FCMP2019-0008 - TRAVERTINE - FIRE ACCESS MASTER PLAN - APPROVED 9-22-2020
Travertine Fire Master Plan
September 9, 2020
Prepared By:
TRG Land, Inc.
898 Production Place
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Prepared For:
CAL Fire
77933 Las Montañas Road, Suite 201
Palm Desert, CA 92211
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Table of Contents
I. Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
A. Purpose and Intent ............................................................................................................................................ 2
B. Project Setting and Surrounding Land Uses ..................................................................................................... 2
C. Proposed Project ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Exhibit 1.1 Vicinity Map with Existing Fire Stations Locations ........................................................................... 5
Exhibit 1.2 Site Location Map .............................................................................................................................. 6
Exhibit 1.3 Land Use Plan .................................................................................................................................... 7
Exhibit 1.4 Circulation Plan .................................................................................................................................. 8
D. Domestic Water ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Exhibit 1.5 Conceptual Water Plan .................................................................................................................... 10
II. Proposed Interim Project ................................................................................................................................. 11
A. Phase 1 ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
i. Description ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Exhibit 2.1 Phase 1 - Alternative I Interim Circulation Plan .............................................................................. 12
Exhibit 2.2 Phase 1 - Alternative II Interim Circulation Plan ............................................................................. 13
ii. Access ........................................................................................................................................................ 14
iii. Land Uses for the Interim Phase ................................................................................................................ 15
iv. Land Uses for the Interim Phase ................................................................................................................ 16
Exhibit 2.3 Road Cross Sections – West of Dike @ Grade ................................................................................ 17
Exhibit 2.4 Road Cross Sections – West of Dike Elevated ................................................................................. 18
Exhibit 2.5 Road Cross Sections – East of Dike Elevated .................................................................................. 19
Exhibit 2.6 Road Cross Sections – East of Dike @ Grade .................................................................................. 20
Exhibit 2.7 Road Cross Sections – EVA ............................................................................................................. 21
Exhibit 2.8 Phase 1 Interim Land Use Plan ........................................................................................................ 22
v. Gates .......................................................................................................................................................... 23
III. Mitigation Measures ......................................................................................................................................... 24
A. Provide for Higher Water Pressures and Volumes ......................................................................................... 25
B. 5A Level Instead Of 5B Building Construction Standards ............................................................................. 25
C. Emergency Standby Power Facilities for Booster Pumps .............................................................................. 25
Exhibit 3.1 Phase 1 - Interim Conceptual Water Plan ......................................................................................... 27
IV. Evacuation and Response ................................................................................................................................. 28
A. Identification of Potential On-Site Area of Refuge ........................................................................................ 28
B. Proximate Fire Station .................................................................................................................................... 28
C. Evacuation Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Exhibit 4.1 Alternative I - Evacuation Route Plan .............................................................................................. 32
Exhibit 4.2 Alternative II - Evacuation Route Plan ............................................................................................ 33
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I. Background
A. Purpose and Intent
This Master Plan reflects the collaboration with Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD) and CAL Fire
to provide in depth information on the proposed Travertine project to aid in determining the level of service
proposed for this site. Specifically, this Fire Master Plan:
• Profiles the current fire protection and emergency services system to the existing site, including the
capabilities and limitations of the system.
• Identifies the methods that will aid in fire suppression, their property and the environment.
• Identifies an area of refuge for residents and visitors to be used in an emergency.
• Provides an informal evacuation study using alternative routes.
It is also important to understand that this document looks at the fire department using a snapshot in time.
Therefore, while the Travertine development is going through the planning process, it will be implementing
some or many of the recommendations in this document –to improve the RCFD and CAL Fire operations
and service delivery. See Exhibit 1.1 for proposed new fire station location just outside of the Travertine
development area. This will be addressed in the revised EIR
Fire shall be afforded the ability to re-evaluate the alternative access arrangements at appropriate
intervals, upon significant events and/or future code changes to apply revised conditioning as may be
determined by the fire code official.
