The project sits just east of Palm Desert Greens and next to a separate parcel where the City Council previously approved a 13-building, three-story apartment complex in 2023
The Palm Desert City Council voted 5-0 on Thursday to deny an appeal by an environmental group and uphold the Planning Commission's approval of the Catavina development, a 546-unit single-family residential community on the site of the former Santa Rosa Country Club golf course.
The project by Blue Fern Development would be built on approximately 81 acres south of Frank Sinatra Drive and west of Portola Avenue. The golf course operated from 1978 until its closure in 2015, and the property has sat vacant since.
The appeal was filed by Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility, known as SAFER, which routinely files appeals and lawsuits against development projects throughout the state. Like it has in many similar cases, the organization challenged the project's environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, arguing that the mitigated negative declaration prepared for the project was inadequate and that a full environmental impact report should be required.
Brian Flynn, an attorney representing SAFER, said the project's greenhouse gas emissions exceed common numerical thresholds, citing more than 10,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year compared to the South Coast Air District's threshold of 3,000 metric tons. He also said a wildlife ecologist found 33 species on the site compared to 12 detected in the project's surveys, with 10 having special status under CEQA.
Flynn argued the project does not qualify for streamlined review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 because the required mitigation measures are not uniformly applied development standards.
David Hubbard, CEQA counsel for Blue Fern Development, countered that SAFER had not demonstrated any "significant and peculiar" impact — the legal standard required to overcome the exemption.
"In order for the entire mitigation discussion to even become relevant from a regulatory perspective, under Section 15183, there has to be evidence that the project creates not just a significant impact, but a significant and peculiar impact that was not studied in the earlier document," Hubbard said.
The site is designated Town Center Neighborhood in the city's general plan, which allows between seven and 40 dwelling units per acre. The Catavina project proposes a density of seven units per acre — the lowest allowed — with a mix of one- and two-story homes on lots ranging from approximately 2,120 to 5,000 square feet.
Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto said the threshold had not been met, adding, "I know that sometimes CEQA is weaponized when people don't want a particular type of project to go in the vicinity of their home."
Councilmember Gina Nestande concurred, saying, "I've been open minded, I've been listening, and I don't see that the appellant has met the threshold to deny the project."
The council's decision is final and cannot be further appealed under the Palm Desert municipal code.