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2021-07-03 Wong-NovakCoral Mountain Derek Wong <derekwong745@yahoo.com> Sat 7/3/2021 3:19 PM To: Linda Evans <Levans@laquintaca.gov>; Kathleen Fitzpatrick <kfitzpatrick@laquintaca.gov>; rrad@laquintaca.gov <rrad@laquintaca.gov>; John Pena <jpena@laquintaca.gov>; Steve Sanchez <ssanchez@laquintaca.gov>; Consulting Planner <ConsultingPlanner@laquintaca.gov> ** EXTERNAL: This message originated outside of the City of La Quinta. Please use proper judgement and caution when opening attachments, clicking links or responding to requests for information. ** Hello, As concerned Andalusia homeowners, we were very disappointed in the July 1 Desert Sun article by Sherry Barkas, “Study: Surf park would have little noise impact”. Please consider these concerns and plan future articles accordingly. 1. Please do not state one side’s opinion as a headline (it misleads readers...who will think it is a conclusion...instead of a self-promoting opinion based on highly questionable information by the developers and their consultants). 2. We have concerns about the neutrality of the ﬁrm – MSA Consulting in Rancho Mirage - hired to conduct the EIR. They seem to have an extremely close relationship with Meriweather, the developers of the proposed Coral Mountain project. Shouldn't the Sun be certain that there is no conﬂict of interest going on here before becoming an unwitting spreader of their biased, proﬁt-motivated position? Please research MSA to see if they have ever produced EIRs with ﬁndings unfavorable to the developer’s side. 3. The “ﬁndings” your reporter cites from the EIR are curiously similar to/almost mirror reﬂections of Meriweather's pro-development, pre-EIR claims. Therefore, we suggest you (or a Sun reporter) ask the City Planner Nicole Sauviat Criste for copies of the incredibly well-researched and well-informed complaints about the project that dozens of local citizens have submitted. These letters should help you gain a more critical, less naive stance toward the EIR's contentions and expose you to the seriousness of many of the issues surrounding this project. The letters will also provide you with the names of some local citizen experts you can contact for further elucidation. 4. PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS whenever Meriweather or MSA make claims (don’t just take their word for everything). For instance: a.Meriweather/MSA claims the project will use “less water than a golf course”. Really? Most desert golf courses use recycled or gray water. A surfpark/wave basin must use fresh water since human beings will be swimming in it. And are they honestly including the amount of water that will be used by the project’s planned single-family homes, villas/hotel rooms, restaurants, planned grocery store, spa/ﬁtness facilities, showers/stalls for surfers, landscaping, continuously needing to reﬁll the wave basin, etc.? We have NOT seen any of those ﬁgures. So their “comparisons” of their project vs. a golf- course/home project should not be trusted. b.Meriweather/MSA claims that the project will have “less than signiﬁcant” impacts on water quality, usage and depletion of groundwater supplies. DID YOU ASK ABOUT EVAPORATION...from an 18-million gallon wave basin sitting in the desert sun...and how much water they will have to use to continuously reﬁll it? c.Meriweather/MSA claims the wave basin’s LIGHTS will “only impact a small area of the scenic vista”. Really? Have you seen the video from one of the night events held at Kelly Slater’s Surfpark in Leemore? Look here - BEST Wave Pool Experience EVER! Firefox https://outlook.ofﬁce.com/mail/inbox/id/AAMkAGJiMWY1OTY1LTB... 1 of 3 7/6/21, 8:04 AM Kelly Slater Surf Ranch w/ Casey Neistat (START AT 34:25) - and then tell us that Coral Mountain’s seventeen 80-foot-tall light towers will not be intrusive! PLEASE GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE LIGHT POLLUTION THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE. They’ve already admitted the wave basin will operate until 10pm year-round...and probably later during their special events. How would you like that kind of lit-up amusement feature in your backyard...every day...from 7am to 10pm?!?!? It will be a MAJOR DISRUPTOR to all the nearby residents...who bought homes in surrounding communities for the peace and quiet currently afforded here. La Quinta prides itself on its starry, desert night sky!!! These outrageous light poles will create too much light...and negatively impact the night sky...for all the surrounding communities. And will be a MAJOR blight against the nearby mountains! BEST Wave Pool Experience EVER! Kelly Slater Surf Ranch w/ Casey Neistat d.Local experts claim that the proposed development – speciﬁcally the carving out of an 18-million gallon wave basin and the constant shaking created by the wave-making motors and the continuous hard pounding into the earth of the waves as they crash -- could have geologically and seismologically negative effects on the soil around Coral Mountain. There are also concerns about the damage an