Prior to any building construction, the project will have the necessary fire flows to all hydrants in
addition to providing two points of access. There are two alternatives to the Travertine Development
Phase 1 that provide two different EVA alignments for the required two points of access. Dwelling
units in both alternatives will be limited to 600 residential units, while maintaining the same product
mix and densities as referenced in Table 2. Conformance to the full circulation plan is required for
any additional development beyond Phase 1 of the project.
B. Project Setting and Surrounding Land Uses
Project Setting. The property is located in the City of La Quinta on the southern edge of the Coachella
Valley at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains. The project is generally bounded by the extension of
Avenue 60 on the north; the extension of Avenue 64 to the south; Coachella Valley Water District Dike
No. 4 on the east; and the extension of Jefferson Street on the west. The project site consists of the following
Assessor Parcel Numbers: 766-110-002, -003, -004, -005, -007, and -009; 766-120-001, -002, -003, -006,
-015, -016, -018, and -021, 753-040-014, 016, and -017, 753-050-007, -013, and -029; and 753-060-003.
North
o Coral Mountain and Coral Mountain Park immediately north of the project site
o Lake Cahuilla County Park and Lake Cahuilla approximately 1-mile north
o Golf course communities including Andalusia and PGA West approximately 1 mile
north of the site
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South
o BLM (Martinez Slide) – Open Space/Wilderness Area and Coachella Valley Multiple
Species Habitat Conservancy Plan (CVMSHCP) and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto
Mountains Conservation Area
East
o Vacant Land owned by
Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD)
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
o Private vacant lands are directly adjacent to the eastern boundary of the site
o The Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta is approximately 2,500 feet northeast of the
intersection of Madison and Avenue 62
West
o Vacant, private lands
o BLM - Open Space/Wilderness and CVMSHCP Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains
Conservation Area
o BLM and BOR (Guadalupe Channel), managed and maintained by CVWD
C. Proposed Project
The Travertine development is a master planned residential community with a Resort/Spa located in the
City of La Quinta on the southern edge of the Coachella Valley at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains.
The project is generally bounded by the extension of Avenue 60 on the north; the extension of Avenue 64
to the south; CVWD Dike No. 4 on the east; and the extension of Jefferson Street on the west. The proposed
project includes development of a mix of uses including:
• Up to 1,200 dwelling units of varying residential product types,
• A resort facility with up to 100 rooms or villas,
• Recreational uses such as a golf facility featuring a clubhouse and a skills golf course (9-12 holes),
• A number of neighborhood parks, a public trail system and recreational open space, and natural
open space for conservation.
Land Use. The Travertine development will be comprised of a variety of land uses. Residential land uses
will range from low density to medium density. A resort/spa facility will serve tourists and recreational
visitors. A golf skills course will provide recreational opportunities and also a banquet facility. Some
related commercial uses will be combined with the resort/spa and golf club to serve the daily needs of the
community and its visitors. Table 1 identifies the overall land use summary planned for the property. The
residential land use plan and circulation plan, for the 1,200-Unit project, are shown in Exhibits 1.3 and 1.4.
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Table 1: Overall Land Use Summary
Land Use Acres D U
Residential 380.4 1,200
Resort /Golf Club Facilities 84.1 Master Planned Roadways 32.5 Open Space Uses 379.0
Total 876.0 1,200
There are two alternatives to the Travertine Development Phase I plan, that provide 2 different EVA
alignments. Dwelling units in both alternatives will provide 600 residential units, while maintaining the
same product mix and densities.
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Exhibit 1.1 Vicinity Map with Existing Fire Stations Locations
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Exhibit 1.2 Site Location Map
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Exhibit 1.3 Land Use Plan
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Exhibit 1.4 Circulation Plan
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D. Domestic Water
Coachella Valley Water District has jurisdiction over domestic water service to the Travertine project.
Currently, domestic water service lines exist in the area of the intersection of Avenue 60 and Monroe from
Jefferson extension and at Avenue 62. During Phase 1, the construction of water utilities will be
connected well before any residential homes are built.
