FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
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Ofland (formerly Yonder) is an outdoor-oriented hospitality development and management company based out of Houston, Texas. We are a small team of six outside property operations. Our flagship location, Ofland Escalante, is located in Escalante, Utah near Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park.
On January 18, 2024, Yonder rebranded to Ofland which takes its name from the words “of the land” and reflects our company’s nature-based ethos and commitment for low-impact development and design crafted toward showcasing the unique landscape of each of our resorts and parks. Our company ownership, team, and proposed all-cabin resort project in Twentynine Palms remain the same.
Since opening our first property in Escalante, Utah, we have learned an tremendous amount from both our guests and from speaking to so many of you in Twentynine Palms. Our Utah guests come to the Escalante resort to enjoy an exceptional outdoor hotel experience and to connect with nature. We are committed to ensuring that experience resonates through all aspects of our company.
It is our hope to bring a parallel experience to guests who want to visit our proposed project in Twentynine Palms. As such, we have also changed the name of the project to Ofland Twentynine Palms.
We have completed an independent customer survey at Ofland Escalante to better understand who stays with Ofland. We found that our guests are outdoor-enthusiasts looking to reconnect with nature, try new restaurants and shops in the area, and meet like-minded people. Our guests are inherently quiet and peaceful as the look to spend their time tranquilly enjoying the High Desert and Joshua Tree National Park scenery.
The Ofland Twentynine Palms project is located at the southeastern corner of the Lear Avenue and Twentynine Palms Highway. The parcel is 152-acres, but only the central 50 acres will be developed.
The project includes 100 cabins. Each cabin is identical and approximately 384 square feet that includes a queen bed and sleeper sofa to comfortably sleep four.
OVERVIEW
DESIGN
While the design of the buildings is currently being crafted, there are some components that are finalized. All buildings constructed on the parcel will be single-story to assure views from the Indian Cove neighborhood and scenic Highway 62 are not impeded. Each Ofland project is designed specifically to match local architectural and cultural styles and to showcase the High Desert’s landscape. Buildings will be natural and light-toned to blend into the desert scenery and for energy efficiency practices.
Employee Housing is included in the project for a multitude of reasons, but most importantly, to assure our project is not a detriment to the existing housing market. Affordable housing is a nation-wide issue, and by adding to the housing demand pool with employees, the Ofland project would add additional pressure to the constrained local long-term housing market. With employee housing included in the project, that alleviates the demand pressure. Moreover, having employees on-site in close proximity provides immediate appropriate resolutions to any problems that may arise outside traditional operating hours.
Yes, the employee housing will be a mix of both full-time and part-time staff.
While the final design of the rooms is underway, there are some renderings of the preliminary rooms. Each room will be approximately 384 square feet and sleep four comfortably with a queen bed and sleeper sofa. There is also an en-suite bathroom that includes a covered, open air shower.
Ofland Twentynine Palms will include a main lodge with pool and hot tubs. The main lodge will have a mixture of indoor and outdoor seating areas and be near the food and beverage building. The food and beverage concept will be fast-casual and open to guests and the public offering two to three meals per day. There is a private outdoor movie screen that will be approximately 16 feet tall and show family-friendly movies and programming at appropriate times during the early evening. A 3-acre stargazing area is proposed in the center of the property to provide guest the opportunity to enjoy one of the High Desert’s many great amenities: the night sky.
The resort will have a private septic treatment package system. This treatment package system will only be in place to service Ofland’s project.
We plan to underground all utilities and believe that this is aesthetically important to our project to protect the view shed for guests and neighbors. At other Ofland locations, we have or are planning to underground utilities.
The City of Twentynine Palms General Plan requires the improvement of Lear Avenue from the Twentynine Palms Highway to Sullivan Road at the south. This improvement will create a bypass for visitors of the Indian Cove gate to the Joshua Tree National Park to alleviate traffic from accessing the gate through the neighborhood. With this required improvement and based on feedback we heard from the community meetings, the main entrance to the resort will be on Lear Ave just off of the 29 Palms Highway. Guests will be directed to use this main entrance to enter and exit the property.
