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PALM SPRINGS
Planning commission signs off on project; city council earlier opened area for warehouses
Palm Springs Desert Sun
The Palm Springs Planning Commission has approved a large warehouse project in the far north end of the city, less than half a mile from Interstate 10.
In a 4-0 vote Wednesday, with Vice Chair Lauri Aylaian and Commissioners Carl Baker and Robert Rotman absent, the commission allowed PS Canyon Development LLC to move forward with a 739,360-square-foot warehouse at the northwest corner of North Indian Canyon Drive and 19th Avenue. It's not clear yet what company will occupy it.
Commissioners added several last-minute measures in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of the project. David Snider, the founder of the firm that is managing the project for PS Canyon Development, said during the meeting the Sierra Club, a national environmental organization, had signed off on the project as long as long as certain conditions are met.
In 2022, the city council loosened building restrictions on a portion of north Palm Springs for warehouse and fulfillment centers in the hopes of luring developers to the area. Then-City Manager Justin Clifton said the zoning changes would be a game-changer for the city by increasing tax revenue.
The area was selected because of its distance from residential areas and proximity to Interstate 10. The site is located north of the highway near the border with Desert Hot Springs.
The project approved on Wednesday could be developed into either a fulfillment center or a warehouse. Fulfillment centers are used by companies to ship products to customers, while warehouses are used to store products.
A tenant has not yet been identified for the proposed building, and Snider said production would not start until one had been brought on.
Discussion on Wednesday focused on the clash between environmental concerns and the prospect of significant economic gains. Project developer PS Canyon Development LLC believes a the facility could conservatively bring 700 permanent jobs to the area, with the potential for more.
Palm Springs staff estimated the facility would generate $1 million in annual property tax revenue. In 2023, Palm Springs earned around $32.5 million in property taxes.
However, some local residents and environmental groups opposed the project for its impact on the views of the nearby mountains and the increase to greenhouse gas emissions the project would bring. An environmental impact report stated the facility would have a "significant and unavoidable" impact on local greenhouse gas emissions even if all mitigations were put in place.
“The environmental impact is incredible," said former hotelier and resident Frank Tysen. "We are a tourist community… no one is going to come here anymore when we build it out.”
A total of 1,574 vehicles could arrive at the facility each day, according to the environmental report.
Snider defended the traffic impacts during the meeting, pointing to its proximity to the highway. Also, the commission specified the eventual tenant would have to move to an electrified truck force as soon as feasible to coincide with state law.
"The site’s proximity to I-10 really allows this kind of building to be a part of Palm Springs but not negatively impact traffic or congestion," Snider said.
Addressing concerns that the building would obstruct views, he said the building would only be two stories, approximately 50 feet.
“I think this warehouse building will be the most attractive building of its kind," he said, "certainly in the Inland Empire and this area.”
The project follows a boom of warehouse development that has struck Southern California in recent years. Nonprofit news organization CalMatters reports more than 1 billion square feet of land has devoted to warehouses in the Inland Empire, and more projects are on the way.
Commissioners stated their discomfort with approving the project. However, they pointed to the council's previous designation of the land for warehouses, saying it limited their ability to dismiss the proposal.
The last-second measures the commission required included requiring the project to endeavor to use carbon-free power, bike storage inside the facility and areas where employees could eat.
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.