CITY OF PALM DESERT COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN Adopted March 15, 2004 Prepared By Community Development Department City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 and Terra Nova Planning & Research, Inc.® 400 South Farrell Dr., Suite B-205 Palm Springs, CA 92262 City of Palm Desert Riverside County, California COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN CITY COUNCIL Mayor Council Members Mayor Pro-Tempore Jean M. Benson Buford A. Crites Robert A. Spiegel Jim Ferguson Richard S. Kelly PLANNING COMMISSION Sonia Campbell, Chair Sabby Jonathan, Vice Chair Cynthia Finerty Jim Lopez Dave Tschopp GENERAL PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Jean M. Benson, Chair Tim Bartlett Dr. Bill Kroonen Richard S. Kelly, Vice Chair Dick Baxley Bob Leo Leon Bennett Kurt Leuschner Jim Butzbach Jim Lewis Sonia Campbell Rick Post Roger Dash Tim Sullivan Cynthia Finerty Van Tanner Dennis Guinaw Maureen Thompson Aurora Kerr John Vuksic Phil Drell Community Development Director Terra Nova ® Planning & Research, Inc. 400 South Farrell Drive, Suite B-205 Palm Springs, CA 92262 Adopted March 15, 2000 ii City of Palm Desert/Adopted 3.15.04 Comprehensive General Plan/Table of Contents CITY OF PALM DESERT COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL PLAN Introduction I-1 II. ADMINISTRATION AND IMPLEMENTATION Administration Element II-1 III. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT A. Land Use Element III-1 B. Circulation Element III-42 C. Housing Element III-85 D. Parks and Recreation Element III-114 E. Community Design Element III-135 F. Arts and Culture Element III-156 F. Economic and Fiscal Element III-176 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES ELEMENT A. Archaeological and Cultural Resources Element IV-1 B. Biological Resources Element IV-16 C. Water Resources Element IV-38 D. Air Quality Element IV-52 E. Energy and Mineral Resources Element IV-63 F. Open Space and Conservation Element IV-76 V. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS A. Geotechnical Element V-1 B. Flooding and Hydrology Element V-23 C. Noise Element V-43 D. Hazardous and Toxic Materials Element V-57 VI. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES A. Water, Sewer and Utilities Element VI-1 B. Public Building and Facilities Element VI-16 C. Fire and Police Protection Element VI-26 D. Schools and Libraries Element VI-38 E. Health Services Element VI-50 F. Emergency Preparedness Element VI-62 iii City of Palm Desert/Adopted 3.15.04 Comprehensive General Plan/Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont’d) VII. GLOSSARY Glossary VII-1 LIST OF TABLES Chapter III III-1 Land Use Designations III-4 III-2 Land Use Buildout Statistical Summary (City Limits) III-12 III-3 University Park Land Use Plan Statistical Summary III-13 III-4 Residential Land Use Buildout Statistical Summary III-27 III-5 Commercial Land Use Buildout Statistical Summary Total Planning Area III-32 III-6 Industrial Land Use Buildout Statistical Summary City Limits III-35 III-7 Public/Quasi-Public Lands Statistical Summary City Limits III-37 III-8 Open Space Lands Statistical Summary III-39 III-9 Level of Service Description Mid-Link and Uninterrupted Flow III-49 III-10 Level of Service Descriptions Signalized Intersections III-50 III-11 Level of Service Volumes/Capacity Values (Average Daily Trips-ADT) III-50 III-12 General Plan Roadway Analysis III-63 III-13 Intersection Impact Analysis Current Conditions & Post 2020 III-67 III-14 Age Distribution, 2000 III-91 III-15 Ethnic Characteristics, 2000 III-91 III-16 City Household Income Distribution, 2000 III-92 III-17 City Employment by Industry, 2000 III-92 III-18 Major Employers, 1999 III-93 III-19 City Housing Characteristics III-93 III-20 Age of Housing Units III-94 III-21 Vacancy Status - 2000 III-94 III-22 Housing Tenure - 2000 III-94 III-23 Overcrowding, 1990 III-95 III-24 Values, Specified Owner-Occupied Housing Units, 2000 III-95 III-25 Vacant Residential Land, 2000 III-96 III-26 City of Palm Desert Planning Department Fees III-100 III-27 Residential Development Standards Minimum Area Requirements for Residential Zones III-101 III-28 Minimum Development Standards for Residential Zones III-101 III-29 City of Palm Desert Typical Single-Family Building Permit Fees III-102 III-30 Age of Housing Units III-103 III-31 Future Housing Needs by Income Category, 1998-2005 III-104 III-32 Affordable Housing, Income Limits County of Riverside, 2001 III-107 III-33 Representative Mobilehome Park Rental Rates in Palm Desert, 2000 III-107 III-34 Representative Apartment Market Rental Rates in Palm Desert, 2000 III-108 III-35 Quantified Objectives Matrix, 1998-2005 III-109 III-36 Standards for Recreational Areas III-116 III-37 City of Palm Desert Parks Inventory III-118 