University Neighborhood Specific Plan Update

August Update - Upcoming Community Workshop #2

The City of Palm Desert and consultant staff are preparing a revised land use concept plan based on feedback received at Workshop #1 in February. A follow up meeting will be scheduled in late fall of 2024.

Follow this page for future updates!

What is the University Neighborhood Specific Plan?

The University Neighborhood Specific Plan outlines land use and development standards for approximately 400 acres proximate to the California State University, San Bernardino, and University of California, Riverside Palm Desert campuses.

The original plan was adopted in 2016 and envisioned a mixed-use, walkable community with various housing options, commercial opportunities, and open spaces. Since the plan was adopted, substantial development activity has occurred, and approvals have been issued for more than half of the planning area. The City has just launched a plan update effort, with the main focus being reimagining and planning for the remaining 170 acres of undeveloped land.

Why is the plan being updated?

Since the plan was adopted in 2016, some circumstances have changed:

1. A new regional sports park will be situated within the planning area. The regional sports park had not been anticipated in the current plan. The regional sports park will be a significant community asset and provide amenities to both residents who will live in the UNSP area and to residents of the City at large. A public library and a community building are also being considered.
2. Housing that is required by State law, including affordable housing, needs to be accommodated within the planning area. The City’s Housing Element was updated in 2022 after the current plan was adopted. The Housing Element allocates approximately 1,500 housing units within the planning area.

What are the other benefits of updating the plan?

Other uses and amenities are being planned for, including commercial uses. Possible uses could include a neighborhood market and a neighborhood-serving mixed-use town center, aiming to encourage local services such as restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and other convenience and service businesses.

A highly connected circulation network will be planned for, with “Complete Streets” standards allowing for safe and comfortable movement, whether walking, cycling, driving, or public transit.

Objective design standards will be incorporated, providing certainty to both the community and developers regarding the types and standards for development within the planning area.

How can I get involved? Who can I contact?

Over the coming months, the City will host community workshops and hold public hearings on the plan update. Your participation is highly encouraged!

For inquiries on the University Neighborhood Specific Plan update, you can contact Nick Melloni, Principal Planner, at nmelloni@palmdesert.gov or (760) 776-6479.

For inquiries on the regional sports park project, you can contact Shawn Muir, Community Services Manager, at smuir@palmdesert.gov or (760) 776-6481.

Community Workshop #1

On Thursday, March 21, City staff and planning consultants hosted a community workshop on the University Neighborhood Specific Plan Update. During the workshop, the consultant team gave a presentation introducing the project and describing the draft land use alternatives proposed for the undeveloped land within the specific plan area; local residents and other stakeholders provided their comments and feedback on the land use alternatives and precedent photos of land uses envisioned for the area. The slides presented at the workshop are available to download on the right-hand side of this webpage under "Documents".

We want to hear from you! You can provide feedback on the draft land use alternatives by scrolling to the bottom of this page to the Idea titled “UNSP Draft Land Use Alternatives”.