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Wednesday, March 25 | ☀️ 96°/66°
Welcome to Wednesday, where we’ve got sustainability on our minds. When The Post launched in 2021, readers cared most about three issues: homelessness, vacation rentals, and housing costs. Five years later, sustainability has pushed vacation rentals off that list. Topics like shade equity, water conservation, walkability, and transportation alternatives now rank among readers' top concerns — and to make those stories easier to find, we’ve created a dedicated sustainability tag. Click here to find our most recent and all future sustainability stories.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Upside Down (CHIC Mix)" by Diana Ross
Leading Off
Vacant land that could some day hold a townhome development is pictured at left. Renderings of what the buildings might look like are on the right. (File photos)
Planning Commission extends approval for project at former inn site
The Palm Springs Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a two-year extension for a key approval needed to keep a 60-unit townhome project on North Palm Canyon Drive alive.
Driving the news: The commission extended the tentative tract map for the Siena Townhomes, planned for a vacant lot at 1875 N. Palm Canyon Drive, after the applicant, Monaghan Palm Canyon, LLC, cited delays from reviews by Caltrans, Southern California Edison, and Desert Water Agency.
The site previously housed a Shiloh Inn, which the city ordered demolished in 2021 after a planned hotel project on the property stalled.
Background: The Planning Commission first approved the tentative tract map in April 2024, followed by a major development permit in January 2025. An initial delay also occurred due to changes in the city's requirements for residential developments in the "Tourist Resort Commercial" land-use designation where the project sits.
What they're saying: Commission Chair Kathy Weremiuk said the request was straightforward. "This is the archetypal example of why we would issue an extension," she said.
Vice Chair Lauri Aylaian addressed a letter the commission received opposing the project: "In the United States, property owners have a right to develop their property. ... We are not here to override the constitution and not let people develop their property," she said.
City staff's take: Staff recommended approving the extension, noting the originally approved plan remains "valid and appropriate" with no significant changes, and that the applicant has continued to make forward progress on the project.
Briefly
Council Chambers at Palm Springs City Hall. (File photo)
🏛️ Council to take up fire review, historic designation, more at tonight’s meeting
The Palm Springs City Council holds its regular meeting today at 5:30 p.m., with infrastructure spending, a historic designation hearing, a fire review, and a municipal code amendment on the agenda.
A closed session on labor negotiations and pending litigation precedes the regular session at 3:30 p.m. Key items include a staff report on the Prescott Preserve fire, a public hearing on a Class 1 Landmark designation for the Edmund Goulding Residence at 1752 Ridge Road, and an ordinance amendment on vehicle storage facilities for non-consensual tows.
Details: The Council will also vote on a three-year fire suppression services contract with Desert Fire Extinguisher Co., not to exceed $975,000. Tune in live on YouTube tonight at 5:30 p.m., and submit public comment on the city's website or by emailing [email protected].
⚖️ Report: Bounty hunter to be retried on murder charges
A bounty hunter who fatally shot a Palm Springs man inside his home in 2021 has been convicted of felony weapons charges, but jurors deadlocked on a murder count, meaning he will face a second trial, The Desert Sun reported Tuesday.
Fabian Hector Herrera, 41, shot and killed David Spann at his East Via Escuela condo around 2 a.m. on April 23, 2021, after breaking down the door with a sledgehammer. Herrera, a convicted felon, was not legally permitted to do bounty work. His convictions were entered March 16, and a trial readiness conference on the murder charge is scheduled for May.
Zoom in: Herrera's mother, Lisa Roberta Vargas, who supplied him with the gun and was present that night, pleaded guilty in February to charges including manslaughter and attempted kidnapping and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
A MESSAGE FROM
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Join the City of Palm Springs on Wednesday, April 15th for this FREE workshop and vendor fair to learn more about government contracts with cities, CVAG, and other local agencies. Get practical tips on requirements, meet procurement teams face-to-face, and discover real opportunities to grow your business through public sector partnerships.
📆 Featured Events
Live Music Wednesdays
4 p.m. | The Social Cafe & Lounge
A rotating roster of live artists performs every Wednesday, offering the perfect blend of coffee, cocktails, cuisine, and community.
