Cathedral City lies in a natural setting of scenic, natural beauty with year-round weather encouraging outdoor activities. This environment generates a strong catalyst for tourist and recreation-oriented activity with stable family-oriented residential areas. It is the purpose of these provisions to assure that the development of the community compliment the natural environment and is consistent with the goals, policies and programs of the Community Design Element and other relevant elements of the General Plan. The design review process provides for review of the development of permitted uses:
A. 
Architectural considerations, including: height, bulk, area, color of buildings, types of construction materials, physical and architectural relationships with existing and proposed structures; height; materials, and variations in boundary walls, fences, exterior elevations of all sides of the buildings or structures, and methods used to screen mechanical equipment from public view.
B. 
Landscape and site treatment, including: types of planting and vegetation, rock groupings, topography, methods of irrigation, lighting, and incorporation and placement of utilities and appurtenances.
C. 
Site plan analysis, including: traffic circulation, on-site and off-site safety considerations, pedestrian circulation and safety, arrangement of off-street parking and loading facilities, and provision of municipal and public services.
It is intended that these provisions are consistent with and implement the community design and development goals of the general plan. In order to achieve these goals all development whether reviewed by staff, the architectural review committee, planning commission, and/or city council shall be reviewed for compliance with all applicable city municipal codes or design guidelines.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
Application for a design review shall be submitted to the planning department by the owner of the property for which the design review is sought, or by the lessee of the property, or by the agent of any of the foregoing duly authorized in writing on a form provided by the city.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
A design review application shall not be required for the following:
A. 
Interior alterations for permitted uses;
B. 
Individual single-family dwellings;
C. 
Interior landscaping of gated communities.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
A. 
Minor projects that are permitted uses in the applicable zone shall be approved by staff as defined below:
1. 
Change of color scheme of a shopping center;
2. 
Family dwellings of five or less units;
3. 
Model homes for tract development;
4. 
Tennis courts including proposals for lighting;
5. 
Commercial building additions that satisfy the following conditions:
a. 
Structures that do not face a public street, public area, or adjacent to a residential area,
b. 
Additions that are less than thirty percent of the total existing floor area;
6. 
Buildings that are damaged and not destroyed subject to Chapter 9.86 of this code by fire, earthquake, natural disasters, acts of God, or the public enemy that do not involve expansion of the size of the building;
7. 
Changes in façade that do not change the character defining features and/or motif of the building;
8. 
Modification to landscaping to satisfy water efficient landscaping rules;
9. 
Architectural changes to a building required by a national chain in order to maintain a corporate identity: flexibility in architecture shall be used to provide for complimentary architecture to the surrounding area;
10. 
Changes to a conditional use permit that add no floor area to the building or change to the land use and are within the scope of this section may be processed as an administrative design review.
B. 
The city planner may refer these types of projects to the architectural review committee and/or planning commission based on any of the following:
1. 
The proposed project is deemed to have detrimental impacts to surrounding uses such as traffic, sound, lighting, aesthetics, and/or view sheds;
2. 
Negative impacts to the immediate neighborhood or other impacts which will tend to diminish values of or otherwise detrimentally affect neighboring uses or residents.
Applications subject to this section are minor in nature, not subject to the Cathedral City public hearing process and are not subject to the public hearing requirements of California Government Code Section 65090.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
A. 
In order to streamline the development process and facilitate economic development, projects that are permitted uses and will not have a significant impact on the surrounding area shall be processed as an administrative design review acted on by the architectural review committee. The architectural review committee shall review the following projects:
1. 
Significant changes to the architecture of the building that changes the character defining features of the building.
2. 
Building additions to structures that are up to fifty percent of the existing floor area or under twenty thousand square feet whichever number is less.
3. 
Pad structures of existing shopping centers not including drive-through facilities.
4. 
Exterior changes to the existing landscaping of a gated community, commercial development, or shopping center.
5. 
Changes to a conditional use permit that are within the scope of this section may be processed as an administrative design review.
6. 
Multi-family developments within the R4 zoning district.
B. 
The architectural review committee may refer these types of projects to the planning commission based on any of the following:
1. 
The proposed project is deemed to have detrimental impacts to surrounding uses such as traffic, sound, lighting, aesthetics, and/or view sheds.
2. 
Negative impacts to the immediate neighborhood or other impacts which will tend to diminish values of or otherwise detrimentally affect neighboring uses or residents.