CONSERVATION & SUSTAINABILITY
Ofland’s development approach is always to limit the project’s footprint only to what is required. For Ofland Twentynine Palms, we are looking to development approximately 50 acres of the 152-acre site. This excess land represents roughly 65% of the overall site, and will be conserved in perpetuity through easements and deed restrictions.
Yes, we plan to use easements on the conservation area and additionally have the conservation area deemed Open Space Residential as it is the lowest density zoning district in the City Ordinance to add a second layer of protection. The absolute goal is to have those 100 acres conserved in perpetuity.
Guests will not be permitted to use E-Bikes or ORVs in the conservation area controlled by Ofland and will be directed to not encroach on any of the surrounding private property and to only stay on official trails.
Besides the regular movies, on-site programming is centered around nature. Ofland will work with third-party, local organizations for education events on-site covering the National Park, Morongo Basin and local culture. Additionally, Ofland will produce a location-specific documentary on the cultural ties to astronomy and modernization of astronomical advances, which will be available to all guests on the property.
The High Desert is rich in natural resources, and assuring our footprint utilizes and showcases the site’s resources is vital. Ofland plans to utilize rooftop solar panels on parking structures to offset electrical usage and utilizing existing and drought-resistant, native plants that require much less water.
Our project will be designed around the existing mature flora to eliminate unnecessary clearing, utilize permeable surfaces for pathways where possible to reduce runoff, and implement dark-sky lighting and no-light areas to limit light pollution and showcase the night sky.
OPERATIONS
The Main Lodge, Food and Beverage Space, and Secondary Lodge will be open from 6 AM to 10 PM.
Yes, the resort will be staffed with on-site personnel for better safety, response, and operations. A manager will be on-property daily during the operating hours, and will reside on-site for after hour problems.
Our rooms sleep four comfortably with a queen bed and sleeper sofa. At their choosing, families of five may stay in a single room, but for unrelated guest groups, the maximum to a room will be four.
The food and beverage will be a fast-casual offering with counter-service. This will not be a traditional sit-down restaurant nor have a full-service bar. Food ordered at the counter can be enjoyed at the proposed patio area, which will have climate controlled areas as well as traditional outdoor seating. Prepackaged alcoholic beverages can be purchased in the retail area.
Yes, the fast-casual restaurant will be open to the public. Regarding the type of food that will be offered, Yonder does not look to compete with the current restaurant market in the area, so the type of food will be something new to the area.
All noise will comply with the City of Twentynine Palms noise ordinance. While there is background music played around the main lodge, the volume will be controlled with quiet hours as well as the 500-foot buffer from neighboring properties. Additionally, a third-party sound study projects there to be no detectable audio from the resort.
We will have a wide range of positions available that would include managerial, guest services, housekeeping, custodial, and more. Salary and benefits would be in-line with industry standards.
We plan to run the resort year-round.
OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
Community input is important to us, so we wanted to provide multiple avenues for input. First, the “Stay Informed” tab on this website allows visitors to write a message. Ofland also plans to have multiple community meetings through the course of this project, and completing the “Stay Informed” section will assure you are emailed regarding the next community meetings. Last, you can always email luke.searcy@ofland.com.
Completing the “Stay Informed” tab will assure you are in the know of all updates and plans for the Ofland Twentynine Palms project. Additionally, you can reach out to luke.searcy@ofland.com to schedule a meeting with a Ofland representative.
Conducted by local experts, there is currently an array of feasibility studies being finalized to completely understand a variety of nuances of the existing land and to accurately project any influences the project would have on the parcel. These reports include a biological resource study, cultural resource study, traffic study, surveys, and greenhouse gas analysis.
The Pre-Application is submitted to the City of Twentynine Palms and circulated to local, regional, and state stakeholders for input on the preliminary plans regarding any components they see as potential unsatisfactory.
For a Resort in the city limits of Twentynine Palms, a Conditional Use Permit is required. In 2024 at the conclusion of Ofland’s Due Diligence and after Pre-Application feedback is received and incorporated into the design, Ofland will present before the Twentynine Palms Planning Commission the final project plans. The Planning Commission will provide input, mitigations, and revisions to the project plans, and will ultimately vote on the approval of a Conditional Use Permit.