Exhibit 1.5 identifies the conceptual on-site water service facilities, for the 1,200-unit plan, that are
required to provide domestic water to the community, in addition to proposed tanks and booster pumps.
An inspection shall be scheduled with an RCFD inspector to verify that access roadways and operable hydrants
have been provided for buildings under construction prior to a lumber drop.
Wells will be required to be improved and/or constructed to serve the project site, with one well operable
and available prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Use and Occupancy. Additional facilities will
include 2 water reservoirs and booster stations to collect the well water and store it at elevation to
provide the required water pressure for the site; the proposed upper tank is located at an elevation of
425-ft with a volume of 600K G, and the lower tank is located at an elevation of 335-ft with a volume of
3.5 MG. Twelve-inch and smaller lines will then feed off the main line to serve the individual
developments along these public streets. Precise locations, alignments, and sizes of water service
facilities will be determined at the Tentative and Final Map stage of development, per City and Coachella
Valley Water District regulations and standards.
Irrigation water for the golf course and landscaping is intended to be non-potable Coachella Canal
water that is available to the site. Infrastructure will be installed to convey the water to the site and to
ensure that the non-potable water remains separate from the potable water system.
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Exhibit 1.5 Conceptual Water Plan
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II. Proposed Interim Project
A. Phase 1
i. Description
The primary intent of the phasing of the Travertine development is to ensure that complete and adequate
public facilities and services are in place and available for the emergency responders, residents and visitors
to the community using a full access point via Avenue 62 and secondary access via an EVA. Prior to any
building construction, the project will need to have the necessary fire flows to all hydrants in addition to
providing two points of access. The project will provide all wet and dry utilities from Avenue 62 to the
point of connection for various builder phases and tanks.
There are two alternatives to the Travertine Development Phase I that provide two different EVA
alignments. The master homeowner’s association will be responsible for maintenance and repair of the
common ownership areas including the emergency evacuation access routes. Dwelling units in both
alternatives will provide 600 residential units, while maintaining the same product mix and densities. The
two alternatives are as follows:
• Alternative I
Alternative I maintains Avenue 62 as the primary access to the project and will take secondary
access from the southerly extension of Madison Street from Avenue 60, see Exhibit 2.1 The
Madison extension will be a 24-foot paved section EVA that crosses Dike #4 and continues south
to the project site. The project proponent will obtain permissions from the BOR to cross Dike #4.
This scenario avoids some of the property issues associated with Alternative II and the outcome of
dealing with the owner of Coral Canyon.
• Alternative II
Alternative II maintains the extension of Avenue 62, see Exhibit 2.2 and will provide an emergency
vehicle access road that extends to Avenue 58 on the northern edge of development. The EVA will
be a 24-foot wide paved section. Domestic water service will be supplied in a proposed water line
from the booster pump located at Avenue 58 and Dike #2 within the EVA. The EVA will have a
license agreement with the BOR for the Dike #2 crossing and access through Coral Canyon. In
addition to the BOR, this alternative will require a temporary access easement/license agreement
with BLM to cross the property under their jurisdiction south of Coral Canyon to the northern
boundary of the Travertine project. Lastly, a crossing of Guadalupe Dike and improvements to the
dike itself, to a level to be specified by CVWD will be necessary.
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Exhibit 2.1 Phase 1 - Alternative I Interim Circulation Plan
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Exhibit 2.2 Phase 1 - Alternative II Interim Circulation Plan
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Table 2: Land Use Summary
Land Use Acres* Density Target Target
Range Density Units
Medium Density Residential 43.5 4-8 du/ac 5.1 221
Low Density Residential 150.5 2-4 du/ac 2.5 379
Resort / Golf Club 20.4
Resort / Spa 19.2 Master Planned Roadways 17.6 Open Space / Recreation (Golf) 74.0 Open Space / Recreation 32.1 Natural 81.0
Totals 438.2 600
(*) - The acreage numbers above reflect a reduction to the overall proposed project by a factor of 50%. There will
be some level of amenities (i.e. Resort, Spa, Golf, and Trails) that are envisioned to be built as part of the Phase 1
project to be more clearly defined at the required time in the review process. The master homeowner’s association
will be responsible for maintenance and repair of the common ownership areas including the emergency evacuation
access routes.
