Palm Springs community not happy about plans to build bridge

The city of Palm Springs plans to build a bridge over Araby Drive at the wash.

When it rains hard and the wash floods — the city says the bridge will make life easier for those living in the Araby Cove.

But many of those people say they want no part of that bridge.

“Yes, we do have floods — but very seldom. We know how important it is that we stop this project,” said Adele Norton, a cove resident.

It’s an $11.4 million project with a grant of just over $10 million from Caltrans and the city paying the rest.

“They got an approval from Caltrans without ever talking to the neighbors,” said resident David Levine.

Neighbors say the bridge would be a waste of money. They argue the city misrepresented the need for a bridge.

In the application for the funds, the city estimated the traffic at the wash at around 2,000 vehicles a day.

Cove neighbors say it’s more like 200.

“We only have 80 homes. Where would they go? This is all dead-ended,” said Norton.

“This is a little teeny road that goes through a teeny private community that has no traffic and it’s not on the way to anywhere,” added Levine.

The city has claimed when Araby gets flooded it isolates the cove community. But residents disagree. They said Rim Road just off Palm Canyon is safely and regularly used as an access road.

Many feel a bridge would cause more maintenance and security issues while damaging the area’s natural beauty.

A recent neighborhood survey shows cove residents are united.

“It came back 4 to 1 against the bridge. None of us want this bridge,” said Norton.

Neighbors said they plan to pressure the city council to pull the project.