BROUGHT TO YOU BY
We are grateful for our advertisers. Become one today
Thursday, March 26 | ☀️ 95°/71°
Happy Thursday! This weekend is the perfect time to clear out those old paint cans, dead batteries, and piles of paperwork cluttering your garage during Indio's free sustainability and hazardous waste event. Since standard trash pickup can’t handle items like motor oil, electronics, or tires, these collection days are essential for keeping chemicals and bulky waste out of our local environment. Indio residents can even bring up to four boxes of sensitive documents for on-site shredding, so take advantage of this chance to safely toss the difficult stuff that usually just sits in the corner of the shed.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right" by Bob Dylan
Leading Off
Original plans seen here called for almost 1,800 units of housing split between townhouses and apartments and including almost 1 million square feet of retail.
Commission discusses replacing mixed-use project with single-family home neighborhood
A proposal to transform a 97-acre mixed-use development site in Indio into a single-family subdivision moved to its first public step Wednesday, with Pulte Homes presenting plans to the Indio Planning Commission during a project consultation.
Driving the news: The builder is proposing 490 homes on the Las Montanas Marketplace site, north of Varner Road near the Jefferson Street freeway entrance, replacing a long-dormant plan that once called for nearly 1,800 residential units and approximately 1 million square feet of commercial space.
A representative described the project as targeting first-time buyers, with prices estimated in the low $500,000s to mid-$600,000s.
Why it matters: The shift represents a dramatic scaling back of what was envisioned as a major jobs and housing hub. Commission Chair Gloria Franz raised concerns about both the reduction in housing density and the loss of commercial potential the city had planned around the site.
"I worry about walking away from 1,700 potential places for people to live, and bring it down to 490," Franz said. “Is $550,000 really what an entry level home is now in the Coachella Valley?”
The backdrop: A market analysis cited by the developer concluded that flat rents, elevated vacancy rates, and limited recent absorption made the original high-density vision no longer viable. The original plan had been approved for more than a decade without construction beginning.
What's next: No formal application has been submitted. Principal Planner Gustavo Gomez said the consultation was a preliminary step to gather commission feedback. Moving forward, the project would require a General Plan amendment — changing the designation from a workplace employment district to a suburban neighborhood — and a recommendation to the City Council.
A full CEQA environmental review would be required as part of any future entitlements, the developer said.
Briefly
A 450-acre data center and microgrid proposed for the city of Coachella. (Rendering: DMK Project Solutions Services)
🏗️ Indio sustainability panel eyes data center policy
The Indio Sustainability Commission held its first detailed discussion Monday on large-scale data centers, moving toward a formal policy recommendation to the City Council before any facility is proposed within city limits.
Commissioners expressed concern about nearby projects — including a 450-acre campus proposed for Coachella and a 950,000-square-foot facility under consideration in Imperial County — citing energy use, water consumption, noise, air quality, and a lack of transparency in how such projects are permitted.
Bottom line: Commissioners set an end-of-April deadline for submitting additional research to staff. Each member will also reach out to their City Council liaisons, with a goal of broadening outreach to county and state legislators.
🚌 SunLine prepares competing service maps for public review
SunLine Transit Agency has entered Phase 2 of its Rides Reimagined project, developing two competing transit network redesigns for the Coachella Valley based on approximately 1,800 community surveys collected during the first phase of outreach, which closed March 11.
The first option would maximize ridership by focusing service on the busiest fixed routes, offering more frequent buses but less coverage. The second would prioritize reach by integrating fixed routes, para-transit, and the SunRide microtransit service across a wider area, with less frequent service.
Bottom line: Phase 3 is expected to launch in early May, when the public can weigh in on both maps online and at in-person events. A final network recommendation is expected later this year in Phase 4.
A MESSAGE FROM
PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER
We will be joined by Matt Walding, Partner, Santos Walding LLP. This workshop will help you create your trust and estate documents, as well as update your current documents. You'll also learn about the benefit of designating a charitable beneficiary in your estate plans.