The construction, installation, and/or extension of infrastructure and facilities necessary to serve Phase 1
of the development shall be operational prior to the issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy or first
Final Inspection for that particular phase. Perimeter streets and associated landscaping (i.e. the EVA
extension to Jefferson) will be required to be constructed and installed in Phase 1.
It should be noted that, as development in Travertine and the surrounding community continues, market
conditions as well as infrastructure design and improvements may evolve and change, resulting in various
revisions to the phasing program anticipated and described herein. These revisions, upon the review and
confirmation by the City of La Quinta that they meet the intent of the Specific Plan and adequately serve
the needs of the community, shall be permitted without an amendment to the Specific Plan at the discretion
of the Design and Development Director.
ii. Access
The Conceptual Circulation system proposed to serve the Travertine Interim Project will be served by 2
access points, the westerly extension of Avenue 62 as a Modified Secondary Arterial west of Monroe
Street and 1 EVA. The Avenue 62 right-of way will vary west of Monroe Street due to public and private
ownerships but in all cases will provide a minimum of 46’ paved section. The right-of-way varies from
a minimum of 70’ to a maximum of 84’. In all cases the paved area will allow two lanes for evacuation
and one lane for emergency vehicle access. Exhibits 2.3 thru 2.6 show how each street will be used
under normal conditions and under emergency evacuation conditions.
The Travertine community land uses are oriented on both sides of the Avenue 62 spine roadway, with
local loop collector roads emanating from the spine roadway via round-a-bouts to provide access to the
neighborhoods.
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In all alternatives, the elevated crossing of Dike 4 by Avenue 62 will be designed to have 3 lanes (2
evacuation lanes and 1 incoming lane to allow for emergency services) that are contained in 46’ pavement
section. The EVA access point to the project will be designed to have 2, 12’ lanes contained within a 24’
pavement section. The local loop streets will have a typical right-of-way of 70 feet, with curb to curb
distances of 40 feet with 9-foot curb adjacent landscaped parkways and a 6-foot wide pedestrian walkway
on both sides. Additionally, local roads are planned to be utilized within the project. The local roads will
be comprised of a curb to curb dimension of 32 feet if single loaded and 36 feet if double loaded, street
parking will only be allowed on the loaded side of the street. These residential local roads will provide a
landscape easement at a minimum of 12 feet on each side of the street and 15 feet to residential building.
To view road cross sections, refer to Exhibit 2.3 and Exhibit 2.7.
All fire apparatus access roads including the EVA shall be designed to support the imposed loads of fire
apparatus [60,000-pound live load (gross vehicle weight) distributed over two axles] for the length and
grade(s) of the fire apparatus access road.
Currently Adopted Access
City of La Quinta General Plan Circulation Element and the 1995 Travertine Specific Plan require a looped
roadway connection via a Jefferson Street alignment that will proceed southerly and then easterly to
connect with an extended Avenue 62.
Wild Fire Events
Recent wildland fire events are causing fire agencies to “rethink” past acceptable land development
practices related to single points of access and travel distances, including recent discussions the Travertine
team has had with RCFD.
Jefferson Street as an EVA
The RCFD would consider Jefferson Street constructed Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) with a 24’
paved width, an R-Value sufficient for a 2-axle 60,000-pound vehicle.
Currently Adopted Access
City of La Quinta General Plan Circulation Element and the 1995 Travertine Specific Plan require a looped
roadway connection via a Jefferson Street alignment that will proceed southerly and then easterly to
connect with an extended Avenue 62.
Wild Fire Events
Recent wildland fire events are causing fire agencies to “rethink” past acceptable land development
practices related to single points of access and travel distances, including recent discussions the Travertine
team has had with RCFD.
