Surf's Up In Palm Desert As City Council Approves DSRT Surf Resort

PALM DESERT, CA — The city of Palm Desert has unanimously approved the development of DSRT Surf, a resort property promising to bring 5.5 acres of surf lagoons, a surf center facility, a luxury 92-room hotel, and 83 residential units on an open land area on the west side of Desert Willow Drive.

The initial agreement with Desert Wave Ventures began in Nov. of 2019. On Thursday, the council heard the formal presentation and approved what will ultimately be a "midcentury modern" styled AAA four-diamond destination resort. The city expects $26 million in city revenues over the next 20 years, once the resort property is completed.

The work is not yet done to start building. Contracts will need to be submitted, and construction permits obtained in the coming months. Escrow on the property is expected to close in October of 2022.

Project partner Marco Gonzales told the OC Register in a recent report that there were no speakers in opposition. "I think it speaks to the work we did on the community side, environmental side and how we worked with the city staff to make this project as good as it came out," Gonzales told the Regsiter.

This is the first of several proposed "ocean in the desert" projects ready to take the plunge toward permitting and construction. A total of four "wave pool" resorts have been proposed in the Coachella Valley. Critics have claimed a similar project in La Quinta was an "irresponsible waste of water." That project was touted as the first-of-its-kind resort in association with famed surfer Kelly Slater. It was also a "master-planned" resort and community property but was met with resistance from area residents.

The primary complaint is developing a responsible plan for the volume of water wave parks need. The proposal for the La Quinta park called for over 950 acre-feet of water a year, according to a previous Patch report. Anticipated water use at DSRT Surf will be significantly less, amounting to the equivalent of 58 residences. The project managers have also conceived creative methods to reclaim water into the natural aquifer, as described in the presentation. According to Mayor Pro Tem Sabby Jonathon, the DSRT Surf project team has crossed every "t" and dotted every "i" necessary to move forward.

Part of that plan was hiring locals for the construction phase and working on the following property.

"It's a pretty monumental feat to provide something that's good for the community, in terms of use, jobs and economic revenue," Gonzales told the Register.

The 17.69-acre property sits on the west side of Desert Willow Drive and has an irregular shape perfect for the lagoon surf pools they have proposed. The resort will contain a beach area, boardwalk and pier that blends the desert and the ocean with its look and feel in the Surf Lagoon. The Surf Center will hold a clubhouse, play area for kids, pickleball court, pump track, and other pools and spas. The pool will hold 60 to 80 people, and the Wavegarden Cove technology that drives the waves will have multiple real-life surf settings, all customizable for varying levels of surf experience.

Reservations will be available, as will sessions for the public.