Residents near historic La Quinta Resort oppose plan to build new water slide

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – Plans to bring a new water slide to the La Quinta Resort are being met with some pushback from nearby residents.

The slide is part of a renovation project the historic resort is developing at its main pool, which will include changes to the family pool, a spa area, a new water play structure, and the slide.

The entire structure is set to measure about 34 feet at its tallest point, featuring two slides: one is at 22 feet tall, and the other is closer to 30 feet tall.

La Quinta Resort held a listening session with its nearest neighboring community, the La Quinta Tennis Villas, where it showed the site plan and renderings of the proposed water slide.

Other communities nearby, though, like the Mountain Estates, said their opinion was not taken into account.

One resident of that community, Tom Maloney, shared a letter he wrote to the La Quinta City Council, where he outlined several of his concerns. In part, he wrote the following:

"The Resort is a wonderful property and we are fully supportive of the need to continue to invest and improve the property and its amenities. However, building a mini water park amidst a high-density neighborhood of town homes and single family homes is unconscionable. We were involved years ago in the successful effort to oppose a similar water park feature on the Resort property- only to have it resurface.  The idea that a massive tower in excess of 34 feet would be built on the edge of the hotel property and the neighboring community makes no sense.  The excessive noise generated by what amounts to a water park will create an environmental nuisance well beyond the Resort property."

Tonight, we're speaking more with Maloney on his opposition to the resort's plans.

News Channel 3 has also reached out to La Quinta Resort for comment and we are waiting for a response.

Stay with us for our full report tonight on KESQ.