HAND OUTS
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
JUNE 2, 2026
Alena Callimanis -June 2, 2026-Not on Agenda
PUBLIC COMMENT STATEMENT
Subject: Travertine Development & Flood Plain Safety Logistics Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Alena Callimanis. I am a resident of south La Quinta, and I am here tonight to speak on a matter of critical public safety regarding the Travertine development.
We all know why Bureau of Reclamation Dike Number 4 exists. It is the literal shield protecting La Quinta from catastrophic alluvial fan flash floods rushing out of the Martinez Mountain watershed. Historically, local landowners were guaranteed legal, reliable access corridors specifically because of this flood plain risk. Yet, the Travertine project plans to place 1,200 homes and a resort directly into this high-risk zone, fundamentally altering our flood plain dynamics and emergency access routes. If our primary connections at Avenue 62 or secondary at Madison Avenue Extension are inundated or blocked during a severe storm event, residents will be trapped. That is an unacceptable safety failure.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING - JUNE 2, 2026 - HAND-OUT BY RESIDENT ALENA CALLIMANIS
PUBLIC COMMENT ON MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA - TRAVERTINE DEVELOPMENT FLOOD PLAN LOGISTICS ' .
But tonight, I want to direct your attention to a deeply alarming technical detail buried within the project's drainage plans. To direct and manage these severe floodwaters, the environmental and engineering concepts rely on transparent polymer barriers-essentially plexiglass or polycarbonate walls.
As anyone who lives here knows, the Coachella Valley experiences intense, sustained UV radiation and summer temperatures consistently exceeding 115 degrees. Under these extreme desert conditions, polymers rapidly degrade. They lose their structural integrity, become yellow, tum brittle and fracture under pressure
To rely on a material prone to rapid UV shattering for critical, life-saving flood control infrastructure is an extraordinary engineering gamble. If these polymer barriers fracture during a severe 100-year monsoon event, the sudden, structural release of trapped debris and rushing water will be catastrophic for everyone downstream.
The environmental impact tq,ort may be approved, but as this project shifts into civil engineering blueprints, Tentative Tract Maps, and grading permits, this council has a binding duty to protect its citizens.
Administrative rubber-stamping on the Consent Calendar will not suffice. I am asking this Council to direct City Engineering and the Coachella Valley Water District to strictly audit the material specifications of these flood barriers. Demand a transition to proven, structurally sound, UV-resistant materials. Do not let a corporate developer sacrifice the long-term safety of La Quinta for an aesthetic, short-term blueprint.
Thank you.
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