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2021-04-01 SCAG April 1, 2021 Ms. Nicole Sauviat Criste, Consulting Planner City of La Quinta 78-495 Calle Tampico La Quinta, California 92253 Phone: (760) 777-7062 E-mail: consultingplanner@laquintaca.gov RE: SCAG Comments on the Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Coral Mountain Resort [SCAG NO. IGR10349] Dear Ms. Sauviat Criste, Thank you for submitting the Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Coral Mountain Resort (“proposed project”) to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for review and comment. SCAG is responsible for providing informational resources to regionally significant plans, projects, and programs per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to facilitate the consistency of these projects with SCAG’s adopted regional plans, to be determined by the lead agencies.1 Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 375, SCAG is the designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency under state law and is responsible for preparation of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) including the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS). SCAG’s feedback is intended to assist local jurisdictions and project proponents to implement projects that have the potential to contribute to attainment of Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) goals and align with RTP/SCS policies. Finally, SCAG is also the authorized regional agency for Inter-Governmental Review (IGR) of programs proposed for Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development activities, pursuant to Presidential Executive Order 12372. SCAG staff has reviewed the Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Coral Mountain Resort in Riverside County. The proposed project is a specific plan that includes 600 dwelling units, a resort facility of 150 rooms, 57,000 square feet (SF) of tourist commercial uses, 60,000 SF of commercial use, a 16.62- acre wave basin for recreational use, and 23.6 acres of open space on 386 acres. When available, please email environmental documentation to IGR@scag.ca.gov providing, at a minimum, the full public comment period for review. If you have any questions regarding the attached comments, please contact the Inter- Governmental Review (IGR) Program, attn.: Karen Calderon, Associate Regional Planner, at (213) 236-1983 or IGR@scag.ca.gov. Thank you. Sincerely, Ping Chang Manager, Compliance and Performance Monitoring 1 Lead agencies such as local jurisdictions have the sole discretion in determining a local project’s consistency with the 2020 RTP/SCS (Connect SoCal) for the purpose of determining consistency for CEQA. March 19, 2021 SCAG No. IGR10349 Ms. Sauviat Criste Page 2 Page | 2 of 4 COMMENTS ON THE NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE CORAL MOUNTAIN RESORT [SCAG NO. IGR10349] CONSISTENCY WITH CONNECT SOCAL SCAG provides informational resources to facilitate the consistency of the proposed project with the adopted 2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS or Connect SoCal). For the purpose of determining consistency with CEQA, lead agencies such as local jurisdictions have the sole discretion in determining a local project’s consistency with Connect SoCal. CONNECT SOCAL GOALS The SCAG Regional Council fully adopted Connect SoCal in September 2020. Connect SoCal, also known as the 2020 – 2045 RTP/SCS, builds upon and expands land use and transportation strategies established over several planning cycles to increase mobility options and achieve a more sustainable growth pattern. The long-range visioning plan balances future mobility and housing needs with goals for the environment, the regional economy, social equity and environmental justice, and public health (see https://scag.ca.gov/read- plan-adopted-final-plan). The goals included in Connect SoCal may be pertinent to the proposed project. These goals are meant to provide guidance for considering the proposed project. Among the relevant goals of Connect SoCal are the following: SCAG CONNECT SOCAL GOALS Goal #1: Encourage regional economic prosperity and global competitiveness Goal #2: Improve mobility, accessibility, reliability and travel safety for people and goods Goal #3: Enhance the preservation, security, and resilience of the regional transportation system Goal #4: Increase person and goods movement and travel choices within the transportation system Goal #5: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality Goal #6: Support healthy and equitable communities Goal #7: Adapt to a changing climate and support an integrated regional development pattern and transportation network Goal #8: Leverage new transportation technologies and data-driven solutions that result in more efficient travel Goal #9: Encourage development of diverse housing types in areas that are supported by multiple transportation options Goal #10: Promote conservation of natural and agricultural lands and restoration of habitats For ease of review, we encourage the use of a side-by-side comparison of SCAG goals with discussions of the consistency, non-consistency or non-applicability of the goals and supportive analysis in a table format. Suggested format is as follows: March 19, 2021 SCAG No. IGR10349 Ms. Sauviat Criste Page 3 Page | 3 of 4 SCAG CONNECT SOCAL GOALS Goal Analysis Goal #1: Encourage regional economic prosperity and global competitiveness Consistent: Statement as to why; Not-Consistent: Statement as to why; Or Not Applicable: Statement as to why; DEIR