After more than a year and a half of community input, Cathedral City’s unified zoning and subdivision standards head to public hearings beginning September 9, 2026.
The City of Cathedral City has released the Final Public Hearing Draft Development Code, a comprehensive update to the City’s zoning and subdivision regulations that brings these standards together into a single, unified, and modern framework for future development.
The final draft is the culmination of more than a year and a half of evaluating development standards and procedures in collaboration with the community, appointed bodies such as the Steering Committee, and the Planning Commission through multiple study and working sessions. Throughout this process, the City, with assistance from the Development Code Consultant Team, also hosted two community open houses and three community walking tours to gather feedback on desired changes, outcomes, and expectations.
Community input has played an important role in shaping this code. The City collected and considered comments throughout the process, and a complete record of comments received is available for review on the project website, along with a summary of the key themes raised during public review.
As directed by the City Council, the Development Code Update is intended to:
- Modernize and streamline the development review process
- Establish clear and easy-to-understand development standards
- Reflect current development preferences and community priorities
- Encourage housing development and infill opportunities
- Incorporate objective design standards
- Ensure consistency with the 2040 General Plan
- Comply with changes in State and Federal law
The final draft is organized into eight parts, or “Divisions,” with each Division addressing an important category of development standards, regulations, or City processes: Introductory Provisions; Zoning Districts Regulations and Development Standards; General Development Standards; Standards for Specific Land Uses; Subdivision Regulations; Application Processing Procedures; Development Code Administration; and Definitions.
What Happens Next
The Planning Commission will convene on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. for the first of a two-part hearing process, then meet again on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. to make a formal recommendation to the City Council. During these hearings, the Commission will review the proposed changes and modifications included in the final draft and consider the project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Addendum, prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The City Council will then consider the Development Code at two final public hearings on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 and Wednesday, October 28, 2026, both beginning at 5:30 p.m.
How to Participate
All hearings are open to the public, and community members are welcome to attend and speak. Comments and questions may also be submitted at any time by emailing DCU@cathedralcity.gov or by using the blue comments tab on the project website.
Learn More
The full Public Hearing Draft Development Code (Title 9) and the Project EIR Addendum are available to view and download at zonecathedralcity.com. Each of the eight Divisions can also be downloaded separately for those who want to focus on a specific topic. Upcoming engagement opportunities are listed on the Stay Informed page.
