A proposed luxury eco-resort on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park has sparked a legal challenge, with conservationists and residents alleging the city of Twentynine Palms failed to adequately assess environmental and community impacts before granting approval.
The Ofland Twentynine Palms project, planned by Las Vegas-based Ofland Hotels, would cover 152 acres about half a mile from the national park.
The development calls for 100 small cabins, two lodges, multiple pools, a stargazing area, an outdoor movie screen, and a wastewater treatment plant capable of processing more than 13,000 gallons daily.
Ofland Hotels, which previously opened a boutique outdoor hotel in Escalante, Utah, in 2021 and has a second project approved in Tennessee, expects to break ground in 2027.
On Wednesday, the Center for Biological Diversity and local community group Indian Cove Neighbors filed a lawsuit in San Bernardino County Superior Court. The suit challenges the city’s use of a mitigated negative declaration instead of a full environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act.
The plaintiffs argue that the declaration overlooked potential harms related to traffic, air and water quality, and wildlife, including species recognized as threatened or endangered.
“You’re placing a luxury glamping resort right in the middle of a residential area, so there are going to be impacts on people’s lives and on the species that are coming through,” said Meredith Stevenson, staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.
“But the city just completely overlooked so many impacts and then found they weren’t significant because they weren’t even disclosed or assessed.”
The lawsuit points to desert tortoises, golden eagles, loggerhead shrikes, and burrowing owls as species of concern.
It also raises issues with the project’s location in a wildlife corridor that facilitates the movement of bobcats, badgers, and other species between the park and the undeveloped desert.
Plaintiffs contend that the city’s environmental analysis failed to fully evaluate those impacts, as well as traffic increases from visitors, employees, and vendors.
Indian Cove resident Cindy Bernard, who co-founded Indian Cove Neighbors, said the project threatens both residents and wildlife. “The same noise and light issues that might disrupt our ability to see the night sky or enjoy the quiet will also affect the wildlife here,” she said.
City Manager Stone James, who also lives in Indian Cove, defended the city’s approval and rejected criticism that an environmental impact report should have been required.
“We have a project that’s consistent with the core identity of our community, a conservation-based project that would allow people to come in[to] our community in a respectful manner and enjoy the beauty of Twentynine Palms, enjoy the beauty of the national park, visit the artists and people who are starting businesses in our downtown, and we’re going to say no to that?” he told the Los Angeles Times.
James also argued that environmental law is sometimes “weaponized to crush development” and that the project could bring jobs and revenue to a community with a poverty rate of 15.6%, higher than the state average of 12%.
The lawsuit also alleges that the city’s decision to rezone the land from residential to “tourist-commercial” and “open-space conservation” violated state housing law, because the move reduced the potential for new housing units on the site by 61.
Under California law, cities are not permitted to lower their housing capacity without compensating elsewhere.
Some residents worry that allowing commercial development in the area could set a precedent for further growth near the park. “If this goes in, what’s next?” said local bakery owner Travis Poston. “The whole area is on the chopping block at this point.”
For outdoor hospitality professionals, the case underscores ongoing challenges facing new glamping and resort developments near protected lands.
Projects that emphasize eco-tourism often market proximity to natural attractions, but operators must also navigate complex land-use, zoning, and environmental regulations.
Community concerns around infrastructure, housing, and local impacts highlight the importance of early engagement with residents and regulators to avoid delays or litigation.