A commercial building that will be constructed mostly with recycled materials cleared a hurdle this week.

The Cathedral City Planning Commission approved on Wednesday the building design with a 3-1 vote. Commissioner Todd Hooks was absent and Commissioner John Holt dissented.

The design of the 4,262-square-foot building, proposed for the corner of East Palm Canyon and Monty Hall drives, went through several revisions after a city committee earlier this year rejected it because of its size.

However, the design passed inspection Wednesday with the conditions that no encroachment exist in the public sidewalk area and no other significant changes be made to the plan.

The Cathedral City Architectural Review Committee on Sept. 14 rejected the building design as a one-story project that lacked bulk.

An intriguing aspect of the building throughout the reviews is that 80 percent of its walls will be constructed with “hybrid block,” a material made from recycled cement and Styrofoam, according to Penn Estes, the developer of the building.

In other business, the commission approved 4-0 a one-year extension for a developer who plans to build a golf course on the Whitewater River and a channel that abuts the Cathedral City Cove neighborhood area.

Allan Levin, the developer, said he needs more time to secure permits from a myriad of federal agencies to continue with the 18-hole course. A city permit has not been issued for the project, nor has ground been broken at the site.

“As you know, the wheels of government turn slowly,” Levine of Palm Desert said.

Jo Ann Kanner, a 44-year resident of the Cove, objected to the extension and the project, citing loss of water, wildlife and scenery and noise that is expected from lawn mowers and golfers.

“I would just like (to) see the desert stay a desert; it's why we moved here,” Kanner said.

Chairman Lee Stark said the commission was not allowed to consider the merits of the project but only the extension and its compliance with the terms of the approved project, which was cleared two years ago.