Four-story apartments in north Palm Desert approved through state law

A four-story affordable apartment complex has the green light to be built in Palm Desert’s growing north end — but the city council didn’t have much say in its approval.

That’s because the project, which calls for 295 apartments available only for low-income households, was proposed under a recent state law that streamlines permitting for multifamily housing in certain jurisdictions, effectively removing the council from the approval process.