Tommy Gallegos
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)— The City of Indio is inviting residents, property owners and other interested members of the community to participate in a virtual meeting next week as the city continues studying the potential annexation of thousands of acres of unincorporated Riverside County land along its eastern boundary.
The virtual meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday September 28, and will provide an overview of the East Indio Land Planning Annexation Study, including the proposed study area, the annexation process and project updates.
The city is examining the potential annexation of approximately 4,609 acres of unincorporated Riverside County land located immediately east of Indio. The area is already within the city’s Eastern Sphere of Influence, a designated area outside the current city limits where future municipal services or annexation may be considered.
The study does not itself annex the land. Instead, city officials say the planning effort is intended to determine which portions of the area could potentially be included in an annexation request and to prepare the materials needed for an application to the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO.
Proposed future employment hub
Indio’s vision for the area includes creating a future employment center with a mixture of uses intended to support job creation and economic diversification.
Potential uses identified by the city include:
Business park development
Light industrial and logistics operations
Office space
Retail
Workforce housing
Open space
According to the city, the broader planning effort is intended to evaluate opportunities for business development, job growth and infrastructure improvements while determining where development may be appropriate and where sensitive or natural areas should be preserved.
The study includes analyses of land use, transportation, public services and utilities, hydrology, geology, biological resources, cultural resources and paleontological resources. A fiscal impact analysis and environmental documentation are also part of the planning process.
Development would face environmental and safety considerations
The proposed expansion area contains several environmental and physical constraints that could influence future development.
One significant consideration is seismic activity. Major regional faults, including the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, run through the broader area. Potential hazards associated with faulting include ground shaking, surface rupture, liquefaction and landslides.
Flooding is another concern. The northern portion of the study area includes land within a floodplain with a one-percent annual chance of flooding. Planning recommendations call for flood-management measures and caution regarding development of uses that could be particularly vulnerable to flooding, including residential uses.
The area also contains habitat and conservation resources. Approximately 15 acres in the northeastern portion of the study area overlap the Desert Tortoise and Linkage Conservation Area, which is part of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan framework.
That conservation area is intended to protect natural communities including Sonoran creosote bush scrub, Sonoran mixed woody and succulent scrub, Mojave mixed woody scrub and desert dry wash woodland. Any development proposed within the conservation area could be subject to additional biological analysis, avoidance requirements and mitigation measures.
The study’s environmental considerations also include potential habitat for a number of sensitive species, including the desert tortoise, Le Conte’s thrasher, summer tanager and Palm Springs pocket mouse.
Other wildlife considerations include American badgers and desert kit foxes, which have a high potential to occur in the project area but are not covered under the CVMSHCP. If they are found, additional consultation and mitigation could be required.
Nelson’s bighorn sheep, a fully protected species, is another consideration, particularly in the northeastern and eastern portions of the study area. Future development in those areas could require setbacks and additional avoidance or mitigation measures.
Surveys could be required before construction
Future development would also have to account for protected birds and bats.
The project area contains potential habitat for burrowing owls, raptors and other nesting birds. Pre-construction surveys would be required in circumstances covered by applicable state and federal protections, particularly when vegetation removal occurs during nesting season.
The planning materials also identify potential bat roosting habitat. Depending on the location and timing of construction, projects could need to avoid maternity-roosting periods or conduct pre-construction surveys and implement avoidance measures.
These requirements mean that potential annexation and future development would involve additional environmental review beyond the question of whether the land should become part of Indio.
Transportation and Dillon Road
Transportation infrastructure is another component of the planning effort.
Improvements to Dillon Road are identified as a covered activity under the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, although the applicable improvements are limited to a maximum right-of-way width of 128 feet.
Where Dillon Road improvements overlap the East Indio Hills Conservation Area, additional avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures could apply, along with land-use adjacency requirements under the conservation plan.
The city’s current study also evaluates transportation access as part of its broader assessment of whether and how the area could accommodate future development.
Public participation sought
City officials are emphasizing community participation as the study progresses. The city says outreach is expected to include public workshops, online surveys and presentations to relevant city commissions and the City Council.
The upcoming virtual meeting will give residents an opportunity to learn more about the study area, understand the annexation process and hear about the latest project developments.
The city has said community input will be incorporated at key milestones as officials evaluate the potential annexation.
For additional project information, residents can visit the City of Indio’s East Indio Land Planning Annexation Study webpage, where the city is posting project reports, outreach information and updates.
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