The Board of Supervisors is slated next week to adopt an ordinance that would permit outdoor events at “ranchos” in the eastern half of Riverside County under conditions that recognize the “historical, cultural” aspects of Latino traditions in the Coachella Valley.
Supervisor Manuel Perez, whose Fourth District encompasses the valley, was the principal advocate behind the “Rancho Community Event Facilities Ordinance,” a drafting process that began in 2021.
The board in June tentatively approved it, but a final public reading is required before the ordinance can be adopted, which is on the supervisors’ agenda for Tuesday morning.
“I am very proud of this day. It’s what it’s all about,” Perez said last month. “This is historical, cultural, goes way back. We’re going to move this forward. It’s a proud moment for us all.”
Perez noted that after three years of coordinating between rancho owners and officials from a bevy of county agencies, they had finally been able to reach agreeable terms and incorporate them into the revised outdoor event ordinance, which establishes standards for the issuance of permits for fiestas, quinceaneras, graduation parties, holiday parties, wedding receptions, fundraisers and farm-to-table conventions.
The measure will apply to specific designated segments of the eastern and western Coachella Valley, including Bermuda Dunes, Desert Palms, Mecca, North Shore, Oasis, Thermal and surrounding unincorporated communities.
The baseline standard to qualify for a permit is the property in question must fit the county’s “rancho” definition, being at least 4 1/2 acres in size, with 40% of the parcel dedicated to agricultural crops and 20% of that derived from date palms, a Coachella Valley staple.
The county Transportation & Land Management Agency touted in documents posted to the board agenda that “more than 90% of the dates produced in the United States are grown in the Coachella Valley.”
A property cannot be converted to exclusive rancho event use, but must instead remain principally reserved for agricultural production.
The rancho event permitting process stemmed from conflicts with the county’s stiffened noise control ordinance, with which multiple properties came into conflict because of outdoor activities on the weekends and during weekdays, prompting complaints from neighbors.
When the rancho owners began receiving regular warnings and fines from Department of Code Enforcement personnel, the owners organized and began making appearances before the board, appealing for relief directly from Perez.
“We’re here because of them,” rancho owner Claudia Alvarado told the board in June. “We have worked so hard for three years to keep our ranchos open. This is not just about money. This is about our culture, our heritage. This is bigger than me. It’s bigger than one community.”
The ordinance specifies that the number of guests per event can increase in proportion to the size of the property. For example, for a 4 1/2-acre plot, a maximum of 200 people can attend, while on a 20-acre space, the conditional use permit would allow for up to 500 guests.
The measure also mandates that an event run for a maximum of 12 consecutive hours per day, all live music cease by 10 p.m., all outdoor lighting be shut down at midnight, and that no event operate between midnight and 6 a.m.
Further, rancho property owners would be responsible for ensuring security at their locations and providing sufficient parking for all attendees, so they don’t spill onto public rights-of-way, with streets turning into parking lots.
Noise mitigation measures would remain in force under Ordinance No. 847, and no pyrotechnics or fire pits would be permitted.
A designated manager would be required for every event should authorities need to interface with someone, and ranchos would need to maintain appropriate sanitation facilities, with a prohibition against turning event locations into short-term rentals, with overnight stays for guests.