page number reference Goal #2: Improve mobility, accessibility, reliability and travel safety for people and goods Consistent: Statement as to why; Not-Consistent: Statement as to why; Or Not Applicable: Statement as to why; DEIR page number reference etc. etc. Connect SoCal Strategies To achieve the goals of Connect SoCal, a wide range of land use and transportation strategies are included in the accompanying twenty (20) technical reports. To view Connect SoCal and the accompanying technical reports, please visit: https://scag.ca.gov/read-plan-adopted-final-plan. Connect SoCal builds upon the progress from previous RTP/SCS cycles and continues to focus on integrated, coordinated, and balanced planning for land use and transportation that helps the SCAG region strive towards a more sustainable region, while meeting statutory requirements pertinent to RTP/SCSs. These strategies within the regional context are provided as guidance for lead agencies such as local jurisdictions when the proposed project is under consideration. DEMOGRAPHICS AND GROWTH FORECASTS A key, formative step in projecting future population, households, and employment through 2045 for Connect SoCal was the generation of a forecast of regional and county level growth in collaboration with expert demographers and economists on Southern California. From there, jurisdictional level forecasts were ground-truthed by subregions and local agencies, which helped SCAG identify opportunities and barriers to future development. This forecast helps the region understand, in a very general sense, where we are expected to grow, and allows SCAG to focus attention on areas that are experiencing change and may have increased transportation needs. After a year-long engagement effort with all 197 jurisdictions one-on-one, 82 percent of SCAG’s 197 jurisdictions provided feedback on the forecast of future growth for Connect SoCal. SCAG also sought feedback on potential sustainable growth strategies from a broad range of stakeholder groups – including local jurisdictions, county transportation commissions, other partner agencies, industry groups, community-based organizations, and the general public. Connect SoCal utilizes a bottom-up approach in that total projected growth for each jurisdiction reflects feedback received from jurisdiction staff, including city managers, community development/planning directors, and local staff. Growth at the neighborhood level (i.e. transportation analysis zone (TAZ)) reflects entitled projects and adheres to current general and specific plan maximum densities as conveyed by jurisdictions (except in cases where entitled projects and development agreements exceed these capacities as calculated by SCAG). Neighborhood level growth projections also feature strategies that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from automobiles and light trucks to achieve Southern California’s GHG reduction target, approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in accordance with state planning law. Connect SoCal’s Forecasted Development Pattern is utilized for long range modeling purposes and does not supersede actions taken by elected bodies on future development, including entitlements and development agreements. SCAG does not have the authority to implement the plan -- neither through decisions about what type of development is built where, nor what transportation projects are ultimately built, as Connect SoCal is adopted at the jurisdictional level. Achieving a sustained regional outcome depends upon informed and intentional local action. To access jurisdictional level growth estimates and forecasts for years 2016 and 2045, please refer to the Connect SoCal Demographics and Growth Forecast Technical Report: March 19, 2021 SCAG No. IGR10349 Ms. Sauviat Criste Page 4 Page | 4 of 4 https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/0903fconnectsocal_demographics-and-growth- forecast.pdf?1606001579. The growth forecasts for the region and applicable jurisdictions are below. Adopted SCAG Region Wide Forecasts Adopted City of La Quinta Forecasts Year 2020 Year 2030 Year 2035 Year 2045 Year 2020 Year 2030 Year 2035 Year 2045 Population 19,517,731 20,821,171 21,443,006 22,503,899 41,315 43,734 45,034 47,662 Households 6,333,458 6,902,821 7,170,110 7,633,451 16,008 17,332 18,035 19,392 Employment 8,695,427 9,303,627 9,566,384 10,048,822 17,172 17,955 18,215 18,697 MITIGATION MEASURES SCAG staff recommends that you review the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (Final PEIR) for Connect SoCal for guidance, as appropriate. SCAG’s Regional Council certified the PEIR and adopted the associated Findings of Fact and a Statement of Overriding Considerations (FOF/SOC) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) on May 7, 2020 and also adopted a PEIR Addendum and amended the MMRP on September 3, 2020 (please see: https://scag.ca.gov/program-environmental- impact-report; and scroll to the bottom of the page for the PEIR Addendum). The PEIR includes a list of project-level performance standards-based mitigation measures that may be considered for adoption and implementation by lead, responsible, or trustee agencies in the region, as applicable and feasible. Project- level mitigation measures are within responsibility, authority, and/or jurisdiction of project-implementing agency or other public agency serving as lead agency under CEQA in subsequent project- and site- specific design, CEQA review, and decision-making processes, to meet the performance standards for each of the CEQA resource categories.