Commission conditionally approves Palm Springs self-storage and RV parking pending FAA clearance

The Riverside County Airport Land Use Commission voted to find conditionally consistent a 91,400-square-foot, two-story self-storage building and associated RV parking proposed by Legacy Built Investments in the Palm Springs Airport influence area.

ALUC staff planner Jackie Vega told the commission the site lies in Zone B1 and that when staff applies the conservative building-code occupancy method the project appears inconsistent with zone criteria for average and single-acre intensities; however, the applicant submitted a local survey analysis showing much lower actual trip and occupancy counts and staff accepted that analysis for a conditional finding. Vega said the project includes 12 car spaces and 57 RV spaces as listed in the staff report, though the applicant’s architectural plan appeared to show 41 RV spaces.

Nick Sures, the project civil engineer, described the comparable facilities used in the survey and clarified the 92,000-square-foot comparison facility was smaller than the proposed 92,000–plus-square-foot project and said “the square footage is usable storage space.” Vega and the applicant explained an FAA aeronautical study (case number 2026AWP2272E) is in progress; Vega said staff will not release the final consistency letter until the FAA OES issues its determination and any FAA conditions will be incorporated.

Commissioners asked about RV counts and the effect of parking on occupancy calculations; the applicant and staff said the report used worst-case numbers for intensity and that the survey analysis better reflects typical mini-storage usage. The motion for a conditional finding passed unanimously; staff will finalize the consistency letter after receiving the FAA OES determination and will incorporate any FAA-required conditions.