WRITTEN
PUBLIC
COMMENTS
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
NOVEMBER 4, 2025
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA City Council Meeting 4 October 2025 to [email protected],
Mary Mann
La Quinta
Subject: Plea to ‘call up’ Planning Commission Approval for further evaluation TTM2025- 0001, SDP 2025-0001, and SDP 2025-0002 related to the Club At Coral Mt.
At last weeks planning commission approvals were granted, despite lingering questions on timing, specifics of implementation of plan that impacts directly our Quality of Life and impacts our Community Resources. I presented many questions that are in the public record of the Public Hearing last week, and assume you have looked through this. I hope to drive some of these points home that the City is making a mistake in allowing this conception of the project to go forward there are specific unanswered questions surrounding the basis of the whole project approval down to the specific implementation plans as presented in the plans under consideration.
Residents surrounding the property will be subject to large amounts of dust during construction. Given the potential for a many years long construction period and the large scale disturbance required for the proposed first phases, we are owed at least a look at the plan in place for dust suppression and description of how the natural dust fixing that is occurring now can be preserved for as long as possible. Dust is a documented significant health risk in our area.
Below are some images from different perspectives of the project that I can point out what will be impacted. Have not had time to annotate all of these, but hope it spurs thought and discussion.
Directly below in italics I’ve pasted a communication with the City planner, that goes through some of my other concerns about the Club at Coral Mt. Moving forward. I will also point to the Directors Hearing from yesterday 3 Oct. that I included comments regarding the Travertine project and how both of these developments will be defining La Quinta’s future. Care and integrated planning is needed NOW before either of these projects move forward.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING - NOVEMBER 4, 2025 - WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS BY RESIDENT MARY MANN PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - REGARDING CLUB AT CORAL MOUNTAIN TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 2025-0001, SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT 2025-0001 & 2025-0002
Email from 4 Oct. Planning with others copied: Thank you for the responses to my questions prior to the Planning commission last week and also appreciate you and the others meeting with me last week at City Hall.
I still have significant questions on the implementation of this plan as presented in TTM2025-0001, SDP 2025-0001, and SDP 2025-0002 for the club at Coral Mountain project.
You indicated you might be able to provide me with contact information for your archaeologist, the contact at the agua caliente tribe, forest service, and Desert Recreation District for more information about some different aspects of this plan and the agreements with the city and developer.
The rock art plan needs to be reviewed and approved before any ground work starts. The plan needs to incorporate potential impacts of proposed development across the tufa exposure as this is all connected. The developer and adjoining property owners (BLM, BOR, leaseholder DRD, CVWD) also need to be informed and approve of this plan for this larger community resource. City and CVWD suggestions may be needed to provide for the protection of historical and biological resources in the same area.
There was also an indication from our conversation that in the applicants plan there has been an incorporation of the activities of the La Quinta Historical Society related to the pending project into their implementation plan. Given the amount of resources contained on this property I'm hoping that this is the case and requesting documentation of the plan for at a minimum documenting the history of this place before these resources can be cut off and destroyed.
I'm very concerned about the vague timelines given by the applicant and the possibility of work beginning that will directly impact sensitive resources that have yet to be documented defined or adequate matters put into place for their protection or the long-term enjoyment and education of the public.
There is significant uncertainty with the agreement with IID as to win this project could finally go forward with adequate electricity agreements in place. Building a barrier wall cuts off all of our community views of Coral Mt and shoreline. The disturbing dust of grading a building the golf course puts current residences at jeopardy from an or quality perspective and will significantly impact our quality of life. I'm saddened by the thought of my son growing up in a construction zone. There was no discussion of the water resources and impacts to the water district infrastructure, this must be better understood by the City before this plan is about to be implemented.
The alignment of the barrier wall on the west side crosses over and blocks off critical water infrastructure and I have seen no documentation of the agreements with Coachella valley water district or any other public safety arms that indicate they are aware or have planned for how are public resources and infrastructure will be accessed and maintained.
Other public comments at the meeting on 28 October and myself have a concern about the lake, this was not mentioned how much material will be moved and where it will be placed. Please keep in mind the fine dust that will be liberated by any action on this property that is fully naturally stable at the moment.
Significant questions and skepticism from the planning commissioners were not adequately explained regarding the ingress egress plan all around the development at last week's public meeting.
