Over the objections of a majority of the residents who spoke at the Wednesday June 25 meeting of the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission, the four commissioners present voted unanimously to recommend that the city council give approval to the Ofland Resort Project.
Ofland Director of Acquisitions Luke Searcy said the project will be put primarily in the 42 acres near the center of a 152-acre site east of Lear Avenue and south of Twentynine Palms Highway.
Instead of houses, the resort will feature 100 guest cabins, modeled on the primitive local homestead cabins of a bygone era, Searcy said.
In order for the project to proceed, the land must be rezoned from residential, upon which 61 single family units could be developed on the 42 acres in question, to tourist commercial. Both Ofland and the city’s planning and community development staff touted the project as one which prioritizes conservation and enhances the region’s natural beauty, would not represent an over-intensive land use, such that it would be a low impact baseland for Joshua Tree National Park visitors, develop 42 out of 152 acres while leaving 10 acres surrounding the resort in a natural and undeveloped state and would provide a 550 foot buffer from the Indian Cove residential neighborhood to mitigate noise and other impacts. In addition, Texas-based Ofland intends to incorporate dark sky approved lighting on the project to protect night sky viewing and reduce light pollution.
Other positive features emphasized by city staff and embraced by the planning commission is that Ofland has asserted the project will add 30 to 40 sustainable jobs, bring in $800,000 annually in taxes and inject $3 million into the local economy through visitor spending.
Ofland also made the claim that the project’s on-site dormitory for those working at the resort contributes a solution to local housing demands.
The planning commission also went along with staff’s recommendation that both the planning commission and city council adopt the mitigated negative resolution prepared for the project as the central element of its environmental certification