Palm Springs Poetry Club
4 p.m. | Welwood Murray Memorial Library
Poets write and share work on a selected theme — this month's theme is Fate vs. Free Will. Participants bring copies of their poem for group critique; works by established poets are also read and discussed.
Gay Men's Social
5:30 p.m. | 1500 Gene Autry Trail
Join the fourth-Wednesday Gay Men's Social from 5:30–7 p.m. for chill vibes, fun, and community at The Palm Springs Surf Club. Presented by The Center CV, with media sponsorship from CV Independent.
Palm Springs City Council
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
The meeting streams live at palmspringsca.gov/psctv, YouTube, and Spectrum Channel 17.
Easter Bonnet Auction!
6 p.m. | Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge
A festive evening benefiting Guide Dogs of the Desert, featuring a lively auction led by Auctioneer Willie Rhine, with proceeds supporting the medical care of guide dogs. Sponsored by The Pral Greeley Foundation. Doors at 6 p.m., event runs until 9 p.m.
A Cabbello Presents: Broadway Lights the Way!
7 p.m. | Agua Caliente Casino
The desert's premier men's vocal ensemble celebrates the power of musical theatre with songs and stories of love, justice, and belonging. Doors at 6 p.m., show starts promptly at 7 p.m. ($44.52)
Gregory Douglass Live
7 p.m. | The Velvet Rope
The Palm Springs Guys presents an intimate solo performance by Gregory Douglass — three Wednesdays on March 25, April 1, and April 15. For fans of George Michael, Peter Gabriel, and Tori Amos. Seating is limited; advance tickets recommended. ($25)
The Roles That Got Away
7 p.m. | Palm Canyon Theatre
Palm Canyon Theatre presents a cabaret-style performance featuring favorite performers singing dream roles, musical theatre "what ifs," and humorous miscast moments. Directed by Derik Shopinski, featuring Francesca Amari, Scott Clinkscales, Ron Coronado, Jaci Davis, and more. ($35)
Lucy Darling: Simply Darling
7:30 p.m. | The Plaza Theatre
Lucy Darling performs Simply Darling at The Plaza Theatre.
Wednesday Night at the Movies
7 p.m. | Quadz Video Bar
A different movie musical every week, including sing-alongs and classics. Check Facebook or Instagram for the weekly schedule.
📌 Save the Date
PRIDE For the Pride Party on Thursday, benefiting The Living Desert’s Lion Bridge project
Police and Fire Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday at the convention center
AmDocs Film Festival on Thursday
Palm Springs Book Festival Friday through Sunday
Trans Pride 2026 Saturday at Demuth Community Center
Palm Springs Fire Foundation’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday at Ruth Hardy Park
Palm Springs Speaks: CeCe Moore on March 30
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🚠 And Finally …
If an upcoming inspection works out, the Downtown Park splashpad should be back in action for the first time in years. (File photo)
The Downtown Park splashpad — more than three years in the re-making — may finally be ready to make a splash again.
Driving the news: A county health inspection is tentatively scheduled for March 30 or 31, the last major hurdle before the long-delayed water feature opens to the public, according to a city project manager who spoke to the Parks and Recreation Commission Monday.
Aaron Bergeson, a Public Works and Facilities project manager, said one remaining item is expected to be completed this week, after which the facility will be ready for the inspection.
What they're saying: "If stars align, then we should be moving forward with operation from that day," Bergeson said — while cautioning that inspections often result in required adjustments.
The backstory: The $7.6 million Downtown Park opened in October 2021, but the waterfall and splash pad feature stopped running less than a month later. The contractor, Fast-Track Construction Corporation, apparently abandoned the project, leading the city to severe ties with the firm in June 2022 while it pursued damages.
The city worked with the contractor's surety bond issuer to ensure a new contractor completed the work at no additional cost to taxpayers.
In Case You Missed It
Recently published stories
🥤 Kendall always has at least three drinks, one for hydration, one for caffeination and one for fun.
🌊 🚐 Mark has missed the Downtown Park splash pad almost as much as he misses the Buzz Bus.
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