Jefferson Street as an EVA
The RCFD would consider Jefferson Street constructed Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) with a 24’
paved width, an R-Value sufficient for a 2-axle 60,000-pound vehicle.
iii. Land Uses for the Interim Phase
As illustrated in Exhibit 2.5, the Travertine development will be comprised of a variety of land uses.
Residential land uses will range from low density to medium density. A golf skills course will provide
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recreational opportunities and also a banquet facility. Some related commercial uses will be combined with
golf club to serve the daily needs of the community and its visitors. Table 2 identifies the overall land use
summary planned for the property Interim Phase.
The interim Travertine Land Use Plan incorporates a broad range of uses consistent with new successful
master planned community by providing:
• Public and private uses,
• A pattern of residential neighborhoods defined by interconnected loop streets and linked by an
extensive trail system,
• Access to open space via pedestrian walkways and bike paths,
• A moderately curvilinear primary street pattern connecting to local streets as the street system
connects the Medium and Low-Density Residential neighborhoods within the Travertine
community,
• Sidewalks and bike lanes throughout the Travertine community with a Class II bike lane located
along both sides of Jefferson Street.
• Some flexibility is built into the development regulations in order for the project to respond to
evolving market conditions. This provision allows for adjustments and refinements in acreage and
subsequent dwelling unit counts in response to changing market conditions and final design review
without the need to amend the specific plan. Though some flexibility and adjustments are provided
for, the maximum number of total dwelling units for the entire project area will not be exceeded.
iv. Land Uses for the Interim Phase
As illustrated in Exhibit 2.5, the Travertine development will be comprised of a variety of land uses.
Residential land uses will range from low density to medium density. A golf skills course will provide
recreational opportunities and also a banquet facility. Some related commercial uses will be combined with
golf club to serve the daily needs of the community and its visitors. Table 2 identifies the overall land use
summary planned for the property Interim Phase.
The interim Travertine Land Use Plan incorporates a broad range of uses consistent with new successful
master planned community by providing:
• Public and private uses,
• A pattern of residential neighborhoods defined by interconnected loop streets and linked by an
extensive trail system,
• Access to open space via pedestrian walkways and bike paths,
• A moderately curvilinear primary street pattern connecting to local streets as the street system
connects the Medium and Low-Density Residential neighborhoods within the Travertine
community,
• Sidewalks and bike lanes throughout the Travertine community with a Class II bike lane located
along both sides of Jefferson Street.
• Some flexibility is built into the development regulations in order for the project to respond to
evolving market conditions. This provision allows for adjustments and refinements in acreage and
subsequent dwelling unit counts in response to changing market conditions and final design review
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without the need to amend the specific plan. Though some flexibility and adjustments are provided
for, the maximum number of total dwelling units for the entire project area will not be exceeded.
Exhibit 2.3 Road Cross Sections – West of Dike @ Grade
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Exhibit 2.4 Road Cross Sections – West of Dike Elevated
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Exhibit 2.5 Road Cross Sections – East of Dike Elevated
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Exhibit 2.6 Road Cross Sections – East of Dike @ Grade
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Exhibit 2.7 Road Cross Sections – EVA
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Exhibit 2.8 Phase 1 Interim Land Use Plan
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v. Gates
The project will be gated for privacy. The extension of the arterial road, Avenue 62, will be an ungated
public road. Gating will occur to serve the uphill and downhill portion of the project, both of which are in
the loop roads, connected to the Avenue 62 arterial road. Gating of individual neighborhoods within the
residential Planning Areas, is permitted. The location of any proposed gates will be reviewed and approved
by the City as part of either a tentative tract map application or as a part of a site plan review application.
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III. Mitigation Measures
Fire Protection
Fire protection service is provided for the City of La Quinta and administered by the Riverside County
Fire Department. Presently, the Fire Department occupies three fire stations within the City: Station No.
32 located on 52nd Street west of Washington Street; Station No. 70 located at the intersection of Madison
Street and Avenue 54; and Station No. 93 located on Adams Street north of Miles Avenue.
Emergency medical paramedic services are currently provided to the City by American Medical
Response, a private paramedic ambulance agency. See Exhibit 1.1 which includes conceptual detail of
proposed new fire station location just outside of the Travertine development area. This will be addressed
in the revised EIR.
