Cathedral City staff previews development code rewrite; public workshop set for June 9

At the May 6 meeting, a Cathedral City planning staff member told the commission that the city's development code is undergoing a broad rewrite and reorganization and that a public review draft is expected to be posted next week.

The staff member said the rewrite is consolidated under Minteer Harnish and that staff will host a public workshop on June 9 and present a high-level overview to the City Council on June 10. Staff also said they will post materials to zonecathedralcity.com and run outreach through the Discover Cathedral City channels.

Commissioners questioned how the code changes affect downtown height and density. Staff described an intent to align zoning districts with the general plan, to simplify zone names and improve clarity. Staff said they did not intend wholesale increases in height limits and that density is constrained by the general plan; however, they noted that state density bonus law can allow higher density through concessions for affordable housing. "We have not exceed[ed] the height limits that were set in the code," the staff member said, adding that specific numeric limits will be clarified in the draft materials.

The item was for information and discussion only; staff invited the commission to review the draft and submit questions so that staff can provide memos or include topics in upcoming workshops. The public workshop is scheduled for June 9; staff encouraged commissioners and members of the public to participate.