Friday, April 24 | ☁️ 84°/60°
Happy Friday, folks! If you’re an aspiring young artist (or know of one), SunLine Transit Agency has an opportunity you won’t want to miss. The 11th Annual Student Art Contest is underway and it’s a chance to see your work wrapped on a really big canvas — a bus! Grades K–12 are welcome to submit original artwork inspired by this year's theme, "Moving People. Improving Lives. Protecting Our Planet," with entries due by 5 p.m. on June 12. Want more information? Just go here.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Can’t Sit Still" by Lainey Wilson
Leading Off
City Councilmembers also approved a procedural move related to the 298-unit affordable housing development planned for the corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Cook Street.
Palm Desert pauses development code and disbands citizen committees
The Palm Desert City Council voted Thursday to pause its development code overhaul to conduct a city-wide views analysis and disbanded two citizen committees. The council also finalized a homeless camping ban and authorized a bond limit increase for a major affordable housing project.
Driving the news: The council approved delaying the completion of the Unified Development Code to prioritize an aesthetic “views analysis” starting in June. Officials reasoned that the analysis is foundational for future growth and regulations regarding outdoor dining along the El Paseo corridor.
The big picture: In a 4-1 vote during regular session, the council disbanded the Environmental Resources Committee and the Homeless Task Force. Councilmember Karina Moreno and some residents objected to the move, arguing it eliminates formal citizen participation in implementing the city’s climate action plan.
The council also reduced the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting schedule to every other month and removed park inspection obligations for its members.
Why it matters: Officials signaled a policy shift by adopting a homeless camping ban and suggesting that homelessness is better addressed through regional programs. The city may consider a new service model for the unsheltered population following anticipated cuts in state funding.
Ivan Tenorio, homeless and supportive services manager, said a new model would be devised once state funding levels are determined.
By the numbers: Sinatra Family Housing received approval for a $30 million increase to the tax-exempt bond limit for a 298-unit development at Cook Street and Frank Sinatra Drive. City staff said the move was necessary as an administrative step, and involves no financial obligation from the city.
Briefly
A new executive director, John Brennan, will start at the Joslyn Center in May.
🏢 Joslyn Center names new executive director
The Joslyn Center, a Palm Desert nonprofit serving older adults, has appointed John Brennan as its new executive director, effective May 21, the organization announced April 17.
Brennan's background includes executive roles focused on organizational growth, team development, and community partnerships. His appointment follows a period of scrutiny over the center's governance, including concerns raised at an October 2025 Palm Desert City Council meeting after the board removed its previous executive director without explanation.
Bottom line: At a more recent meeting, Councilmember Karina Moreno said the board is making progress on community concerns, including work on bylaws and expanded transparency. The city funds the center through the Cove Communities Service Commission but does not have authority over the board's governance decisions.
📅 Featured Events
LEGO Open Build
Today | 3:30 p.m. | Palm Desert Library
This hands-on event encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity — all in a supportive environment guided by friendly library staff.
Coachella Valley Plumeria Society Sale
Saturday | 9 a.m. | St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
The Coachella Valley Plumeria Society holds its Spring Plumeria Blowout Sale, featuring large cuttings from Thailand and a variety of hard-to-find specimens best appreciated in person.
Santa Rosa Writers Workshop
Saturday | 12 p.m. | Palm Desert Library
Named after the mountains that envelop our desert home, find your safe haven away from classroom prompts and learn what it means to write what you want at this workshop, just for tweens and teens
"Through the Lens" Photography Show and Sale
Thursday | 10 a.m. | Artists Center at the Galen
Over 100 photographic works by Artists Council photographer members are on display and available for purchase.
The Palm Wrangler
Thursday | 1 p.m. | 72559 Hwy 111
Ribbon cutting celebration welcoming The Palm Wrangler to the Chamber community, with networking for members and local professionals. The shop specializes in premium palms, cacti, and desert trees sourced from growers across the Southwest.
Board Game Night
Thursday | 5 p.m. | The Dragon Den
Bring your own games or try a rental from a selection of strategy, area-control, and cooperative titles; solo players are welcome to meet new friends. Check the Used Games section for discounts. ($10–$20)
District 4 Budget Community Workshop
Thursday | 5:30 p.m. | Coachella Valley Water District
Riverside County invites District 4 residents to attend a community budget workshop, part of a series held across all five supervisorial districts.
✨ And Finally …
Peeling paint at the Sandpiper Condominiums is seen at left. At right is a historical image of the original paint color of the units.
A quiet but pointed debate over paint colors turned into a 4-3 vote Wednesday morning at Palm Desert's Historic Preservation Committee — with the stakes being nothing less than the look of a nationally recognized mid-century modern neighborhood.
Driving the news: The committee approved a certificate of appropriateness allowing the Sandpiper Circles 5-10 Historic District to repaint all exterior building surfaces in a lighter color, over objections from residents and preservation professionals who argued the homeowners association bypassed scientific analysis and skipped an open process in selecting the color.
The Sandpiper Circles 5-10 Historic District, located south of El Paseo and west of Highway 74, was designed by architectural firm Palmer and Krisel and designated by the Palm Desert City Council in 2017.
The objections: Critics — including Sian Winship, president of the Society of Architectural Historians and a heritage conservation professor at USC — urged the committee to require a paint striation test before approving any color, calling it the only scientific method for determining authentic historic paint colors.
Worth noting: Staff clarified that the certificate of appropriateness process requires a finding of color compatibility — not proof of an original color match.
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