Mitigation Summary
All water mains and fire hydrants providing the required fire flows will be constructed in accordance with
the City Fire Code Appendix B and Appendix C in effect at the time of development. In addition, the
level of service required for Travertine will be aligned with the criteria for Category II - Urban as outlined
in the Fire Protection Master Plan as follows:
• Increased Project Mitigation Features in Phase I
This technical report outlines required project features that can be used to
address proposed fire standard equivalencies to overcome deficiencies that could lead to
fire related loss of life.
• Alternative Construction Requirements and Equivalencies Features in Phase I
Higher standard level of fire prevention measures that will allow construction to begin
with a second point of access, before the full circulation plan is completed.
The Riverside County Fire Department is responsible for setting minimum fire flow for remodels and
construction of all buildings and structures. All calculations are bases on the procedure established in
Appendix B of the current edition of California Code.
The Travertine development will require a fire flow of 2,375 gallons per minute for 2-hour duration at 20-
psi. for residential areas, approved standard fire hydrant, located at each intersection, with no portion of
any lot frontage more than a maximum of 500-feet from a hydrant shall be provided. Minimum fire flow
for all residential structures shall be 875 gallons per minute for a 1-hour duration at 20-psi operating
pressure. Fire hydrant spacing shall be in accordance with Appendix C of the current edition of the
California Fire Code. Both requirements must be available prior to placing any combustible materials on
the job site. This information referenced within this section is simply conceptual due to no formal fire
department review being conducted. Values are subject to change if information on the formal review
differ from conceptual information that was provided by the developer.
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A. Provide for Higher Water Pressures and Volumes
Site facilities will include 2 water reservoirs and booster stations to collect the well water and store it at
elevation to provide the required water pressure for the site; the proposed upper tank is located at an
elevation of 425-ft with a volume of 600 K G, and the lower tank is located at an elevation of 335-ft with a
volume of 3.5 M G. The project site will be served with a thirty-inch main line within Avenue 62, and either
the Jefferson Street or Madison Street alignment, depending on which alternative is chosen. Twelve-inch
and smaller lines will then feed off the main line to serve the individual developments along these public
streets. Precise locations, alignments, and sizes of water service facilities will be determined at the Tentative
and Final Map stage of development, per City and Coachella Valley Water District regulations and
standards. See Exhibit 3.1 for the Phase 1 Interim Conceptual Water Plan.
B. 5A Level Instead Of 5B Building Construction Standards
Many buildings will require or benefit from utilizing more than one construction type, which is determined
by factors such as code or durability requirements, architectural design, and construction costs. In these
cases, portion(s) of the building are separated by construction type with a fire rated wall or horizontal (floor)
assembly, allowing each area to be treated as a separate building for meeting building code requirements.
Within Phase I of the project only, for the Travertine site, it is required that all construction standards are
subject to 5A, Type V-A, level building standards. Type V-A refers to uses of protected Wood Frames,
commonly used in the construction of newer apartment buildings; there is no exposed wood visible and
non-combustible materials are generally used. Non-combustible materials generally include concrete,
masonry, and steel building elements while combustible material typically refers to wood framed building
elements that do not meet heavy timber requirements. Type A is preferred because it is construction that
uses protected – structural members which have additional fire rating coating or cover by means of spray-
on, sheetrock, or other approved method that increases the fire resistance rating by at least 1-hour; whereas,
Type B is Unprotected – Structural members which have no additional coating or cover.
C. Emergency Standby Power Facilities for Booster Pumps
The project site will provide adequate space for a diesel fueled standby generator in a recessed concrete
structure, to be located at both booster pump locations. The generators shall be sized to operate at connected
load (full site load) of the designed station. The installation and testing of this equipment will be performed
by CVWD.
