WRITTEN
PUBLIC
COMMENTS
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
OCTOBER 21, 2025
1 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
La Quinta City Council 21 October 2025-Written Comments Items not on agenda Topic: Recall Specific Plan Specific Plan 03-067 Amendment 5-Halt the building of the proposed barrier fence, view-obstructing wall and plan for public recreation, do not approve current applications to be considered by planning commission on 28 Oct.
Speaker: Mary Mann La Quinta CA 92253 mobile
Coral Mountain should be the Gem of La Quinta and gateway to the Santa Rosa Wilderness area. There is a wonderful opportunity here for the City of La Quinta and its leadership to engage with the surrounding landowners and stakeholders including a new community of residents that now lives in south La Quinta. I want to see my City take a good look at this area south of Avenue 54, how it has grown and changed under the current general plan and what will be needed for the future. The City can lead to encourage development that allows for and embraces the natural environment, allowing for enjoyment and access to the Wilderness on our western boundary that so many of us crave. This is in direct alignment with the City Mission Statement and several of the Goals set forth in the Strategic Plan.
The area in question is a local haunt for seeking solace in the desert, hiking, mountain biking, walking dogs, playing, flying, hot air balloon launches! It is accessed by increasing numbers of people, noticeable even in the few years since we moved in. There is character and solidarity we are building in this neighborhood and community, despite being behind walls and being >6 miles from any City amenities or services.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING - OCTOBER 21, 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 2 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
Figure 1: View of Coral Mountain from the designated Natural Open Space planned park.
Ancient Lake Cuilla Shoreline clearly visible, dike built and maintained (?) By Bureau of Reclamation. Current popular trail access for hiking, horseback riding, camping.
Designating this area, or planning for park development not addressed in Club at Coral Specific Plan planning documents. CVWD infrasturcture (our water supply) is also present in this area.
Blocking off the view scape is not required for this to be a successful project. Coral Mountain is a beautiful treasure. This view now shared by those commuting on Madison and the many morning outdoor enthusiasts walking, biking, hiking, sitting and watching the sunrise. It is our history written on the walls and should remain visible. It is the last exposure of the shoreline in this area and is noted in many guidebooks, and descriptions of the area already. Coral Mountain beckons from the north coming down Jefferson, and it can be seen from many parts of the East Valley. It is already a draw for visitors. 3 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
Figure 2: Coral Mountain lit up by the morning sun. Proposed walls would obscure the view of the unique documented shoreline feature from Madison, 58th and 60th. Peekaboo views should be possible through the community. This is a documented site and last remaining examples of the tufa feature that contains ecologic and geologic wonders plus prehistoric and historic artifacts, and flood control infrastructure in use today, and used as a walking path. That provides a tremendous welcome to La Quinta and proudly displays our natural history.
In particular an 8' high fence that received no vetting on its effectiveness for the stated purpose of protecting sheep and its path ignores the unique archaeological and ecological features it would bisect. Damage to this would have a detrimental effect on the planned conservation efforts of DRD and others that are revealed in the initial planning for the Coral Mountain Park.
4 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
Figure 3: Popular hike is the Coral Mountain loop, which passes in front of the mountain.
The mottled lower part is the tufa that was created by an algae in the ancient Lake Cahuilla (latest high stand in 1700s). The mountain itself is a twisted metamorphic rock exposed and thrust up as the Salton Basin has been forming over tens of millions of years. The “coral” have been marked by humans through time, with many grindstone type features ground into the tufa to make little bowls, these are present in the parts where a flat boulder has a thick layer of tufa on it. There are ancient rock writings clear through present. Exploring these features is a known activity and people come from all over the valley to see this.
Below are photos of damage done with bright spray paint within the ecologically, prehistoric and historically sensitive areas for the project about a month ago. These markings crosses features documented and stated in develpement plan EIR (faulty as it is) that they would not be disturbed.
5 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
Figure: Spray paint on Coral below archaeological features. One example of defacement of the documented sensitive ground along Coral Mountain for this golf course project. Maps have not been approved by planning and public has not seen more than conceptual drawings that seemed to indicated there was flexibility in where the boundary of the project would be. Spray paint is on the tufa, where we should be preventing further damage, this adds to it.
