. Earlier this year, Pulte Homes, the developer behind several Del Webb communities in the valley, purchased a portion of the land to build the first phase of the project for $13.4 million, according to property records.
Still, the new construction has drawn criticism from residents at several recent council meetings. Amid their opposition, the city held an outreach meeting in late June to answer some questions from residents of the nearby community that runs north of Frank Sinatra Drive and west of Portola Road.
Jana Koroczynsky, who has lived with her husband in their Woodward Drive home for more than 20 years, is among a group of residents opposed to a particularly conspicuous part of the project: a 11-foot-high sand mound that was built behind their property in mid-May during an early phase of construction.
“Right now they’re virtually building a mountain behind us,” Koroczynsky told the City Council at a recent meeting. “What was once a beautiful view will have homes on an 11-foot hill above us.”
In addition to the impact on mountain views, Koroczynsky and others have also expressed concerns about the project's potential for flooding in their backyards, as well as blowing sand. Koroczynsky estimates that about 60 residents are affected and concerned about the development in her neighborhood.
According to project and city officials, the layout now being studied is specifically designed to direct rainwater away from homes on the south side.
Neighbors say they’ve known for a long time that new homes would be built on the vacant lot to their north, but the height of the development has rekindled their concerns. Liz Bower, who lives a few houses down from Koroczynsky, recently decided to build a pool in her backyard, but the recent construction has disrupted her plans.
“I don't want to look out and look straight up to find the sky,” Bower said. “I want horizons. That's why we live here.”
According to a statement from Ally Boyle, communications manager for the company, PulteGroup officials “continue to work closely with local authorities, adhere to all applicable regulations and have the necessary permits to execute this project.”
“Work that has already begun has been completed in accordance with the approved plan,” the spokesperson said. “We understand the importance of considering the needs and concerns of all stakeholders, and we are committed to being a responsible and engaged member of the community. We aim to work closely with our neighbors to minimize the impact on their property as much as possible.”
Thomas Soule, the city's public affairs manager, confirmed that the overall zoning has been approved, “so it is now final and cannot be changed.”
“The city has required an action plan from the developer to address many of the concerns raised by local residents, including concerns about dust mitigation and the construction process,” Soule said in an emailed statement. “No further community meetings are scheduled at this time, but the city and developer are in ongoing communication with residents as construction begins.”
Officials explain need for classification
The city and project officials discussed the project's schedule at a meeting on June 25 at City Hall, attended by approximately 25 people.
Carlos Flores, the city’s chief planner, outlined the project’s timeline at City Hall. The initial plan was approved by the council in November 2022, while the planning commission approved a minor change to the zoning and number of units allowed in 2023.
Both hearings came after well-attended community meetings, but no one from the public spoke about the overall project at the 2022 council meeting. (The plan area also includes a 269-unit affordable apartment complex known as Vitalia, which was separately approved by the council in 2021.)
The city’s planning commission also approved some property elevation changes at a hearing earlier this year. Most of these elevation changes were minor, however, with some property levels lowered by about six inches and others raised by as much as a foot.
Flores said the project's design — including the height difference between the new homes and existing homes along the southern edge of the lot — was included in the initial plans approved in 2022. He also noted that all homes near the adjacent lots will be single-story, while some two-story homes are planned for other parts of the development.
An official with HR Green, which is helping with the development, said the original site was “relatively flat,” causing water to flow south and east toward neighboring homes, and that elevation changes would direct that rain flow north toward Gerald Ford Drive.
Pulte Homes official Darren Warren also answered questions and defended the project at the meeting. He said that unlike Del Webb communities in Indio and Rancho Mirage, the project will not have an age restriction on people 55 and older, although that demographic is still a target audience.
“We bought this project with the necessary permits and approvals, knowing that this was approved by the community,” said Warren, who added that the zoning change could have allowed for many more homes on the site.
Residents also raised concerns about sand blowing from the project site into their backyards and swimming pools. Pulte officials offered mixed responses about maintenance, including daily inspections by the city and weekly inspections by third parties. Warren expressed understanding for the concerns, with the developers saying they would pay for damage to adjacent properties on a case-by-case basis.
Warren said during the meeting that the project team aims to complete the grading within six weeks, after which they will work on burying utilities. He later added that the full build-out of the homes is expected to take about two years.
The community meeting at City Hall was largely cordial, though there were a few testy moments. One attendee said the city should hire someone to change the mural of the desert landscape behind the council building “to more effectively reflect what you would expect to see as a resident, removing the mountains and the sky and replacing it with a wall of dirt.”
Another resident had a different opinion, saying that the neighbors “should be happy because otherwise we would have had a huge building blocking everything.”
But for others, the community meeting was discouraging. “We felt like nothing had really been accomplished,” Koroczynsky said in an interview a few days after the meeting.
“They didn't have to build this 11-foot slope to drain the site. That's our opinion,” Koroczynsky said, adding that she and other neighbors believe the plans are designed to optimize the views from the new homes at their expense.
It is unclear whether the group of residents will take additional steps to challenge the project. Koroczynsky noted that the neighborhood does not have a homeowners association to potentially take legal action against the project, though she said the group is still considering its options.
Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Controversial development in Palm Desert irks neighbors
