City leaders react to vote on CV Link

The people of Rancho Mirage have spoken and their voice is loud and clear.

They don’t want the CV Link running through their city.

The votes are still unofficial until next week, but as it stands 80 percent of residents who voted said no to the link.

Rancho Mirage Mayor Dana Hobart said Tuesday’s vote only reinforces what he’s said all along.

“So when you get an 80 percent positive vote you sort of feel that the message has been received and residents are in agreement that the actions we’ve been taking is in the best interest of the city,” Hobart said.

Rancho Mirage is the only city thus far to ask their residents what they think of the link.

Hobart said if other cities got to vote you might see the same response.

“I very much believe it if you saw the emails I get and have been getting for a year, a lot of other cities residents, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Indian Wells, they’re all clamouiring for a right to vote,” Hobart said.

But other city leaders said they disagree.

“I think you could put everything to a vote and it would become chaotic. We’ve heard from residents and there’s overwhelming support I’ve gotten from the residents,” said Palm Springs Council Member Geoff Kors.

Supporters of the link said Tuesday’s vote didn’t matter in the grand scheme of the plan.

“The CVAG executive committee had already made a decision two months ago to based off of Rancho Mirage city councils request to ilimiate Rancho Mirage from the CV Link project,” said Cathedral City Mayor Stan Henry.

They said plans are still moving forward as planned.

“Hopefully sometime in 2017 we’ll see construction on a two mile stretch from Vista Chino to Ramon Road which will be good for CV Link because it will give us a demonstration project,” Henry said.

Without Rancho Mirage bikers and runners will have to use existing paths to reconnect but if you’re in an electric vehicle you’re out of luck.

Hobart said his intention was never to stop recreation from happening in his city.

“A bike path, a walking path fine. We don’t need the bells and whistles. We don’t need the charging stations, we don’t needs the restrooms,” Hobart said.

But it comes as no surprise to any, the city of Rancho Mirage remains the missing link in the CV Link.