Indio City Council extends timeline for stalled 3,000-home Citrus Ranch project by up to 20 years

The plan has been in the works for nearly 20 years, now a representative for the developer said they need this extension in order to move forward with a pending sale.

The Indio City Council adopted an ordinance Wednesday giving the developer of the Citrus Ranch project up to 20 additional years to build out the long-planned community, despite pushback from residents who argued the project’s environmental review is outdated.

The Citrus Ranch Specific Plan, approved in 2007, calls for roughly 3,075 homes, a golf course, clubhouse and hotel on land west of Dillon Road. The city’s original development agreement with the project allowed for one 10-year extension beyond its July 26, 2032, expiration date. The amendment approved Wednesday adds a second, 20-year extension option, tied to specific requirements including completion of the golf course, clubhouse and 200 residential units.

City staff said the change only revises the timeline in the development agreement and does not alter the project itself, meaning no new environmental study is required under state law.

One resident pressed the council to require an updated environmental review before granting any extension, saying, “the current state of water availability, increased air pollution, increased traffic, and changes to traffic patterns and infrastructure” since 2007 warrant a fresh look.

Councilmember Oscar Ortiz raised concerns during the discussion, asking staff “if we wanted to do an additional environmental review to check for endangered species and other wildlife movement, because it has been 20 years, at what point would we be able to require that additional step?”

City staff responded that any future development at the site would still need to clear a habitat survey before construction begins, under mitigation requirements already built into the project’s approvals.

Robert Bernheimer, an attorney, representing the developer told the council the extension was necessary for a pending sale of the property to move forward, saying, “[The buyers] not going to buy this project without an extension, and they’ll stop all due diligence on this without an extension because they know they can’t build it in the time that the [development agreement] has left.” He said infrastructure costs tied to the project, including water, sewer and electrical upgrades, would fall to the developer rather than the city.

The item was initially pulled from the council’s routine approval list for discussion before being returned to that list and approved along with several other measures.