Fire Systems/Backflow Requirements
All developer plans showing fire system connections shall provide information on the type of fire system
that is being installed for the development (e.g. wet-pipe fire sprinkler systems, deluge fire sprinkler
systems and dry pipe and pre-action fire systems). The developer’s engineer shall fill out and check the
appropriate fire system box on the CVWD Plan Check checklist for domestic water. Upon request for
additional information on the fire system, the fire system plans shall be submitted to CVWD to review the
complexity and type of proposed fire system so the degree of hazard can be assessed.
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Since a fire system design can vary, the level of backflow protection will be based on the type of potential
cross-connection and the degree of hazard. The three types of backflow protection that will be considered
are: (1) Single (lead free) Detector Check, below ground installation. (2) Double Check Detector Assembly
(DCDA), above ground installation. (3) Reduced Pressure Detector Assembly (RPDA), above ground
installation.
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Exhibit 3.1 Phase 1 - Interim Conceptual Water Plan
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IV. Evacuation and Response
A. Identification of Potential On-Site Area of Refuge
Wildfire and other emergencies are often fluid events and the need for evacuations are typically determined
by on-scene first responders or by a collaboration between first responders and designated emergency
response teams, including Office of Emergency Services established for larger emergency events. As such,
and consistent with all emergency evacuation plans, this Fire Master Plan is to be considered a tool that
supports existing pre-plans and provides for citizens who are familiar with the evacuation protocol, but is
subservient to emergency event-specific directives provided by agencies managing the event. Specifically,
for the Travertine site and its residents and visitors, an area of refuge will be created that will be away from
any flammable project structures. Pedestrian, vehicular and emergency vehicle access will be provided to
this area, and ADA requirements will be observed. For the Travertine project, the proposed location of on-
site area of refuge will be on the Open Space Recreational planned areas, to accommodate residents and
their cars (approximately 1 car per household).
The overall objectives of emergency evacuation operations and notifications are to:
• Expedite the movement of persons from hazardous areas;
• Institute access control measures to prevent unauthorized persons from entering vacated, or
partially vacated areas;
• Provide for evacuation to appropriate transportation points, evacuation points, and shelters;
• Provide adequate means of transportation for persons with disabilities, the elderly, other persons
with access and functional needs, and persons without vehicles;
• Provide for the procurement, allocation, and use of necessary transportation and law enforcement
resources by means of mutual aid or other agreements;
• Control evacuation traffic;
• Account for the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals prior to, during, and
following a major disaster or emergency;
• Provide initial notification, ongoing, and re-entry communications to the public
• Assure the safe re-entry of the evacuated persons
The Travertine project will coordinate with the responding fire agencies and others to finalize a location to
use as a Temporary Evacuation area of refuge. These evacuation areas will serve as temporary safe zones
for evacuees and will provide basic needs such as food, water, and restrooms in the case of an event. The
area could be located on the proposed golf course or in a vacant area of the site that has been graded and
kept clear of flammable brush.
B. Proximate Fire Station
The placement of the future fire station will be located within the southern region of the City of La Quinta
based on conversations with RCFD and CAL Fire. The exact location of the fire station will be determined
in the future. See Exhibit 1.1 for approximate new fire station location just outside of the Travertine
development area. This will be addressed in the revised EIR. Decision makers will take into account
community growth. It will be important to continue to monitor growth and community risk to assure that
the future needs of the service area are met. The project area would not be an acceptable site for a station
as it is not centrally located.
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Fire stations are generally well located to provide acceptable response time intervals. Department leadership
has done an excellent job of anticipating development and growth with which to site station locations in the
service area; however, doing so will be an ongoing challenge as the community grows. The new station in
the vicinity of Travertine will mitigate the effects of increased activity and growth. The new fire station
will improve response performance in the City of La Quinta response area, which is experiencing new
development and increased service demand.
C. Evacuation Studies
The term "evacuation time" is used by different analysts to represent different components of the
time between detection of an incident and the completion of an evacuation. It is essential to use
other terms to describe the components of evacuation time. Our definition of “evacuation time"
will represent the interval of time for individuals to physically move out of the center of the
development area.
