Council backs six-month extension for Desert Willow development agreement

The Palm Desert City Council voted 5-0 Thursday to approve a six-month extension of a development agreement covering the remaining 80 unbuilt units at Desert Willow.

The extension moves the agreement’s expiration date from August to February 2027. The agreement covers property east of Portola Avenue and north of Country Club Drive within the Desert Willow planned residential zone.

Development Services staff said the additional time will allow the city and developer to finalize revisions to a performance schedule outlining remaining obligations, deliverables and deadlines for completing the project. Deputy Director of Development Services Carlos Flores told the council that staff is close to completing the revisions and expects to return with an updated development agreement before the new expiration date.

No changes are proposed to the project’s land uses, development intensity, site design or existing entitlements. Of the 300 residential units approved under the agreement, 80 remain unbuilt.

The council also found the amendment exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under the common-sense exemption, meaning the extension itself would not have a significant environmental effect.

Earlier in the week, the Planning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the extension. Property owners within 1,000 feet of the site were notified, and no members of the public spoke during either the commission or council hearings.