6 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
7 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
The newly released maps and development permit will be considered at Planning Commission meeting next week on October 28 2025 (Notice of Public Hearing issued Oct. 17). The maps and presentation released for consideration verify that the line of the proposed barrier fence will be too close or bisect these documented sensitive areas, and prevent the building of a through trial link for the popular Coral Mountain loop, or emergency access. The line also comes too close to sensitive areas in the for viewing of the archaeological sites.
8 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
The new tentative tract map revealed yesterday notes that a trail will be built by DRD and the Cahuilla tribe. Please request more information about these status of these agreements and assure that they will be met. Also please have line of the trail defined on the maps before acceptance. Coral Mountain Regional Park. From what I have been able to glean online whatever plans for this new DRD community resource have been stalled and the BOR agreement it is tied to may be expiring.
La Quinta is going forward with building private golf course development under a specific plan amendment that was soundly opposed by the community at the time. Under the plan for the new development, there are several references to the pending DRD park facility as mitigation of the adding of people, infrastructure and cutting off of public access for recreation. Despite this, there did not seem to be any partnership opportunity extended to the DRD to create a facility that will accommodate the needs of this part of the District and City of La Quinta.
Take the time and effort to develop plans for how our City will interface with natural open space, providing low impact benefits to citizens and visitors. These efforts in community building and allowing the public, stakeholder agencies and groups to create a plan that 9 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
could make Coral Mountain the Gem of La Quinta will be rewarded in civic pride and attraction to the area. I point to numerous new events such as the Iron Man, which will attract lovers of sport and the outdoors. How can we provide ways for these events to continue and host these visitors in such a way that they will want to come back or stay? One way is to provide amenities that are accessible and open to the public. Places for people to get out, explore, experience the desert, have a picnic, take a hike, ride a bike.
The current plan for this property will cut off hundreds of acres from any other use, prevent public through fare and block access to public areas, already popularly used for 100s of years.
Once the Developer leaves we are in blocks of isolated homes, each Homeowner placed under an additional burden of maintenance, cost “tax” of the Homeowners Associations, with cut & pasted CC&Rs from faraway communities. This may look good on paper at the outset, but it is ultimately damaging to our bottom line, community, and quality of life. The risks associated with water supply, natural disasters, maintenance of infrastructure that will be borne directly by the City, CVWD, IID, County of Riverside and our neighbors in Indio and the City Sphere of influence as well as the ultimate new homeowners in the community. These are long-term ongoing costs and risks that have not been considered.
The one agreement that DRD signed with the Applicant for development of this property in a previous iteration of the project was to build a trail. The letter stated that this would be negated if the BOR agreement with DRD expires. This would mean the loss of the one concession the developer was asked to provide to maintain even minimal access to the public to lands that have been identified as unique in many respects, geologically, ecologically, have historically and currently provided desert recreation opportunities for the whole Valley and beyond.
We have added hundreds of people to this part of the Valley (South La Quinta, Indio) in only a few years with many new private developments but the Cities (La Quinta in particular) have not been compelled to provide any public recreation facilities or even planned for these.
There does not seem to be any planning for maintaining access around Coral Mountain for exploration and entering into the Santa Rosa Wilderness. We desperately need to get an integrated plan together. There are many agencies involved, DRD, City of La Quinta, Indio, Riverside County, BLM, BOR, CVWD, IID, Tribes.
Riverside County and partners are investing a lot into upgrades to the Lake Cahuilla Park. I have not seen that La Quinta has been proactive at all in planning for new recreational visitors to the area.
10 10/21/25 Written Public comment Save Coral Mt.
We truly need a facility that would be the Gateway to the Santa Rosa wilderness and offer a trail head, picnic and staging area, parking, restrooms. This is already a popular area for mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, exploration of the archaeological and historical artifacts, discovery of desert fauna and flora, off-roading, climbing, dog-walking, horseback riding, prayer and reflection. The use of the area around Coral Mountain has increased dramatically even in the short time I have lived in this particular spot in the Valley.
It is now critically important that the District bring this Coral Mountain Regional Park project back to the top of the list.
You, City of La Quinta, have the power activate discussions with the developer, DRD and with other government entities to plan for development of the Coral Mountain Regional park, or find other groups, citizens who can assist in opening a dialogue around planning for saving of our existing desert recreation opportunities at Coral Mountain and Santa Rosa Wilderness and providing facilities required to accommodate increased use in coming years.