📅 Featured events
Ronnie King's Argentinian Nights with Emily V
Today | 7 p.m. | Dune Room
Experience the passion and romance of Argentina as Ronnie King brings his Argentinian Nights Tango Tour. ($22)
PRIDE for the Pride Party
Today | 6 p.m. | The Living Desert
Celebrate diversity in the desert as we come together to support PRIDE for the Pride, the LGBTQ+ initiative to support The Living Desert’s plan to bring African lions to the Zoo. Enjoy food, fun, cocktails, and music from DJ Mod Girl. ($100)
Newish Shakespeare Festival
Friday through Sunday | St. John’s Episcopal Church
Two plays are on offer: “Como Te Gusta”, a one-hour adaptation of Shakespeare's “As You Like It” performed in Spanish, and “American Moor,” a nearly one-man show exploring race and Shakespeare's canon through the lens of an actor auditioning for Othello. ($20)
Food Truck Fridays
Friday | 5 p.m. | Downtown Indio
Enjoy returning favorites and exciting new vendors this week at Food Truck Friday.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Saturday | 9 a.m. | Indio Water Authority/Corporate Yard
Bring materials like paint, car parts, e-waste, lawn and garden products, healthcare products, and more from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
No Kings Indio rally
Saturday | 10 a.m. | Highway 111 and Monroe Street
Protesters will gather this weekend at the intersection of Highway 111 and Monroe Street as a part of the national No Kings movement.
”Trees for Tomorrow Start Today" free tree distribution event
Saturday | 10 a.m. | Indio Library
Come get a free drought, heat, and pest-resistant shade tree at the library this weekend. Be sure to come by with a truck or another vehicle that can transport the tree!
Indio Brewing Spring Market
Saturday | 3 p.m. | Indio Brewing
From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. come by Indio Brewing for their spring market featuring local vendors selling crafts, jewelry, and food. There will also be an opportunity to adopt a new best friend from Loving All Animals and Desert Catopia.
Desert Paws Sanctuary adoption event
Sunday | 11:30 a.m. | The Place
Desert Paws Sanctuary and Chicano Candle Co. host a pet adoption event featuring dogs and cats available for adoption. If you’re not in the market for a new pet, stop by for a limited-edition candle with 100% of proceeds donated to Desert Paws Sanctuary.
Silent Listening: "Balloonerism"
Sunday | 2 p.m. | Rosemary HiFi
Celebrate Mac Miller's album "Baloonerism" at this month's Silent Listening at Rosemary HiFi. Listen to the album in full with a group, then discuss it after. ($18)
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
📣 And Finally …
Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 276 in Palm Desert survey work on a custom-built storage shed for Coachella Valley Horse Rescue in Indio. (Photo: Coachella Valley Horse Rescue)
A troop of young builders from Boy Scout Troop 276 in Palm Desert traded weekend plans for power tools, spending their days off constructing a storage shed at the Coachella Valley Horse Rescue — and doing a little good for some horses that have had it rough.
Driving the news: The project served as the cornerstone Eagle Scout service project for a troop member working toward scouting's highest rank, which requires a candidate to plan and lead a community service project from start to finish.
Troop members handled framing, roofing, and siding, working under the supervision of troop leaders and parents.
About the rescue: The Coachella Valley Horse Rescue is a nonprofit focused on the rehabilitation and re-homing of neglected or abandoned horses, relying heavily on volunteer labor and donations to sustain its operations.
Why it matters: The new shed gives the rescue much-needed storage infrastructure to support its daily work—the kind of practical addition that doesn't make headlines but makes a real difference for a volunteer-driven organization running on goodwill and elbow grease.
In Case You Missed It
EXPLORE & SUBSCRIBE
We deliver free news to communities throughout the Coachella Valley and a roundup on Saturdays. Click below to subscribe to our other newsletters!
WORK WITH US
Our network of nearly 50,000 subscribers gives advertisers unmatched reach to engaged local readers across the Coachella Valley. Click the button below to learn more or receive our rate card.