iv City of Palm Desert/Adopted 3.15.04 Comprehensive General Plan/Table of Contents III-38 Trail Standards III-125 III-39 Age Distribution, 2000 III-175 III-40 City Household Income Distribution, 2000 III-176 III-41 City Employment by Industry, 2000 III-176 III-42 Employment of Palm Desert Residents, 1990 III-177 III-43 City of Palm Desert Major Employers, 1999 III-178 III-44 City of Palm Desert Housing Characteristics, 1990 vs. 2000 III-179 III-45 1990-2002 Taxable Sales Trends, City of Palm Desert III-182 III-46 Hotel/Motel Inventory for the Coachella Valley, 1999 III-183 III-47 City of Palm Desert Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Revenues III-184 III-48 Building Permit Activity, 1990-2000 III-186 III-49 New Construction Activity, 1995-2000 III-187 III-50 Palm Desert General Fund Revenues Historic Trends, Fiscal Year 1996/97 to 2000/01 III-188 III-51 Palm Desert General Fund Expenditures Historic Trends, Fiscal Year 1997/98 to 2000/01 III-190 Chapter IV IV-1 Sensitive Flora Reported From the Vicinity of Palm Desert IV-28 IV-2 Sensitive Invertebrates Reported From the Vicinity of Palm Desert IV-28 IV-3 Sensitive Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles Reported From the Vicinity of Palm Desert IV-29 IV-4 Sensitive Birds Reported From the Vicinity of Palm Desert IV-29 IV-5 Sensitive Mammals Reported From the Vicinity of Palm Desert IV-30 IV-6 Comparison of Historical Inflows and Outflows IV-43 IV-7 Mineral Analysis of representative Surface Waters IV-46 IV-8 State and Federal Ambient Air Quality Standards IV-54 IV-9 Designated Open Space Lands IV-80 Chapter V V-1 Potential Earthquake Sources for the Palm Desert Planning Area V-12 V-2 Major Drainage Channels V-30 V-3 Noise Contours for 2020 V-49 V-4 Land Use Compatibility for Community Noise Environments V-51 LIST OF EXHIBITS Introduction I-1 City of Palm Desert General Plan Study Area Map I-5 Chapter III III-1 Master Land Use Map III-14 III-2 University Park Land Use Map III-21 III-3 Existing ADT Volumes III-52 III-4 Existing Volume Capacity Ratio III-53 v City of Palm Desert/Adopted 3.15.04 Comprehensive General Plan/Table of Contents III-5 Palm Desert General Plan Street Cross-Sections III-56 III-5a Palm Desert Arterial Intersection III-57 III-6 Palm Desert General Plan Circulation Master Plan III-61 III-6a Palm Desert Traffic Circulation Network North Planning Area III-62 III-7 Palm Desert Post 2020 Average Daily Traffic III-65 III-8 Palm Desert General Plan City Parks and Recreation Program III-119 III-9 Golf Cart and Bike Path Routes III-127 Chapter IV IV-1 Cultural Resources Sensitivity Assessment North Section IV-8 IV-2 Cultural Resources Sensitivity Assessment South Section IV-9 IV-3 Comprehensive Biological Resources South Section IV-24 IV-4 Comprehensive Biological Resources Middle Section IV-25 IV-5 Comprehensive Biological Resources East Section IV-26 IV-6 Comprehensive Biological Resources North Section IV-27 IV-7 Mineral Resources Zones in the Planning Area IV-66 Chapter V V-1 Seismically Induced Rock Falls and Landslide Susceptibility V-4 V-2 Seismically Induced Settlement V-5 V-3 Wind Erosion Hazard Zones V-8 V-4 Faults and Fault Zones in the Palm Desert Planning Area V-13 V-5 Liquefaction Susceptibility in the Palm Desert Planning Area V-16 V-6 Flood Zones in the Palm Desert Planning Area V-28 V-7 Master Drainage Plan V-33 vi City of Palm Desert/Adopted 3.15.04 Comprehensive General Plan/Introduction CITY OF PALM DESERT COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL PLAN This introduction to the City's Comprehensive General Plan provides the broadest overview of this important document, what it is, what information it contains, how it was developed, and how the Plan is to be used. This Introduction also summarized the City’s history and important features. The size of the planning area, the state of existing development and the community’s valuable resources are also summarized and maps of the region and City boundaries are provided. The relationship of the General Plan to the Environmental Impact Report is explained. I City of Palm Desert/Adopted 3.15.04 Comprehensive General Plan/Introduction INTRODUCTION All incorporated towns and cities, and all counties are required by the California Government Code to prepare comprehensive, long-term general plans, which direct development of the community. As an official document of the City of Palm Desert, the Comprehensive General Plan provides the goals, policies and programs to guide the development of the City and to preserve its valued assets, resources and quality of life. In addition to goals and policies, the General Plan includes issues discussions, diagrams and maps, tables and charts that provide direction for the prudent and conscientious management of existing and future development.