Palm Desert Panel Rejects Altered Silver Spur Home, Backs Bursera Way
Historic Preservation Committee • Palm DesertJune 24, 2026
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Palm Desert's Historic Preservation Committee decided on June 24, 2026, that a 1956 ranch house tied to the birth of Silver Spur Ranch had been altered too much to be a landmark, voting 2-4 against staff's recommendation. Minutes later, the committee voted 5-1 to send a largely untouched late-1950s desert modern home on Bursera Way to the City Council. The split outcomes fueled calls for a two-tier designation system and exposed frustration with thin landmark applications as the city moves permitting online.
- Silver Spur Trail landmark bid fails 2-4 despite staff finding it met two criteria
- Bursera Way desert modern home advances 5-1, heads to City Council
- Members say landmark applications are getting thinner as the online portal rolls out
- Committee pushes a "historic merit" second tier and a historic district workshop
Too Far Gone: Silver Spur Sales Office Falls Short
The committee declined to recommend landmark status for 47550 Silver Spur Trail (CRPC25-0003). The 1956 ranch house served as the original sales office and model home for Silver Spur Ranch.
Why it matters: This was a test of how much renovation a building can absorb and still earn protection. A majority decided that staff's holistic integrity finding was not enough.
The basics: Staff recommended designation under Criterion A, for its tie to postwar development, and Criterion C, for mid-century ranch design. Staff also recommended a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption. The hearing was continued from April 22, 2026, so members could review more documentation of the home's condition. The staff report is available online.
Where things stand: Associate Planner Bobby Keating acknowledged a 2022 renovation that removed siding, enlarged windows and simplified details. He said the remaining integrity was sufficient when judged as a whole. Staff said no percentage of original fabric could be calculated.
Members were not persuaded. One member questioned how much of the house is original and said the roof was not. Another was blunt: "I think this house is too far gone," said a committee member.
Acting Chair Houskin said she was open to Criterion A but could not support Criterion C. "There's just too much that's been changed," she said.
Keating told members the city gains nothing financially from designation. He said it supports Council goals for cultural history and can open the door to tax relief for owners. "They could potentially be eligible for the Mills Act program, which is a property tax savings for properties that are designated historic," said Keating.
The other side: One member warned colleagues against holding the application to an impossible standard. "Any project we can nitpick to death," said a committee member.
The property owner said all renovations happened before any application. He described the work as "soft" and driven by safety concerns, including fire and a leaking roof. He said the tile roof dates to the 1990s, and he cited the property's history with stables and Western films. The owner also disputed a member's claim to have visited the house. Staff reminded him that public comment is not a back-and-forth exchange.
Public commenter Carmen Joseph, a Silver Spur Ranch resident, supported designation. She said the committee seems to nitpick and noted that a Cliff May house in the neighborhood was recently torn down. She also backed a tiered designation system.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The motion to accept staff's recommendation failed (For: 2, Mortensen and McLeod; Against: 4, Tolzman, McCune, Marquise and Acting Chair Houskin; Absent: 0). No recommendation goes to the Council. The owners lose a path to Mills Act eligibility for now, and Silver Spur Ranch residents lose formal recognition of the neighborhood's origin story.
What's next: The Acting Chair moved the conversation about a second tier to Requests for Action, where it gained momentum (see below).
Desert Modern Survivor Heads to Council
The committee voted 5-1 to recommend landmark designation for 73411 Bursera Way (CRPC-26-0008). Roberts Construction Company built the home in 1957-58.
Why it matters: Intact homes from this era are rare. The vote also showed that an unknown architect can still cost a property support.
Where things stand: Staff described a low, horizontal home with a flat roof, clerestory glazing, floor-to-ceiling glass, stone veneer and a strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. "So they had originally requested designation under Criterion C. Staff found them eligible under both C and F," said Keating. No public comments were submitted in advance.
The owners described using a borescope to find a clerestory window hidden under paint. "We revealed this amazing clerestory window," said owner Alan Serboff. The owners said they had researched builder Eugene Robertson and suspect a connection to an architect named Moyer. A co-owner said the goal is to keep the house in place and preserved.
Serboff also argued that designations pay off for the city through Modernism Week tours, citing "the millions and millions of dollars that it brings in and the thousands of visitors that come from across the world to see these individual homes."
A committee member who lives on Bursera Way praised the intact carport and the absence of a garage door. "The fact that it's so intact and hasn't been Home Depot-ized is huge," said the committee member.
The other side: Acting Chair Houskin cast the only no vote. "I'm going to vote no, even though it's a lovely special home, because we don't know the architect," she said.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The motion passed (For: 5, Tolzman, Mortensen, McLeod, McCune and Marquise; Against: 1, Acting Chair Houskin; Absent: 0). The owners move closer to permanent protection. The neighborhood around Bursera Way, which the Acting Chair later flagged as a possible historic district, gains its anchor case.
What's next: The City Council will make the final decision by resolution. The Council liaison suggested it could be heard in August or September.
Members Sound Alarm on Thin Applications
Why it matters: Landmark designations are only as strong as the record behind them, and the city's shift to an online portal is changing what applicants are asked to provide.
Where things stand: Acting Chair Houskin said recent applications lacked architectural descriptions, criteria selections and photographs. Serboff said the online form simply did not ask those questions.
Staff said the portal is being updated with fields from the paper application, including the missing project narrative details. Staff added that it fills gaps in the record through its own reports and that standards have not changed. "What we are reviewing against is, does it meet the findings that it needs to meet," said a city staff member.
The other side: Committee Member McCune disagreed. "I feel like our standards have lowered in the past 2 years," she said. McCune, who described herself as an archivist and historian, said she will stop informally helping applicants because the city's instructions are unclear. "I'm not going to participate in the nonsense anymore," she said.
What's next: Staff said the City Council would consider contract amendments for the permitting software on June 25, 2026. Staff also said a chain of title, the record of a property's ownership history, is needed to confirm that applicants are the authorized owners.
A Second Tier Gains Traction
Why it matters: A lower "historic merit" tier could give buildings like the Silver Spur house a middle path between full landmark status and no recognition at all.
Where things stand: During the Silver Spur debate, McCune noted that many cities use Class 1 landmarks and Class 2 historic merit buildings. "Palm Desert should consider researching creating a tiered system," said Committee Member McCune. Another member agreed.
The Acting Chair also requested a workshop on historic districts versus individual designations, pointing to a possible district near Bursera Way. "I'd like to learn more about the process for district versus singular," said Acting Chair Houskin.
Staff said district criteria are similar but different. Staff said it has already looked into tiers, including for Certificates of Appropriateness, the approvals required before work on designated properties.
What's next: The tier proposal will be included in the committee's annual work plan survey. Staff will present the results at the next meeting.
- Entry sign: The city is exploring recreating a late-1960s entry sign designed by William Cody somewhere along the Rancho Mirage border. The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation has "generously offered up to $30,000 for us towards design," said the City Council liaison. Future Council agendas are expected to take it up.
- Sandpiper: Staff said "all parties involved" had agreed "to hold off and pause for now until it gets figured out."
- Decorum: After the tense Silver Spur hearing, one member asked colleagues "if we could tone it down a little bit, I would appreciate it." Another member said aggression goes both ways.
- Minutes pulled: Staff pulled the April 22, 2026, minutes, leaving the consent calendar empty.
Looking ahead: The committee's next meeting is expected in August. Members will review results from the work plan survey, which will set the committee's top five priorities.