The “Pueblo Viejo Revitalization Plan” is an urban design plan, and development guide, for Coachella’s downtown area.  The boundaries of the Plan are the triangular area bounded by Harrison Street on the west, Ninth Street on the south, and the Southern Pacific Railroad on the east.

The Plan incorporates a strong vision of future redevelopment of the civic, commercial, residential and mixed-use components of this historic part of the City.  With the pending adoption of the General Plan 2035 document which envisions this area as a high intensity "Downtown Center” designation, the Revitalization Plan promotes the creation of two major gateways along Sixth Street, with transit oriented development adjacent to Grapefruit Boulevard and Harrison Street, a repositioned City Hall and Veterans Park block, and multi-story commercial & mixed–use buildings.  The Plan calls for outdoor paseos, numerous public street enhancements, and includes a comprehensive set of design guidelines for placement of buildings and parking areas, architectural rhythm and massing, signage regulations, and landscaping features. 

The overriding Vision for the area  is as follows:

“Pueblo Viejo is the civic and cultural heart of Coachella.  The community is proud of the historic charm, locally-owned businesses, and vibrant civic center.  As you enter through the attractive gateways on Sixth Street you are immersed in a lively street scene offering shady walkways, cooling water fountains, outdoor dining,  and unique shopping.  Once empty lots are now filled with mixed-use buildings that respect the heritage, climate, and community values. Family-friendly events and festivals fill the streets and public spaces.  As you relax in the clean, well-maintained civic center core, you know…...you have arrived in Pueblo Viejo!”

Click on each Underlined Section Below to access the Pueblo Viejo Revitalization Plan

• Front Cover
• Introduction
• Vision Plan
• Façade Rehab Plan
• Implementation

Pueblo Viejo Implementation Strategy

The “Pueblo Viejo Implementation Strategy Plan" is a strategic policy document that establishes future steps for the adoption of City ordinances to create new zoning districts and mixed-use development standards for the 6th Street Corridor.  The Implementation Strategy further intends to codify the updated "Pueblo Viejo Design Guidelines" which will be adopted by reference in the Muncipal Code, and are contained in this report.  It is expected that the City Council will approve the Strategy document in Fall 2019. 

 A copy of the Draft Report is available to download by clicking on the link below. 

PV Implementation Strategy - Part I (Architecture / Design Guidelines)
PV Implementation Strategy - Part II (Parking Study / Visual Preferences A)
PV Implementation Strategy - Part III (Visual Preferences B)

Improving Neighborhood Connections along Coachella’s Harrison Street Corridor

Harrison Street was designed many decades ago to serve as a portion of State Highway 86, a major highway through the Coachella Valley. Little attention was given at the time to the needs of people who might not be in vehicles, or the impact of the wide roadway and the high speeds and heavy traffi c volumes on the community it bisected.

This project focuses on a roughly two-mile long segment of Harrison Street in the City of Coachella. Several nearby neighborhoods, school sites, and streets connecting to Harrison Street are also addressed.

This study goal’s are to promote

• Smart or strategic land use and opportunities for affordable housing and jobs
• Congestion relief
• Efficient movement of people, goods, and services
• Safe and healthy communities
• Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit mobility and access
• Public and stakeholder participation
• Measures to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

Throughout many communities, the goals related to land use, safety and health, and non-automobile transportation were often ignored by transportation planning activities in the past. By including recommendations for significant changes in land use and zoning in the core area of Coachella, this project advances those goals as well as those related to affordable housing, economic vitality, the environment, and the transportation system.

Click here for Harrison Street Corridor Plan Documents

State law under Senate Bill (SB) 35 and SB 330 requires new housing development to be reviewed again objective design standards.  Objective design standards are defined in Government Code Sections 65913.4 and 66300(a)(7) as standards that:

“involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official before submittal.”

Please direct questions or written comment to planning@coachella.org

Objective Design Standards – Municipal Code