Trilogy residents press City Council on large events at neighborhood venue

Trilogy Polo Club residents brought longstanding complaints about commercial event venues operating next to their neighborhood to the Indio City Council Wednesday evening, detailing noise disturbances, traffic safety hazards, and what they described as inadequate code enforcement while litigation continues between homeowners and the owner of a large estate used for events.

Multiple residents spoke during public comment, with several citing years of attempts to resolve issues related to large estates and party houses located in the Los Palos neighborhood, located just one block west of the Empire Polo Club, the venue for the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals.

Of primary concern was the sprawling nine-acre Zenda Estate with a massive villa that “comfortably [sleeps] 28” according to its Airbnb listing. The venue has hosted events with 200-600 guests.

Trilogy residents have filed a lawsuit against the owner, and included the city as a part of the lawsuit.

Richard Zizian told councilmembers the city has allowed commercial event businesses to proliferate within the residential enclave through temporary use permits. He said code enforcement responds to complaints almost every weekend but has not issued citations that would lead to permit revocations under the city’s three-strike rule.

“You have laws on the books today that will eliminate these people that are disturbing our lives,” Zizian said. “You’re not allowing that to happen.”

Residents raised pedestrian safety concerns, describing drunk drivers traveling through the neighborhood at night, as the only way to access the estate is through Trilogy’s private roads.

“It is dangerous with these drunk drivers going through our neighborhood at night, when I’m walking by two dogs, we have to get out of the damn street because they’re going past us too fast,” one resident said.

Miles Warner, owner of the Zenda estate, defended his operations and said he has attempted to work with the Trilogy board for 18 months without success. He said when a meeting finally occurred, he was treated poorly by the board’s attorney.

Warner said a sound study conducted during three events, including one with 180 guests and a live band, and that it found the noise levels were reasonable.

Warner told councilmembers that a Riverside County judge recently issued a ruling less than stating he has a right to use the roads for commercial purposes and awarded him a judgment of $5,100 that the Trilogy board has not yet paid. 

“There’s a lot of things that you guys don’t know about, that you’re not being told,” Warner said. “I understand why these people are so upset. I would be too if I was being misled and if I didn’t have access to what was really happening.”

There was no action item for councilmembers, bu Mayor Glenn Miller assured the residents that their complaints had been noted by city staff.

“We’ll let staff look at what they can do,” he said.

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