We have been given no timeline for when this project will start, and how it is planned to progress, when grading will begin , and etc. This risk is putting all of us in a situation of blowing dust for years to come, in an unfinished or unused project.
Then significant reduction of the number of svtr in the proposed plan has the city looked into or requested information from applicant regarding the demand for this type of housing or another golf course and how that impacts our City finances? This is definitely not my area of expertise but it seems that the justification for approval of this project hinged a lot on the projected money from the future homeowners and their investments.
Given that there will be a lot less of them how come there hasn't been a discussion of this significant impact to what the City thought it would gain from this project in the way of TOT I hope that we can be privy to the cost benefit analysis of City supporting development of this project at this time.
There is a map in backup documentation (EIR) for this project showing the significant growth of trees Palo Verde, mesquite especially on edges of the property where boundary wall and fence are indicated. We have not seen a plan of which of these trees could or would be protected. These trees provide forage and food for many desert animals the property has been left idle enough are active ecological communities all over this property.
And raptors and other birds on Coral Mountain depend on these for food shelter and forage.
You need to see the details of the implementation of the biological protection measures.
These included limits on time up here for disturbance. None of this was mentioned in the staff report for questions from Planning commission.
Enough for now. Please provide any documentation or contacts that would assist me in making the connections with others who have been involved in the analysis of this project.
I encourage council to insist on a harder look at TTM2025-0001, SDP 2025-0001, and SDP 2025-0002 and realize the significance of the implementation of this project for La Quinta's future.
Figure 1: In email communication with City Planner I requested information regarding the project activities surrounding our public water infrastructure. The Planners communication indicate City is not aware of this active water conveyance structure (White structure) . We need to see the agreement with CVWD and ensure that they are in line with the City and Water districts expectation. Some of the unused water infrastructure that will be disturbed is now a historical resource and should be documented and catalogued at a minimum with the La Quinta Historical Society. This cannot happen in the vague timeframe presented by the applicant.
Figure 2: example of the current condition of a portion of the tufa. It shows marking from humans from 100s of years ago to today. An integrated plan is needed to manage these historic, prehistoric and natural history areas prior to imposing development on them.
Figure 3: view from tip of CM looking North showing proximity to Lake Cahuilla Park, and a complex network of landownership and rights that will be impacted by the implementation of the Club at Coral Mt. plan. Note there is a distinct slope break off the toe of CM.
Figure 4: A second view looking south showing the extent infiltration ponds, levee, and existing developments. City, public, emergency access are all key concerns in this complex network of land ownership, active development, and established open space recreation in the City.
Figure 5: Lookout on CM.
Figure 6: Flag posing on CM looking east to Salton Sea Basin. CM is a beacon from around the Valley. Development on and around it must be integrated to conserve this amazing community resource and open space opportunity.
Figure 7 The ‘coral’ of Coral Mountain. This provide us an educational opportunity, respect for our desert environment and understanding of the integrated nature of natural and human history.
Figure 8: Mary and Amos in the future Coral Mt. Regional park! This provide us an educational opportunity, respect for our desert environment and understanding of the integrated nature of natural and human history.
Figure 9: The ‘coral’ of Coral Mountain.
Figure 10: Coral Mt. offers many adventures and views ! Figure 11: Local oddity- monkey face (shows up a as label on google earth). On or adjacent to property.
Figure 12: current condition sw boundary showing well used through road that access public land and infrastructure.
These different uses must be accounted for. We are headed for a big mess.
Figure 13: Spray paint shows where fence is planned. This is way to close to the tufa to accommodate a trail and I am dismayed by the further degradation of this resource with the spray paint in advance of approval for the map and plans.
Figure 14: Quiet cove along east side of Coral Mountain.
Figure 15: Current condition, shows the well-used road and CVWD infrastructure.
Figure 16: View to west from N. tip of CM to the west into the Wilderness area. Vultures, owls and Hawks live on coral mt.
Figure 17: the Quarry and Lake Cahuilla park from CM.
Figure 18: turkey Vultures on coral Mt. Looking down on proposed development area. Many raptors live on Coral mountain-owls and hawks as well as these birds. The Property in question is an established hunting area adjacent to the mountain. These populations will be impacted negatively in the development of the project.
Figure 19: View from east towards the mouth of Devils Canyon showing Martinez landslide on left and Coral Mt on right.
Gateway to the Santa Rosa Wilderenss.