C. 
The architectural review committee shall take final action on projects and may impose conditions of approval.
D. 
The architectural review committee's action is final unless appealed to the planning commission subject to the procedure set forth in Section 2.04.100 of this code wherein the planning commission would be substituted for the city council.
E. 
These projects are minor in nature and not subject to the Cathedral City public hearing process and are not subject to the public hearing requirements of California Government Code Section 65090. However, in order to support transparent government and community involvement these projects shall be posted on the exterior of City Hall in a place that is accessible during nonworking hours and electronically on the city's website a minimum of five days prior to the meeting of the architectural review committee.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 746 § 7, 2014; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
A. 
Any item not expressly mentioned in Sections 9.78.040 and 9.78.050 shall be acted on by the planning commission which shall consider the recommendations of staff, the architectural review committee, and all applicable municipal codes.
B. 
The findings of staff and the architectural review committee shall be forwarded to the planning commission in the form of a written report.
C. 
The planning commission shall have full authority to take final action on projects and can add, modify, or delete any condition of approval recommended by staff or the architectural review committee.
D. 
These projects are subject to the Cathedral City public hearing notice requirements contained in Chapter 9.09 of this title.
E. 
The planning commission's action is final unless appealed to the city council subject to Section 2.04.100 of this code.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022; Ord. 891, 7/9/2025)
The city council can initiate a de novo review of any design review by requesting the item via the city manager to be on the next city council agenda. If a majority of the quorum present is in agreement to conduct a de novo review they may order a review of all or part of the application in the same manner as provided for Section 9.72.090 of this title. The item shall be presented at a city council meeting after the order of review and the city council shall conduct a de novo review and may add, modify, or delete any part of the project and/or conditions of approval.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
It shall be the responsibility of the city planner or designee to inform the applicant of a design review application of the completeness of such application within thirty days of receipt. If the application is complete, the city planner shall have staff from all impacted departments review the proposal and shall assure that the application is processed through the most expedient process defined in this chapter.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
A. 
A request for design review approval shall be submitted on application forms provided by the planning department. The application for such approval shall be filed with the city. If the project concurrently requires a conditional use permit or planned unit development application; the information contained in that application may be used to submit a design review application.
B. 
An application for design review shall be supplemented by plans, drawings, photographs, renderings, samples of materials and any other pertinent information, as required by the city planner to adequately portray all applicable aspects of a proposal and adjacent property as required. Plans and drawings shall be signed by the draftsman and the architect, building designer or engineer responsible for their correctness.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
A. 
A design review shall expire twenty-four months after the original date of approval by the final approving body, unless a completed building permit application has been submitted. A "completed building permit application" shall mean all required fees, structural plans, site plans, grading plans and other documents required pursuant to the design review. The building official in consultation with the city planner shall have authority to determine the sufficiency of the building permit application as complying with the criteria in this section.
B. 
A design review shall expire upon expiration of a building permit which has been issued in accordance with subsection A of this section.
C. 
When an applicant desires an extension of a design review, and the design review is not coupled with a tentative tract map or parcel map, the final approving body at its sole discretion may grant an extension of time not to exceed one year from the original expiration of said permit.
D. 
Notwithstanding Ordinance No. 659, when an applicant desires to be granted an extension of a design review, and the design review is coupled with a tentative tract map or parcel map, the final approving body at its sole discretion may grant an extension of time not to exceed the life of the map including any extensions approved by the city of Cathedral City or by state law.
E. 
The application to file an extension for a design review must be filed on a form as provided by the city and must be completed and filed with the city prior to the expiration of said permit.
F. 
For purposes of this section, final approving body shall mean the architectural review committee, planning commission, or city council.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)
Notwithstanding performance standards required to be met under Chapter 9.86, all improvements approved for construction based upon the procedures established herein are required to be maintained so as to substantially comply with the plans approved for construction. The improvements to be maintained include, but are not limited to, site improvements, such as parking and walking surfaces, drainage control facilities, fences, signs, and lights; building and accessory structure improvements, such as paint colors and other finish materials, roofing materials, mechanical equipment, windows, trellises, canopies, and all architectural features; and landscape improvements, such as plant type, size and number and all irrigation system components. Any new signage that is installed must have the surrounding area painted and patched to match the existing area.
(Ord. 714 § 7, 2012; Ord. 862 § 2, 2022)