Loading...
2021-08-02 B Novak 2Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 09:34:50 Pacific Daylight Time Page 1 of 1 Subject:Opposi&on to DEIR for Coral Mountain Surfamusement Park Date:Monday, August 2, 2021 at 12:43:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time From:bnovak26@comcast.net To:'Consul&ng Planner' CC:levans@laquintaca.gov, rradi@laquintaca.gov, kfitzpatrick@laquintaca.gov, jpena@laquintaca.gov, ssanchez@laquintaca.gov, cdd@la-quinta.org, jake.ingrassia@kesq.com, freda.moon@sfgate.com, 'Derek Wong', 'Ramon Baez', 'Diane Rebryna', 'Kathy Weiss', novak@dominican.edu, 'Chris&na Gamez' AEachments:DEIR Opposi&on (Aug 2 2021).docx TO: Ms. Nicole Sauviat Criste & other concerned parties The current Draft EIR for the Coral Mountain Surfamusement Park must be rejected and Meriweather’s request for a zoning change be denied. Bridgett Novak La Quinta homeowner Bnovak26@comcast.net P.S. Please add the attached to the documents I already submitted via email on 3/31/2021 and 4/2/2021. All should be considered part of the Public record and Official opposition to this project and any related zoning change request. August 2, 2021 Attention: Ms. Nicole Sauviat Criste, Consulting Planner City of La Quinta ConsultingPlanner@laquintaca.gov RE: The current Draft EIR for the Coral Mountain Surfamusement Park must be rejected Please add this submission to the documents I already submitted in writing (via email) on 3/31/2021 and 4/2/2021. I have seen lots of DEIRs and never seen one so devoid of actual measurable data (on which conclusions are supposed to be drawn). This DEIR i nstead relies on conjecture and vague statements like “no significant issue”. That is NOT acceptable...and the City Council is NOT doing its job if it does not toss this document back to Meriweather and its obviously-biased consultant MSA. PLEASE TAKE THIS PROJECT AND CITIZENS’ CONCERNS SERIOUSLY. In this document, I will address 3 of my primary concerns (though I’m concerned about many others, too). LIGHT POLLUTION For the developers to casually claim that their 80-foot light towers will have “directional” lights pointed towards the water is totally insufficient. A study needs to be conducted with actual water and a backdrop of a rock-wall mountain (like Coral Mountain) to determine how much deflected light will bounce off the water and the mountains...and from how far away the light towers, their bulbs, their direct and diffused light, and their poles will be visible. Our home is deep within Andalusia and we can see the entire face of Coral Mountain from our backyard. Those light towers and their bulbs will be visible. That is NOT acceptable and not properly addressed in the DEIR. What about other lights throughout the development? There are walking paths, outdoor dining/entertainment areas, bike paths, homes, a hotel, a restaurant, etc. planned for this project. All will have outdoor lighting that has to be measured and evaluated. Are there going to be big screens (aka jumbotrons) showing surfers every day the wave basin is open and broadcasting big images of entertainers for their special events? Thos e light emissions will also have to be evaluated. The ability to see surrounding mountains, palm trees, the sky, and stars at night is a HUGE part of what makes La Quinta the “gem of the desert”. This is a very serious issue and MUST be carefully studied in the DEIR and EIR process, NOT just surmised by Meriweather and MSA (or whoever else they hire to issue “expert” opinions). DEIRs and EIRs are not supposed to be based on opinions...but on measurable facts. Please do your job and demand this be done properly! NOISE We also believ e the developer is far too cavalier with regard to NOISE concerns. It is really laughable that the developer points to noise studies that were conducted at Lemoore. As La Quinta resident Kathy Weiss said during the 3/30/2021 Zoom meeting, “that’s apples an d oranges”. First of all, Lemoore is surrounded by flat agricultural fields and no residential developments. They apparently intend to build this wave basin right up against Coral Mountain. Noises created in that basin will echo off the rock face and rever berate far and wide!!! And what about the grinding sound of the train-like rail system that moves back and forth or the hydrafoils that help create the waves? All of this needs to be carefully measured and evaluated for this particular site!! And what about the tower where the Public Announcer sits and from where he/she broadcasts upcoming waves, musical choices, safety warnings, etc.? It will be a public announcement system with loud speakers! And what about the jet ski(s)? used to run surfers back to the beginning of the wave experience? A “Travel & Leisure” article says the basin will accommodate 25 surfers at a time...so there will have to be multiple jet skis routinely ferrying surfers back & forth. And there will likely be other jet ski-type devices in the water to rescue people who are injured and to take photographs of the surfers (since everyone will, no doubt, want a visual memory of their experience...and which will likely be another way for the developers to make money). The DEIR needs to include measurements of the PA and jet ski noise...at this particular location. In addition, this project is in DIRECT OPPOSITION to the City of La Quinta’s current Noise Ordinances. The City limits construction hours from 6:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Monday thru Friday and 8:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M. Saturday, and prohibits construction noise on Sundays and Holidays. This means that this Wavepark/Surfamusement Park project will VIOLATE the current Noise policies from day one!! To exist as currently planned...it has to be considered a “Special Event”...and not just for the four times a year they claim they will request...but for every day they operate! Please be serious about this! What they are proposing is to operate a noisy Amusement feature 7 days a week, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM...in TOTAL violation of the City’s current regulations. This is another reason why Meriweather’s requested zoning change from residential to commercial should definitely NOT be allowed! UTILITY OVERLOAD Will the project’s need for huge amounts of continuous power affect the cost, availability and/or dependability of electricity, water, gas, Internet and WiFi in surrounding neighborhoods? Will the current IID facility on Avenue 58 have to be expanded? As local residents, we regularly receive requests from IID to “restrict usage” and get news about “rolling outages”, which occur regularly throughout the summer. This project is likely to put huge amounts of additional stress and draw on our current grid. THIS NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY MEAS URED...which is another reason to REJECT THE CURRENT DEIR and deny the zoning change request.