RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Officials have quashed plans to build a new city called Paradise Valley on the southern edge of Joshua Tree National Park in the Southern California desert.
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to accept its Planning Commission’s recommendation and deny the project without continuance.
The Desert Sun newspaper reports the decision is a victory for conservationists and residents who voiced concerns about sprawl in the inland region east of Los Angeles.
It’s a blow to GLC Enterprises, which had been trying to get approval for Paradise Valley for 15 years. The developer envisioned a community with 8,5000 homes and 1.3 million square feet (121,000 square meters) of space for commercial and civic uses.
Supporters say it would have created jobs and $5 million in annual tax revenue.
The Associated Press
