Palm Springs residents sound off on CV Link

The Palm Springs City Council held a town hall meeting to learn new details from the Coachella Valley Association of Governments regarding the CV Link project.

This is the first meeting regarding the CV Link project since our special investigation detailing the $24 million mistake to fund CV Link.

The meeting was Monday at 6 p.m. at the Palm Springs Council Chamber.

During public comment, the vast majority of people who took to the podium were against the CV Link going by the Four Seasons, a 55-and-older community, citing multiple concerns including safety and privacy.

“The levy where the path could go is actually at a higher elevation there than any place where homes are in existence. It is above the level of our walls, so people will have a clear view into our backyards into our bedrooms and our bathrooms,” said Jeri Barry, who lives in the Four Seasons community.

“We have a lot of concern for the noise and the safety and our property being broken into if someone jumps over the wall,” said Mark Sherman.

Some neighbors also said this part of the route would be too windy with blowing sand and no one would want to bike there.

CVAG is considering several alternative routes based on the input from people in the neighborhood.

Mayor pro tem Ginny Foat and council member Chris Mills are the heads of the CV Link subcommittee in Palm Springs. They say CVAG and the city has been working with this neighborhood.

“I think there have been concessions that have been made by CVAG to lower and not have it on the top of the causeway there and have it lower so it won’t be in their backyards. In the beginning, I think it was kind of intrusive and I don’t think it will be that way,” said Foat.

CVAG is almost done with the draft Environmental Impact Report for the project. The final draft will include comments from the community.

People can still make comments on the draft but they have to do in in writing and have it submitted to CVAG by Feb 21.

What is CV Link?

CV Link is a 50-mile non-motorized, multi-modal transportation path that passes through the developed and populated portions of the Coachella Valley. The project has parallel walking-speed and bicycle-speed paths. Walkers, runners, cyclists, neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs and golf carts), and mobility assistance vehicles (such as motorized and hand-operated wheelchairs) are all welcome on CV Link.

In long-term view, CV Link is an alternative transportation route that affords connection to others in Southern California, including existing routes in the Cities of Riverside and Redlands and the Santa Ana River Corridor and potential routes in the High Desert Cities and along the Palms to Pines Highway.