2021-03-27 RasakSaturday, March 27, 2021 at 16:08:53 Pacific Daylight Time
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Subject:Proposed Coral Mountain Resort and Water/Wave Park, La Quinta, CA
Date:Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 12:31:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:Jeffrey Rasak
To:ConsulKng Planner
CC:Kim Rasak, Rob Michiels, Mike Charles
Good morning Christe. On behalf of JCR Resources, LLC and its Members, thank
you for confirming receipt of our correspondence dated March 24, 2021 and for
sending the Notice of Scoping Meeting. I will do my best to attend the March 30
meeting, however, in the event I am unable to do so, nevertheless wanted to provide
you, City Staff and Council Members with additional comments and concerns JCR
would like to see addressed. As supplement to its March 24 letter, please allow this
correspondence to become a part of the record in these land use proceedings.
If it was not clear from my earlier correspondence, I would like to make clear that
JCR is opposed to the construction, development and operation of a hotel or
hospitality component on the 386 acre Andalusia at Coral Mountain Specific Plan
property proposed for development as the Coral Mountain Resort Project (including
Water Park). We are also strongly opposed to construction, development and
operation of a wave basin/water park on the property. Were this 386 acre Specific
Planned property to be developed, we believe and maintain the highest and best use
and well as the most consistent and compatible use for the property would be a high
end single family residential development, including golf course, with open space,
bike and walking trails and other public/community amenities. Andalusia and
Madison Club two cases in point. All things considered, it is hard to imagine how
City Planners and Council Members would even consider development and operation
of a hotel and water park on the property. That is especially true given the changes
and revisions that would be needed in the existing land use designations and zoning
code. Quite frankly, hotel and recreational uses, including water park are more
suited for development along I-10 near Fantasy Springs (not in the middle of prime
residential/golf communities in La Quinta up against beautiful and scenic Coral
Mountain.
Here in San Diego Nicole, JMI and Hyatt have been working for 20 years to secure
entitlement and project approvals to construct and develop a small 130 room hotel
near the beach in Encinitas. Yes, it has taken 20 years for those entitlements and
approvals to be granted. The result is a well planned, high end boutique hotel (not
exceeding two stories or 24 feet in height). For your information, I have attached
a recent article and photo from Coast News describing the Alila Marea Beach Resort.
Should the City capitulate and decide to entitle and approve development and
operation of a hotel or hospitality component on the 386 acre property, JCR would
like to correct its March 24 letter and make clear that any such hotel should be
limited in size/keys and not exceed 24 feet in height. Further, any such hotel should
truly be first class (five star) with renowned and stunning architecture and design.
The community should have input in those designs and architecture.
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Concerning lighting and to the extent the City were to entitle and approve
construction and operation of a wave basin/water park, no lighting should be
allowed or permitted. Given the existing character and uses in the
community/neighborhood, there simply is no reason why any wave basin or water
park should be allowed to operate past dusk/dark. I live in San Diego and have
surfed my whole life. I don't surf at night and can tell you that night time surfing is
simply a stretch and bridge too far. It should never be allow in La Quinta and
expressly prohibited either by deed restriction or in any conditions of approval for
the Project.
Further and concerning the environmental effects of the proposed wave basin/water
park in La Quinta, the developer incorrectly points to Kelly Slater's Wave Ranch in
Lemoore, CA as some reliable indicator. It is not. Using the Wave Ranch in Lemoore,
CA as some yardstick or weathervane for a wave basin/water park in La Quinta is
simply wrong and nothing more than mixing apples and oranges. In these regards, I
urge the City not to take the developer's bait and accept such self-serving non-sense
as fact or as any reliable indicator of the adverse and detrimental environmental
effects on such a project in La Quinta. With all due respect, using and comparing
Lemoore, CA to La Quinta, CA is not only out of place, but wholly inappropriate in so
many respects.
Insofar as scoping for the EIR, please note JCR's concerns above, below and in its
March 24 letter, all of which we believe and request be thoroughly investigated and
properly addressed:
1. aesthetics;
2. preservation of desert and mountain views as well as open space;
3. preservation of desert habitat as well as native and indigenous plant material and
trees;
4. noise and sound;
5. traffic (both during construction and post construction, including each phase of
develop.;
6. protection and/or degradation of existing streets/roads and off-site
improvements;
7. light and dark skies;
8. storm water treatment, discharge, run-off;
9. pollution (air quality, water quality and trash;
10. crime/security (increased and armed 24 hour security guards needed at
Andalusia);
11. means and methods to be employed by contractors/subcontractors for dust
control;
12. effect on property values at Andalusia and Club Membership (based on actual
design, size, quantity, quality, phasing, and uses developed within of the Project;
13. quality of life (for those outside of the proposed Project and at Andalusia);
14. deliveries and storage of all goods, supplies and materials, including gravel,
base, asphalt, concrete, lumber and other construction materials (during each phase
of construction, including for the neighborhood commerical component, both during
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and after construction);
15. fate of and/or loss of the proposed Coral Mountain Regional Park;
16. loss of the existing open space, walking and mountain biking trails;
17. loss of direct access to Coral Mountain from Andalusia and other surrounding
communities;
18. potential alcohol and drug use at the wave basin/water park;
19. effect of the Project (by phase) on all public services, including fire, water, police,
utilities, trash/refuse pick up, etc.
20. comparative benefit/burden to the existing homeowners of having a residential
golf community developed on the subject property (like Madison Club) versus a
hotel/wave park;
Nicole, I want to reiterate JCR's strong concern and objection to the developer's
misdirection concerning phasing of the Project. More specifically and not
surprisingly, the developer proposes to first secure entitlement for construction of
the wave basin/wave park, before delivering on the other promises/components,
including development of a high end first class neighborhood Shopping Center on
the hard corner of Madison and 58th. Is this just a typical developer "bait and
switch? If this developer is unable or unwilling to first or simultaneously design and
develop a much needed first class neighborhood Center as proposed on the 7.7
acres, including a quality anchor tenant like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or Sprouts
and some great restaurants, indeed I'd be very skeptical (and so too should the City).
Lastly Nicole, I have not received any information whatsoever about the hotel or
commercial retail component? Who will operate the hotel? How many hotels has this
developer successfully completed and operated and where are those hotels? Other
than conceptual eye candy, has the developer prepared preliminary colored exterior
building design elevations?
Does this developer have all of the funding necessary to complete the entire Project
(both debt and equity)? Has the City been provided with copies of the developer's
Operating and Development Proformas? Other than Project entitlements, is the
developer proposing or seeking any form of public assistance?
Thank you Nicole. Kindly share a copy of the letter with the appropriate City Staff
and with each Council Member.
Jeffrey C. Rasak
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sterling Development Corporation
Rancho Santa Fe Plaza
162 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd., Suite B-85
Encinitas, CA 92024
ph: (760) 633-0006 fax: (760) 633-0072
e-mail: sterlingdevelopment@yahoo.com
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