First public hearing for proposed La Quinta surf park will be held on Tuesday
The first public hearing for the proposed La Quinta surf park, called Coral Mountain Resort, will take place on Tuesday.
It's set to be built is about 400 acres of undeveloped space at the base of Coral Mountain off Madison Avenue between Avenues 58 and 60.
The private resort would include a nearly 17-acre wave pool, 150 hotel rooms, 600 short-term vacation rentals, and a variety of other recreational facilities.
Last summer, Coral Mountain Resort released its plans to build its controversial surf park in La Quinta.
Since the plans were released, it’s received backlash from some residents.
Local neighborhood group, La Quinta Residents for Responsible Development, have voiced their concerns against the project.
“Everything about it. The waste of water, the energy that it’s going to need to make it run, the outlandish amount of traffic it’s going to cause,” said member Derek Wong, "We’re not against development, but put houses there. Residences as it’s intended for.”
On Tuesday, an environmental impact report will be presented to the La Quinta Planning Commission to determine if the impacts of the proposed project could be significant.
Some residents are concerned about the pool’s water usage and the millions of gallons it would require, especially during an historic drought.
“We need to make sure we preserve the water that is for our residents, for our agriculture and not for a surfing pool in the middle of the desert. That just doesn’t make sense,” said member Alena Callimanis.
The Coachella Valley Water District, which would supply the water for Coral Mountain Resort, has said the La Quinta project's annual water usage is under the maximum the district allows.
“We do have the supplies to meet the needs of our residents and businesses that are important to the economy of this valley," Communication Specialist for the Coachella Valley Water District Lorraine Garcia," There's enough water to meet the needs of the project, and future demands of the project.”
The commission will recommend for the project to either approval or denial by the City Council.
They will consider a specific plan amendment, that would remove 386 acres that was originally owned by Andalusia to go toward the Coral Mountain Resort.
They will also discuss a zone change of general commercial, low-density residential and open space recreation to allow for portions of the property to be designated neighborhood commercial and tourist commercial.
The meeting starts at 5 p.m. at La Quinta City Hall and is open to the public. You can livestream it here.
