Council Approves Rosewood Hotel Project

Wth a 3-2 vote, the Palm Desert City Council Thursday night gave its blessing to the Rosewood Hotel project.

Councilmember Cindy Finerty and Mayor Jean Benson, who returned from her recovery from , opposed the project.

The proposal to build an 82-room hotel and 59-unit residential complex on Highway 74 at Pitahaya Street for its sheer size in an area surrounded by residential neighborhoods. 

Project spokesman Matt Joblon, of developer PDH Partners, was relieved at the vote, but noted the project was far from reality. 

“I wish I take joy in the moment,” Joblon said after the vote, “but we have so much more ahead of us to execute the project and get it
done.

"This was just one step.” 

In her remarks before voting, Benson lashed out at city staff for “giving a free sales pitch for the developers,” and at the for claiming a no vote showed “a NIMBY [Not In My Back Yard] attitude to business.”

Local residents showed concern over the height of the hotel and increased traffic in the area.

Proponents noted the impact of a luxury hotel within walking distance of businesses on El Paseo, and the estimated $1 million in revenue that would go into the city coffers annually.

The proposed $125-million dollar project promises to bring the first five-star hotel to Palm Desert, along with an estimated 250 jobs. 

Throughout his presentation, Joblon gave no definite timeline for the hotel's opening, saying it would go forward “when the market is
ready”, and later made a reference to the 2014 tourist season.