Palm Springs board backs historic status for Sagewood

January 7, 2026

Summary

Palm Springs officials recommended historic district status for the Sagewood Condominiums, designed by Donald Wexler and built in 1972.

Why this matters

The proposed designation would recognize Sagewood as a representative example of mid-century modern architecture and postwar suburban development in Palm Springs.

The Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend historic district designation for Sagewood Condominiums, a 107-unit complex designed by architect Donald Wexler and completed in 1972.

The recommendation followed an application by the Sagewood Homeowners Association, which received votes from 76 property owners, representing 70% support. Several residents attended Tuesday’s meeting to express their backing.

The 18-acre property, located south of North Sunrise Way and east of Vista Chino, consists of 27 one-story buildings with four condominiums each. Wexler designed the development in a mid-century modern style, with landscape design by David Hamilton. The units feature flat roofs, cantilevered overhangs, and rough stucco exteriors arranged around shared green spaces with paths leading to amenities such as pools and a tennis court.

According to a staff report, Sagewood is one of the largest condominium complexes Wexler designed in the city and reflects housing trends for the emerging middle class of the 1960s and 1970s.

The complex was developed in partnership with Levitt & Sons, the East Coast firm known for building Levittown, New York, one of the first mass-produced suburbs. Board members noted this is the only Levitt & Sons project in the Coachella Valley.

A historic resources report by Claude Peck and Steven Keylon highlighted the contrast between Levitt’s typical housing developments and Sagewood’s distinct planning, landscaping, and architectural design.

City staff concluded Sagewood meets multiple criteria for historic designation, including its representation of a significant period in local history, association with a master architect, and the district’s collective character.

Before the vote, board Chair Janet Hansen said, “This is what I like to call professionally a ‘no brainer.’”

The City Council will make the final decision on the designation.

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