Evacuation studies have shown that within a 33-minute time the Travertine development can be
completely evacuated. It is assumed that with 600 dwelling units that there are approximately 2
cars per home averaging to 1,200 total cars to evacuate. In both alternatives, 3 lanes will be used
for evacuation: 1 lane via the E.V.A and 2 lanes via Avenue 62. For the evacuation route, refer to
Exhibit 4.1 for the Alternative 1 Evacuation Route Plan and Exhibit 4.2 for the Alternative II
Evacuation Route Plan. For lane, and car capacity for the evacuation routes used to calculate
evacuation response times are in Table 3. Using a 4 second headway, a measurement of time
between vehicles in a transit system, the total evacuation time was calculated by multiplying the
headway time by the number of cars evacuating, 400 per lane, and adding it to the total amount of
time it takes for a car to drive from the center of the project site through its evacuation route at 35
miles per hour; refer to Table 4 for a breakdown of the evacuation routes for Alternative 1,
Alternative 2 and the extension of Avenue 62. A conservative estimate and the number of
evacuating vehicles may be lower, as many families would likely drive in one vehicle versus in
multiple vehicles and depending on the time of day, many of these vehicles may already be off
site, such as if a fire occurred during typical work hours. However, a conservative approach is used
for purposes of estimating worst case evacuation requirements.
Table 3: Evacuation Route Capacity
LANES CARS PER LANE ROAD
LENGTH - LF
TOTAL CAR
CAPACITY FOR
ENGRESS
ALT I - EVA 1 400 7,800 400
ALT II - EVA 1 400 18,200 400
AVENUE 62 2 400 8,500 800
AVENUE 62 - CASE
OF FLOOD 2 600 8,500 1,200
TRAVERTINE FIRE MASTER PLAN
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Table 4: Evacuation Route Response Times
Avenue 62 Evacuation Route Response Time
Seconds Minutes
Headway Per Car 4 0:04
Total Headway Per Lane 1600 26:40
Time for Evacuation of First Car @ 35 MPH 166 2:46
AVENUE 62 EVACAUTION TIME 1766 26:26:00
ALT I Evacuation Route Response Time
Seconds Minutes
Headway Per Car 4 0:04
Total Headway Per Lane 1600 26:40
Time for Evacuation of First Car @ 35 MPH 152 2:32
ALT I - EVA EVACUATION TIME 29:12:00
AVENUE 62 EVACUATION TIME 26:26:00
MAX EVACUATION TIME FOR ALT I 29:12:00
ALT II Evacuation Route Response Time
Seconds Minutes
Headway Per Car 4 0:04
Total Headway Per Lane 1600 26:40
Time for Evacuation of First Car @ 35 MPH 334 5:34
ALT II - EVA EVACUATION TIME 32:14:00
AVENUE 62 EVACUATION TIME 26:26:00
MAX EVACUATION TIME FOR ALT II 32:14:00
Evacuation time of 33-minutes for all residents to be out of the project is considered good for this type of
community. Wildfires originating closer to the community could allow significantly less time for
evacuation than would be required and could make one or more evacuation route not usable. The Travertine
community offers decision makers with contingency options, including evacuating or relocating a portion
of the community (much lower number of vehicles and faster evacuation time, proportional to the vehicle
total being relocated), or not immediately evacuating any of the residents if it is safer to shelter on site.
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Evacuation During Flood Events
In cases of flood events, the extension of Avenue 62 will be the only evacuation rout out of the development.
In this case, evacuation studies have shown that in the scenario, within a 43-mintue time the Travertine
development can be completely evacuated. See Table 5: Evacuation Time During Flood Events.
Table 5: Evacuation Time During Flood Events
Seconds Minutes
Headway Per Car 4 0:04
Total Headway Per Lane 2400 40:00:00
Time for Evacuation of First Car @ 35 MPH 166 2:46
MAX EVACUATION TIME INCASE OF
FLOOD EVENT 2,566 42:46:00
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Exhibit 4.1 Alternative I - Evacuation Route Plan
TRAVERTINE FIRE MASTER PLAN
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Exhibit 4.2 Alternative II - Evacuation Route Plan