Elevating Public Policy with Community Driven Priorities
For decades, Cathedral City residents have carried the weight of an unfulfilled promise. When the city incorporated much of its land in the 1980s, it did so with the expectation that newly enacted Redevelopment Agency (RDA) funds would transform and revitalize downtown. That vision was never realized. In 2012, the State dissolved the RDA program before Cathedral City could complete and implement its master plan, leaving behind vacant parcels, disrupted neighborhoods, and a legacy of displacement where private property and long-standing community spaces were lost.
The resulting blight—especially in the downtown area south of Highway 111—has discouraged investment, strained local businesses, and weakened the social fabric of the community. While comparable cities like Indio have fostered locally driven downtown growth, Cathedral City continues to face stalled progress and missed opportunities, raising urgent questions about the need for a renewed, community-centered path forward with a master plan focused on serving local residents with public space, promoting walkability, and building with an eye towards rising heat in the desert.
Catwalk:
Developing a Downtown Action Plan
Lacking a specific Downtown Master Plan, we are creating a grassroots effort to lobby local officials to complete the promises of the original Redevelopment Agency in a way that honors what was lost before that effort. A plan that focuses on walkability, local businesses, shade and sustainable development, and ethical treatment of unhoused persons to make our downtown the thriving, pedestrian friendly arts and entertainment district we were promised.
Issues Identified:
Not enough foot traffic to support current businesses
Empty lots create blight
No support/resources for unhoused persons
No longterm efforts for preservation of historic resources
No foundational support for local initiatives
Lack of affordable housing
Heat islands and lack of shade
Platform Priorities:
…a work in progress…
Development:
Re-zone mixed use, 3+ story, ground floor retail to B Street
"5 acres" lot (directly south of City Hall on south side of Palm Canyon) RFP to include plaza, ground floor retail, low-middle income housing; our organization formally tied to project as community partner; on-going non-profit/community supported programming in public spaces
Re-zone Perez Industrial District as Live/Work
Updated parking requirements to ease parking restrictions in proximity to city owned lots
Parking maximums to curb excess surface lots and parking-dominated development
Moratorium on new drive-thrus
Moratorium on new gas stations
Public Spaces:
Green Plaza at Grove Street
Landmark pedestrian overpass at A Street
Accession of Festival Lawn into Park System, small business retail development on North side of lawn
Increased City Grant Support for public programming, i.e. Agnes Pelton Cottage and Cathedral City Historical Society
Close the Landmark Tower intersection to pedestrian only traffic
Open Amphitheater for day use as originally mandated
Add grass to the Dog Park
Public Health:
Downtown Bike Loop & Connection from CV Link to Downtown
Chupperosa Lane Walk (or, "Catwalk")
Trailhead for Cathedral Cove Trails, preservation of trails
Complete missing sidewalks, including routes to the senior center, bus stops, and along Perez Rd
Initiatives:
Develop Downtown Unhoused Population Action Plan
Community support for historic designations, historic walking tours
Better environmental protections in municipal code
Removal of Flock Surveillance from public places