Business & Tech

Villa Portofino Remains In Escrow

The Palm Desert Planning Commission delayed a discussion on whether to rescind a development agreement for the property until June.

A discussion on the stalled Villa Portofino senior housing development was delayed at Tuesday night’s Palm Desert Planning Commission meeting to allow more time for a potential buyer to close escrow on the property.

The Palm Desert-based Family Development stepped forward in March as a buyer of Villa Portofino. The escrow is expected to close at the end of the month, according to Rudy Herrera of Family Development.

During a public hearing, Gail Christiansen -- who lives at Casablanca, a nearby 134-home development – told commissioners the half-development Villa Portofino has allowed blowing sand to wreak havoc on her neighborhood.

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“Our pool equipment has sustained wear and tear,’’ Christiansen said, adding that the original developer graded the land so that the foundations of the proposed homes were level with the top of Casablanca’s wall – spawning a whole list of problems.

“We’ve had to pay for an engineering report … and pay to have coyotes removed,’’ she said. (Read our full story on their concerns about Villa Portofino .)

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Herrera said once escrow has closed, he plans to deal with the issues at the property.

“It has been a very difficult project to understand and get our arms around,’’ Herrera said.

Commissioners had been scheduled to weigh whether to rescind an existing development agreement because of a previous lack of movement on the project. The discussion was reset for June.

The old development agreement will have to be revised once the property changes hands, according to the city.


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