earthquake could cause to an 18-million gallon wave basin and the surrounding communities. PLEASE COVER THIS ANGLE. You will see scientiﬁc data about these concerns in the letters submitted to the City that we referenced above. We can also provide you with experts to talk to about these issues. e.Meriweather claims NOISE impacts will be “less than signiﬁcant during construction...and once the project is completed and the wave basin is operating”. Oh really?!? Ask any resident of Andalusia about the amount of noise that is heard from minor construction projects at the IID building on Avenue 58 – e.g., repaving their parking lot, putting on a new roof. All their projects reverberate and are heard loudly...along with the back-up beeping of all the trucks involved...throughout the Andalusia community. And these are MINOR projects – nothing like the building of homes, restaurants, a hotel, a huge wave basin, and surrounding support facilities. GET SERIOUS PLEASE! f.And what about NOISE once the project is completed? How was “less than signiﬁcant” determined? This is crazy! The wave basin will operate NON-STOP from 7am to 10pm DAILY! LOUD MECHANICAL NOISE is part of the wave-producing machines...along with the constant back & forth of jet skis to transport surfer- customers...and the PA system announcing the next waves and playing music. GET SERIOUS PLEASE! This project will be a MAJOR NOISE PRODUCER! g.Another consultant obviously in cahoots with Meriweather is called Urban Crossroads. They submitted this ludicrous claim to the EIR – “The mountain is more likely to absorb rather than deﬂect sounds from the wave basin during normal use and special events”. Firefox https://outlook.ofﬁce.com/mail/inbox/id/AAMkAGJiMWY1OTY1LTB... 2 of 3 7/6/21, 8:04 AM Again...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Coral Mountain is a natural rock amphitheater...sounds that are made in its environs bounce off its walls and echo into surrounding communities. JUST ASK THE HOMEOWNER who lives at Avenue 60 and Madison. She can hear hikers at the base of Coral Mountain...and you don’t think noises created by a major machinery-driven wave-pounding water-sports basin...with loudspeakers all around...and jet skis revving...will be heard? This has not been studied properly!!! And again...we ask...since you are the community’s journalistic outlet...to investigate Urban Crossroads. ALL of its clients are cities and homebuilders. They are NOT going to say anything that would derail the development or upset their clients. WHO IS WORKING on behalf of the surrounding taxpaying homeowners? Clearly not the City...which obviously wants this development! h.Meriweather says it will hold four events per year attracting approx. 2,500 attendees each. And they have the chutzpah to say that the project will have “no signiﬁcant impact on surrounding intersections”?!? Really?? So they do not plan to make any changes to the existing intersections...which are rural/low-density/residential...at Avenue 58 and Madison...or Avenue 60 and Madison? There are just Stop signs at all these surrounding intersections. And the developer is not planning to make any contributions to improving trafﬁc control or noise issues that will result from the project or their large events? We repeat...this is a LOW-DENSITY, RESIDENTIAL neighborhood...which should NOT be changed. Once again, the Coral Mountain property is zoned for “neighborhood commercial, low- density residential and golf course” for a reason. And this zoning is part of the La Quinta General Plan...so any change should require much broader buy-in...from taxpaying homeowners and businesses...instead of just Meriweather and its consultants! Please do your due diligence for ALL future stories on this topic! You should also push back when told...or when you come across language...that refers to something as “less than signiﬁcant”...or “more likely”. Meriweather/MSA/Urban Crossroads use incredibly VAGUE language. This is NOT ACCEPTABLE when discussing such serious, life-changing concerns for those of us who live next door to this property! And the City/citizens/journalistic outlets should NOT let them get away with it! What do those terms mean? Compared to what? Show us the numbers/actual measurements! And while you’re at it...please talk to Air, Noise, Water, Planning experts about the ridiculousness of FOUR Water/surf parks being constructed in the middle of the desert! These are incredibly non-sustainable projects - in an era of water restrictions, air-health quality concerns, traffic issues, etc! Please start covering this issue more seriously. The Coachella Valley does NOT need four of these parks! And shouldn’t the desert cities get together to support the one or two that will be OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and provide income to all the communities...instead of supporting one that will be highly exclusive/private and JUST beneﬁt the developer (as Coral Mountain would)!! Thank you, Bridgett & Phil Novak Andalusia Firefox https://outlook.ofﬁce.com/mail/inbox/id/AAMkAGJiMWY1OTY1LTB... 3 of 3 7/6/21, 8:04 AM