WRITTEN
PUBLIC
COMMENTS
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025
Written Public Comments-12 September City Council Meeting- Mary Mann, La Quinta Resident Subject Matter: Reconsider approval of Specific Plan amendment 2023-0003 for SP 2003-067 and associated EIR and preliminary tract maps for the Club at Coral Development-Barrier Fence alignment
Please Reconsider your tacit approval of the boundary fencing on the proposed Club at Coral Mountain Development. This piece of property is special, it has changed hands frequently in its short life as private property. Several attempts have been made at development, but due to the harshness of the environment in case of ranching, saturation of the golf course home market, and public outcry regarding the environmental and societal impacts, none have lasted or proceeded to build out.
The fence line proposed on the western boundary of the proposed development was a last minute add-in to the project that was not vetted before approval. It is a solution to a problem that 1) does not exist in this area now and 2) can be better mitigated in ways that do not destroy the unique, treasured, studied, enjoyed, features present on and around this Gem of La Quinta, Coral Mountain. This boundary fence line ignores other portions of the EIR it came out of. This fence was not vetted with respect to the other features and items of historic, archaeological, biological, ecologic significance.
We should be making Coral Mountain district a dedicated area to access open public spaces and highlighting the unique desert features. The initial detailed maps for portions of what is planned to chew up 400 acres for a private golf course with a lake will be before you shortly, but in advance of that the latest graffiti out there is bright orange spray paint that in places serves to highlighting its encroachment directly on the tufa toe of Coral Mt., marking where this fence is proposed.
A bordering property on Avenue 58 in this district was slated to be a park and I have come across the amazing narrative and ideas for that desert/archaeological park from the 2000s. I have discovered that these plans have been shelved. Before we go forward with allowing the destruction of our resources, could we please have an open dialogue with the developer. I would like to see where we can find partnership ideas for making this proposed development more environmentally friendly, desert-scape friendly, and accentuate La Quinta’s treasures and the recreational aspects that are already here. This development takes out 400 acres of this prime area.
We would like to see a development partner for this large and complex development have true intention to partner with the City and other agencies for the continued Quality of Life for all residents and visitors, not the select few new residents and short term renters behind the view- obscuring walls. Let’s open a dialogue with entities like DRD, Riverside, IID, CVWD to look at the opportunities for offering an outdoor desert recreation hub and plan for a future that will enhance our natural environment as we are moved to do in the City’s mission statement. There is an opportunity to create welcoming open space access points and perhaps infrastructure to support more events like Iron Man, Trail Ultra-marathons races, Scouting, desert retreats, and other outdoor pursuits.
At a bare minimum the length of this proposed barrier needs to be moved eastward off the toe of Coral Mountain in all instances. It currently runs through know cultural, historical, ecologically sensitive areas. Perhaps a public trail that showcases the unique features found on Coral Mt. would assist in aligning the use of the neighboring lands with the planned development.
End
CITY COUNCIL MEETING - SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 - WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS BY RESIDENT MARY MANN PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - REGARDING CLUB AT CORAL MOUNTAIN SPECIFIC PLAN 2003-067